I have an ancestor called James Mark who married before going to the colony of New South Wales before 1855. It has taken me some years to find out more about him but I have, at last, got a copy of the death certificate. Although the Australian certificates contain more information than those here, it has not been as helpful as I had hoped. It says that he died aged 73 on 23 January 1883 in Armidale, New South Wales. It further tells me that he was born in Scotland to a father named George and he married his first wife (name unknown) in Scotland. He had two children by that marriage and I suspect they were born in Scotland because I cannot find them registered in NSW. Their names were William (born about 1839) and Isabella (born about 1842). These dates are deduced from their ages as listed on their father's death certificate. Further investigation at the Armidale cemetery has revealed that James was born in Gallashiels. I have checked the Family Search records but no birth there. There is a marriage for a James to a Mary Burges in 1829 at Peebles. This could be correct as a child from a subsequent marriage has the middle name of Burgess but this is sheer supposition (and perhaps you could consider it a bit desperate!). I do not know whether the first wife died before James and the children went to Australia --not knowing her name does not help. Perhaps someone may be able to look at OPR or census returns that may help. Help and advice will be most gratefully received. Many thanks Elizabeth Leicester, UK

Elizabeth, I too have ancestors buried at Armidale (my Blair family from Jedburgh settled in the area, as did my Scholes ancestors from Lancashire). From the information you have provided, I presume you have accessed the New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages website to find James Mark's death registration but if not, the site is: http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ You may well have all this information but I have checked quickly for you by searching marriages and deaths for just the surname "Mark" in ten year spans between 1840 and 1860 - I found the marriages of: James Mark to Mary Mangan in 1855 (your clue to when he arrived in Australia no doubt); and Isabella Mark to John Ashburn in 1859 plus the death of Mary [Mangan] Mark (daughter of [unknown] Mangan) at Chippendale (a suburb of Sydney) in 1858. Isabella and John Ashburn's descendants should be easy to track under Births. I have recently located some of my Blair family in First Families 2001 - a database of the earliest people in a family known to have settled in Australia. It is worth a look - may you too have some luck! http://www.firstfamilies2001.net.au/welcome.htm Regards, Glennys Gow, Lismore, NSW, Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Revell" <erevell@dmu.ac.uk> To: <BORDER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 12:31 AM Subject: James MARK (1809-1883) > I have an ancestor called James Mark who married before > going to the colony of New South Wales before 1855. It has taken me some > years to find out more about him but I have, at last, got a copy of the > death certificate. Although the Australian certificates contain more > information than those here, it has not been as helpful as I had hoped. > > It says that he died aged 73 on 23 January 1883 in Armidale, > New South Wales. It further tells me that he was born in Scotland to a > father named George and he married his first wife (name unknown) in > Scotland. > > He had two children by that marriage and I suspect they were > born in Scotland because I cannot find them registered in NSW. Their names > were William (born about 1839) and Isabella (born about 1842). These dates > are deduced from their ages as listed on their father's death certificate. > > Further investigation at the Armidale cemetery has revealed > that James was born in Gallashiels. > > I have checked the Family Search records but no birth there. > There is a marriage for a James to a Mary Burges in 1829 at Peebles. This > could be correct as a child from a subsequent marriage has the middle name > of Burgess but this is sheer supposition (and perhaps you could consider it > a bit desperate!). I do not know whether the first wife died before James > and the children went to Australia --not knowing her name does not help. > > Perhaps someone may be able to look at OPR or census returns > that may help. > > Help and advice will be most gratefully received. > > Many thanks > > Elizabeth > Leicester, UK > > ______________________________