William Sidebottom

Question

I’m looking for the parents of

William Sidebottom (convict)

B 1806, Yorkshire, England

D. 1849, Tasmania, Australia

Wife Olive Bellard

Thx

Answer 1

Possible 

Name:	William Sidebottom
Gender:	Male
Birth Date:	24 Jul 1806
Baptism Date:	24 Aug 1806
Baptism Place:	Cathedral Saint Peter,Sheffield,York,England
Father:	Samuel Sidebottom
Mother:	Sarah
FHL Film Number:	919327 Source Information Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Comments

Thx Marion, that’s the record I had saved but i can’t find any family info or a tree relating to the family.

He’s quite possibly the brother of my Thomas 1815,

So many Samuel and Sarah’s

Answer 2

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:CONVICTS_AFTER_THE_THIRD_FLEET  this might help

Answer 3

Do you know where William married Olive? Their marriage record might tell you who their parents were.

Comments

The marriage is on Family Search - William Sidebottom (widower, free) of the parish of St John Launceston and Olive Bellard, free, of the parish of St John Launceston; by Banns; 9th March 1835; William and Olive both made their mark; Witnesses George X Merchant, of Launceston and William Jones of Launceston (he appears to be a serial witness).

Answer 4

A scan of this site https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/5f67589c33045bb56761cc2b?locale=en  reveals  your 1806 William.

What's interesting is that he is the only Sidebottom listed for over 50 years at that location in Yorkshire.  Almost all the others until about 1820 are from St Helen's of Sandal Magna. There is no Thomas.

Answer 5

Why Yorkshire?  And are you certain he was a convict ?  Where does that info come from?

The marriage record  says that he was a widower and was free at the time of marriage. The marriage was in 1835 not 1849.

https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=olive&qu=Bellard

The Tasmanian convict records have  only  two William Sidebottoms both transported in 1825

https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=William&qu=Sidebottom

 The first was  transported on the Medway arriving  in the August of that year, the records have his place of origin as Newton Lancashire.

 https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/sidebottom/william/110974 says this man was an Ostler, he was 50 when transported so would have been 60 at marriage, thus born long before 1806.

The second was  transported on the Medina, arriving in April of 1825.  His given origin  on some records is Islington, Middlesex (London) but that may be where he was at the time of his crime.

  He was younger with a birthdate on some records as  c 1805 but others as late as  1809 so perhaps more likely to be your man.

There is a lot of info available about him but a lot with conflicting information and at least one alias,  a jigsaw that needs piecing together.

Digitial Panopticon has  links  to many records  and the plot definitely thickens about his possible birth place   with both  London  and Manchester  on documents. He also used the name James Sidebottom.

The Digital Panopticon William Sidebottom , Life Archive ID fasai64020 (https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=fasai64020). Version 1.2.1, consulted 20th September 2020  If you click on VDL founders and survivors you get a detailed breakdown of the sources used.

If you click on each talis link it takes you to the record  ( I don't think all are freely available.)

Crucially he was freed in 1831 so free in 1835 for the marriage.

Another Digital Panopticon record appears to be for the same man. ( this is the British 'side'. It  has links to the account of his trial and transportation)

https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=obpt18240114-28-defend325)

One  researcher  has left information on  this William Sidebottom at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/sidebottom/william/110862 .His research suggests that the man may have been born in Cheshire. If  you think this could be 'your man' I would redo his research.

But unfortunately  no sniff of Yorkshire. 

Comments

When William is convicted in 1824 he is described as a shoemaker which is the occupation he has at the baptisms of his children with Olive - these baptisms are free to view on familysearch as is the burial of William Sidebottom at Morven on 3 November 1849, the information from the register is "William Sidebottom; age 43; occupation shoemaker; cause of death - disease of the heart."