View Full Version : NSW birth question.
Does anyone know of any way to seach for a birth in NSW about 1928/29?
I'm still looking for my mother's birth. She was born Woollongong either 1928/ 29. It's a long story...lol
Her maiden name was Bowler (anyone I name has passed away). Her younger brother was born in Tasmania and was registered under Boland. He only found that when he went back to his old school. He has a copy of his BC.
Mum needed a BC for a passport and they couldn't find one so they 'made' one from lots of stat decs about her life.
I can apply directly to NSW BDMs and use Mum's death cert (from Qld) for indentification, but they will then send me the cert they 'made'.
I can't apply for one with the surname Boland as the death cert won't match.
I've rung BDMs and can't get any further.
Any ideas?????
The only thing I can think of would be a birth announcement in the newspaper, but I suspect it might have been something not announced to all and sundry.
Di
There wouldn't have been one, Di.
Mum's mother was on the run from her husband and had taken the two babies with her. She met Mum's father and took off with him. Mum was born then Mum's brother a few years later. It wasn't until they came back to Qld (after the two babies had got old enough to be "safe") that Mum and her brother went back to using Bowler (their father's name).
My uncle was registered under Boland and the BC says his parents were married in NZ. Grandad had come from NZ after WW1, but we knew Grandma had never been there.
They didn't marry until 1955 in Sydney.......lol
There was a swag of porkies on that cert!!!!
Should not think they were baptised either, then. BDMs seems to be the only source, but how you would find it without a surname, I am not sure. Maybe if you had an approximate date, someone could search for a mothers name ???
BDMS used to have a search service, but when I used it, I gave him ten numbers from the indexes to check. But, 1928/29, you will have to wait another 19 years for them to release the index !!
Going by the BOLAND-BOWLER similarity maybe the only clue, perhaps, something similar to that ?
Probably said they were married in NZ as she knew there was no quick way to check.
Di
Libby there are online and offline indexes. A few years ago the offline CDs went up to about 1917. I can't see on the website if the NSW BDM still sell them but it would be worth investigating and see if they are updated yearly like the online indexes are.
Sorry if I'm being stupid but what name do you think the cert will be in?
Thanks Toni......I didn't know about the offline ones...
There will be a cert in Bowler because that is the 'made up' one. I think there could possibly be one in Boland as well. Mum wouldn't have known about that name as her brother only found it recently by accident.
He was looking at their old school roll in Tassie and couldn't find himself....lol. He has a fairly common first name bu Mum's was uncommon so he checked her first name and she was there under Boland....so then he found his own as well.
See....I can apply for Mum's BC but i need to send her death cert. That will cross match with the 'made up' one under Bowler.
She wasn't baptised in Woollongong as I rang the Catholic church and some very helpful priest went through all the baptisms from 1928 to 1935 and couldn't find her under any combination of names, even just her first name.
I can't believe her father would have left her un-baptised though......
Mary from Italy
06-06-10, 11:22
The offline ones are on the NSW CD, and I seem to remember reading somewhere that they'll never be updated because of a change in the law since the CD came out.
Mary from Italy
06-06-10, 11:24
I wonder if the authorised transcription agents have access to the later records?
Libby maybe she was baptised just outside Wollongong.
Will they cross match or do they just need the death cert to prove she is dead and therefore able to give you the birth cert?
I think you need a trip to Sydney to visit the BMD in person, go to Sydney, not Parramatta, and explain the situation. Do you have any proof she used the name Bowler?
I wonder if the authorised transcription agents have access to the later records?
They aren't allowed to Mary.
I was thinking of going to work for one of them for free, and doing some of my research on the side. Legally they aren't even allowed to take staff to the BMD.
Mary from Italy
06-06-10, 13:51
Yes, I was going to suggest that Libby tries to get qualified as a transcription agent if they'd had access. :) Pity.
Mary....I tried the transcription agent hoping they'd have access to something I didn't....lol
Toni.....I have done all the churches in the diocese as well as the Tasmanian ones for the couple of years they were there before coming back to Qld.
Mum always used the name Bowler after coming to Qld at about age 15. She's in the electoral rolls and her marriage has Bowler, as does her death. That's the snag. Everything that i can use to get the BC has Bowler so they'll give me the 'made up' one.
I have nothing to prove she was ever Boland except an old primary school roll. Not enough.
I'd just love to know if there was a Jocelyn Boland registered in NSW in March of either 1928 or 1929.
Mum always thought she was born in 1928 and everything official says that, but.....
she was named after a racehorse that won a big NZ race....(Grandad was a Irish Kiwi...say no more). It turns out Jocelyn didn't win until October 1928, so as Mum was born 25th March, it could have been 1929.....
And I think my kids have odd relationships.......lol
Would the Tassie school have a record of both names?
Does your uncle's BC mention an elder sister? And do you have a copy?
Is Boland the husband's surname or your grandfather's?
Hi Toni....
Tassie school only has an old roll....none of that info schools have these days. Mum is enrolled as Boland, same as her brother.
Uncle has his BC with mum on it as older sibling.....no surname.......not sure if that is what always happened by the others I've seen only have fist names for other siblings.
And.............
Boland.....is nobody's real name. Grandad was a Bowler. Grandma was a Thompson. Her maiden name was Kettley. She was from a small town where everyone knew both the kettleys and Thompsons.
So the husband she was hiding from was a Thompson.
When your mum tried to get her BC she asked for Bowler and they created one in that name?
I don't get why they were on the run. If your grandma had a child by another man why would they husband want the child?
Were uncle's parents correct on the BC except for the surname?
I would write a letter to the BMD Registrar explaining the whole situation. Provide the school rolls, uncles BC, the made up cert and death cert and anything else you have. I think it would be best to go in person but it's a bit far for you to go.
Yes.......Mum asked for Bowler BC for herself.
Elizabeth Kettley married Bill Thompson. She then left Bill Thompson and took the children (they were Bill's).
Elizabeth met Michael Bowler and went with him. Michael (my grandfather) brought up the Thompson children as his, although I believe they always used the name Thompson. They did for later marriage certs etc, anyway.
Elizabeth and Michael were hiding from Bill Thompson as he would have atken his children back.
I'd say they registered Mum's brother as Boland because it was close in sound to Bowler. My uncle certainly didn't know he was enrolled at school as Boland. I suppose he was only called by his first name and if anyone said "Boland" it sounded like "Bowler".
So.......I'm wondering if Mum's birth was registered under Boland.
Sorry.......this is very confusing......lol
It may be me Libby.
I'd still write and explain the situation and see what the registrar says. The worst will be no.
I really wish I'd been into this hobby of ours when I was very, very young. The lady behind us was either the Registrar or high up in the BMD.
I'm obviously missing something here, Libby.
If your mum was Bill Thompson's eldest child, why would she have not been registered as a Thompson? I can understand why Elizabeth and Michael would have tried to hide the children by using a name similar to his (Michael's) at their schools etc......but surely the original birth certificate would have been made out in the husband's name...since she stayed with him long enough to have a second child.
Or have I got things totally wrong????
Libby,
Have you tried using the NSW BDM search service ?
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/howToTraceYouFamTree.htm#RegistrySearches
Just tell them your mum's name and date of birth, as far as you know and ask them to search 1925-1930. You could say BOLAND/BOWLER, just be unsure of the spelling.
When I requested 1950s death certs, before the indexes after 1945 were released, all I had to provide was a copy of my Drivers Licence, and a good reason. It might be different for a birth cert but if you can provide death cert and your details you might be okay.
I had them do two searches for my ggf Robert Martin - I gave them the index numbers and they looked at them to see if any details matched. The man, Mr Smith at the time, was very helpful in providing feed back as to why the numbers were wrong.
Perhaps an email or phone call to ascertain the circumstances in which you might be able to get your mums birth cert, or have you asked already ?
Di
Bev......Mum was Michael Bowler's eldest child with Elizabeth.
Bill Thompsons, children were Thelma and Olive. They were a few years older than Mum.
I'm obviously missing something here, Libby.
If your mum was Bill Thompson's eldest child, why would she have not been registered as a Thompson? I can understand why Elizabeth and Michael would have tried to hide the children by using a name similar to his (Michael's) at their schools etc......but surely the original birth certificate would have been made out in the husband's name...since she stayed with him long enough to have a second child.
Or have I got things totally wrong????
I think Mum was not Thompsons child -there were two older children (not named), then Mum child of Michael Bowler and then brother, child of Michael Bowler.
Di
Thanks Di...
Off to try that.
Libby I wouldn't mention Bowler at all.
As next of kin you are legally entitled to the cert. I couldn't get my grandparents but Mum could. I'm sure she just went in and applied, stating her relationship. But we knew the DOB. We only went in as Mum didn't want to pay postage, nor wait for delivery.
Thanks Kit.
I think I'll write and explain the situation and tell them we knew nothing of the Boland name. I can give them the day and month for sure (I hope) and use 1928. Maybe if I'm really nice they'll check for me.
Maybe if I put in a copy of her brother's BC.
How old was your mum on the brothers birth cert? does that add up to 1928? If not say the maths implies 1929, just to cover yourself.
Ah....I did get it wrong, then. Sorry :(
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