So much for bagpipes................how I used DNA to find Henry's family

I have long been fascinated by my maternal ancestors, Henry TUCK and his Irish bride, Catherine FALVEY. The family legend had it that Henry was born on the Isle of Skye in 1810, and my family fully embraced the Scottish connection. One of my uncles and a cousin even bought kilts and learned the bagpipes, joining a local pipe band. Another cousin named her daughter Syke.

 

 

Photos of Henry Tuck and Catherine Falvey from the Family Reunion booklet

Photos of Henry Tuck and Catherine Falvey from the Family Reunion booklet

 

My late Uncle Peter in 2011

This legend is evident on Henry's death certificate (1) and a biography written by his grandson, Samuel, published in 1963. It starts "My Grandfather, Henry Tuck, was born on the Isle of Skye in the County of Inverness in 1810, just five years before Waterloo." (2)

Death certificate of Henry Tuck from Births Deaths Marriages Victoria

Image from the booklet:  Henry Tuck and his Descendants: Family Reunion 7th March 1982 (3)

The genealogist in me wanted to find some proof of where Henry was from. Thinking that Skye was the obvious place to start I contacted SkyeRoots, who searched their records and came up with nothing, informing me that Tuck isn't a Skye name.

Looking at a heat map of the Tuck surname in the UK I saw that the county of Norfolk has the highest number of people with this surname in the 1841 UK Census. Norfolk looked like the place to resume my search.

https://your-family-history.com/surname/t/tuck/

I found a baptism record on FamilySearch in Blofield, Norfolk, that looked promising. All of this particular Henry's siblings names were also the names my Henry gave his children. His mother has a relatively unusual first name, Christian. My Henry didn't call any of his children Christian, so the chance that this was "my" Henry was still just a chance.

To find out more about this Tuck family I joined the Norfolk Family History Society so I could view their user-submitted trees, as well as access their large library of records. There were a number of Tuck family branches, and I chose the one that included my potential Henry.

Tuck Family Tree from Norfolk FHS

This Henry matched the baptism I found on FamilySearch, and also this Henry could not be found on the 1841 UK Census, or dying before then in the UK, leading me to believe that he could be the man who sailed away to the other side of the world. I created a tree for this Henry, paying attention to the other surnames that were part of his ancestral family. I had a feeling this was the right guy, but how could I prove that this was the same Henry Tuck who came to Van Diemen's Land in 1830?

Enter the brave new world of DNA testing. I am very fortunate to have both of my parents still living, and I had tested them sometime before with Ancestry. I looked at my mother's DNA matches and searched for the most unusual surname that I could find in Henry's tree, SKEDGE. Unlike with the surname Smith, I knew there wouldn't be many Skedge's out there. I had two men come up as a match with the Skedge surname in common, both in Canada. I reached out and luckily they both replied. Alan is descended from Henry's grandmother's sister, Ann Skedge (b.1762). She married James NORTON and they emigrated to Canada, producing a large number of descendants still living there today. Alan has done extensive work on his family tree, which is how I found Ann and her sister Elizabeth. Our match is only 7 centimorgans, which is down the lower end of results. The other match was with my other Canadian relative, Steve. We share 15 centimorgans, which is an even closer match. He is also descended from the Skedge-Norton marriage. He knew of Alan, but they hadn't corresponded, so I was thrilled to be able to introduce them to each other via email.

 

Ancestry DNA match with Alan showing 7 cM

Ancestry DNA match with Steve showing 15 cM

Without DNA I would not have been able to prove that this relationship existed. I would have been left wondering forever. Using DNA in this way has helped me break down a 20-year brick wall.

Additional y-DNA testing of a direct male line descendant of Henry has revealed the Tuck name going back many hundreds of years to matches in Norway. The name Tuck being of Old Norse origins must be right after all! Thanks to DNA I have found Henry's family of origin and made friends with distant relatives interstate and across the oceans.

If you would like to learn more about how DNA can break down your brick walls, come along to the DNA Down Under event, a multi-city event featuring the best speakers in the field of DNA and genealogy, Blaine Bettinger, Louise Coakley, Kerry Farmer, Michelle Patient, Helen Smith, Fiona Brooker, and Mike Murray. They will be visiting Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra for a one-day event in each city, and a three-day extravaganza in Sydney from 29-31 August 2019.

I am honoured to be an Ambassador for this event. Come and see how learning more about DNA can take your genealogical research to the next level.


(1) Death Certificate of Henry Tuck, died 17 March 1890, Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria, 1890/7229.
(2) Samuel Tuck, Biography of Henry Tuck, [Victoria], 1963.
(3) Len Arboit, Henry Tuck and his Descendants Family Reunion 7th March 1982, [Victoria], 1982.

DNA Down Under Ambassadors Related!

My ears were burning when my distant cousin, Marilyn, wrote this article for her local family history society journal.


The question is often asked - how can DNA assist me in my family history research? A great opportunity to find out is coming to Canberra with the DNA Downunder Roadshow in August this year. 

Recently in preparation for the conference, which will be in Canberra 26 August 2019, I applied and was successful, in being appointed a DNA Ambassador to help promote what is going to be a fantastic, not to be missed event. When reviewing the list of ambassadors, I recognised a name – Janelle Collins. Could this be the same Janelle who shares an ancestor with me?  After some emails – yes! An interest in genealogy and family history must run in families.

I have never met Janelle and don’t even know where she lives but we have been in contact sporadically over the last three years after discovering through our research we shared the name GABRIEL in our family trees. But Janelle had a strange story. Her grandfather, George Millard KERVILLE was apparently taken aside at a funeral and advised that the father he and his siblings had known all their life was not their biological father. Their father was actually the long-term boarder in the home, Leo Brenell Gabriel. While this knowledge was kept secret in the family, it was true that Leo Gabriel had married their mother in 1939 after the death of her husband George Kerville.
After extra traditional research we found that Leo Gabriel, born 1889 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia, was the son of James Gabriel and Minnie Louise TURNER.  I had a James Gabriel in my tree also, as the brother of my great grandfather, Thomas Gabriel, born 1862, Bandon, Cork, Ireland. James’ baptism was found in the Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, father Thomas Gabriel; mother Mary SULLIVAN, baptised 1 Feb 1860 Bandon, Cork, Ireland.

Sometime after this DNA entered the story. Unbeknownst to each other Janelle and I had undertaken DNA Autosomal tests and there we were on each other’s lists of DNA matches, sharing centimorgans. Since then Janelle has tested her mother, her children and a first cousin. I have tested my son and - yes, we all match each other within the correct range of centimorgans.  DNA has established Janelle’s family story was true and confirmed our traditional family research. Through DNA we have verified I am a third cousin to Janelle’s mother and a third cousin once removed to Janelle.

We discovered brothers James and Thomas Gabriel both joined the Merchant Navy at an early age. James served for thirteen years and then emigrated to Melbourne, where he continued to be a mariner. Thomas on the other hand, jumped ship in Sydney and made his way to Campbelltown in 1881, where he kept away from the sea and became a dairy farmer and labourer. Despite the years of sailing the seas and living in different parts of Australia, James and Thomas must have known each other as Thomas named his daughter Minnie Louise, the name of James’ wife.

Similar to Janelle appearing in my DNA matches unexpectedly now her name has once again appeared in the list of DNA Down Under ambassadors. We are not only excited about meeting each other but also at attending what is going to be an amazing experience. The conference keynote speaker is the world renown genetic genealogist, Blaine Bettinger, author of what almost could be called the bible on DNA for family research, “The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy”. Joining Blaine will be other well-known and knowledgeable genetic genealogists from Australia and New Zealand such as Michelle Patient, Kerry Farmer and Louise Coakley, to name a few.
The conference is in Canberra 26 August 2019 and the all different 3-day Sydney conference is 29-31 August 2019. Go to www.dnadownunder.com for the full program and speakers.

What a wonderful coincidence! Being able to confirm years of paper research by finding a DNA match is fantastic. I'm so looking forward to DNA Down Under in August to be able to meet Marilyn, and catch up with many genealogy friends that I've made over the years. The multi-city event has different talks at each location, so there will be no doubling-up of information for those who can make it to multiple places. Come and join me at the Sydney event, and listen to DNA guru, Blaine Bettinger, teach you how best to use DNA to further your family history research.

DNA Down Under is coming in August!

I'm excited to be chosen as an Ambassador for DNA Down Under, a multi-city genetic genealogy event featuring internationally renowned speakers Blaine Bettinger, Michelle Patient, Louise Coakley, Kerry Farmer, Fiona Brooker and more.

DNA Down Under is being held in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. Sydney's event is 3 days, and you can choose how many of those days to attend, while the other cities have a 1-day event each.

Brisbane: Wednesday 14th August 2019

Perth: Saturday 17th August 2019

Adelaide: Tuesday 20th August 2019

Melbourne: Friday 23rd August 2019

Canberra: Monday 26th August 2019

Sydney: Thursday 29th to Saturday 31st August 2019

Sydney's big event is over 3 days, with 3 streams, 10 speakers, 18 sessions, and 40 topics, covering all levels of DNA experience from beginners to advanced. There will be something there for every skill level.

Early bird pricing is on until the end of this month, so book now if you want to save some money.

Disclaimer: As a DNA Down Under Ambassador I receive free registration in return for promoting the conference in various social media forums and on my blog.

Some of the earliest burials in Sydney

The City of Sydney Archives has a spreadsheet listing the known burials at the Old Sydney Burial Ground, where Sydney Town Hall now stands. It was in use from 1790s until around 1820. At the time the burial ground was on the outskirts of Sydney's settlement, but now that settlement has far outgrown the 1.6 kms that the Town Hall is from Sydney Cove. A few of my ancestors are buried there, and people are invited to add some detail about their relatives, for the benefit of other researchers.

My relatives were Joseph STUBBS, Sophia STUBBS, Geoffrey STUBBS and their father Thomas STUBBS. Thomas was the actual father to Sophia and Geoffrey, and stepfather to Joseph. Sadly, these children were all infants when they died.

From the spreadsheet:

#2114 

Joseph Stubbs was born on 29 December 1799 to John Fitz and convict Esther Spencer, and baptised as Joseph Clark Fitz on 2 February 1800 in Sydney (NSW BDM V1799855 1A). He died age nine months as Joseph Stubbs (NSW BDM V18001008 4 and V18001515 2A). No records can be found regarding John Fitz after the baptism of Joseph, so presumably Esther had begun a relationship with Thomas Stubbs before October 1800.

#2115 Sophia Stubbs was born to Thomas Stubbs and Ester Spencer on 18 June 1803 and baptised on 03 July 1803 in Sydney (NSW BDM V18031168 IA). Her father was Thomas Stubbs and her mother was convict, Esther Spencer. Sophia died at age three months and was buried on 27 September 1803 (NSW BDM V18031825 2A).

#2116 Godfrey Stubbs was born on 09 October 1814 and baptised at St Philip’s Church of England, Sydney, on 23 October 1814 (NSW BDM V18143435 IA). He was baptised as the son of Thomas and Esther Stubbs. He died on 02 November 1814 in Sydney, and was buried four days later (NSW BDM V18143284 2A), age 24 days. I can find no record of his name ever being Geoffrey. Possibly this is a transcription error. According to this table his age at burial was two years three months, but according to NSW BDM records there were no children of that name (or similar) being born in 1812, or dying in 1814. The only Stubbs death in 1814 was a Godfrey, NSW BDM 304/1814 V1814304 7 and 3284/1814 V18143284 2A.

#2117: Thomas was the father of Sophia and Geoffrey. He was a convict and builder/bricklayer. Born in 1774 in London, he was convicted at the Justice Hall, Old Bailey on 26 May 1790 to seven years was “indicted for stealing, on the 8th of March, a cloth coat, value 42 s. a pair of velvet breeches, value 16 s. two shirts, value 6 s. a pair of silver knee-buckles, value 3 s. the property of William Cook; two coats, value 4 l. a waistcoat, value 10 s. a pair of breeches, value 10 s. the property of John Weyman, in the dwelling house of the said John Weyman”.

(Source: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17900526-31-defend329&div=t17900526-31&terms=Thomas|Stubbs#highlight )

Thomas sailed on the Third Fleet’s Albemarle, which departed Portsmouth on 27 March 1791. The Albemarle sailed via Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, arriving at Port Jackson on 13 October 1791, after 200 days at sea. 

In the 1801 Muster he is listed as living in Sydney, expired (presumably meaning his sentence), with Jewish convict Esther Spencer (who arrived on the Indispensable in 1796).

In the 1806 Muster he is classified as being Free By Servitude, a bricklayer, with Esther Spencer (who is also listed as FBS although this is incorrect. She had a life sentence & there is no record of a pardon).

In the 1811 Muster he is shown as living in NSW, Convicted May 1790 at the Old Bailey for seven years, with Esther Spencer of the Indispensable 1, who has 7 children (with Thomas – she had two or possibly three children to previous partners), and that Esther was the wife of John Cant who arrived as a convict on the ship General Hewitt (I dispute this interpretation of a Colonial Secretary's letter from Cant. I believe that he was a lodger at Esther's boarding house in Phillip Street, Sydney, and Cant’s weekly payments to her were rent. Source: Third Fleet Transport: Albemarle – an alphabetical listing of convicts, masters, crew, naval & military complied by Merrilyn Minter).

On 6 February 1813 Thomas and Esther were tried at the Sydney Bench of Magistrates for violently assaulting Thomas & Catherine Clarkson, whose property in Hunter Street, Sydney adjoined Thomas and Esther’s house. The result was: “The court, on consideration, adjudge that Thomas Stubbs shall stand committed until he enter into a recognizance to keep the peace towards Thomas Clarkson and his wife for the space of Six Months himself in the sum of £20 - and two sureties in the sum of £10 - each.” (Source: http://home.mira.net/~merowley/clarkson/vstubbs.html ).

His son, auctioneer Thomas Stubbs, died in 1878 and on his death certificate it states that his father was in the Royal Navy. This was either the family “story” to hide his convict past, or maybe even a family joke.

Thomas and Esther had nine children together: my ancestor Mary Ann born 1801, Thomas born 1802, Sophia born 1803, Cecilia born 1805, Elizabeth born 1807, Annie Esther born 1809, George born 1811, John Emery born 1812, Godfrey born 1814.

Thomas died on 11 January 1815 in Kent St, Sydney (NSW BDM V18153327 2B). 

During excavation work to build Sydney Town Hall remains of some of these pre-1800 burials have been found. These remains have been moved to Rookwood Cemetery, and a monument erected in the memory of these people. Maybe Thomas and his children are together at Rookwood, or possibly still buried under or around the Town Hall.

The memorial to the remains of people removed from the Old Sydney Burial Ground,
now reinterred at Rookwood Cemetery

Plaque on the Rookwood memorial

Sydney Town Hall
Postcard courtesy of Flickr

Sarah Morris - from mother to convict to publican

Sarah Morris, was born Sarah Smith, possibly in London. At age 25 she married John William Morris at Christ Church Spitalfields on 3rd May 18251 and the following year their daughter, Jane, was born on 17th Jan 1826. Jane was baptised at age 3 at the Anglican Church of St John at Parramatta on 1st Feb 18292.

St John’s Church, Parramatta. Image courtesy of the State Library of NSW. # SV1B/Parr/2.

Less than two years after their marriage Sarah was convicted on 26th Oct 1826 for “Theft from a specified place”3.

The Old Bailey October session records the event: Sarah Morris was indicted for stealing, on the 14th of July, 25 yards of linen cloth, value 2l. 10s., the goods of John Marter, in his dwelling-house. 

John Marter responded: I am a linen-draper, and live on Holborn-hill. On the 14th of July, about a quarter to nine o'clock in the evening, the prisoner came to the shop to purchase a small quantity of muslin; I showed her several pieces; she bought a quarter of a yard, which came to 3d. - I saw her stoop down, which made me suspect her; I accused her of taking something off the counter; she said she had; she went to the further end of the shop, and produced this piece of linen cloth from under her gown; it measures 25 yards, and cost me 50s.; I have not measured it; she had not asked for anything but muslin. She was ill last Session, and not able to be tried. 

The police constable’s testimony: I am a constable. I took the prisoner into custody; she seemed much overcome, and implored forgiveness - she had 9d. in her pocket. I do not think she had any companions about.

The verdict was GUILTY, age 27. Of stealing to the value of 39s only. Transported for Seven Years. This was after Sarah had already spent three months awaiting trial in Newgate Prison4. 

Several more months in prison followed, then the “Free Settler or Felon?” website quotes: The prisoners began to come on board the Princess Charlotte on 5th March 1827. On that day 40 women and four children were embarked from Newgate [Prison]. The four women who brought children with them on the voyage were Violet Lawson, Sarah Morris, Ellen Walks and Sophia Zealey5.

Sarah and Jane are listed on the Convict Indent. Sarah is recorded as being a Ribbon Weaver and Needlewoman, native place being Holland6. Unless she meant Holland Park in west London this would indicate that she came to London between 1799 and 1825.

With 91 women and children on board the Princess Charlotte departed from Woolwich on 31st Mar 1827, and took just over four months to arrive in Sydney Cove on 22nd Oct 1827. From here she and Jane were sent to the 1st Class section of the Parramatta Female Factory7. Within six months she was before the Court of General Sessions in Sydney due to being “absent from her service” and as punishment was sent to the 3rd Class section of the Factory for one month from 5th May 1828.

The 1828 Australian Census (Australian copy) shows Sarah as being aged 29 years, still living at the Parramatta Female Factory8, and the UK National Archives (TNA) copy9 of Nov 1828 shows Sarah as working for a baker in King St, Sydney. Jane is listed as living at the Factory (Parramatta).

While still living at the Factory, two years later Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Mary Anne (my great-great-great-great grandmother). At Mary Anne’s baptism on 3rd Apr 1831 Sarah was listed as a single woman at the Factory10. Mary Anne’s father could have been former convict, Irishman John Usher, who arrived on the Medina in 1823. John and Sarah had applied to marry on 13th Aug 1831 but their application was refused by the Reverend Samuel Marsden as Sarah was known to be already married11. This refusal when Mary Ann was 18 months of age. 

One month after Mary Anne’s baptism at Parramatta, in May 1831 Sarah arrived at Newcastle Gaol as “Monitress to the refractory women”12. From there she was admitted to Sydney Gaol in Oct 1831, and then back to Newcastle Gaol a month later in Nov 183113. 

Two years later Sarah was granted her Certificate of Freedom14. 
It gives Sarah’s details as following:

No.	33/1171
Date,	28th October 1833
Prisoner’s No.	27/1385
Name,	Sarah the Wife of Willm Morris
Ship,	Pss Charlotte [Princess Charlotte]
Master,	Stephenson
Year,	1827
Native Place,	Holland
Trade or Calling,	Ribbon Weaver
Offence,	St of Linen [Stealing of Linen]
Place of Trial,	London G.D. [London Gaol Delivery]
Date of Trial,	26th October 1826
Sentence,	7 Years
Year of Birth,	1799
Height,	5 feet 2 inches
Complexion,	Fair freckled
Hair,	Brown
Eyes,	Dark Brown
General Remarks,	A small scar on the fore & middle fingers of the left hand

A month later Sarah had applied to marry former convict, Samuel Bailey. He had arrived on the Lord Eldon in 181715. He had arrived in Newcastle in 1820, for committing another crime once in the Colony. From there he was sent to Norfolk Island as a convict overseer. He had been in Parramatta or Sydney in Nov 1829, so he may have met Sarah then. He had a relationship with Ann Garraway, also of the Factory, producing a son, Samuel Bayly, who was born six months after Mary Anne. 

Samuel’s Ticket of Leave was then changed to from Parramatta to Maitland. By Dec 1833 he was living in Maitland, and he and Sarah applied to marry a few times before they were ultimately successful16. 

In all of Sarah’s previous applications to marry (both to John Usher and Samuel Bailey), she declared which ship she had arrived on. In the final application both Sarah and Samuel did not state which ships they came on, so the clerk could not use this information to cross-reference with their convict indents and realise that Sarah was already married to William Morris. Once this approval came through they were married at St Peters Anglican Church, East Maitland on 26 Dec 183617. Mary Anne later married Charles John Brackenreg, and Jane married Robert Lorne Pattison17.

By the time Sarah and Samuel married they had a child, Elizabeth C Bailey18 (1835 – 1914). Elizabeth married George Robert Brackenreg, a brother to Mary Anne’s husband.

More children followed:
Samuel Joseph Bailey 1837 – 1838 – died as an infant, buried at Glebe Cemetery
Henry Bailey 1839 – 1895 – married Esther Mary Hogan 
Caroline Grace Bailey 1841 – 1913 – married Charles Langford
Emily Phoebe Bailey 1844 – 1922 – married Thomas Gibson
Louisa Pattison Bailey 1849 – 19 – married William Henry Atkinson

From 1840 - 1854 Samuel was the Licensee of the Cottage of Content Hotel in Banks St, East Maitland19. As well as caring for their large family Sarah would have been of immense help to Samuel in the operation of this business.

Bailey’s “Cottage of Content” Hotel, cnr Banks St & Lawes St, East Maitland

Sarah died on 13th June 186018 at the Hotel, age 60. She was buried two days later at the Glebe Cemetery near St Peters Anglican Church, East Maitland. Sadly, no headstone marks the site of her grave. 

---

[1] Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780 – 1837, Ancestry.com

[2] Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, Ancestry.com

[3] https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18261026-8-defend137&div=t18261026-8#highlight

[4] England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, Ancestry.com

[5] http://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_princess_charlotte_1827.htm

[6] State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12188; Item: [4/4012]; Microfiche: 665

[7] New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930, Ancestry.com

[8] 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy), Ancestry.com

[9] 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy), Ancestry.com

[10] New South Wales, Australia, St. John's Parramatta, Baptisms, 1790-1916, Ancestry.com

[11] New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851, Ancestry.com

[12] Archive Office of NSW, Reel 2722 1836- 1838. Newcastle Gaol Entrance Books

[13] New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930, Ancestry.com

[14] New South Wales Government. Butts of Certificates of Freedom. NRS 1165, 1166, 1167, 12208, 12210, reels 601, 602, 604, 982-1027. State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales. 

[15] New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, Ancestry.com

[16] New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851, Ancestry.com

[17] Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950, Ancestry.com

[18] New South Wales Births Deaths Marriages

[19] http://www.jenwilletts.com/cottage_of_content_east_maitland.htm