Genealogy Chat

Hi!

Recently found on a distant branch of my tree, that...

Two British citizens married in Sunderland in 1879, in 1881 they are still in the area but with no children. He is a plumber. They dissappear in 1891 only to reappear in 1901 with 5 sons and a daughter (that I know of)! When you look at their children's places of birth the eldest three were born in Sydney, Australia, the fourth was born at Red Sea Cat 20 47 N Long 38 31 E. The younger two being born back home in Sunderland!

Logically, I would assume that they emigrated only to return with their 4th child born en-route..however, why would he have been born in the Red Sea? Why would they have been there? Also, does anyone know of anything that may have brought them home that was going on at the time? I thought that usually when a family emigrated they were probably never going to return to their homeland.

Clare

Forgot to mention that the fourth child (aptly named Sydney) was born in 1894.

Have a look at this page that I found by Googling:-

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0841359.html

Apparently the Red Sea was a major shipping route between Europe and Australia.

Kath. x

:O

Thanks!

Googled the Australia bit but not the Red Sea bit lol!!

Still can't figure out why they'd come back but at least I know why he was born in such a random place :)

Clare

Maybe they just didn't settle, or with lots of small children wanted to be near family. Maybe the work ran out. You'll probably never know, but there must be lots of possible reasons.

Kath. x

Thanks!

Think I may have found them in Aus...seem to have completely unrealated jobs....

Thanks again,
Clare :)

Clare

I live in Aust. after emigrating from the UK

Lots of people who emigrate return to their birthplace. i don't think they give it enough time to settle.

I love it here and wouldn't go back for anything

Looks like there was more than one Sydney.

NSW Births:

Reg: 8042/1884
TONKINSON, ROBERT H
Father: JOHN W C
Mother: SARAH A
District: NEWTOWN

10644/1886
TONKINSON, JOHN W
JOHN W C
SARAH A
WOOLLAHRA

25049/1890
TONKINSON , SYDNEY
JOHN W C
SARAH A
NEWTOWN

26157/1891
TONKINSON, FREDERICK D
JOHN W C
SARAH A
NEWTOWN

Deaths:

9533/1890
TONKINSON, SYDNEY
JOHN W C
SARAH A
NEWTOWN

I see that Sydney Tonkinson (born at sea) had middle initial H, according to the 1901. There is a birth on the GRO Marine Births register in 1894 for a "Hapsburg Tonkinson", on board the Hapsburg (page ref. 17). In other words, he was named after the ship (that was quite common for births at sea) but then later took the name Sydney (as Lew points out above, his brother with that name had died in 1890, according to the NSW BMD site).

You could purchase the birth cert for Hapsburg Tonkinson from the oversea section of the GRO.

Cheers
Richard

looks like he married in 1915:

Marriages Dec 1915
Tonkinson Sydney H Alcock Sunderland 10a 1512
Alcock Edith Tonkinson Sunderland 10a 1512


... and named his son Sydney as well:

Births Jun 1917
Tonkinson Sydney Alcock Sunderland 10a 1102

Well the Hapsburg was certainly doing the Australia-Suez route in 1894, according to this website: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsH.html

HABSBURG 1875
The HABSBURG was a 3,094 gross ton ship, length 353ft x beam 39.1ft, one funnel, two masts, iron hull, single screw, speed 12 knots. Accommodation for 142-1st and 800-3rd class passengers. Built by Earle's Shipbuilding, Hull, she was launched on 9th Jan.1875 for North German Lloyd of Bremen. Her maiden voyage started 11th Mar.1876 when she left Bremen for Southampton and New York and in May 1876 she transferred to Bremen - South America sailings. She resumed New York sailings on 21st Apr.1880 and started her 30th and last voyage on this service on 10th Apr.1886.

>>>> Between 23rd Feb.1887 and 24th Oct.1894 she was used on the Bremen - Suez - Australia route, being re-engined and refitted to carry 63-1st, 30-2nd and 641-3rd class passengers in 1891. <<<<<

She made two further New York sailings in April - May 1895 and then reverted to South America voyages on 10th Nov.1895. Her final sailing on this route commenced 10th Mar.1896 and in 1898 she was sold to Italy, but stranded on her delivery voyage. Refloated in 1899, she was scrapped.

Thanks everyone it's all really useful!

Thought it would have been very hard for them to return back then as they weren't very well of etc, so there must have been very good reason to make another life changing decision but I guess I'll never know!

Thanks again, much appreciated!

Clare