Family Friday, Isabella Mary Ann Vaughan, Part One.

Isabella is the fourth child and first surviving daughter of Henry and Charlotte and my Great-Grandma.

Isabella (Isabel, on her baptism record*), Mary Ann Vaughan, was baptised on 3 October 1847, at St Philips Church, Sydney, by William Cowper. Her date of birth is given as 18 September 1847, with Henry being listed as a Tailor.

Great-Grandma, I next find your marriage to William Henry Martin, on the 11 October 1866*, at St Andrews Church, Sydney. Your marriage certificate makes for very interesting reading, with there being no information about you, just your name, conjugal status and usual residence. William gives me a bit more detail, listing his occupation as a ships steward and his usual residence as Sydney.

Your parents are still living, why didn’t you list them? I did notice that your sister, Louisa and your brother William are the witnesses, so you are still in touch with family.

A search of births and the NSW BDM’s site gives me 10 children between 1864 and 1876. Hang on, you didn’t marry until 1866! Okay, something to look at.

Your children are;

1864 Charlie.

1865 Robert.

1867 Charlotte E.*

1869 Matilda I.

1870 Susan Florence. Know as Florence or Florrie.

1871 Bertha W.

1873 William Henry J.

1874 Isabella Louisa, d 1874.

1876 Arthur Frederick L.

1879 Henry Edward.

Five girls and five boys.  But are the eldest two yours or is there another William and Isabella Martin around?  I think not.

I have Charlotte Emma’s birth certificate and there are more details on it about you and William. William is still a ship’s steward, aged 31 and born in London.  Your date of marriage is 1866 and where is says previous issue there is the word none. Interesting. Are you and William doing a Henry and Charlotte and only going to list the children of the marriage on subsequent birth certificates?  Something I haven’t followed up with. You give your age as 20. This also makes me wonder if Charlie and Robert are yours.

You and William seem to keep out of the newspapers and there is nothing about you and your family. I know that sometime after the birth of Henry Edward in 1879, you are widowed. While it would be a good find but this is proving to be a bit elusive. There are 14 deaths listed, of William Martin between 1878 and 1883. The death of a William MARTIN, is in 1881, with the age being 45 years and the place being Sydney, looks like being the right one. The age puts the year of birth at 1836. William, you are becoming a pest and you aren’t my relation!!  Searches of Trove give me 1,000’s of hits for William Martin, so William, you are shelved.

Here ends Part One is Isabella Mary Ann Vaughan’s story. Next week we will find out what happens to Isabella.

Bye for now,

Lilian.

*Indicates that I have the certificate.