Hi Barry, What a fascinating puzzle you have to try to unravel, I hope you get to the bottom of it. I've tried looking at a few sites but haven't come up with anything that would help in the search for the death of Sarah Hannah MYORS. The only thing I did find while trawling around, which you probably have, is the information on Ah Chu of Wangaratta applying for naturalisation papers on the National Archives. He was born Canton-China, occupation-gardener, arrived 7 January 1862 on "Wee Sing" from Hong Kong, and was approved on 2 July 1873. There was a second file for an Ah Chu, also a gardener, along with a photograph of him, but this fellow was 28 years old in 1901 so born around 1871, maybe Ah Chu's son? Good luck, Trish Nowra NSW > Hello Trish and Colleen, >> My great grandmother Sarah Hannah Doncaster was born in Rangitikei, NZ in > 1855. She married the Chinese gardener Ah Cue in Wangaratta, Victoria in > 1869, and they had 8 children. Her parents were John Doncaster and > Isabella > Taylor who married in NZ in 1852. > I have found the marriage certificate of another Sarah Hannah Doncaster > who > married John James Myors in Sale, Victoria in 1882. There were no children > born in this marriage. Their certificate states that she was born in > Auckland NZ in 1855 and her parents were John Doncaster and Isabella > Watson! > However, to prove that the 'Auckland Sarah' and 'Rangitikei Sarah' are the > same person would mean that my great grandmother commited an act of bigamy > in marrying John J. Myors in 1882!. > Regards, > Barry Howard, > Victoria, Australia.

Hmmmm ... married at age 14 or 15 . Was that legal , I wonder ? My great grandmother Sarah Hannah Doncaster was born in Rangitikei, NZ in 1855. She married the Chinese gardener Ah Cue in Wangaratta, Victoria in 1869, and they had 8 children. Her parents were John Doncaster and Isabella Taylor who married in NZ in 1852. I have found the marriage certificate of another Sarah Hannah Doncaster who married John James Myors in Sale, Victoria in 1882. There were no children born in this marriage. Their certificate states that she was born in Auckland NZ in 1855 and her parents were John Doncaster and Isabella Watson! However, to prove that the 'Auckland Sarah' and 'Rangitikei Sarah' are the same person would mean that my great grandmother commited an act of bigamy in marrying John J. Myors in 1882!. _________________________________________________________________ Share your memories online with anyone you want. http://www.microsoft.com/nz/windows/windowslive/products/photos-share.aspx?tab=1

Hi Christene, Ray and Trish, You are right Trish, researching the Doncaster/Cue history is indeed a fascinating exercise. But there are several puzzles I have yet to resolve, not least of which is the bigamy question. Yes Ray, Sarah was only fifteen when married in 1869, and I do believe it was legal back then. A story in our family was that she was given to Ah Cue as payment of a debt of money owed to him by her father. Her marriage certificate says she "married with her father's consent". Trading children like this should have been illegal but I have read newspaper reports of other Chinese men buying wives or selling their children for marriage. It seems to have been tolerated by the authorities of the day, because some of them were well known figures in their community. Christene, Sarah's children were born between 1872 and 1900, there was a gap of 2 to 5 years between each of the births and there were no twins. Her husband Ah Cue died in 1902 and at that time the family was split up. The older siblings were able to fend for themselves, some of them had already married. But my grandmother Rita was placed into an orphanage, she was then only 8 yrs old, and the youngest child Lucy just 2yrs old, was legally adopted by a Chinese family and eventually taken back to China. Sarah's life was very tough. She was raped as a child in NZ and I think that is why she came to Victoria. She was acquainted with the notorious Kelly family, and in 1912 her son in law was arrested with Ned Kelly's younger brother James for cattle stealing. Sarah herself did two terms of imprisonment with hard labour in 1897 and 1902, the dastardly crime she was punished for was "No visible means of support". I am trying all avenues to solve some of the puzzles thrown up in this family's history in Victoria, but the puzzles I've struck in researching her life in New Zealand are even more of a problem. Thanks for your interest in my query, much appreciated. Regards, Barry Howard, Victoria, Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trev Symonds" <psym8950@bigpond.net.au> To: <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:54 AM Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW] NSW Marriage request > Hi Barry, > What a fascinating puzzle you have to try to unravel, I hope you get to > the > bottom of it. I've tried looking at a few sites but haven't come up with > anything that would help in the search for the death of Sarah Hannah > MYORS. > The only thing I did find while trawling around, which you probably have, > is > the information on Ah Chu of Wangaratta applying for naturalisation papers > on the National Archives. He was born Canton-China, occupation-gardener, > arrived 7 January 1862 on "Wee Sing" from Hong Kong, and was approved on 2 > July 1873. There was a second file for an Ah Chu, also a gardener, along > with a photograph of him, but this fellow was 28 years old in 1901 so born > around 1871, maybe Ah Chu's son? > Good luck, > Trish > Nowra NSW

.this makes a 2nd childless marriage unlikely does it not ?? if children to Ah Chu were bn up to 1900....but the parents and place of birth of the 2nd Sarah are very very similar....twould seem to me a case of more than meets the eye...... re young marriage...family history has it that Hannah ran away to her uncles place to avoid marrying a man that her parents had organised for her....she married a man of 32 when she was 15