Experienced people, what would you guess?

[erich]

Dizzi

I found the birth records in Ancestry today, and confirmed that my Ernest probably couldn't have been born to those two parents, but could have known the family when they moved to Melbourne in 1880/81 - they were married in Stawell in western Victoria, a gold rush town at the time, and later moved to Melbourne and several of them died close to the suburb where my Gran lived and hence where Ernest must have hung out, otherwise he might never have met her. A Francis Hargrave retired as a police constable in 1896 in Melbourne (my Francis would then have been about 58) so if that wa shim, that might explain why he was in a gold rush town.

The Ernest McQuillan born in Sydney 1876 is interesting, so I may look a little more into him. Thanks.

[Mary in Oz]

I have found the Asgill-Tuckers on a ship to South Africa in 1956
Henry gives his birthday as 10/12/1926
Constance gives hers as 18/12/1926
His occ. is Accountant. and the address is shown as 51 Victoria Ave. Surbiton Surrey
Ship Stirling Castle.
Where it says country of intended residence it says SR so it could be short for Surrey and so its a holiday or it could be a incorrect SA for those staying in South Africa..permanently..

[erich]

I have found the Asgill-Tuckers on a ship to South Africa in 1956

Well done, I couldn't find them anywhere.

Henry gives his birthday as 10/12/1926
His occ. is Accountant. and the address is shown as 51 Victoria Ave. Surbiton Surrey
Ship Stirling Castle.
Where it says country of intended residence it says SR so it could be short for Surrey and so its a holiday or it could be a incorrect SA for those staying in South Africa..permanently..

Interesting and helpful information, except ....

Constance gives hers as 18/12/1926

.... my Constance was born in 1927. So unless she inherited her father's penchant for changing his age - and making herself out to be older - then it looks like it cannot be her.

But thanks again so much. It looks like a false lead, but I have to follow up every possible idea because otherwise I have nothing. Eliminating a possibility is still progress.

(Still, you wouldn't think Constance Shirley Hargraves was a very common name.)

[Mary in Oz]

Erich The date was calculated from what age was given..she travelled on 25/10/56 which is nearly at the end of the year so they might have rounded it up to the nearest year.it is only 1 year difference..

[Dizzi R.I.P.]

LONG SHOT
BUT DIDNT YOU SAY ERNEST SAID HIS DAD WAS FRANCIS,FOUND THIS

Name: Francis McQuillin
Death Place: Victoria
Age: 32
Father's Name: U
Registration Year: 1870
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration Number: 6454
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838

[Dizzi R.I.P.]

New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922
about Frank McQuillin


Name: Frank McQuillin
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Age: 34
Port of Departure: Maromas
Port of Arrival: Sydney, New South Wales
Voyage Arrival Date: 5 Feb 1869
Vessel Name: General Lee
Origin Location: Liverpool Sutz Cal

[Mary in Oz]

LOOKS INTERESTING DIZZY..bUT WHERE IS MAROMAS

[erich]

I have found the Asgill-Tuckers on a ship to South Africa in 1956
Henry gives his birthday as 10/12/1926
Constance gives hers as 18/12/1926
His occ. is Accountant. and the address is shown as 51 Victoria Ave. Surbiton Surrey
Ship Stirling Castle.
Where it says country of intended residence it says SR so it could be short for Surrey and so its a holiday or it could be a incorrect SA for those staying in South Africa..permanently..

Mary, you will recall that you gave me this advice a year ago. and sent me some information recently. I felt this was uncertain, so I didn't follow it up, giving priority to other things. But now other matters have hit a brick wall, I have come back to this. And following the information you sent me by email, and having now received the marriage certificate from England, I can say happily ....

YOU WERE RIGHT!!!

Thanks so much for your information.

The marriage certificate confirms her father's name, and her husband's name was Henry, same as his father's, so it may have been a traditional family name. It was definitely the same couple that travelled to South Africa. And I believe I have solved the meaning of "SR" as their destination - it is Southern Rhodesia. I checked a 1956 map and that area was marked as Southern Rhodesia, like it was a separate country or a state within Rhodesia.

So I am now going to search in a Zimbabwe family history site I have found, and also write to two Henry Asgill-Tuckers I have found in Australia. I may not find anything more about my grandfather, but I am now a little hopeful that I may find a distant relative!

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

[Mary in Oz]

Glad to be of help Eric.. Keep me informed on how you go..keep going..you will get there...

[erich]

Hello friendly people!

I haven't been back for a while, but I have had a small breakthrough and some exciting news, so I thought I should share it with you all, since you have helped me get this far.

You may not recall, it was so long ago, but I have been trying unsuccessfully to trace my grandfather - unsuccessful because I think he may have changed his name somewhere along the line. In my last post, about 18 months ago, I confirmed with Mary that a lady she had found travelling to South Africa in 1956 was my grandfather's child by his second marriage, and therefore my aunt. After some fruitless searching and some time just giving up, someone told me that there was a lady of that name living in Zimbabwe. So I wrote to her.

It turns out it was indeed my aunt, who I previously had no idea was still alive. She was now in her 80s and still alive and well, and had been living in Zimbabwe ever since 1956 (apart from a year in Australia with relatives). I have since spoken several times with her on the phone, corresponded by email and letter, heard her story and shared some photos, including three photos of my grandfather and her father, the first I had ever seen of him! She is a lovely lady and I have gained an aunt.

I have not made any more progress on tracing my grandfather's birth, but she has told me some stories about him (she knew him until he died when she was 12). One interesting thing is that I already knew he had tried to enlist in the Australian army in 1916 but was rejected due to a heart condition - I have the paperwork for that. But she said the he was later told he could enlist but only as a cook/chef (that was his profession) and not in a combat role. She said he had done that, she had seen some paperwork and even a photo of him in uniform. I'm not sure if that is so (I'm not sure how it would fit in between the facts and dates I already know) - perhaps she was told that story but it wasn't so, but perhaps he enlisted in some citizen's militia (if there was one back then) - but perhaps it is true.

So I have some more checking to do now (with Australian military records) and perhaps I'll find something. But meeting my aunt never would have occurred if it hadn't been for Mary finding that information, because I don't think I would have found it.

So thanks Mary and thanks to this forum!