Hello Trish and Colleen, Thanks for the reply to my request and the information you provided. Normally, I don't mind paying for bdm certificates at all, I do it all the time, but paying for a certificate in the hope of finding the single word "Widower" written thereon seems a bit extravagant. But never mind, I guess the easiest way for me to solve this is to purchase the certificate after all. So you understand my motives I'd best explain the reasons behind my request to this list. - 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! I have hunted high and low and cannot find a NZ birth record for this 'Auckland Sarah' or a marriage of Doncaster/Watson. I also cannot find a death of Sarah Hannah Myors. My g/grandmother, the 'Rangitikei Sarah' died in Melbourne in 1926 as Sarah Hannah Cue. The similarity in the details of the two Sarah's is remarkable and it is looking very much like they are one and the same person, but I cannot as yet confirm it. So to help solve this problem I need to determine if Sarah Myors actually died and John was a widower when married to Pauline Schliels, (and you are right Pauline is recorded as Schliebs in some Victorian records). 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!. So, you see the problem I have. Regards, Barry Howard, Victoria, Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trev Symonds" <psym8950@bigpond.net.au> To: <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 5:51 AM Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW] NSW Marriage request > Hi Barry, > No such luck, there is no access to the records after the early1850s, and > you have to pay to find the information. You can use a transcription > agent > (cheaper than the registry office), and just pay for individual fields for > a > small fee if you don't want the whole certificate - > http://www.transcriptions.com.au/ > http://www.joymurrin.com.au/ > I couldn't find a death for Sarah MYORS in Victoria, NSW or Qld. Perhaps > they divorced and she remarried? I couldn't find the death of John > James/Pauline in NSW either, but if you track them down then his > headstone/death notice may have more information. > There were a couple of births in NSW that may or may not be linked to > John - > William F. MYORS, born Corowa-NSW 1902, parents John J./Eliza > (11589/1902); > died 1903 Corowa (1385/1903) > James MYORS, born Corowa-NSW 1905, parents John J/Eliza > Also a death - > John Arthur MYORS, aged 73, father John, died Newtown-NSW 1970 aged 73 > years > (40930/1970) > I couldn't find a marriage for a John J. MYORS to Eliza UNKNOWN, I > wondered > if this is Pauline and she is known as Eliza? > Pauline SCHLIELS is the only SCHLIELS in the indexes, > births/deaths/marriages, or at NSW Archives, so may be a transcription > error. > Cheers > Trish > Nowra NSW