Hi Meegan, I was just looking at the entries for baptisms on "Sheffield Indexers" site and found something rather odd. I entered Mary Ann Waller to see if her baptism would come up and one did. But at a later time period than expected. The mothers name was Alice. So I thought I would try just entering Waller with a mother of Alice. This is what came up. Waller, Emma England (of Sheffield, born 1813-09-25). Baptised September 21, 1834, by Wm Carter at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street, Sheffield. Parents name(s) are Alice & Benjamin (Smith). Note: . Similar Date Baptised Same Household if Available Surname Match if Available Waller, Frank (of Sheffield, born 1817-06-26). Baptised May 7, 1834, by E Goodwin at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street, Sheffield. Parents name(s) are Alice & Benjamin (Blacksmith). Note: . Similar Date Baptised Same Household if Available Surname Match if Available Waller, Mary Ann (of Sheffield, born 1835-08-11). Baptised August 21, 1836, by W F Wilkinson at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street, Sheffield. Parents name(s) are Alice & Benjamin (Blacksmith). Note: . Similar Date Baptised Same Household if Available Surname Match if Available Emma and Frank were born to the same parents but back in 1813 & 1817. Your Mary Ann Would fit right in the middle nicely. I just wonder.........could the Mary Ann above have not been baptised as a baby for some reason and just prior to marriage would have been baptised.? Could John Bates have also been in the Army and moved around. There was a Sugar refinery in Sheffield at that time. If you check out the 1841 census on Sheffield Indexers and just put in sugar refiner under occupations two other names pop up. The four men that vouched for him were all in Sheffield and on the 1841 census. Hope I am not leading you astray but it seems there could be a link. Elaine Pickard Sheffield Indexers Site Admin. www.SheffieldIndexers.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Meegan and Chris Ferguson" <chris.meegan@harboursat.com.au> To: <eng-sheffield@rootsweb.com> Cc: <shamwari@gmail.com> Sent: June 12, 2010 8:14 AM Subject: [SHEFF] Waller and BATES families - assisted passage Hello there - new to the list and think I have finally found my Yorkshire ancestors, knew they were there somewhere! Have a quandary and would be grateful if anyone can assist or guide me to a conclusion? Have John BATES (aged 28 and noted as a bricklayer) and family emigrating to Australia on board the "United Kingdom" in 1844. Family were Mary Ann 28 (Nee WALLER) born Sheffield, Yorkshire abt 1815, Alice Elizabeth Bates 3 yrs born Dublin (no luck finding that) and Emma Bates born Yorkshire 7 months. John stated he was born Flintshire but have had no luck finding his birth there. In the records there are testimonials for John from a parish clerk in Denbighshire, a surgeon John . Lewis, Sheffield. Then there are householders certifying character Peter Moore, Orange St Sheffield, John Eyre Talbot St Sheffield and his employer was Thomas Hickson, Trinity St Sheffield. His clergyman was from St Mary's Sheffield. Can't find a marriage for John Bates and Mary Ann Waller although there is one for a Mary Ann Waller in Manchester Dec ¼ 1839 with a John Hughes on the same page - have requested that from the GRO. That may well be a mistranscription and be John Bates. Now I have the birth cert for Emma Bates (born May 1843 in Sheffield) and it gives the name of John Bates and Mary Ann Bates nee Waller as the parents and that they were living in Joiner Lane. John's occupation is noted as "sugar refiner" Did a census search and have found a Bates family in 1841 in Joiner Lane - not John but a Joseph (60), Sarah (55) and a James (25). My questions, if anyone has managed to get this far, are: 1 Do the names or addresses of any of the men who gave testimonials ring a bell with anyone that might give me a clue as to what John did for a living and how/why he might have been assisted to come to Australia? 2 What might a sugar refiner be doing in Sheffield? 3 Does the name Waller ring any bells with Sheffield people at all? Sorry this sounds a bit fuzzy - but hope someone out there may have some ideas Best wishes and thanks Meegan Ipswich, Qld ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-SHEFFIELD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message