My apologies, Robyn, for spelling your name wrongly.  Not a very good start!

 

Marian

Hello Robyn

 

Do you know when the family emigrated to Australia?  Do you have any other info, however small, that would be help us in our search?  Do you know names of any other family members such as John's siblings?

 

Marian

Hello Marian,

 

Thanks for getting back to me - and for getting my name right :-)

 

I've only started to put serious effort into finding this man recently. I am not certain when he arrived or even which city he came to first. John is probably not a convict unless he went to <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Western Australia</st1:place></st1:State> first �?they didn’t finish convict transportation until 1868 and many left WA and came east.

 

I got the following from his death certificate. His son in law provided the details and I am not sure how accurate they are.

 

In Australian Colonies for 20 years �?this puts his arrival at around 1856

<o:p> </o:p>

Place of birth St Michaels �?who knows where that is!

Age: 44 years. This gives a DoB of around 1832 and is probably right.

Wife: Elizabeth Church, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Cork</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>

Age at marriage: 31 years. His own marriage certificate (1863) shows no age but it would make him 31 when married.

Father’s Name: George NESBITT, Harbour Master

Mother’s Name: Elizabeth HUGHSON

<o:p>I haven't been able to find any likely siblings for him in NSW </o:p>

“Someone" who has since disappeared off the net had him as coming from Worcestershire. That person said he got it from John's son's (also John) death certificate. On John senior’s marriage certificate and his daughter's marriage certificate his birth location has been left bank.

<o:p> </o:p>

If George was actually a Harbour Master then that might be traceable. I’m not sure of the geography �?could it have something to do with the <st1:place w:st="on">Severn River</st1:place>? I read somewhere that there was a St Michael’s church in Bedwardine, Worcestershire that was known as a “Waterman’s church�?

 

No siblings that I know, but his own children were called George Augustus, John (Edward I think), Elizabeth, Emily and William James. Young George then had a son, William Augustus. So they seem to be following a traditional naming pattern. But where did Augustus come from?

<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:City> was my own grandmother. She married an Irishman and named her children any old how but mostly Irish names. The others I haven’t checked yet.

Hello Robyn

 

Please accept my apologies for the long delay in getting back to you.  We have been quite busy on the site and somehow I overlooked your search. 

 

Now, I have been having difficulty finding your Nesbitts on the censuses.  However, this is what I have found:

 

Christening record for John's father, George Augustus Nesbitt. 

 

 

As I said, he is nowhere to be found on the censuses, so either he died before the spring of 1841, or else he must have been away, perhaps at sea.

 

However, on the 1851 census I did find Anne Nesbitt age 49 born in Clifton (wrongly transcribed as Elefton!), Gloucestershire c1802.  She was living in Claines with (?daughters) Frances Nesbitt born c1827, and Maria Nesbitt born c1831.

 

In 1861 and 1871 we find Anna Maria E. C. Nesbitt born Clifton, Gloucester c1802, so I feel sure this is the same person.  Could she perhaps be a sister-in-law of George?  As she was listed as "mother-in-law", it seems that Nesbitt is her married name.  She died in 1890.

 

I also tracked down another Nesbitt family which I will post in a separate message so as to avoid confusion.

 

Marian

Manager

 

 

Hello again Robyn 

 

Now, I have found another (younger) George Augustus Nesbitt, who came from London.  These are his birth, marriage and death records below.  Do you think he could be related?  

 

 

 

 

I believe this is the family in 1851 when George was a baby, living in Chelsea, London.  Unfortunately the full names are not listed, just initials.  But the G. A. Nesbitt would fit with the one above b Sept 1850.

 

J. Nesbitt  Head  44  General Merchant  b Romney, Kent c1807
M. Nesbitt  Wife  34  b Honiton, Devon c1817
J. Nesbitt  Son  7  b Putney, Surrey
E. Nesbitt  Son  6  b Putney,  Surrey
W. Nesbitt  Son  4  b Chelsea,  Middlesex
A. Nesbitt  Son  3  b Chelsea
J.  Nesbitt  Son  2  b Chelsea
G. A. Nesbitt  Son  6 months  b Chelsea
Also 3 servants.

 

Marian

Manager

 

Hello Robyn

 

No, I am sorry to say there were no more details about George's christening than I have given you.  I would have included them as I know how important the tiniest detail can be.

 

Hope the info was helpful and that you manage to get a bit further along in your family research.  Let us know if you need any more help.

 

Marian

Manager

Hi Robyn

 

I came across this in my notes.  It might be totally irrelevant to your family, but though I ought to post it anyway as you can never be too sure.

 

 

ELIZABETH NIZBUT
 Christening:  10 OCT 1802   Bockleton, Worcester, England
 Parents:
  Father:  GEORGE NIZBUT  Family
  Mother:  ELIZABETH 

 

Marian

Manager

Yes, Robyn, I thought that was a very funny spelling!

 

Now, this is the English GRO site where you can order your certificates for BMD's from 1837 onwards.  They cost £7.00 each.  You will need to have the GRO reference for the certificate you are ordering, as well as the year and quarter.

 

 

Hope you also received my e-mail of yesterday's date with those sites.

 

Marian

 

 

Hi Robyn

 

Pleased to hear that you are making some progress.  Who would have thought that St. Michael's was in the Azores?!

 

Mike has found this site which might be of help to you.

 

 

Best wishes

Marian

Robyn,  There is a listing for a Jno NESBIT coming into australia in October 1854 on the ship Julia

No other family members listed

His age just listed as adult

check UNassisted index for this record

There are many spelling variations on these indexes so always check different spellings

He could also have arrived originally in any state and then made his way to NSW

The listings on this index are for victoria and some of the people listed also came on to NSW but are listed on the same index

This ship came from a British Port

Unfortunately for people who paid their own way there was not much info taken about them unlike the assisted immigrants

Liz