Most of the stories I have researched in my family have been pretty straight forward. Lots of easily found data relating to births, deaths, marriages, children, newspaper articles giving the background to the family as well as photos to add that personal touch. Also more recently DNA matches proving the relationships.

But the one person who has taken a lot of research was my grandfather, William Elvis Allen. I have written about him often on my blog and wrote his biography here. But a bit of background to him.

• Born in England just after his father died
• Mother remarried
• He joined the navy
• Eventually arrived in Australia
• First marriage in New South Wales then deserted wife and two children
• Moved to Tasmania, added new surname of Wyatt
• Married, two children, wife died
• Remarried, one child (my dad) then deserted wife and child again
• Moved back to New South Wales
• Married again, three children, stayed with that family until death

Why was the research tough? I had been using paperwork from his marriages in Tasmania which were under his assumed name. He had listed his grandfather as his father, his mother’s maiden name was correct, his occupation as steward was correct but the most important bit was wrong. His surname at birth.

It took over twenty years research and DNA matches from the two marriages in New South Wales to finally get the answers I needed. Once I had the correct surname at birth, it only took a weekend to build his biography using all the different sources I could find.

This story means so much to me because all the research was completed and the biography written before my father and his half brother in New South Wales passed away in 2024. Also this was a story of collaboration with newly found cousins who each had their own stories and knowledge of William Elvis Allen aka Wyatt.

Please read the biography linked on this post to read the full story of my grandfather.