Family Friday; Louisa Vaughan.

Louisa Vaughan.

Louisa, Louisa, Louisa, you prove to be as elusive as your big brother, Henry Edward. Why?

I don’t have your birth certificate but I do know that you are the fifth child and second living daughter of Henry and Charlotte, born in 1850. You are included as one of the three females, living, on Henry’s death certificate but not mentioned, at all on your mothers. Why?

What I have about you has been gleaned from the marriage certificates of Isabella in 1866 and William in 1867, where you stand as a witness, for both. Then you seem to disappear.

I searched for your marriage, in both New South Wales and Victoria, nothing. Searched for your death, in both New South Wales and Victoria, nothing. I spent time searching through TROVE and found three death notices that lead me to discover more about you.

“Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 23 January 1922, page 7.”

Funerals.

"ROGERS. The Relatives and Friends of Mr and Mrs ARCHIBALD CRUM and FAMILY are kindly invited to attend the Funeral of their dearly-loved MOTHER and GRANDMOTHER, Louisa Vaughan Rogers; to leave their residence, 195 Trafalgar street, Annandale, THIS AFTERNOON, at 1 o’clock for the Presbyterian Cemetery, Rookwood, via Mortuary Station.”

The second notice mentions a Mr and Mrs W J TURNER, loving mother and grandmother.

You have two daughters?? This starts a search for their marriages and I find that your daughters are named Charlotte and Alice. Mrs Crum and Mrs Turner, respectively.

I next look for your marriage, while waiting for your death certificate to arrive. No marriage is found. Okay, there could be several reasons for that, but not the one I found.

Your death certificate* (22 January 1922), arrives and the plot thickens. Your parents are correct, so it is you. Charlotte and Alice are mentioned and their ages, good. Archibald is mentioned, so it is the correct certificate. BUT your Name and Place Married open up an interesting problem.

NAME; Louisa Vaughan, KNOWN AS Rogers.

Place Married; NOT MARRIED.

Louisa, why are you doing this to me?

From your death certificate I know that Charlotte is 45 and Alice is 41, in 1922, so I should be able to find their births.

Rogers births for Charlotte and Alice, nothing.

Vaughan births for Charlotte and Alice, bingo! There they are Charlotte in 1876 and Alice in 1881. No father is listed. It is interesting to note that a father’s name, John, is given on their death certificates.

Searching the New South Wales, births, deaths and marriages, plus TROVE, I find that your family inserted In Memoriam notices, on the anniversary of your death. Your daughter’s marry and have at least eight children, that I can find between them. I also find their deaths and those of their husbands.

Why didn’t you marry? Was there really a John Rogers? Was he married? Didn’t your family approve?  Questions and more questions.

From the third funeral notice, I can see that you are still in touch with some family but exactly who, I haven’t looked at.

The illegitimacy, of your daughters, should not have bothered your family. Your own parents had most of their children, before they married.

I thought that I would search TROVE, to see if I could find Charlotte’s marriage. While I didn’t find that, I did find John Roger’s funeral notice and probate notice. There were seven funeral notices, all saying loving father, with the last two being from Charlotte and Alice.  So John did have another family.

Searching both Ancestry and Find My Past, located a marriage, children, in England and then his wife’s death, in 1870, in Australia. The biggest discovery was his will. He was living at 195 Trafalgar Street, Annandale, with Charlotte and Archibald Crum. Were you there too, Louisa?  I think so.

I still have unanswered questions but I feel that I know you well enough. Your brother George is going to cause me problems, next week. How I love this family of mine.

Your loving great-niece,

 Lilian.

I found your grave, yesterday and discovered that Charlotte and Archibald are with you. Is James your grandson? I have a grandson James.