Surname Lists, Chapman codes and Female Ancestors

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Good Intentions

How has your day been?

I've been doing a bit of tidying up. It was not my intention to do any research today.  It was my intention to work on my Family History software program and a bit of filing. 

Surname and Chapman Code Lists

But I ended up trying to clean my overflowing email inbox.  And that led to me realising that while I had submitted my surname interests to my family history society years and years ago, I hadn't re-submitted them to put on the Society's website.  So I started to fill out the forms which led me to realise that there was one particular ancestor on my husband's family tree for whom we lacked biographical info; namely where she was born.

Namely Mary Bary Daw nee Ellis.

Search Again!

Now I am sure that I have tried to research her before but you know the old adage, go back and check those pesky databases again because new information may have been added.  So that is exactly what I did and I unearthed some very satisfactory information.

Female Ancestors

Female ancestors can be a bit tricky and Family Search did publish an article recently on steps that might assist you in finding out more information. Family Search suggests you do three things:

  1. Mine male ancestors records - Family Search suggests probate records.  This is quite amusing because they suggest that female ancestors don't often have an estate or money to leave behind.  However Mary Bray Daw nee Ellis did, in fact, have a will and it has always been a source of mystery to me why she left it to what appears to be neighbours by and large rather than her husband so I will have to dig that out again and refresh my memory of that particular document.  However, today, I was more interested in the other end of Mary's life, namely where she was born.
    The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Mon 18 Dec 1893  Page 7 

  2. Create a timeline of historical events that happened during your female ancestor's life - yes, good idea, but perhaps not today.
  3. Hunt for headstones - thankfully I have found Thomas and Mary Bray's headstone which is quite heartbreaking in its detail BUT no details of Mary Bray's birthplace there.


Daw Monument at Tingalpa Cemetery - photo by Alex Daw


Census

So, this is what I discovered today:

Via The Genealogist (through QFHS online search as a member) I discovered Mary Bray Ellis in the 1871 Census for Devon living in Goodrington Village, Paignton, Devon with Gilbert Distin and his wife Sarah Elizabeth and Gilbert's brother Alfred, together with two other servants Frederick James and Elizabeth Ann Parnell.  Mary Bray was described as a domestic servant, aged 26 and wait for it, born in Butterleigh, Devon.  Hoorah!

Let's just stop for a minute and think about what an amazing place the world can be.  I've never heard of Goodrington or Butterleigh.  I remember reading in the Wikipedia entry that Goodrington has a railway station.  Wanna see where the railway is in connection to the beach?


Pretty amazing huh?  

Always look at the original!

Looking at the original document I noticed further down the page a John Daw, Cow Boy (Ag Lab) aged 13 living in the Wyatt household and then in the next household, the James household, Tom Daw, aged 21 (Mary Bray's future husband) Ag Lab.

I then proceeded to look for Mary Bray Ellis' birth in Butterleigh and found the baptism for Mary Bray Ellis daughter of Robert and Mary Ellis on 29th September 1844 (did you see that date?  Today's date - cue spooky music). I found this on Find My Past - again courtesy of my QFHS membership I was able to search for this online at home.

I was able to find other census entries for Mary and her family

1841 Census at Clifgate Cottage Butterleigh Robert, Mary and Mary Bray's older siblings Elizabeth aged 3 and Robert aged 1.  

1851 Census at Yew Tree Hamlet, Butterleigh, Mary Bray is living with her brothers and sisters and mother and father as follows: parents Robert and Mary aged 38 and 37 respectively, then Elizabeth aged 12, Robert aged 10, William aged 8, Mary aged 6 and Sarah aged 2.

I861 Census - Mary is now described as a house servant aged 16 working for the Frost Family at Fillbrook Farm, Butterleigh, Devon.  

Don't forget Newspapers!


 The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947) Fri 4 Nov 1892  Page 4 

The Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934)  Fri 3 Nov 1893   Page 16


When I searched Trove again and looked at the death/funeral notices for Mary Bray Daw in Brisbane I noticed that one of the notices had been placed by her brother and sister which makes me wonder if they came out to Australia too.  And if so, which ones?  Was it Elizabeth, Robert, William or Sarah?  That's another search to perform but at least I have found out where Mary Bray was born.  

Where does the middle name Bray come from?  No idea but I'm guessing furiously that it is her mother's maiden name.  Another search to be performed. But no, it would seem that Mary's mother's maiden name was Chambers. The Genealogist gives me a date of marriage of 5th May 1836 with the witnesses to the marriage being Charlotte and James Rawlins.  So do you want to give me a suggestion as to where Bray came from?  No other family member seems to have a middle name.  What's going on there huh? Any ideas?

Happy Family Tree Hunting yourself.

Comments

GenieJen said…
Glad you linally found Mary Bray. Paignton is a gorgeous place too.
October 1, 2020 at 12:06 PM
Alex Daw said…
Dear GenieJen Guess who had to go and get a book on Devon from the library today just to see what it was like I'm not sure where I've been in Devon (isn't that awful?_. I think I was ten years old when I was there last. I remember Conrwall more than Devon which is a bit of a shame.
October 1, 2020 at 3:33 PM
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