Sarah Finlay (Sarah Gumbley) - HGB 0098 video

A short video which I wacked together. I hope it is informative.
 

Where did Alfred Rennell go?

Hourglass Chart of Alfred Rennell 1876-?

Welcome to the first page of my library blog. This first post is about researching a relative of mine. The blog is mainly targeted at my family but visitors may find some information on managing their small personal library or undertaking genealogical research.

Recently I've had a tiny bit of spare time to research some of the basics information on Alfred Rennell(270), Alfred's father is Henry Rennell Esq.(263) is my closest relative. My mother, many years ago, cited the family bible (now with one of my cousins) and listed Alfred has being born on 2nd April 1844, son of Henry and his first wife Caroline Ellsworth(264).

At some stage Alfred appears to have come to Australia. I knew this because of notices in various newspapers in Australia trying to track him down for a court case involving his fathers estate. "...Alfred being last heard of at Back Forest, in Victoria...". So I knew that there might be a record of him here somewhere.

I did a search in TROVE using the following: Alfred Rennell "Henry Rennell". Well... up came a Family Notice of marriage in a newspaper from 1876. The newspaper was the Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser.

Family Notices 17 March 1876

This showed Alfred was indeed located in the general area of northern Victoria. He was was married just across the New South Wales border in Adelong. The description of Alfred's father left me in no doubt he was the Alfred Rennell I was looking for. He had married Harriet Ferguson(720) who was apparently the daughter of a gold miner.

Next step was an index search of NSW Marriages and I quickly found the registration number (13090/1877)... and why not a search of births with the parents names... and behold... a child. Lilly May(721) but I could find no other children in Victoria or in NSW. I could not find a record Alfred's death either.

Interestingly, it appears likely that Harriet was later married to George Clark(723)... but what happened to Alfred? Searches of online personal family trees on Geneanet and Ancestry show about three possibilities including dying in the 1930's (two different years) in South Australia or in the 1910's in NSW. These personal trees have no sources so I have no way of knowing or checking which is the correct one (if any)...

Anyway... It is possible that Alfred left his wife to fend on her own after their child was born? Was Alfred playing up, being the son of an important English Public Servant? Did he run away from his responsibilities, or did he die and his wife re-marry... maybe his wife took off and divorced him instead? More questions to ask and (at this stage) no answers.