Hi Listers Perhaps someone has a clue for Beverley on the whereabouts of her Frederick Henry SYLVESTER. She is not on the list so please contact her direct if you have something which may be a clue for her search. >From: "Beverley Weymouth" <baw@austarnet.com.au> >To: "Daryl Povey" <povey@sebas.vic.edu.au> >Subject: Frederick Henry SYLVESTER >Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 18:32:33 +1100 > >Hi Daryl, >Thanks for your quick reply. I'm trying to find my GGrandfather, >Frederick Henry SILVESTER (born Birmingham 1850, arrived Port Phillip >1852) who left his family in Balranald NSW around 1882 (last child born >then). His wife Frances (Fanny) then lived with another man until her >death in 1897 (aged 41) and had several more children with him but they >never married, so I believe that Fred was still alive somewhere. I have >not been able to trace his death on bdm indexes in Vic, NSW, SA, WA, TAS >or QLD. (Please note that Fred's son, my Grandfather was also Frederick >Henry Silvester, he was born 1878 Balranald,NSW, married Swan Hill 1901 >and died Balranald 1957.) The last possible "sighting" is at Ararat in >1899 where there was someone of that name recorded in the Referendum for >Federation, occupation "miner". Oddly enough there is also no definite >record of a death for his brother Charles John who was a farmer in the >Balranald district, although Charles was around a little later than >Fred. Charles' descendants still have property in the area today. I do >have a death certificate and inquest details for a Charles Silvester at >Mildura in 1889 but the details in both are inconclusive as he was stated >to have been living in Mildura only a month and nobody knew much about >him. The details given on his death certificate are only from statements >given at the inquest by the boarding house proprietor where he was staying >who didn't seem to know anything for certain, so it may, or may not be him. >I believe that Fred may have been somewhere in Victoria. His father and >sisters remained in the Collingwood area (except for one sister who also >married in Balranald). He was married at Swan Hill in 1875 and his usual >address at that time was "Durham Ox", so apart from the period from >1876-1882 when he was in Balranald, the rest of his life up to that time >had been in Victoria. >In all it is something of a mystery as I cannot understand why two >apparently established family men, one with property would leave >everything behind. Fred's occupation as per his children's birth >certificates was "coachman". I have found reference to "Sylvesters >Balranald line of coaches" which apparently operated a coach service >between Balranald and Swan Hill around 1879 so he may have had his own >coaches. The spelling is different but that often happens, even on the >bdm certificates, and from the research I have done I believe that he and >Charles were the only Silvesters/Sylvesters living in Balranald at the time. >Thought perhaps they robbed the coach but can't find anything there either! >So you can see why I like to check out anything I find, however unlikely, >as it is the only way that I can hope to solve this frustrating puzzle! >Many thanks for your interest, I hope the above makes sense. >Regards, Beverley Weymouth Please update anti-virus software at least weekly. Daryl Povey, Ballarat, Aus - http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au