Smyth

Hi Annabel, I am really impressed how much information you have gained about ancestors' lives in Ireland - before emigrating to Australia. Would love to know how you have done this?

There are Smyth (and also Smith) families who have lived in the Northern Rivers Region of NSW for 2-3 generations. Perhaps there's a connection there.  I could contact them, and see if they are keen on family history.

My forebears immigrated to SouthAustralia, and apart from knowing the name of the vessel and the County of origin, per The Ships List, I have yet found no way of going back, backwards over the seas, as you've done.

All tips from you are MOST WELCOME.

Cheers

Hi there,

Believe me, I don't deserve the credit - I'm one of seven & we are all doing our little bit to help discover our Irish roots. We have also been very fortunate that Ellen Kearns's GGGrandson has also done quite a lot of research, as has Tiger Pat's GGGranddaughter.

We found Owen Smith/Smyth's marriage certificate to be most helpful - it gave both parents names (including his mother's maiden name, which we did not know prior to receiving a copy).

Also birth certicates are good in that they list other siblings as well as year & location of marriage.

Ancestry.com could be helpful in that it may link you up with someone else who is researching your family as well. The only problem we have with Ancestry.com is that it doesn't give the exact date of birth or death - it only gives the year that the birth or death was registered.

If you are able to find out who paid for the passages to Australia of your forebears, that could be helpful in tracking family down.

We have found Trove very good for finding archived newspaper articles, along with the Sydney Morning Herald for Obituaries/Probate notices etc.

In NSW, you can also access whether or not someone has left a will, which may have clues to unknown persons on that.

Google is great - lists heaps of websites with info. I believe that Irish Roots is a good one.

Unfortunately, a lot of the Irish records have been destroyed (which doesn't make life any easier for those of us who are somewhat blindly looking for information).

Actually Patrick & Rose ended up moving up to Kempsey a couple of years after they landed in Sydney. Some of them ended up marrying into the Clarke family (who were also from Ireland). We went over to Kempsey a couple of times last year & ended up getting quite a lot of information which has been most helpful.

Good luck in your search for your ancestors - extremely arduous, but rewarding!! 

Hi,

Thanks for reply. Yes,I LOVE Trove - full of lots of goodies!! In your case the ancestors emigrated to NSW, mine to S.A.; but around the same time.  

There are also Clarke in Nthn Rivers Region - around the Kyogle-Lismore area: same as the Smith & Smyth families.

Was Owen Smyth's marriage certificate NSW? Unfortunately, scant details were required for the S.A. Certificates from 1850 - 1915, and so not much value there. I feel the unexplore 'passage to S.A.' may help.

I do not totally understand the 'assisted' and 'unassisted' designation; and if you can point me in the direction of discovering where that paperwork (who paid for the passage) is stowed, would be helpful.  

Thanks

Assisted passage meant that someone was paying your deposit. Unassisted meant that you were financing your passage yourself.

The New South Wales, Australia, Immigration Deposit Journals, 1853-1900 gave details of the Name of the Depositor & the date of the Deposit (in Pat & Rose & Ellen's case, it was Owen Smith). There was also a column for the place that Patrick was living at the time and another one for a referee - in this case, it was Father Donoghau, Parish Priest, Cleututrea (I think thats right - some of the handwriting is somewhat illegible)!!

On the New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 details such as name, age, occupation, address in Ireland & parents details were listed. We found from that listing that both Pat & Rose's fathers were both deceased, and it listed where their mother's were living (the township), at the time of their departure. There was also a column for a Referee's name. In their case, it was The Parish Priest, Aghabog or Mr James McCabe, Merchant, Ballybay.

Yes, Owen Smyth's marriage certificate was NSW. He remained in Waverley, Sydney up until his death.

Cheers.