-----Original Message----- From: David and Carol Cain <caindc@magna.com.au> To: AUS-NSW-SE-L@rootsweb.com <AUS-NSW-SE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, 11 December 1998 15:24 Subject: CENSUS 1841 WHERE NEXT? >I have a copy of two census records, and looking at the signature on both >records, they are the same as the signature on the Marriage Record of my >husband's ancestor William Wright. The details are: > >RETURN NO. 126 - ILLAWARRA - BELAMBI. The name of the person at the head, >charge of etc. is WILLIAM WRIGHT and the Proprietor is "THE LATE COL. >LEAHY". It is dated at Fairymeadow on 5th March 1841. > >RETURN NO. 566 - JAMBEROO - "CEDAR GROVE" JAMBEROO. The name of the person >at the head etc. is WILLIAM WRIGHT, no Proprietor given. It is dated at >Cedar Grove on 12th March 1841. > This is my first reply to the site -greetings to all- The William Wright in Return No. 566 Jamberoo Cedar Grove never married. The family group on this return ie married woman and children is most likely to be the wife and children of his "brother" Thomas Wright. After many years of research (20+) it is still unclear the exact relationships in the family of John Ritchie of Jamberoo. John Ritchie arrived as a convict on the ship Somersetshire in 1814. His wife and two boys John and William arrived the following year. Family stories say that only John was actually his son. William was the son of Mary his wife at the time who he had married as a widow "with money" in London. This would explain his ability to purchase an additional 300 acres to that of his grant at Jamberoo (also 300 acres) after serving the period to obtain a TOL and CP. William Ritchie (under his name on arrival) also obtained a 60 acre grant at Jamberoo, called Figtree Flat. He seemed to start using the name Wright again after the marriage of John Ritchie to Mary Anne Enright in 1838, and the births of their three children. This change can be confirmed from Title transfers at LTO. Neither of the deaths (Mary or Mary Anne) are recorded and John Ritchie married for the FOURTH time in 1848 to Catherine Murphy. In 1828 John Ritchie asked for a person he desribed as his son, a bricklayer, to be allowed to come to NSW. This description fits Thomas Wright who seems to have arrived in 1835 with his wife and family. Frank McCaffrey says that Thomas came via serving as a convict in Tasmania-have been unable to confirm this or otherwise but it seems unlikely. William Wright died in 1864 aged 60 at Jamberoo. His nephew was the informant. >I was wondering if there is likely to be more information somewhere about >William and other occupants of these properties. His Marriage record >states he was born in Sydney, however, because my husband's family history >suggests that he was adopted, we haven't been able to find his birth in >1832 or thereabouts. We have searched many records over the past few >years. > >There is also an interesting connection, in that Cedar Grove was land >granted to William Davis convict who is also on my side of the family >history and has been researched thoroughly by a relative of mine. > Re Cedar Grove- William Ritchie posted a notice in the Sydney Press in 1839 to warn off trespassers from his propery Cedar Grove. I would be interested to see anything on the Davis family at Jamberoo (published?) as I have been looking at the Jamberoo /Kiama District records for some time. In September this year the Illawarra Family History Group published an index to Kiama Court Records 1852-1863 which I have compiled over a number of years. This has records of various members of the Wright and Ritchie families at Jamberoo. I know the locations (Bellambi and Jamberoo) are quite well separated by distance but one "unlikely" explanation for the similar signatures could revolve around the same collector of the census??? >Any help will be greatly appreciated as this has been one big headache! > >Sincere thanks >Carol Cain >caindc@magna.com.au > Lorraine Neate kenneate@tig.com.au >==== AUS-NSW-SE Mailing List ==== >History and genealogy in South-East New South Wales, Australia >