FRANCIS STOVER & CATHERINE FISHER

[wildcats13]

Hi, I am trying to find some ancestors for my grand daughter's husband and have struck a snag and hope someone can assist. What we do know is that William Tinsley Stover was the son of Francis Stover & Catherine Fisher, according to the Queensland BDM records, and he would have landed in Australia sometime in the 1850's, as he married Mary Ryan in 1861 in Queensland. It appears that he was born in about 1835 in Georgetown, Pettis County, Missouri, USA. I have tried finding more about Francis & Catherine through available services without success. I have tried searching passenger lists from America hoping to find where he boarded but struck a blank. I have all the available details for the family tree from William's marriage in Australia. Would be very pleased for any assistance.
Wildcats 13

[Neale1961]

Does the information about his parents come from his death certificate or his marriage certificate?
Do both of his marriage certificates have the same information about his parents?

-------
A Joseph Stover married a Mary Fisher in 1807 Tennessee
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XD3K-G6D

One feels there might be a family connection.

Have a look at this tree
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LCQM-DMT

Mention of a will of Catherine Fisher of Missouri
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/K26Y-GYV

[oldohiohome]

Stover households in Pettis County, Missouri, on the 1840 Census

John Stover household
male 20 to 30
female 20 to 30

Anthony Stover household
male 30 to 40
male under 5
female 20 to 30
female 40 to 50
3 females under 5
3 females 15 to 19

Mary Stover household
female 40 to 50
male 5 to 9
female 5 to 9

browse all, then by state, then by county
all the Stovers I found are on image 26
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1786457

all three of them are in the tree Neale1961 found.
I didn't find a Francis Stover on the 1840 census when searching it at familysearch.  Maybe they had left for Australia by 1840. 
Is there any record that William's parents went to Australia as well?

[Lisa in California]

Perhaps it’s a red herring, but I thought I would mention it anyway…

Catharine Stover
Marriage Date - 25 November 1839
Marriage Place - Pettis, Missouri
Spouse - Francis Jones

1850 District 68, Pettis, Missouri census
Francis Jones, born 1805, Missouri, Farmer
Catherine Jones, born 1809, Kentucky
William F. Jones, born 1830, Missouri
    etc.
Anthony Stover and his household are shown on the same page
Shown directly above the Jones household are Anthony Fisher, age 56, born Virginia and Emily Fisher, age 22, born Kentucky

Added:  Could this be a second marriage for Catharine Stover?  Was William F.
her son, in 1850 using his stepfather’s surname;
her stepson, which means this is a red herring; or
not any connection to you William T. Stover.

If the above is your William, perhaps both his father and stepfather were named Francis, or there was a mistake with the names.

[Neale1961]

Catharine Stover
Marriage Date - 25 November 1839
Marriage Place - Pettis, Missouri
Spouse - Francis Jones

Samuel Fisher married them.
The register is so hard to read, sadly.

Better copy here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G98M-1S5J?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A6XHM-YBW6&action=view

Catherine Stover seems to have been the daughter of Mary Fisher and Joseph Stover.

[Neale1961]

By the 1860 census William Stover is no longer in his mothers household.

In the 1850 census it could be William T. or William F.  - Handwriting not clear. More like the F in other words though.

[Lisa in California]

By the 1860 census William Stover is no longer in his mothers household.

I wonder if any siblings went to Australia with William?

Calling it a night since it’s rather “late” here (middle of the night, actually)…

[Neale1961]

It looks like the information about William Stover’s parents comes from his death certificate.
It is the kind of muddled information that is not uncommon on death certs. The informant knows some family information but gets it slightly mixed-up.

William may have travelled from America to Australia under the surname Jones.

Possible scenario ----
William was the son of Catherine Stover and a Mr. Tinsley. He may never have met his father. When his mother married Francis Jones, William took that surname and later reverted to the Stover name. Francis may have been the father that William knew, although not his biological father.

[Lisa in California]

Repeating some details and mentioning new ones…

Catharine Stover married Francis Jones in Pettis County, Missouri in November 1839

1850 Pettis County, Missouri census
Francis Jones, 45, farmer, Missouri
Catharine, 41, Kentucky
William ?, 20, farmer
Polly, 17
Francis, 14
Jacob, 11
Joseph, 8
Narcissa, 5
Thomas, 1
  All children born in Missouri and had the surname Jones

1860 Freestone, Texas census (Fairfield Post Office)
Catharine Jones, 46, born Kentucky
Joseph, 17, Labourer, Missouri
Narcissa, 15, Missouri
Thomas, 12, Missouri
John, 7, Missouri
   All children had the surname Jones
   So, Catharine was possibly still with Francis, in Missouri, in 1853
   According to the image, Catharine only had $54 in “value of personal estate” which, looking at several census pages, was quite low. 

According to several Anc*try family trees, Catharine’s/Catherine’s mother’s name was Mary Polly or Mary Jane.

Were William, Polly, Francis and Jacob Catharine’s children?
Or, were the children born to Catharine Stover and Francis Jones (prior to their marriage)?
Or, were the four only Francis’ children?
  I think it’s least likely that Catharine wasn’t the mother, as she possibly named Polly after her mother.