Genealogy Chat

See below.

I've found what may be my father's paternal grandfather on the list of Assisted Immigrants arriving in Sydney on the NSW State Records site. It's very interesting, because if it really is him, he sailed to Australia on the same ship as my father's maternal great-great-grandfather and some of his daughters, which would probably explain how my father's parents met (the paternal side were Irish Catholics, the maternal side were Protestants from Kent). Anyway, my question is this: on the State Records site you have the option to order a copy of the record. Does anyone know if it contains more information than shown on the site, and if so, what? It costs $25, which I obviously don't want to fork out if there's no new information in it, but I could do with some extra information because he has a fairly common name, and I'm not 100% sure of his date of birth..

Don't know of this website, but surely it must have a guide to what is in the records?

No, I wouldn't be asking if it had :-) Here it is, if you're interested: http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/assisted_immigrants_1839-96_366.asp I've already been very disappointed with another document I ordered from them at the same price (not an immigration one), which contained hardly any information. I would have paid $5 for it, maybe, but certainly not $25.

OK, you were right :-) Your question prompted me to look harder. The information's not easy to find, but I eventually found this: The entries record for each immigrant: name, age, sex, calling, marital status, native place and education. From 1848 series 9 contains more information about each immigrant and so is the more useful series. My man emigrated in 1857, so it sounds promising (although I don't know what series 9 means). Thanks for the prompt :-) These records are a bit like the English national archives - rather confusing to search, so I gave up too soon.

The relatives I found from that site Mary gave all the birthdays, the wife's maiden name, the name of the ship, the depature date and where they were going.....I think it was that site anyway. £25 seems a lot..and there's not much more info you can get really...except occupation and health

It's 25 AUS dollars, not pounds, but even so, it's not cheap. Still, if it gives his place of birth and occupation it might be worth having, because that may be enough to identify him.

Yes, I suppose it might make it definate if you get an address and it's not that much, in dollars........if you say it quick...lol Jean

I would most definitely order it! $25 isn't much really to get such an important part of your family history - i.e. their immigration documents. Even if it doesn't have any new info, it's so much more satisfying to have a copy of an original document rather than a modern-day transcription or index entry. And from the sounds of it, I think that it may well contain a wealth of info that might give you further leads in your research. For the benefit of those in the UK - $25 is about £10 - which is only the cost of 1½ BMD certificates. Richard

Mary I was going to add an apology last night but got booted off the computer. Now I'm glad I didn't :-) though I know what you mean, sometimes finding the info is very difficult. GR for example, sticks all its useful stuff about census dates etc way, way down on the homepage with no indication anywhere that it exists! I'd go for it. Original records are fascinating, but as with all documents, you only know if it has really useful information on it by actually seeing it! I got my gt x3 grandfather's pension records from Kew and that was well worth it. 3 x A3 pages with info describing him, giving his birth details and information about his illness, which is why he was invalided out of the service. nell

No need to apologise, Nell :-) I don't expect to find as much information as you got from your grandad's pension records, which sound excellent, but as Richard says, it is an important part of my family history, so probably worth having anyway. I was especially intrigued at the idea that two entirely separate branches of my family may have emigrated on the same boat, and their descendants got married. In the meantime Rona's very kindly offered to look him up next time she goes to the Records Office in Sydney, so I may not need to order the documents direct, unless the Records Office don't have them for some reason. I knew nothing about this great-grandfather, who died before my father was born, except that he emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine. I've now got his death certificate, and the poor man died in a lunatic asylum in Sydney, suffering from delirious mania. Next step is to try and trace the asylum records, although I don't know if they'll be available. I've googled for the asylum (Callan Park, Sydney), and it looks grim.

At least that was a bit easier to find. Mental health records in NSW are closed to public access for 110 years (he died in 1908), but direct descendants can apply for them if they send certs proving their descent.