Letter V challenge

This week has brought to mind that one word that is so important in genealogical research. It has come about because of a DNA match with one of the other students in the UTAS cohort. We are trying to find the link or most common recent ancestor in our trees.

Verification

For many years I have always believed that Caroline Bryant, who married William Chandler in 1859 at St Georges church in Hobart, was the daughter of Benjamin Bryant and Charlotte Bryant (nee Bull). But how was this verified? I had used information from a relative but did they actually have proof.

This is what I know from documents:

  1. Caroline Bryant aged 17 arrived in Hobart Town via Sydney on the steamer La Hogue then the ship Tasmania in January 1856.
  2. Charlotte Bryant (presuming this is mother) aged 51 and a widow arrived on same boats.
  3. R.W. Nutt was the sponsor of their immigration to Tasmania.
  4. On birth certificates of William Charles Chandler in 1863, Robert Henry in 1865,  the informant is Charlotte Bryant, grandmother and living at Government Gardens.
  5. On birth certificate of Mary Ann Eliza in 1867, Caroline Louisa in 1870, Ada Ethel in 1878, the address of informant is Government House.
  6. On birth certificate of Sarah in 1872, George Edward in 1874, the address of informant is Glenorchy.
  7. On birth certificate of Fanny Ethel in 1882, the address of informant is “The Grange”.
  8. On birth certificate of unknown female in 1860, the address of informant is J Winter friend Battery Point. This child was later named Julia Charlotte and is my great grandmother.
  9. On 1859 marriage certificate, J Winter is a witness.

But as you can see, there is no Benjamin among Caroline’s children. This has worried me as naming patterns were often used in the mid 1800s. So where to next?

  • I am currently trying to find records from Government House about employment records in the 1850s. Perhaps there will be more information about Charlotte and Caroline there especially as they were the only two bounty immigrants on those ships.
  • I have researched RW Nutt and he was a pre-eminent lawyer in Hobart during the early 1850s. Maybe the governor of the day asked him to write a letter to bring out Caroline and Charlotte especially. Did they have a friend or relative already working at Government House? As William Chandler worked there as a gardener, did he already know Caroline and her mother from back in England?
  • Are there any letters from the Governor of the day asking for Caroline and Charlotte to come out as bounty immigrants?
  • Check out the 1851 census in England for any Charlotte Bryant aged about 46 with a daughter Caroline aged about 12. Check out the names of Caroline’s siblings in the census results. What is name of father?
  • Check 1841 census for similar things as above.

 

20170123-130026.jpg
My great grandmother, Julia Charlotte Chandler born 1860

Readers: Do you have any other ideas of what I could do to verify back in the old country, who is Caroline’s father and when did Charlotte marry him?

7 thoughts on “Letter V challenge

  1. I agree with you Sue it is VERY VEXING when people do not VERIFY their information. It can almost cause you to get on the VALIUM.

  2. V is for Verre

    In each of these letter challenges I have written about an ancestor whose name began with the certain letter. It is getting VERY hard to find ancestors with surnames starting with these last letters of the alphabet.

    However I found one! Marie Verre is the 7th Great Grandmother of my husband. I know little about her except that she was born in Poitiers, France in 1650 and married Jacques Olive in 1670. She and her husband appeared to go to England just after they were married as their children were born there.

  3. V is for
    * veterans of war and conflict.
    * various angles and viewpoints when taking photos
    * Viewing as many records and sources as possible to aim for accuracy.
    * voyages that many took to new lands and new opportunities.

  4. Hi Sue have been exploring http://search.ancestry.com.au/
    Looking for some inspiration to help with your Benjamin problems. There are a lot of Benjamin Bryants !! but:
    Searched Benjamin. Charlotte & Caroline England
    Census 1851 England- Ben Charlotte- Benjnr, Caroline
    Reside Surrey.
    Ben Charlotte Census 1881- Somerset. Not yours- C in Australia. 1856
    Searched Ben, charlotte England
    Charlotte Bull Born 1804
    England Pallots Marriage Index 17870-1837 Ben & C
    England Wales Criminal registers 1791-1892 Ben Bryant
    Ben Bryant- B1808. Residence 1835 Wiltshire ENG.- Australian Convict transport Registers ??- did he die here
    before Charlotte arrived.
    Ben Bryant died UsA- ? did they send some convicts there??
    Eng Census 1881 Charlotte Bull born 1804 – NOT Yours.
    Can you find a clue in death certs ??
    Childrens names seem to reflect William and friends names, may be Caroline didn’t know her Fathers name??
    Anything on Carolines marriage cert eg parent names??
    More questions but is anything familiar here?
    Regards Marg

  5. Hi Sue had another thought- is it possible that Charlotte is somehow related to William Chandler:
    London & Surrey Marriage Bonds & Allegations
    William Frederick Chandler
    Spouse Mary Price Bryant (Middlesex)
    ————————————————————–
    Marriages Surrey Church of England 1745-1937
    Charlotte Mary Bryant
    Spouse William Chandler
    FATHER Charles Thomas BRYANT
    ———————————————————
    England Census 1911 Your family in Australia
    Elizabeth Mary Bryant
    Spouse John William Bryant
    John Edgar
    Frederick William
    —————————————-
    Was Charlotte a widow or was she a Bryant all along??
    Questions Questions is any of this useful or am I barking up the wrong tree. Marg

  6. V = Visit/visiting
    Nothing quite like Visiting one’s relatives for getting the full story. I’ve been aware of certain aspects of my ancestors but after doing Oral History and visiting my 2nd cousins did I fully understand. Watching body language and being able to ask questions directly is of great help.

  7. V is for the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy, awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces. First given by Queen Victoria in 1856 during the Crimean War.

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