Question

I have hit a brick wall with this ancestor of mine. Please help!

Comments

Martha Davis

 in the Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922

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Name:	Martha Davis
Birth Date:	1851
Birth Place:	New South Wales
Registration Year:	1851
Registration Place:	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Father:	William Davis
Mother:	Jane
Volume Number:	V1851240 37A

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Thank you!

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I have now obtained a copy of this birth certificate. It states that Martha Davis was born in Dec 1850, baptised 1851 to William and Jane Davis who were living at Victoria Barracks, Sydney at the time. It lists William's occupation as BANDSMAN IN XI REGT ie 11th regiment of foot. This regiment was in Australia from 1845 to 1856/7. What is the best way to ascertain whether the family stayed in Australia? And therefore to determine that this is the correct Martha Davis? Thank you.

Answer 1

There is quite a bit of info on Ancestry.com but I don't see the name Davis.  In the newspaper articles and court cases that are shown list her name as Martha Ward.  I think you may have more luck if you searched for Ward instead of Davis.  Apparently Martha's father died and her mother surrendered her an orphanage.  If you don't have that info I can send it to you if you want.

Comments

Thank you Patricia. I would appreciate those articles please. The only articles I found were of her (as Martha Ward) as witness to a court case in Goulburn after she married Frederick Ward. Then later in North Sydney area as Martha Ward for a couple of offences. I found a jail record and photo on NSW state archives - see link below, but it is for a Martha Davis, unless she reverted to using her maiden name? But the newspaper reports her as Martha Ward, so I'm not sure it's the same person, there were perhaps a couple of Martha Davis' around at the time? What do you think?

Jail record link:

https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX2062667

INDEX

DAVIS Martha

Gaol Inmates/Prisoners Photos Index 1870-1930

Item No: [19/9835] | Digital ID: IE150064 | Series: NRS2138 | Page No: 77 | Photo No: 3604

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I meant to say per her marriage certificate to Frederick Ward, she lived in Goulburn for a while and married Frederick there in 1879.

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There are a few articles relating to a child Martha Ward living in an orphanage etc, but unfortunately these cannot be relevant to this Martha since her maiden name was Davis not Ward.