Victoria Marriage John Albert NESS and Charlotte MILLS c1858

[jadewing]

I'm doing some research for a friend. Her 2x Gt Grandparents John Albert Ness and Charlotte (Mills) Ness are buried in the Queenstown Cemetery, Vic, but details are scanty and I can find no record of their marriage.

John Albert Mills b c1822 died 1 Nov 1907 Queenstown, Vic. I don't yet have his death cert but the index says parents and birth place unknown 

Charlotte Mills b1841 Melbourne - Parents John/George Mills and Mary Kerrigan/Corrigan
She died Queenstown 25 Jan 1929, having lived there for 72 years. Her daughter reported her death but did not know the details of her marriage except that it was in Hawthorn. She also reported a previous marriage, details unknown, with a child Neil McLeod, birth date unknown.

I have found a marriage of Charlotte Mills and William McLeod April 1855, Hawthorn, Vic. Charlotte would've been only 14 
Neil McCleod Par: William and Charlotte Mills was born 1856 in Caledonia but I've found no further reference to him. He is mentioned in his mother's death notice.

Children of Charlotte and John Albert Ness:
Florentine b1859 Melb
Caroline b1862 Kangaroo Ground
Charlotte b c1865 (64yo in 1929) - birth record not found
Albertine b1867 Eltham
George Albert b1869 Queenstown
Henrietta b 4/05/1872 Queenstown

Maybe John Albert and Charlotte didn't marry? Maybe she was still married to William McLeod? Any light that can be shed would be appreciated, thanks!

Jane

[jadewing]

Oops, double post, sorry!

[Neale1961]

John Albert NESS
Death 1 Nov 1907 Queenstown, Caledonia Diggings
Age 85
Registration 13831 / 1907

A tree on Anc gives his name as Albert Johann NESS born abt 1821 in Danzig Prussia (now Gdansk, Poland)

In the absence of a marriage record, the birth record of a child after 1853 should give you some information about parents’ place of birth.

[judb]

Neil Cornelius McLeod - you already have his birth but I'll post it again:
Neil McCleod
Birth Place   Caledonia, Victoria
Registration Year   1856
Registration Place   Victoria, Australia
Father: William McCleod
Mother: Charlotte Mills
Registration Number   7110

Death
Neil Cornelius McLeod
Death Date   16 Oct. 1930
Death Place   Queensland, Australia
Father: William
Mother: Charlotte Mills
Qld Registration Number   003814, p1100
Burial:
Herberton General Cemetery, Herberton, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia
Plot RC 2, 13

John's death notice (The Age, Saturday 9 November, 1907) mentions him as "stepfather of Neil McLeod".

In the 1800s the marriageable age in Australian states and territories was the same as the age of consent: 14 for men and 12 for women, so it was acceptable for Charlotte to have married in 1855.

Judith

[jadewing]

Excellent, thanks people

I was thinking JA Ness might have been born overseas, but hadn't found any immigration record for him.

When I couldn't find a NESS/Mills marriage I found the Mills/McLeod one but thought Charlotte would've been too young, I didn't realise that the marriageable age was so low back then. The reference to Neil McLeod in the death notices made me think again. I wonder what happened to William McLeod?

Jane

[jadewing]

Following on from Neil McLeod's death record I just found this reference to him on Trove  :

Pensioner Shot Dead.
Neil Cornelius McLeod (also known as Billy McKeen), a pensioner, formerly a miner, aged 77 years, who lived in the town of Herberton was on Thursday found dead in his house, with a pea rifle lying across his chest. It is understood that the dead man drew his pension on Thursday morning and retωrned to his home. He had been in failing health for some time.
 The Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954) Mon 20 Oct 1930 Page 4

[Neale1961]

If Albert Johan was indeed from Prussia / Poland, NESS is likely to be an anglicised version of his true surname, which might have been something like NAAS.