And the mystery deepens as mysteries can

In that way of things with family research, one thing leads to another possibility. The 'clues' if you like are littered throughout the dross and dregs of history; called into place by conjecture.

I was doing a search on Edward Atkins yesterday, trying to find a marriage for him in England between 1844 and 1849 and birth records for Jane or Margaret Atkins. I had no success with the latter but I did come across a marriage for Edward Atkins and Mary Welch, July 30, Swinford, Worcester which fits with Cousin Luke's search area and birth certificates he found for a Jane and Margaret Atkins.

But more than that, the name Welch struck a chord. My great-grandmother Mary Atkins Ross had an illegitimate son in 1877 whom she named Edward Welsh (close to Welch and either could be a misprint) Atkins and whose father she gave as Edward Welsh. Co-incidence? Of course it might be but it also might be a clue as Cousin Luke suggested when I raised it with him.

Here is his theory which actually makes a lot of sense and would certainly explain the clearly massive rift between Edward Atkins and his wife, Elizabeth Mashford Lewis Atkins and their children, Elizabeth, Mary and James and the 'blanket of silence' which was dropped over Edward's three older daughters.

 I did see the name Welch some time go, wrote Luke, and believed it may have been a match but I found the connotations disturbing. What I am beginning to think more and more, and hence why it disturbed me so much, is that Mary Ross nee Atkins was giving a clue to everybody about who the real father of her first child was. She names her first child Edward Atkins and listed the father as Edward Welsh. I have never come across the name of Edward Welsh in any of the research I have done so far. EG no birth, death, marriage, shipping record etc. Things just do not add up.



It may be the case that the real father of Mary Ross nee Atkins first child was her father Edward Atkins. This may make sense for a number of reasons.


1) Incest happens today so it certainly happened in the 1800s especially in country area


2) Mary Atkins gave birth to her first child Edward Welsh at Gladstone in 1877 and not at Wirrabara where Edward Atkins was living. Did Mary Ross nee Atkins and her mother leave Edward Atkins by 1877? If they did why?


3) John Lewis died at his mother residence at Gladstone in 1888. Thus, Elizabeth Atkins had her own home separated from her husband. It is known that in 1875 she signed over some land in Gladstone to her son George Lewis so she may have been a woman with some financial means and could have lived in her own home in Gladstone separated from her husband.

And I would add here that Edward Atkins may have signed over property and money to his wife Elizabeth in order to keep the shameful secret a secret. This could explain why he was living with one of his daughters at the time of his death.


4) When Mary Atkins married Charlie Ross in 1888 she left her father's name out of her marriage certificate. Her father was alive at the time of his daughter marriage so this could be a clear indication that Mary Ross nee Atkins had disowned her own father. Maybe Edward Atkins was the father of his own daughter’s first child and it was keep a secret between the family members and was the reason why Elizabeth Mashford left her husband.


5) It may also explain why not one of Edward Atkins’ children or his wife placed an obituary in the papers. (At least, not one that as yet been found). They disowned him and wanted nothing to do with him. Edward Atkins died at the residence of his daughter and son in law Margaret and Jasper Newbery at Whyte Park. It may be that his other daughters saw Elizabeth Mashford as the wicked step-mother and was telling lies about her husband (their father) to protect the reputation of her own daughter. This could also explain why Mary Ross nee Atkins never mentioned she had step-sister. The story of the Lewis step-brothers passed down as oral history, but never the step-sister. May be the step-sisters took their father's side and did not believe Mary Ross nee Atkins side of the story.

6) Mary Atkins named her first child “Edward” the same name of her own father and named the father’s last name as “Welsh.” “Welsh”and “Welch” are so close in terms of spelling that Mary Ross nee Atkins could have got the spelling wrong. Was she giving a clue as to who the real father was by using the maiden name of Edward Atkins’ second wife? This would also be insulting to her step-sisters and a reason as to why no story ever came down in the family oral history because the step-sisters may have had nothing to do with the children of Elizabeth Mashford.


Maybe I am wrong and Edward Atkins is no longer around to protect himself from my theory so I am some what apprehensive to mention it to you. However, if Edward Atkins did marry a “Welch” the association, at least for me, is disturbing.


What do you think?

I think Luke may definitely be on to something. If we can find the name Welch or Welsh mentioned in regard to any of his three older daughters or for a confirmed marriage for Edward Atkins, then this theory gains solid ground.

There are always reasons as to why things happen and there is enormous satisfaction in being able to understand what those reasons were. The fact that Edward and Elizabeth were clearly and irrevocably separated and that there was also a major split between him and his three children by her indicates that something major happened to bring it about.

On a Baldock family site I found details of a Jasper Newberry, born 1842  who married Margaret Atkins, born 1847 in the residence of John Pole, Booleroo Station, South Australia on December 24, 1872. They had two children, Elizabeth born November 5, 1880 in Wongyana, South Australia and Edith born October 5, 1889, in Glenorchy, near Wirrabarra, South Australia. This is of course the area where Edward Atkins lived and worked first as a blacksmith and later as a shepherd. (See photos above.)

The Newberry (Newbery) girls married the Baldock brothers and ended up in Port Pirie, a town where I lived for four years in the early seventies. I had family there and did not know it. Elizabeth married Charles (Ted) Edward Bee Baldock in 1907 and Edith married Arthur James Bee Baldock in 1913.

I have sent an email off to the descendant noted on the Baldock website and while it is slim, there's a chance he might know more about Margaret Atkins which will help us fill in the picture. But we have come a long way.

NB: Stephen Knowles replied to my email and said:
The reason I have Jasper NEWBERRY & Margaret ATKINS in my file is to illustrate the fact that their daughters Elizabeth & Edith are sisters. The brothers who Elizabeth and Edith married are my wife Kim's 2nd cousins 3 times removed.



The only extra info which I have which isn't shown online is that Margaret's father is Edward. I've noted that Jasper is also spelt Gasper, and his father is William NEWBRY (sic).

And he has promised to keep me in mind should any further information come to hand. In the meantime Luke is sending off for a birth certificate for the Sarah Atkins he found and I await death certificates for Edward Atkins (trying again with more detailed information as last time it came up with nothing) and Jane Atkins McKinnon and Margaret Atkins Newberry.

Pondering mysteries of an Atkins kind

Photo: The Clare Valley where Edward Atkins lived and later married Elizabeth Mashford Lewis. It is now one of South Australia's premier (and prettiest) wine regions.

Luke Scane Harris has been pondering the missing daughters of Edward Atkins. The death notice revealed another three of which we knew nothing but clearly he was living with one of them at the time.

Elizabeth and Edward must have had quite a crowded house in the early years of their marriage with  Elizabeth's two sons George and John; the three daughters from who knows what marriage or relationship for Edward and the small children, Elizabeth, Mary and James from his marriage to Elizabeth.

It does not look as if these three unexpected daughters are from his marriage to Hannah McLeod as there are no birth records for them in South Australia.  But, there is always the possibility that he and Hannah returned to England and she died there and these are her daughters. There is no death notice for Hannah in South Australia which adds weight to this suspicion.

Since Edward re-appeared in South Australia, in the Clare Valley in 1849 these girls would need to have been born during a five year spectrum. Did Edward return to Australia alone leaving three small girls aged five, three and one in the care of relatives in England only to send for them later or did he return with them (and no doubt the assistance of a female relative)?

Whatever the answer it suggests that in 1857 when he married Elizabeth he had three children aged somewhere from the age of 13 to nine. There's a good chance that at some point there were eight children living in the house in Wirrabarra Forest and there seems little doubt that Mary Ross would have known her stepsisters even if she never talked of them.

But back to Luke's detective work:

'The mystery of Edward Atkins missing daughter was on my mind,' wrote Luke. 'I just could not work out where another three daughters came from. It would mean he had another marriage and no stories ever came down from the family of him having five daughters and three marriages.

My Grandmother knew Mary Ross nee Atkins very well and you would think that a story of three marriages would be passed down the family as oral history. Anyway last weekend, out of frustration, I just goggled “Edward Atkins” and “Penwortham” to see what would happen. You never know your luck.  I came across a website about the Mckinnon family tree and there was a reference to a Jane Atkins 1845-1923, Married John McKinnon 25/12/1867 at the Presbyterian Church Clare, Father Edward Atkins. That got me thinking, what are the chances of somebody getting married in Clare in 1867 with a father called Edward Atkins who is not one of our relations????


I went onto Ancestry.Com and looked up all the marriage records for people called “Edward Atkins” between the years 1843 and 1857. I decided that the years between 1843-1857 were the best because 1843 for when Hannah McLeod died (we think) and 1857 when Edward Atkins married Elizabeth Lewis, nee Mashford. I call the gap between 1843-1857 as the missing years for Edward Atkins.


I was expecting hundreds of results to show up, but surprisingly they were not that many results, only about 10 of them. I had a look at all the Counties or District of Registration of each one. There was no result for Gloucestershire. I then decided to cross reference the Counties or District of Registration of marriages for all the people called Edward Atkins and compares these Districts of Registration with records of birthplaces for the missing daughters.


The results are below.
Edward Atkins, Year of Marriage 1844, District of Registration Stourbridge, County, Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. I image that the District of Registration called “Stourbridge” covers the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire.


There were two matches for the missing daughters:
Sarah Atkins, Year of Registration of birth 1850, County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. Edward Atkins could have conceived Sarah Atkins in 1849 and still returned to South Australia to be listed as living in the Clare Valley. This would mean Sarah Atkins did not arrive in South Australia with Edward Atkins when he returned to South Australia.

Jane Atkins, Year of Registration of birth 1845, County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. (Perhaps our Jane Atkins who was married in Penwortham Church (see left) like her father Edward Atkins).


Margaret Atkins. There were no match with Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. However, there is a Margaret Atkins born Avon Gloucestershire in 1848. This could be a match because of the Gloucestershire connection.


As a result, I think that Edward Atkins was back in England sometime between 1843-1844 to remarry and at least two daughters may have been born at the same place he remarried at.

I looked up the 1841 and 1851 Census and there are no matches for a family unit with the name of Edward Atkins, or the 3 missing daughters. This would make sense if Edward Atkins was not in England until 1844 and missed the 1841 census, and by the 1851 Census his wife had died and Edward Atkins was back in South Australia. I have tried to look for his daughters in the 1851 Census with no result. There are just to many females with the names of Sarah, Jane, and Margaret Atkins all over England and if they were living with other family members of friends because there father was not around in 1851, it just makes it to difficult. Or his daughters may not have even been in England for the 1851 Census because they could have been on there way to South Australia or even living in South Australia in 1851. Therefore many hours of research could turn up nothing and I do not think it is worth the effort.


Edward Atkins may have come back to South Australia by himself and left his daughters in the care of his family if his wife had died. He may have then established a home for himself in the Clare Valley and then arranged for his daughters to come to South Australia.


I have had a look at TROVE and there is no reference of “Atkins” arriving in South Australia in 1849. However, there are references of the name “Atkins” arriving in South Australia between 1850-1860. However, the papers just states things like “Atkins (2)” or “Atkins (3)” there are no first names or sex stated so it is impossible to state that these people called Atkins were the daughters of Edward Atkins.


I just have to decide if I want to purchase the marriage and birth certificates. Edward Atkins marriage certificate will show his father name and if it has a “Joseph Atkins” listed then it will be a definite match. It will also show his wife name so I can then try to look for a death certificate. It will also pinpoint his place of residence at the time of his marriage which may give us more clues to his life. The birth certificate will also show place of residence for Edward Atkins. The problem is if I am wrong about the matches then I have wasted my money because it will coast about $50 Australian Dollars.


As a result, I have also thought about purchasing the death certificates of Jane McKinnon nee Atkins 1845-1923, and Margaret Newbery nee Atkins 1847-1911. They will be available in South Australia. Death Certificates between 1907-1937 will show Birth Places, and length of residence in Australia. This would then make it easier for me decided whether to purchase their birth certificate from England if their place of birth on their death certificate matches with County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire.'

While Luke has done a lot of work for so far, little result, the reality is that progress is slowly being made - which is the way of it with ancestry research. I have said I will get copies of the death certificates and we can go from there.

These 'extra daughters' may well enable us to trace more accurately the English origins of Edward Atkins and the best lead at this point is Jane Atkins (pictured above second from left at the back)who married John Mckinnon. According to the McKinnon family site, John married Jane Atkins, daughter of Edward Atkins and Unknown, on 25 Dec 1867 in Presbyterian Church, Clare SA. Jane was born on 9 Oct 1845 in England, died on 21 Nov 1923 in Clare SA at age 78, and was buried on 22 Nov 1923 in Clare SA.

The family records also show that she arrived on 6th December 1858 at Pt Adelaide on the boat "Melbourne", which left from Liverpool, on 4th September 1858. Master of the "Melbourne" was Captain Brodie. This was a year after Edward Atkins married Elizabeth Mashford Lewis and this Jane Atkins, yet to be established as ours but looking very likely, would have been 13.

I have been in touch with a family historian on the McKinnon website, Marcelle, and she has kindly sent me two photographs of Jane Atkins McKinnon. She has no information on her mother so I will have to continue to pursue this until we have clear links established. There is however a likeness between Edward Atkins and Jane Atkins McKinnon as the photographs demonstrate.

Left: Edward Atkins in 1860 and below, Jane Atkins McKinnon aged, from the look of it, in her thirties so circa 1870 or more.

John McKinnon was the son of Donald  and Mary McKinnon. Donald was born in Morvern, County of Argyll, Scotland. And here we have another link. My aunt Lottie, Charlotte Jean McKinnon Simper,  was a grand-daughter of Donald and Mary and therefore, Jane Atkins McKinnon would have been her aunt, just as she was my grandfather's aunt although he did not know it.

The website also states that Auntie Lottie was a major force in compiling the McKinnon family history. If only I had known when she was alive but of course I wasn't particularly interested in it at the time; we had more in common though than we knew. I did always like her. She was a no-nonsense sort of person but given her childhood that is hardly surprising. She was also a seriously devout Catholic which would no doubt have had her seriously Presbyterian grandfather turning in his grave!

Donald's father was Hugh Mackinnon and his mother Betty Cameron. Mary was born in Gorbals, county of Lanark, Scotland. Donald and wife Mary, with eldest son Archibald, left Greenock on 31st October 1839, arriving at Pt Adelaide on 11th March 1840 in the 428 tonne Barque "Tomatin". The Master of the ship was Daniel Wingate with a crew of 24. Stores they carried included 100 gallons Brandy, 300 lb Tobacco, 10 Gallons Whisky, 100 Gallons Gin and 63 tons Salt. Donald's embarkment number 3787 was issued on 22nd July 1839. Immigration numer 5545. His address at the time was Sleat, Isle of Skye. Aged 29yrs married, wife 21years.

Upon arrival in the colony Donald and Mary, solid Presbyterians, settled in South Australia, where they raised their family. They worked at Hill River Station just outside Clare. He died at 11 Wright St, (Hope Cottage) Clare. Mary died at Hill River Station. In the mid 1800's Mackinnon became McKinnon. Records from State Records Adelaide, show that he owned 110 acres in Amargh, via Clare S.A. Section 3027, 138 which had 40 acres in crop and a hut.

And one of the witnesses at the marriage of Edward Atkins to Elizabeth was from Armagh. I shall have to look more closely at the records because from memory the signature was unintelligible but there's a good chance that it may have been McKinnon, perhaps a family friend to Edward even before he brought his young daughters out from England to join him in South Australia.

Left: Jane Atkins McKinnon in 1920.

John McKinnon was an overseer on Fishers run at Dry Creek prior to moving to Melrose as an overseer on another run. He then moved to Clare where he carried on a chaff mill and wood merchant business until his death in 1889. He worked as a farrier and he and Jane had 11 children which would certainly help in terms of the unexpected 'grandchildren blowout' as revealed in the death notice for Edward Atkins.

In 1891 at the time of his death, Edward had 47 grandchildren. Given that Elizabeth, Mary and James were just starting their families  and probably had half a dozen between them, that's a goodly number of grandchildren to be sourced elsewhere. Jane and John McKinnon's brood would have contributed nicely. That just needs  a couple of dozen more to place.

But the family numbers keep swelling via great-great grandfather Edward Atkins and if Jane is our girl, which I think she is then the following join the ranks of 'family':

 Edward Henry McKinnon was born on 14 Oct 1868 in Hill River Station, Clare SA and died on 12 Apr 1934 in Prospect SA at age 65.

Albert George McKinnon was born on 5 Mar 1870 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died on 20 Nov 1949 in Clare SA at age 79, and was buried on 21 Nov 1949 in Clare SA.

Jane McKinnon was born on 12 May 1872 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died on 13 Sep 1949 in Hill River Station, Clare SA at age 77, and was buried on 15 Sep 1949 in Clare SA.

Duncan John McKinnon was born on 21 Jul 1874 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died in Feb 1942 in Broken Hill NSW at age 67, and was buried on 4 Feb 1942 in Broken Hill NSW.
Alfred William McKinnon was born on 18 Nov 1876 in Dry Creek SA, died in Aug 1942 in Broken Hill NSW at age 65, and was buried on 4 Aug 1942 in Broken Hill NSW.

Arthur William McKinnon was born on 11 Mar 1880 in Clare SA, died on 27 Oct 1965 in Clare SA at age 85, and was buried on 29 Oct 1965 in Clare SA.

Donald Archibald McKinnon was born on 6 Sep 1881 in Clare SA, was christened on 21 Jul 1882 in Clare Presbyterian Church, Clare SA, died on 2 Aug 1950 in Broken Hill NSW at age 68, and was buried on 3 Aug 1950 in Broken Hill NSW.

Agnes McKinnon was born on 11 Dec 1883 in Clare SA, died on 12 Mar 1952 in Clare SA at age 68, and was buried on 13 Mar 1952 in Clare SA.

Clara McKinnon was born on 23 May 1886 in Clare SA, died on 2 Jul 1973 in Clare SA at age 87, and was buried in Jul 1973 in Clare SA.

Annie McKinnon was born on 14 Aug 1888 in Clare SA and died on 7 Sep 1888 in Clare District SA.

Walter Richard McKinnon was born on 14 Aug 1888 in Clare SA, died on 7 Sep 1946 in Clare SA at age 58, and was buried on 9 Sep 1946 in Clare SA.

And I suspect the reason why Luke's grandmother never heard the story of the 'extra daughters' from Mary Ross was because it is clear that at the end of his life Edward Atkins was estranged from his wife Elizabeth. She was living in Gladstone and  had certainly been there for three or more years because the death notice for her son John lists her residence as Gladstone and he was living in Wirrabarra with one of his 'mystery daughters' and his son-in-law.

There is always the chance that there was 'bad blood' because Edward handed his inheritance to one or other or all of his daughters from the earlier relationship. That would have brought down the barriers. Or perhaps the breakup of the marriage was nasty and Elizabeth's children simply would not or could not forgive their father?

Given that there was 'no mention at all' down through the family of the 'other branch' comprised of Edward's three daughters it's a pretty fair bet that neither side wanted anything to do with each other. Then again, our side of the family had never heard of the Lewis family either; the descendants of Elizabeth's oldest son by Peter Lewis. And it is not as if we are not good at handing down stories!

No doubt Elizabeth Lewis Atkins wanted to hear nothing of her stepdaughters and a great blanket of silence may have dropped over that part of the family history. After all, it was not Elizabeth's family nor that of Mary Atkins Ross. Although that does not explain the silence regarding George Lewis's family!

Was it an effort to ignore, to hide, to dismiss or was it the fact that the different branches of the family went their own separate ways and everyone was simply too busy trying to raise their families and survive to bother about the rest?

I wonder, if such a substantial piece of information can be hidden from view why is it that the story of illegitimacy was handed down so tenaciously through the generations?

The almost Mashford murder story

The report on Peter Lewis's attempt to shoot George Mashford has come up on Trove. There is no doubt that Peter was a violent drunk and this gives credence to the earlier theory that Elizabeth Mashford Lewis may have left him or perhaps he left her.

It is clear there were problems from the beginning of the marriage although she did go on to have another two sons after this incident and there is no reason to believe Peter Lewis was not the father.

And it is clear that poor Elizabeth got short shrift from the judge who suggested that she find ways to 'temper' her husband's temper! These were the days when women had little in the way of rights and even less hope of making their way in the world without the support of a father, brother or husband.

LAW AND POLICE COURTS.

POLICE COURT. Thursday. 7th December, 1848.


Peter Lewis was charged with threatening to shoot George Mashford, his brother in-law, at Kensington, on the 3d instant. '

George Mashford made a lone statement, from which it appeared that his sister (the prisoner's wife) was afraid to live with him, he having repeatedly threatened her, and even on one occasion attempted to choak her.

On last Sunday evening he came to witness's house demanding to see his wife. He then went to the Chapel looking for her, and created a disturbance there. He made use of the threats complained of on that occasion, and he had circulated the most abominable stories of witness and his sister.

Mrs Lewis stated that she feared her husband would sometimes put his threats into execution, particularly as he was in the habit of getting drunk purposely to increase his violence. She was willing to support herself and child without troubling him. The prisoner admitted having called and asked to see his child, which was denied him. He declared he had no wish to hurt his wife or her brother, but hoped his Worship would order them to let him see his child. His Worship could say nothing to that. He would require him to give bail to keep the peace for six months.

And to the wife he said she should endeavour to soothe the violence of her husband's temper. Her bargain might be a bad one, but she should make the best of it After entering into recognizances, the man again applied for an order to see his child. His Worship declined to give it, and admonished him not to resort to any violent means to effect that object.

In September of 1851, Elizabeth had other problems as well as her husband. There is another legal notice indicating that  she is sueing for unpaid rent. It was probably Josiah who  is the Mashford mentioned, who headed off to Melbourne later that year and seems to have been less reliable as a brother than George May.

But one wonders why she was doing the sueing and not Peter Lewis and if they were still living together? But clearly they were still in a relationship.Little George was three and John Mashford Lewis had been born the previous year. Henry would arrive in 1854 so clearly there was some sort of complicated 'dance' going on between the two of them. Unless of course they were 'sharing' a house but not as husband and wife and Henry was the result of violent, unwanted advances.

Given the two years between George and John and the four between John and Henry this may well have been the case.

As recorded in the South Australian Register:

September 4, 1851.
Lewis v. Mashford. Action for £9 1s. 6d., for board and lodging. Plea — That plaintiff was a married woman, and could not maintain an action; and that more money had been already paid than due.  Several witnesses were examined, and a judgment of 5s. per week for the full amount and costs given.

Elizabeth must have been feeling increasingly alone.  In March of 1848 barely a year after the family arrived in South Australia, her sisters Mary Ann and Jane had sailed for Melbourne on the steamship Juno.  Her brother John Cann Mashford had died a year later in 1849 and, the following year, on September 14, her beloved brother and protector, George May Mashford died, and eight weeks later, to the day, her mother, Mary Cann Mashford died. Barely a month after losing her mother, her remaining brother, Josiah Labbett Mashford sailed for Melbourne on the schooner Amalia.

He is listed in the CLEARED OUT section of the South Australian Register:


Friday, December 12, 1851— The schooner Amalia, 136 tons, Funch, master, for Melbourne. In ballast. Passengers — John Williams, ................... Josiah Mashford.

His departure may have had something to do with another notice in the Register where Josiah had been assaulted by a man named Mara on November 4.

From the Register: Owen Carroli and Daniel Mara— Did assault Thomas Chalk, onthe 5th November; and also, Mara did,' on the 4th November, assault Josiah Mashford.


The Shipping Intelligence as noted in the South Australian Register does show Josiah Mashford returning to Adelaide on Saturday, March 20, 1852 on the Brigantine Rattler. On this journey he was in a cabin as opposed to ballast so one presumes that he had fallen on his feet in Melbourne. He is also noted in the April of that year as secretary to The Adelaide Band of Musicians:

THE ADELAIDE BAND OF MUSICIANS under the' superintendance of Inspector Stuart pro poses to march and meet Mr. Commissioner Tolraer and tne Overland Escort at Glen Osmond. In returning thanks for the subscriptions already raised, the Adelaide Band of Musicians respectfully inform their friends, that they have no connection with Mr. George Bennett, and that sub scriptions will continue to be gratefully received on their behalf, by Mr. Peter Smith, Red Lion Inn, Rundle-street, by Mr. Clisby, Rosina-street, and by Mr. Mashford, Peacock's
Buildings. JOSIAH MASHFORD, Secretary to the Band. April 27, 1852. '

However, by June of 1853 the Adelaide Post Office was recording unclaimed letters for J. Mashford.  One wonders if he did a runner with some of the takings from the Band but I have yet to stumble upon a report in the Register. Josiah does seem to be something of a shifty character.

It would take five years for George May Mashford's estate to be finalised.

Coming Soon:
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Monday 20 August 1855 p 1 Advertising


... Demand on the ESTATE of the late GEORGE MAY  MASHFORD, are requested to send in their respective...... 12115 words


George May got three years in the new colony of South Australia and with his death, as far as we know, Elizabeth Mashford Lewis found herself alone, without the support of family and with a violent husband.

Even more tragically, she had lost her youngest son, Henry Lewis just three months earlier at the age of fifteen months. Was this when she moved to Rocky River?   Henry Lewis died at Marryattville so Elizabeth was living in Adelaide at the time of George's death. And clearly she and Peter Lewis were still in some sort of relationship  up until the time Henry was conceived.. Henry was born at Marryattville on January 22, 1854.

Perhaps the loss of her tiny son and the brother who had clearly been a protector was more than she could bear.  With George's death there is every chance that no member of her family remained in Adelaide. Within two years she would marry Edward Atkins in Rocky River and Peter Lewis would have disappeared from her life.

There is another note which has come up on Trove and has yet to be fully uploaded, indicating that Josiah Mashford applied for a timber licence in 1849:

1. TIMBER LICENCES. Colonial Secretary's Office, August 28, 1849. [coming soon]
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Saturday 1 September 1849 p 4 Article

..... Josiah Mashford ' 23 201. ... 1167 words

The Rocky River/Wirrabarra Forest area may well have been where his timber licence operated. If that is the case, there may have been links with people living in the area, including with Edward Atkins, where Elizabeth could take refuge from her husband and find the support she would need as a woman alone with two small sons to raise.

Edward Atkins was a Gloucestershire lad!

This week has brought important progress in terms of tracing Edward Atkins. The National Library's Trove section has recently recorded a death notice for him and it is as follows:

ATKINS.— On the 15th November, 1891 at the residence of his son-in-law, Whyte Park, 'Wirrabara, Edward Atkins, aged 84 years A colonist of over 50 years, leaving 1 son, 5 daughters, 47 grandchildren, and 3 greatgrandchildren to mourn their loss. Gloucestershire papers please copy.

And the all too obvious ommission in this is Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins, his wife, who was well and truly alive and living in Gladstone. The fact that she is not recorded at all is a good sign that they were well and truly estranged. There is no mention of another wife so perhaps Elizabeth packed up and moved to Gladstone and Edward continued to live on in Wirrabarra Forest with his daughter and her husband. And, given the fact that Elizabeth does not rate a mention I am thinking that Edward Atkins was living with one of his older daughters, presumably, although not necessarily, from his marriage to Hannah McLeod.

So he was a Gloucestershire lad and roamed the countryside (see pic above) which contains the Cotswolds... one of my favourite parts of England. Interestingly, while my research has not yet begun I have also noted a Haynes family in Gloucestershire and am hoping that particular little mystery will also be laid to rest.

If James Haynes Atkins was his only son then there is every chance that Edward Atkins' mother was a Haynes. In fact,  a Joseph Atkins married Ann Hai(y)nes in Cirencester, Gloucestershire on August 14, 1809. If Edward's birth date was correct then perhaps this was a child born to Ann before she married Joseph Atkins. Conjecture of course but something to check.

So his birthplace must be Gloucestershire which will help enormously. I am wondering if the other three daughters were from Hannah McLeod or a third marriage? And that is an enormous amount of grandchildren and even three great-grandchildren which makes me think that the three other daughters were by Hannah MacLeod because Elizabeth, Mary and James Haynes were not old enough to be grandparents.

As another 'treasure' found in the Trove indicates, Elizabeth was living in Gladstone in 1888 where she nursed her dying son, John Mashford Lewis. That is some three years before her husband's death.

February 16, 1888
LEWIS.—On the 14th January at his mother's residence, after a long and painful illness, John Mashford Lewis, the second-eldest beloved son of Elizabeth Atkins, Gladstone, aged 37 years.—"For so He giveth his beloved sleep."

I am struck by the connection with John and Mashford and early deaths. John Mashford was 39 when he died and his son, John Cann Mashford died  at the age of 26 and then his grandson, John Mashford Lewis died at 37.

And on its way is another interesting 'jewel' from the National Library of Australia's Trove collection:

1. LAW AND POLICE COURTS. POLICE COURT. Thursday, 7th December [coming soon]
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Saturday 9 December 1848 p 4 Article


... LAW AND POLICE COURTS. POLICE COURT. Thursday, 7th December, Peter Lewis was charged with threatening to shoot George Mashford, his brother in-law, at Kensington, on the 3d instant. George Georee Mashford made a long statement, from which it appeared that his sister (the prisoner's wife) was ... 842 words

Our Elizabeth will speak!! Well, about her husband trying to kill her brother but at least we will have some 'words' from our great-great-grandmother!

The other newspaper report I found on Trove concerned James Haynes Atkins in a fracas with the Chinese cook at a hotel in Gladstone where Annie Clavin, who later became his wife worked as a waitress. Interestingly at the end of it all the cook got off with a mild sentence, due no doubt, to the sensitivity of the judge who felt that he, like many Chinese, had been 'driven' to the attack on Atkins.

Fascinating stuff. Luke, who is descended from James Haynes said he knew of this story. He went on to add that Annie Clavin and James Haynes lived on Booyoolie Station , just outside of Gladstone, where James worked as a horse breaker and that Annie continued to live there after James died.

But here is the report from the South Australian Register:


GLADSTONE, October 11, 1885.

Some excitement was occasioned last night at the Commercial Hotel by the report that a man named James Atkins, employed at the Booyoolee Station bad been stabbed by a Chinaman named Ah Chuck, a cook at the hotel. It appears that some days since the cook threatened Atkins that if he caught him in the kitchen he would scald him with water; Atkins went in on Saturday night, and the Chinaman threw lukewarm water over him. The Chinaman raised ' a row, and Atkins followed him outside, where a blow was struck.

The Chinaman then used a butcher's knife, which he had previously sharpened, causing a wound at the elbow joint. The wound is a very nasty gash. Dr. Hamilton stiched up the arm, and Atkins is getting along well. Although today his arm is much swollen. Chuck was arrested by the police while in bed, and Yook his blanket with him under his arm. He was surprised to find at the station that he was not allowed the use of the blanket. He will very likely be tried to-morrow.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?l-title=%7C7&q=Atkins&s=20BOOYOOLIE STABBING CASE.

At the Gladstone Police Court on Monday last, before Mr. O. Homer, J.P., Joe Yook, a celestial, was charged on the information of James Atkins, of Booyoolie station, laborer, with unlawfully and maliciously wounding him with a knife. Mr. Bonoaut appeared for the prisoner. James Atkins said on the previous Saturday night he went to Mullers hotel kitchen. Heard prisoner order the servant girl out, to which she replied that she had as much right in there as Yook bad. She refused to go out.

Heard prisoner say he would scald her, and then ordered me out, to which I replied that I would go when Mr. Muller ordered me to do so. Prisoner threw a dipper of water on me and ran away, when I followed. He went to the passage door, when I caught him, and be tried to hit me with the dipper. Put up my arm and received a blow on the elbow. Yook then ran back again into the kitchen, where he remained for about ten minutes before coming out the second time. Then he came to the door, and said—" You b… I will kill you." Was standing at the passage door at the time. During the time the prisoner was in the kitchen I heard him sharpening something on the steel, but could not say whether it was a knife. When he said he would kill me told him to come down to the back.

Was walking close ahead of him when he made a run at me. I turned round as he did so and hit him. He then struck me; the blow was like a sledge hammer. Lost all power of my arm, and felt a sore feeling through it. The coat (produced) I had on at the time, and also my white shirt and undershirt were all marked with blood. Alter the blow I went out the back and to the front of the hotel. Accused the prisoner of stabbing me and he replied "Ah .

Went to the doctor and had the wound stitched. By Mr. Boucaot —Will not swear that I did not say I had no desire to bring' the case in. Told the Chinaman in the court that I did not wish it. Prisoner told me once to go out of the kitchen. Mr Muller never did tell me, nor did prisoner say he wanted to go on with his work. Prisoner may have been speaking to both the girl and I when he ordered her out of the kitchen. Bid not stake him. Think I laid hold of him by the coat. When prisoner struck me I called out, " You have stabbed me."

Annie Clavin, waitress at the Commercial Hotel, said she went into the kitchen on Saturday night to get a candle, when prisoner ordered her out and threatened to scald her. He threw water at Mr. Atkins and some fell on my arm. Yook ran out, and Atkins caught him at the kitchen door. Heard prisoner call Mr. Muller, but he did not answer.

Left the kitchen and went into the passage, and returned, but did not see prisoner. Miss Muller enquired what the row was about, and I said. "Cook and Jim were having some words." Saw prisoner with a butcher's knife which had a black handle, bat could not swear that the knif e produced was the one. Subsequently was standing in the passage, and thought everything was over, when I heard prisoner sharpening a knife.

Prisoner went to the kitchen door and said to Atkins "I will kill you," and Atkins replied, "If you want to fight come to the back." Atkins took the lead and prisoner followed. Prisoner made a leap at him when his back was turned, but could not say whether they struck one another. Saw Atkins's arm drop down by bis side, and afterwards saw his coat cut and blood on the arm of his shirt. By Mr. Boucaut—Was always friendly with the cook till lately, when he threatened to stab me with a fork.

 He has previously told both of us to go out of the kitchen. Cant say whether there were any fowls to kill that night. They are generally killed before dinner by the ostler and never at night. Dr. Hamilton said Atkins had an incised wound about an inch and a half long on the outside of the right arm, which looked as if it bad been inflicted wtth a sharp instrument. The knife produced would have caused the wound, which I stitched up. It was not dangerous.

P.C. Harris gave evidence as to the arrest. Searched the kitchen for the butcher's knife, but could not find it, and afterwards discovered it in prisoner's bedroom underneath some clothes in the corner. Prisoner said —** I could not help it, Mr. Harry; he struck me first" Red spots were on the knife, which had been newly sharpened, judging from the keen edge.

Compared the size of the holes in the coat and shirt, and Mr. Boucaut asked for a dismissal on the ground that the information was bad. Defendant should have been charged with a common assault only. They all knew how Chinamen were kicked and cuffed about, but they were as much entitled to protection as any English subject.


LEFT: Booyoolie-Gladstone area.

The case was a trivial one, in which he should use his discretion, and deal with rather than send it on. The Crown Solicitor had fully explained only a few days ago how the law was administered by justices, and this was a case in point. The Chinaman was justified in self-defence in going to extremes, and if Atkins struck against the knife it served him right.

 He would point out that the wounding was neither wilful nor malicious. The court declined to accede to the request Adolph Welch said he was ostler at the hotel. He ought to have killed some poultry during the day, but did not do it. Prisoner asked me to help to kill some at night when he was finished in the kitchen.

By the Police—Saw the prisoner playing cards from 9pm. Don’t know why the fowls were not killed before . There was no poultry killed that night! Mr. Homer having intimated that he would send the case on, Mr. Boucaut declined to call the prisoner to give evidence, and applied for bail. Committed for trial at the next sittings of the Glad- Stone Circuit Court, bail allowed, prisoner in £50, and two sureties of 50 pounds each.

It's just a story but a mystery I want to solve!

I am not sure why it matters that I find some sort of substance for the Elizabeth Mashford 'illegitimate story but it does. Stubborness perhaps or the fact that my ancestry research so far, both on the maternal and paternal line, has always come up with a 'source' for a particular story.

Except this one. On the basis of intuition, logic and common sense I know this story has some substance... I just don't know what it is or where to find it.

I don't actually care what the answer is, I would just like to know the source of the story. I am curious as to why something like this would be handed down through the generations and yet have no substance in any kind of fact. Of course people have made up stories and it could simply be that this is a made up story but there are specifics which have been retained and the story has had enough power to be handed on by sons and daughters alike.

I thought we might have had an 'answer' the other day when Luke Scane Harris said he thought that Jane Mashford was illegitimate because she was born after John Mashford was dead. It sounded great and had a reasonable 'ring' to it because Jane went on to marry the Irish artist, George O'Brien who could trace his lineage back to the Irish kings. Nobility and illegitimacy entwined in Elizabeth's sister... an easy mixup.

Except it wasn't that easy. I wondered why I had not noticed before the birth discrepancy and the reason was, as Kylie Nott pointed out, there wasn't one. Luke has gotten the wrong message from a typo which had her birth in 1843 instead of 1833. Back to square one.

Kylie has a theory that the story had filtered across from one of the Lewis-Nott ancestors but Granny Nott, who came to Australia in the 1920's and who was illegitimate is unlikely to be the source in my book because my father never mentioned any Lewis's let alone any Notts. From what I could see there was no connection between Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins sons by Peter Lewis and her children by Edward Atkins.

More to the point, Granny Nott was too late. For the story to have been re-hashed and attributed to Elizabeth Mashford wrongly it would have had to have been done by Mary Atkins Ross who was then in her sixties and my grandfather, Charles Ross, who was then in his thirties. Again it did not make sense.

This sort of story, particularly when handed down by grand-children has to be heard in childhood for it to register. Grandpa Ross wouldn't have given a toss about bastards or nobles or any such thing; certainly not enough to bother telling his three children the same story in such a way they felt compelled to tell their children.

And the same story had come down through Luke's family which was descended from James Atkin's youngest son, Ambrose Roy. But it is clear that our Elizabeth Mashford is one and the same with the Elizabeth Mashford born to John and Mary Cann Mashford in Coldridge.

Could Elizabeth have been an illegitimate child for Mary even though she was married to John? But then where would the story about the family 'sending her to Australia' come from if they waited 27 years to do it? That doesn't make sense.

Could Elizabeth have had a child to some noble father and they adopted the child, thus requiring Elizabeth and all of her family to be 'removed' to the colonies so the link could be extinguished once and for all? That could make sense.

So far, the 'ingredients' for the story are:
From Charlie Ross's children, the variations on the theme of :
a. Elizabeth Mashford being born of a noble family and 'sent' to the colonies because she had an illegitimate child to a man of lesser birth. The problem here is that she came out with five other family members.
From the youngest son of Elizabeth's son came:
b. Elizabeth Mashford was the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and forced to leave England by his wife (or his mother) Lady Elizabeth. The problem here is that it looks pretty certain that our Elizabeth Mashford had a mother, a father and a number of siblings. And if Mary Cann did get pregnant to another man why would they wait so long to 'get her out of sight?'

At this point I have sent out an email asking family members for any stories they may have or if they had no stories. It would be interesting to check with descendants of Elizabeth Atkins Cox to see if they had a variation of the story. That would mean all of Elizabeth's children by Edward Atkins had the story but her descendants from the Lewis side did not.

I have also asked the Devon researcher to check bastard births for Mary Cann and her daughter Elizabeth Mashford in relevant years.

And, at this stage of the somewhat mysterious game, if there is a slight chance that the story might be a re-hash from the Lewis-Nott side, and it is a very slight chance, then perhaps there is a better chance that the story is not about Elizabeth Mashford but her husband, Edward Atkins...about whom we know nothing!

The 'gangrene' story was right story wrong person; attributed to a male, Charlie Ross when in fact it happened to a female, Elizabeth Mashford. Edward Atkins died nearly 30 years before Elizabeth; could the story have gotten confused over that time?

It doesn't seem the sort of thing which Elizabeth would have mixed up.... the names Mashford and Atkins being quite different .... but it is possible.

Then again, in this game anything is possible; the trouble is proving it!

Cann or May we find the lost Labbets and Mashfords in the family?

ABOVE: Nymet Rowland churchyard where no doubt some ancestors are buried.

My Devon researcher finally got back to me with some information, albeit of the negative kind but it remains information as part of a process of adding or subtracting possibilities to the ancestral 'pot.'

It is only by discounting that we can create a more accurate picture of the past. Negative or positive, added or subtracted, answers are answers.

She said in her first email:

I attach copies of parish register entries. There is no entry for a death of an Elizabeth Mashford in the UK between 1837 and 1847, and the Devon Burial Index, which starts in 1813, does not have an entry for her either.

As I said there is a GRO index entry for an Elizabeth Mashford who married in 1845. I have not been able to find her on the 1851 census, using the surnames of the bridegrooms listed on the same page. She did not marry in Coldridge, Morchard Bishop or Winkleigh parishes. It would be worth obtaining the certificate in order to exclude her if possible. I have asked a colleague in North Devon to look up the bastardy returns for Winkleigh.

It does seem very coincidental that your Elizabeth Mashford asserted that she had been illegitimate, and for there to be a corresponding record of an illegitimate Elizabeth Mashford of the right age. Another possibility is that she was baptised twice, once by her newly married mother, and then again by her and her husband, perhaps in a desire to make her legitimate.

However I would think this unlikely given that there was a branch of the Mashford family in Winkleigh who had a daughter Elizabeth baptised in 1798.

It seems most likely that this is the Elizabeth who had the illegitimate daughter Elizabeth. The other possibility is that the Elizabeth Mashford emigrating to Australia was in fact married to one of the Mashford sons. However, I have done an initial exploration of this hypothesis with no result.

N.B. I corrected this because we have marriage records for Elizabeth Mashford and she was definitely not married to John, George or Josiah but, researchers whether amateur or professional need to take all possibilities into account.

A look at Mary Cann's ancestry has not been straighforward. There is a Mary Cann baptised in Coldridge in 24 September 1788 to parents John Cann and Alice Tucker (who married 3 December 1783). I notice from your blog, that you don't have a burial for her, so we don't know how old she was when she died. The above baptism seems rather early for her marriage in 1818, and her husband John Mashford would have been 9 years younger. However this kind of age disparity was not unheard of, and the fact that they married in Coldridge suggests that she was of that Parish. Their marriage certificate shows that a Stephen Cann was a witness.

I then went on to find birth records online for a Mary and Stephen Cann which look like being our two:

Stephen Cann was born to John and Mary Cann in Nymet Rowland, Devon on April 27, 1799,  a year after the birth of his sister Mary, on August 20, 1798 in the same village.

Nymet Rowland was one of the places where members of the Partridge family, mentioned earlier, also lived. This may of course mean nothing or it might mean something.

This would make Mary, twenty at the time of her marriage to John Mashford in 1818. John died in 1836 at the age of 39 so he would have been born in 1797, just one year before Elizabeth was born.

And a John Cann was christened on March 3, 1791, parents John and Mary Cann, Meeth, Devon, who might be an older brother for our Mary Cann and her brother Stephen. Or he might not. Devon is apparently crammed with Canns and John and Mary were at the time, ridiculously common names. But, it might provide a later bit of 'glue' for the Cann-Mashford-May-Labbet story.

ABOVE: The rolling farmlands of Morchard Bishop.

And in her second email a few weeks later the researcher wrote:

I have heard back from my colleague in North Devon. There is no surviving bastardy examination for Elizabeth Mashford in Winkleigh. He had a good look through the Poor Law records for the Parish, but there is no mention of any Mashford bastardy references. So we have drawn a blank here. There was certainly a Partridge family living in the hamlet of Hollacombe in Winkleigh, where Elizabeth Mashford was resident when she baptised her baby.

William Baker ordered, as putative father, to maintain Elizabeth Partridge's base daughter (born in Hollacombe)

The above record shows an Elizabeth Partridge having an illegitimate baby in Hollacombe in about 1798. And a John Partridge of Winkleigh was apprenticed in 1805 to Simon Down of Winkleigh when he was aged 8. So it seems likely that the father named Partridge would have been an agricultural labourer, and so of the same class as Elizabeth. I have received the marriage certificate for an Elizabeth Mashford marrying in 1845. She gives her father's name as Michael Mashford, and married John Manley, a labourer.

And a quick look at the records identified her as the daughter of Michael and Grace Mashford, baptised in Nymet Tracey in 1825. Michael and Grace were resident in Coldridge in 1841 and 1851, and in 1851 had their Grandson John Manley with them, confirming that this is the right family.

I do not think that there are any other documents that we can look at. It would have been more satisfying if we could have found indisputable evidence of the illegitimate Elizabeth Mashford either marrying or dying, or remaining in Devon, but she seems to disappear.
As you have mentioned, it is often the case that family stories become attached to the wrong generation. I think it more likely that your Elizabeth Mashford was the daughter of John Mashford and Mary Cann, and that possibly an illegitimate birth will show up in an earlier generation.

ABOVE: Devon winters would be something the Mashfords could only remember in the milder climate of South Australia.
So, at this stage of the game it does not look like our Elizabeth Mashford was illegitimate although there is nothing to say that her mother Mary Cann, was not pregnant when she married John Mashford and that Elizabeth, while registered as John's daughter at birth, was actually the illegitimate child of another man.
 
That however is something we are unlikely to ever prove. The only other thing which is worth pursueing at this stage and I have asked the researcher to do so, is to find out whether or not Mary Cann could have been illegitimate. The record is of her christening, not birth so it is possible there could be bastardy records which are worth checking. Then again, Stephen is recorded in the same way so it is a bit of a long shot.

So perhaps the illegitimacy is Mary Cann's mother and we simply do not know her maiden name at this stage. But it all seems to be going back a bit far and drifting into the 'clutching at straws' category.
 
I doubt we will find the truth of  the family illegitimacy but my instinct is that the story is 'true' in some sense; it is just a matter of making enough sense of it all to know who it was. Given that the 'gangrene' story related to a prior generation but to people living together, my instinct is that the illegitimacy story has to be close as well. We know it happened in England because that was a reason given for Elizabeth Mashford having to leave, which, when I think about it, makes it unlikely that it was her mother or grandmother.

I suspect this is 'one family mystery' which may not be solved.Then again, stranger things have happened. My Mashford family contact in the UK, Lesley, wrote a few weeks ago to say she now had time to look into her old family papers and would be in touch later. So, who knows what will come up?

And, even as I write, I am reminded of the story which Luke Scane-Harris wrote down in his ancestry journal which had been given to him by his mother and which had come down from Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins eldest daughter Elizabeth Atkins Cox and which was exactly the same story which my father told me and which his father had told him and which had come down from her youngest daughter, Mary Atkins Ross:

'So what can be said about Elizabeth Mashford's life? The first one is family oral history. Mrs Atkins (nee Bishop) told the author that it was a persistent rumour that Elizabeth Mashford was an illegitimate daughter to a wealthy nobleman in England. She was sent out to South Australia to stop a scandal and to stop embarrassment for the family especially 'Lady Elizabeth' the wife of Elizabeth Mashford's father[1]. There is no evidence of this and the author doubts that any evidence will ever be found. Nevertheless the rumour still persists today among Elizabeth Mashford’s descendants[2].

[1] Personal recollections of Mrs Eileen Atkins (nee Bishop)

[2] Personal recollections of  Mrs Harris (nee Atkins)

The story did not come down through Elizabeth's sons by Peter Lewis, at least not through his eldest son George. It would be interesting though to contact some descendants of Elizabeth Mashford Atkins' son, James Haynes, to see if they knew the story. James and Annie Clavin had about a dozen children but I am not sure if any of us have any contact with any of them. 

Elsa Ena Mary was born June 9, 1887, Gladstone, SA and married Cornelius Valantine Reardon, September 5, 1917, St. Peter's, Gladstone SA; 
Gladys Trueda was born December 17, 1888 (the year Mary Atkins married Charlie Ross) at Gladstone and married John Thomas Madigan, on July 5, 1921 at St. Mary's Church, Georgetown, SA;
Haynes Mashford was born July 15, 1890 at Booyoolie Est., near Gladstone and married Veronica Victoria Ivy Dugan, on August 2, 1916, All Saints Cathedral, Port Augusta, SA;
James Leslie was born April 6, 1892 at Booyoolie, near Gladstone;
John Raymond as born July 13, 1894 at Booyoolie, near Gladstone - John and James may have died young by the look of it -
Margaret Elizabeth was born July 22, 1897 at Booyoolie and married Victor Robert Robinson, on February 26, 1919 at the home of her aunt Mary Atkins Ross in Gladstone;
Francis Cyril  was born July 5, 1899, Gladstone and also may have died young since he did not marry but he had a twin,
Ella Kathleen,  who married Michael Joseph Sexton on August 28, 1928, at St. Ignatius Church, Norwood, SA;
Laurence Joseph was born February 3, 1901 at Gladstone and married Mary Immaculate (good Catholic name) Hill on December 31, 1925 at Holy Cross Church, Goodwood;
Ambrose Roy was born August 2, 1906 and although birthplace was not given, it was probably Gladstone and he married Eileen Rosamond Bishop on July 28, 1928 at St. Paul's Cathedral, Port Pirie.

Annie Clavin Atkins must have come from good stock - that's eleven children of ten pregnancies in 19 years - pretty much one every two years and by the look of it, at least nine of them grew up to marry themselves.  Ambrose may have been unexpected because he arrived five years after Laurence and was the first to break the two-year cycle. He was also probably the last to be born because his father, James Haynes Atkins was dead 13 months later. He died September 16, 1907 barely a week after Mary Atkins Ross buried her husband Charlie. 

So that means if there is any substance to the family story it should be found somewhere out there amongst the Atkins, Sextons, Robinsons, Madigans and Reardons as well as the Ross's and Cox's. There must be hundreds of them somewhere; I think I will leave that bit of research to the Fates.

We also have the opportunity to 'trace' the two other names which appear in Elizabeth Mashford's family: May and Labbett. John Mashford and Mary Cann's first son John was given her maiden name  of Cann as a middle name and second son George given the middle name of May, it suggests that 'May' might have been the maiden name of John's mother and with Josiah, the third son, given the middle name of 'Labbet' it's a guess, but a reasonable guess, that this was the maiden name of Mary Cann's mother.

---

Yes, it does get confusing which is why I am taking the time to write it all up as I go. Remembering dates is hard enough without retaining the multitude of 'names' which one inherits if we trace a family back far enough. 

Simply tracing surnames with no personal connection is interesting:

Cann is a name found almost exclusively in Devon with a few in East Anglia. Canne, as a surname was common in Tudor records. The nearest in 1332 appears to be Ken or Kena, probably from the place/river Ken but in 1238 there are two Cannes in South Tawton.

May  is a  southern English name with a high frequency in the South West especially Cornwall and Devon. The earliest record is from Lympstone in 1332 although the name Mei, recorded in 1238 could be May.

Labbett is probably a Hugeunot name and Mashford, as discussed earlier, was first recorded in Lincolnshire and probably also derived from the French.

  LEFT: The land around Coldridge has been farmed for centuries and looks little different today than it did when Elizabeth Mashford lived there.
 
I have found records online which might 'fit' our Labbett ancestors:
 
A Mary Labbet was christened on April 10, 1769 Morchard Bishop, Devon and her parents were recorded as Jonas and Jane Labbet. A Jonas Labbet was christined on April 20m, 1742 in Morchard Bishop and would be old enough to be Mary's father. Jonas only has his mother's name recorded as Mary Labbet .... again, another possible illegitimacy to fuel a family story.
 
There is also a listing for  a John Mashford, christened May 12, 1771, Coldridge Devon who is a possible contender for our John Mashford  who married Mary Cann. His parents are listed as John and Elizabeth Mashford. However, I have discovered that Devon has quite a few Mashfords although the researcher tells me the name is not as common in Devon as some others; like Cann and Labbet for instance.

But Nymet Rowland, Coldridge and Morchard Bishop are all within reasonable 18th and 19th century distances from each other.

We also have records of  an Elizabeth Mashford, apprenticed to Simon Webber in 1807 which looks like it could be our Elizabeth.

One thing which fellow family researcher Kylie came up with was a newspaper notice for Josiah Mashford giving a description of him:

MISSING FRIENDS


Information is requested of Josiah Mahsford, last heard of about three months since in Melbourne. Description:- Age 53 years, height 5 ft, 10in., fair complexion, auburn hair, whiskers, beard, &c., grey eyes, small nose.

From South Australian Police Gazette October 15, 1884.

He was a good height and from the sound of it, looked not dissimilar to Elizabeth's second husband, Edward Atkins, who looks to be of fair complexion with auburn hair ... as much as one can guess from the photograph taken with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth.

And it is rather interesting to know he had 'grey eyes' and a 'small nose.'

But at this stage, having found the Mashfords and their place of origin there is a limit to how far it is worth chasing them. Given that I can't do much more on our Greek Charlie Ross until I get to Ithaca next year, I am going to focus on our other mystery; Edward Atkins.
 
I recently heard back from an Adelaide researcher who was doing some 'leg work' in South Australia which I could not do because of our move to Malawi. He was trying to find some trace of a Joseph Atkins to see if we could 'place' our Edward Atkins, but again, there was nothing much gained in the way of progress or information.
 
Edward is our 'shadow' figure. We have a photograph of him and we have records of his first marriage and his second to our Elizabeth Mashford but, beyond the name of his father, we have nothing.
 
We still know next to nothing but the research cost $36 to have done and what we 'have' is more than what we 'had' even though it does not open any doors.
 

 
ABOVE: Port Adelaide in 1848
 
The researcher wrote:
 
A search of the newspaper index of shipping arrivals held by the SA Genealogy & Heraldry Society was searched today and the following entry located:


ATKINS, Joseph, wife and 2 chn (Ref: R48/7)


R48/7 referred to a report in the Adelaide Register newspaper 25 Mar 1848.

The family arrived 23 March on the Malcolm David from London via Plymouth with 250 passengers. The passenger list does not survive.


The newspaper entry tells us nothing more than the entry above.

Our first 'record' of Edward Atkins is 1843 when he married Hannah McLeod at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide.

The Joseph Atkins who arrived five years later might well be his father and mother and two younger siblings.

It's a guess however, but it might be worth tracing the Atkins family who arrived on the Malcolm David just in case.

It is interesting to look at the photograph we have of Edward Atkins (see left) with his daughters Mary (left) and Elizabeth, and to 'imagine' which part of England he is from.

To me he has a Yorkshire or north country look about him and he also looks to be of a reasonable height.

I am hoping that before too long we will also be able to 'place' the Atkins side of the family.

Records show the greatest number of Atkins recorded in the 1881 England and Wales Cenus lived in Yorkshire and Lancashire which is the 'look' I think Edward Atkins has. That is not to say his ancestors did not end up further South in other Atkins 'haunts' like Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire or Kent.

What is pretty certain is that the surname Atkins is English through and through in a way that Mashford is not. Although, even here the origins of the name go back a long way and to parts beyond England.

The name is said to derive from 'Ad', a pet form of the Hebrew male given name Adam, meaning 'red earth', with reference to the substance from which the first man was formed, plus the Olde English pre 7th Century diminutive suffix '-kin. The 'd' was changed to 't' in certain areas and in some cases 's' added to indicate patronymic form - son of Atkin.

The reference to 'red' is interesting because of course this is also the origin of the name Ross and Rossolimos. Symbolically, when Mary Atkins married Charlie Ross she was bringing the same 'red' energy and ancestry to the relationship.

Adekin filius Turst appears in the 1191 Pipe Rolls of Norfolk and the surname, Atkins, was first recorded in the early half of the 14th Century when John Adekynes is noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire (1332).

If one thing has changed over time it is spelling and it is one reason why tracing family members can be so difficult. No doubt it was a combination of illiteracy and the natural 'changes' at work in language but a letter here or there can play havoc with an ancestry search. The name evolved into a variety of spellings: Adkins, Adkinson, Atkyns, Adkisson and of course Atkins to name just a few variations on the form or the norm.

Discovering where Edward Atkins came from would be an exciting piece of information. Cousin Luke, when he has the time, plans to see what he can find in  New South Wales records in terms of the 'convict' scenario but I am beginning to wonder about that one.

Just looking at Edward, there is a resolute, stern, almost forbidding and certainly law-abiding 'look' to him that makes one feel he was a solid, respectable sort of person. Of course, that is not to say his father was not the exact opposite as often happens but instinct suggest to me he has a north-country 'farmer' look about him.

More conjecture but it's a fascinating part of the process of discovery.

Putting the record straight -hopefully

We might be a little closer to putting the record straight about Elizabeth Mashford's illegitimacy.

Given the limitations of online searches and not 'being on the ground' I have taken on the services of a Devon researcher, who, for a few hours work might be able to establish once and for all if the Elizabeth Mashford born to Mary Cann and John Mashford is my great-great grandmother; in which case she clearly would not be illegitimate.

LEFT: Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins - illegtimate or not?

The researcher sent me the following email:
Initially, I think we need to check the Parish Registers, and confirm the accuracy of the indexed data you have. Sometimes the original entries have extra information. The entry for Elizabeth Mashford's baptism in Winkleigh certainly looks like an illegitimate birth. There are bastardy returns for Winkleigh up at the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple, so I could ask a colleague to check these.



The 1841 census has 2 Elizabeth Mashfords of the same age, one in Coldridge, and the other working as a servant in nearby Morchard Bishop. It may be that they are the same person. This did occasionally happen.


Winkleigh and Coldridge are very close to each other, and Mashford is not a common name, so I would think it likely that all the Mashfords are related.


I checked the GRO for Mashford entries, and found a marriage of an Elizabeth MASHFORD in 1845 in the Crediton District, which includes Coldridge and other nearby Parishes. Do you have a record of this marriage? I was maybe thinking that this could help us exclude one or other of the Elizabeth Mashfords!


I can take images of the records with my camera. These cost 50p each. They are taken directly of the microfiche image, which produces a much better result than a photocopy. You may also obtain your ancestor's signature, if they were literate, and signed the marriage register.

Clearly an 'on the ground' researcher who actually knows what she is doing, is more likely to come up with relevant information than I might through hours, if not days, of online searching. So, fingers crossed that we might establish the veracity of the illegitimacy story, one way or another, sooner not later.

If the story is found to be true and our Elizabeth was a relative of John Mashford then we will have another avenue to pursue.

One way or another, within the twists and turns of ancestry research, we are finding faces and names and places to put together the ancestry puzzle of so many missing pieces.