We have movement on the Wyatt front!

As my regular readers know, my father is my problem child when it comes to DNA and paper trails and oral trails.

Until about three years ago, he was an only child with a half brother and half sister he knew about, living in Hobart but had not met formally. Then after me writing about his father in a post on my old website, two sisters (Kylie and Julie) living in New South Wales got in contact with me, saying there were many similarities to their grandfather (Alan Wyatt) in my grandfather William Allen Wyatt. Both in the navy, both stewards, both same birth day and month, both same mother and father mentioned on marriage records. We compared photos of their grandfather and a photo my dad had who we thought might be his father. More similarities.

Just to cinch it, their father (Kevin) tested his DNA. Results confirmed my dad and their dad were half brothers. So dad now has a half brother and half sister living in Hobart area, and a half brother and two half sisters living in New South Wales. With DNA matches the closest was a 4th-6th cousin so without us being able to go back 4-5 generations we were stuck.

Now this is where the movement happens!

Suddenly a week or so ago, a new DNA match appeared as either 1st or 2nd cousin to Dad and Kevin. Flurry of messages through Ancestry and emails back and forth between the match, his sister (who is the keeper of the family history) and it looks like dad might have two more half brothers. This is the basic timeline we have worked out for William Allen aka William Allen Wyatt aka Alan Wyatt. Some of it still needs to be verified but…..

William Elvis ALLEN (note surname)

  • 1902 born in Croydon, Surrey England on 27 June (Same date on our certificates) Mother Florence Emily Evans (same as our certificates)
  • 1918-1920 he joined the Navy in Britain looks like for a 12 year period
  • 1924 marries Emily Daisy Green at registrars office, Sydney stating he is 28 years old to Emily age 27
  • 1924 son born to couple
  • 1925 son born to couple but William leaves before child is born – son of this child is the new DNA match
  • 1925-1927 William Alvis Allen joins the Royal Australian Navy for 12 years – mother Florence, same birth date and birth place as William Elvis Allen
  • 1929 William Alan Wyatt living at 160 Goulburn Street with the Avery family – Denison Electoral Roll
  • 1929 marries Jean Violet Ward at registrars office, Hobart stating he is 25 and so is Jean; mother Florence Emily Wyatt nee Evans
  • 1929-1931 two children born to couple
  • 1930 William joins Royal Australian Naval Reserve for period of 3 years
  • 1931 Alan William Wyatt living at 3 Allison Street with wife Jean – Denison Electoral Roll
  • 1931 After June, no longer assessed at the Naval Depot
  • 1932 William Alan Wyatt marries Irene Smith at Holy Trinity Church – living at 160 Goulburn Street – age 30 widower, 2 chn living, wife died 1931; mother Florence Emily Wyatt nee Evans
  • 1932 son born to couple
  • 1935 William Alan deserts Irene and her child (my dad)
  • 1936 Alan Wyatt marries Stella Wilby Parrish at Wollongong St Michaels parish church – age 36; mother Florence Emily Wyatt nee Evans
  • 1937-1943 three children born to this couple including Kevin
  • 1940 marriage to Emily Daisy Green dissolved by NSW Supreme Court on grounds of desertion
  • 1945 decree absolute granted for Irene Wyatt on grounds of desertion
  • 1974 Alan Wyatt dies in Wollongong, New South Wales

Readers: Do you think William ALLEN could also be William Alan WYATT? What is some other research I will need to do to prove it according to genealogical evidence needed?

 

 

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “We have movement on the Wyatt front!

  1. Hi, not sure if this has any connection to you but my great great grandmother Lydia Hart was assigned to haberdasher Joseph Wyatt of Pitt St, Sydney NSW in the 1828 census

    • Hi Lin,
      No, I have now found out no relations by the surname Wyatt as my grandfather added the surname to his real name of William Allen when he deserted his first wife in 1925.I spent years researching the Wyatt name, only to find through a DNA match that I should have been looking at Allen surname.

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