William George Donaldson of Australia

[ElizabethHerts]

Please could I have confirmation of some information?

When did William George Donaldson marry Charlotte Underwood?
was it 1846 or 1852 - my mother had conflicting information.

Was William's first wife Frances Ann Leigh?

William and Charlotte had a daughter Julia Maria born 3rd April 1851. Where was she baptised (conflicting information)?

Julia was adopted by the Coles family.

I think William was in Hobart, Tasmania for a while.

[marquette]

Hi Elizabeth
Tasmania BDMs index has record for them, giving date as 29 Dec 1846. He was 36, she was 20.
https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=underwood&qf=PUBDATE%09Year%091835-1853%091835-1853&rw=12

Still looking for first marriage

Di

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Di. That is great.

[marquette]

Julia Maria Donaldson was born in Victoria in 1853
https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj

Each state has separate indexes which are free to search. For Victoria you can download a copy of register entry for a fee (around $20 Aus)

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks again, Di.

William George Donaldson seems to have married multiple times.
He married Ann Hillard in Sydney in 1864 (from Trove).

Charlotte died in 1860, which probably precipitated the adoption of Julia by the Coles family.

William and Julia Coles were childless.
Julia's maiden name was Leigh. Any connection with William George Donaldson's reputed first wife, Frances Ann Leigh?

[marquette]

Julia married at Concord NSW in 1877, according to one ancestry tree. Small world, a lot of my COLLIS family used St Lukes Concord as well !

[marquette]

Here's a notice of the marriage from the Evening News Sydney.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108196603?searchTerm=donaldson+julia

I dont think W Cole is related to my husbands Cole family (who were mostly from Melbourne).
Now you have to find out how W Cole was related to William or Charlotte ?
I will have a look and see who W Cole was.

Edit sorry, just saw your reply to the earlier post. They were very mobile for the times. As William Cole was high profile, you should check out TROVE for info on him. The NSW BDMs index if free (if a bit clunky) to search. William Cole's obit might give information !

[ElizabethHerts]

Yes, she married Henry Hatch Purkis, my great-great-uncle.

William Coles, who adopted Julia Maria Donaldson, is my 1st cousin 4 times removed.
His mother was Eliza Purkis before her marriage to Carmi Coles. She is my 3x-great-aunt.
So Purkis ancestry on both sides.

[ElizabethHerts]

Aah, it says Julia was William's niece. I think that means that his wife Julia Sophia Leigh and William George's first wife were sisters.

Perhaps Julia Maria was named after her aunt?

[ElizabethHerts]

William Coles was baptised 31st March 1822 at St Mary, Portsea, Hampshire, England.
Parents Carmi Coles and Eliza (maiden name Purkis).

[marquette]

Another snippet from TROVE
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13137263?searchTerm=william%20cole%20architect%20c olonial&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-category=Family+Notices

Every little helps. Cole or Coles, I will keep checking (I have nothing else to do at the moment)

[ElizabethHerts]

In Hampshire, Carmi Coles was Coles latterly but his family were also known as Coals.

[marquette]

I guess that all fits together quite nicely.
I guess finding the first marriage is now the most important - perhaps in England ?

[ElizabethHerts]

It says his mother, but it was his mother-in-law.

I have just discovered some more research my mother did:

James Leigh
wife Ann
Children:
Mary Ann
George
Frances Ann
Henry James
Julia Sophia
with baptisms from 1806 to 1825 (Julia Sophia)

all at Portchester

[ElizabethHerts]

Many thanks for you help, Di.
My mum did quite well pre-internet days to put this research together, but it was very painstaking.

[marquette]

Just to confirm William's third marriage
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13091247?searchTerm=william%20donaldson&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=186

He was from Porchester too !?

[ElizabethHerts]

Yes!

There is a death for a William Donaldson at Esperance, Tasmania in 1883 that appears on my FMP hints. However I don't have the right subscription to check it.
Also one in 1885 at Sydney.

[ElizabethHerts]

FMP is also giving a My Heritage match (for which I can't see the details) with France Ann Leigh's partner given as William George Donaldson.

[marquette]

This is the first reference to WGD that I can find so far, in Tasmania.
It sounds like he was already established there.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2950248?searchTerm=donaldson%20%20publican&searchLimits=l-decade=184|||l-state=Tasmania

Trove says the 1885 man was aged 40, so way to young. The Tasmanian one was aged 84, so a bit old, unless the ages were out.

[Kit]

Eliza you say you have FMP hints. Have you uploaded your tree to FMP?

I've been considering it as it is totally private whereas ancestry sounds fiddly.

[marquette]

Ann Hillard Donaldson's funeral notices - he's dropped the "William"
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13596714?searchTerm=ann%20donaldson&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-category=Family+Notices

[marquette]

And at a similar address, I think this is George.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28336882?searchTerm=george%20donaldson%20waterloo&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-category=Family+Notices|||l-decade=188

I think this one confirms it.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13727148?searchTerm=george%20donaldson&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=188|||l-year=1889|||l-month=5

William George and Charlotte also had two sons - did you know about them ?
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13727148?searchTerm=george%20donaldson&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=188|||l-year=1889|||l-month=5

I am tracking them....

[ElizabethHerts]

Eliza you say you have FMP hints. Have you uploaded your tree to FMP?

I've been considering it as it is totally private whereas ancestry sounds fiddly.

Toni, I have just a few people on a FMP tree.

I have Family Historian which synchs with FMP so my Family Historian tree gives me FMP hints.

[ElizabethHerts]

This is the first reference to WGD that I can find so far, in Tasmania.
It sounds like he was already established there.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2950248?searchTerm=donaldson%20%20publican&searchLimits=l-decade=184|||l-state=Tasmania

Trove says the 1885 man was aged 40, so way to young. The Tasmanian one was aged 84, so a bit old, unless the ages were out.

Thanks, Di.

[ElizabethHerts]

Many thanks, Di, you have been busy!

Where did you find out about William and Charlotte's other children?

[ElizabethHerts]

There are a lot of articles concerning W G Donaldson in Tasmania.

[ElizabethHerts]

This is interesting!

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7296421?searchTerm=%22William%20George%20Donaldson %22&searchLimits=l-state=Victoria|||l-decade=185

Charlotte died in 1860.

[marquette]

About William and Charlotte's other children - they were noted on an ancestry tree, so I checked for the births in the Victorian BDMs index.

I also found that William Henry died in 1856, the year he was born. George William may also have died young. I cannot find Charlottes death notice or registration.

[marquette]

I have looked at every site I know, but cannot find anything on Frances Ann Leigh except her baptism.

I dont have a findmypast sub, but maybe someone else does ?

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Di. I have an FMP sub and have used it for this family a lot. The Leigh baptisms are there, with images.

[Kit]

Toni, I have just a few people on a FMP tree.

I have Family Historian which synchs with FMP so my Family Historian tree gives me FMP hints.

Are the FMP hints worthwhile?

[ElizabethHerts]

Yes, Toni. However, I usually find that I have already seen most of them for my main lines. It's useful for people I don't know so much about.

[Kit]

Thanks. I think I might upload my trees then.

I found ancestry hints useful, when I had them, as there were some rather unusual records I hadn't seen or records I hadn't thought appropriate and I got matches from them. Also helpful if people move a bit.