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Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 21 Jul 2015 11:39PM GMT
Classification: Query
I am looking to determine how long my relatives, the Johnson's, lived with the Olds prior to moving to Western Australia.

Mary, Claire, Joseph Ray and James Bassett Johnson were the children of Joseph and Elizabeth Anne (nee Bassett) Johnson. Following the death of Joseph in 1892, Elizabeth married Thomas Spear Old in 1895 but died in 1896. At this stage her children would have been 15, 14, 8 and 5 respectively.

Mary and Claire pop up in Kalgoorlie in 1906 and Joseph Ray was in Perth in 1913. James also possibly in WA at the same time although he was in Bendigo in 1914 when he enlisted.

Would be interested in finding out when and how all moved to WA. Mary and Claire arrived in WA via Esperance (as per their descendents) but there were only very sketchy records kept of arrivals into that port.

Any help appreciated.

Re: Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 22 Jul 2015 11:14AM GMT
Classification: Query


Johnson is a very ordinary name to research.

Can you fill in the details here please because it is too vague to be useful. Can you give names, places, events, something better than "pop up".

"....Mary and Claire pop up in Kalgoorlie in 1906"

Where are you seeing them at Esperance...when...?

" Mary and Claire arrived in WA via Esperance (as per their descendents)"

Re: Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 22 Jul 2015 11:48AM GMT
Classification: Query
I humbly apologise for my family's name. Next time I'm born I'll request relatives with a less ordinary name.

Thanks for your valued input.

Re: Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 23 Jul 2015 1:29AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,
As you already know records for that period for interstate travel are very sketchy. As passengers paid their own fares and were not assisted there was no reason to collect massive amounts of personal information.

JOHNSON is on of those names that always ends up spelt different on each index, and considering they could have just been listed as Mr, Master, Miss, Ms or even just by a first initial M, C, J it makes it a whole lot of hard work trying to pinpoint anyone with any certainty.

That's why Fryerning asked for more information.
Knowing the last date for each one in VIC and the first date for each one in WA, and the source of those dates, narrows down the search considerably.

Chances are the records you are looking for are not even online.
They could have even travelled overland which many did and there won't even be a record.

Maybe try TROVE (NLA Online newspapers) for any mentions or you could even purchase death certs and see if TIME IN COLONY lists the years in VIC and years in WA.

PROV has outward passenger records for VIC to other states, maybe try there. There are thousands listed, you'd just have to compare the year to the age and record possible matches. Also remember to search for variations of the name JOHNSON.

Kellie

Re: Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 23 Jul 2015 4:34AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi
I have already spent several days in the WA SRO and have determined that arrivals info into Esperance were only recorded for a couple of years in the early 1890's and not thereafter.
I have no idea of when they left Victoria - this is what I am trying to determine. Mary and Clair appear on the electoral roll in Kalgoorlie in 1906 so we know they were there by then. I'd guess they didn't leave until after their mother died so the time frame is thus 1896-1906.
I know they arrived in WA via Esperance as Claire's son recalls her telling him this.
In Ernie Old's book "By Bread Alone" he indicates that when he did his cycle ride from Melbourne to Perth and caught up with Mary and Clare in Norseman he hadn't seen them for 42 years. He did this ride in 1948 so this thus indicates departure from Victoria ~1906.
Death certs in WA no longer indicate time in colony (if they ever did) Mary and Claire died in 1965 and 1970 respectively

Alan

Re: Johnson & Old Families - Dingee/Raywood

Posted: 23 Jul 2015 4:44AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Alan,
Then your best bet for online research is the VIC Outward Passenger Records on PROV.
http://prov.vic.gov.au/research

You could check with the Australian National Library or even Archives to see what records they have which are not online.

Kellie
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