How Family History Research was done in 1988 and the Story of James and Martha WISE

The following was published in the Dec 1988 issue of the ‘The Researcher’ which was the Society’s Newsletter for a number of years, and the story, whilst interesting in itself, contains an historical account of the way research was carried out in a ‘pre internet’ time. Whilst some of the processes stay the same and the thrill of visiting the Archives and holding a document which your Ancestors might have touched never diminishes, the search for records is much easier due to digitisation of many of them and immediate access to copies as ‘instant downloads’ has been a game changer.  No more writing a letter, addressing an envelope, putting a stamp on, posting in the red boxes and then waiting patiently for the reply to come back! 

Note: The story has been transcribed from the original document which had been typed on a typewriter so it contains a few mistypes which have been left in to maintain the authenticity of the original publication.

“JAMES MARDEN WISE and MARTHA OSMOND

The following article was written for the North West Kent Family History Society and appeared in the March Issue 1988 to coinside with our Bicentenary with Australian content.

Family stories, certificates and that fascinating place the Archives in Brisbane all helped me to trace the movement of my great grandparents James Marden WISE and his wife Martha (formerly OSMOND). My own father was named James Osmond BONEHAM after his Maternal grandparents, being the first son of their first Australian born child. This made me more egar to know more about them.

        I knew they were buried here in Gympie, Qld., so the first step was to visit our cemeter. This gave me their death dates, also death dates of some of their children. The next step was to the Court House wehre the registrations of Birth, Death and Marriages are kept. For the price of $23.00 (Aust) I was able to get their death cerfiicates. James Marden WISE died 28 May 1895 and Matha WISE died 7 January 1902.

       Australian death certificates can sometimes give you a lot of information. As well as the usual time cause etc. they give you the name and occupation of the father, the name and maiden name of the mother. Also if the deceased was married (1) Where, (2) At what age, (3) To whom. They can also tell you names and ages of living issue and the number and sex of any deceased issue. They can also tell you where the deceased was born and how long in an Australian State and stating which states.

       James Marden WISE’s certificate told me that he was born in Perrywood, Kent, Tng. He had been 38 years in Qld. And at the age of 25 years married Martha OSMOND Deptford, Kent, Eng., also that his fathers name was John and he was a labourer.

       Mindful that sometimes information is not always correct, although their sone Henry had been the informant I set out to prove this. The I.G.I fiche put out by the Church of Latter Day Saints told me that James did marry Martha on 7 February 1853 at Saint Pauls, Deptford. So far so good.

       When did they come to Australia? Well 38 from 1895 gave me the year 1857. Found the family bible, which gave me the correct birth dates of their children and the family bible kept by the descendants of Emma, their first born English child, both gave the same year 1857. Now I had to find a register of Assisted Immigrants to Moreton Bay with that year in it. This I found 1848 -1860 at the Genealogical Society of Qld. In Brisbane. In it I found that-
WISE                James       age 27        Labourer             Native county Kent    C/E            reads and writes.
                        Martha             23           wife                                    “                      “                             “
                        Emma                 2           dau                                    Middlesex     ”                           no
                        Henry              inf            son                                    “                       “                           no
were on the ‘New Great Britian”, which arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane) on 6 January 1857. The next step was the Archives in Brisbane to look up the passenger list manisifistations of the ship. There I found that their health was good, that Martha had had a sister living in Sydney. James father was John and his mother was Sarah, and Martha’s parents were William and Hanna OSMOND, London. The ‘New Great Britian” had left England on 16 September 1856 and took 112 days to reach Moreton Bay. The WISEs had paid £13/19/9. for freight. Tonnage of the vessel: 553 old – 570 new. Masters name – Robert KERR and the Surgeon was Henry LONGSTAFF. It looked as if I had found the boat they had arrived on.

       Through reading an editorial by Arthur Percival MBE BA Fsa Honorary Director Fleur De Lis Heritage Center in the English Family Tree I wrote to him. He kindly gave me some information on Perrywood and suggested I contact Rev. J.V.H. RUSSELL, the Rector Selling, Faversham, Kent. This I did and back came the baptismal dates in the register of Sheldwich of which Perrywood is part of. Now I had the baptismal dates of ten children to John and Sarah WISE of Sheldwich, Thacther, of which James was the fifth. He was baptised on 21 October 1827. In November 1829 when his brother Alfred was baptised John’s occupation was a Labourer. This made all my previous facts correct plus the fact that five christian names were carried on in James’ own family. My next step in 1988 will be to see if through the films on your early census held her by the Church of Latter Day Saints, I can find out something of John and Sarah WISE.

       Well I have them in Moreton Bay – where did they go? I believe at that period of time it was the custom for agents to be at the wharf to engage people to work on properties.

      By getting the birth certificate of my grandmother Emily WISE I found that on 17 February 1858, James was a Shepherd. The Overseer of “Jondaryan” was the informant of her birth on the first of March 1858 at Dalby. Now as far as I can ascertain “Jondarian” was a sheep property near the present town of Jondaryan, owned in those days by TOOTH Brothers of brewery fame. This of course was before Qld, became separated from N.S.W. They were still on ‘Jandarian” when the second Australian child was born – a son Alfred. After that two girls were born in Toowoomba in 1861 and 1863. Another son William was born in Brisbane in 1866. I have yet to find our what Jams did in those seven years between 1859 and 1866.

       Gold was discovered here in Gympie in 1876 (sic) by James NASH. James must have come to Gympie sometime after gold was discovered on the 16 October and November 1869. I next found thatAAlf.,(sic) Emily my grandmother, and Alice one of the girls born in Toowoomba were listed on the first roll of the One Mile School in their 75th Anniversary Book 1869 – 1944. I checked copies of the school roll held by our local research Sosiety here and James occupation was given as Miner. This was so on the roll for the younger children. Five more children were born here in Gympie between 1870 and 1877. On having searches on these five birth certificates I confirmed their birth dates were the same as the family bible- and James occupation was Miner. And the place and date of marriage was as above. On these certificates I had Shaldwick as the place of James’ birth. This I took to be a miss spelling of Sheldwich.

       Now James’ death certificate told me that he was – Mining Speculator at the time of his death. Back to the Archives I go. This time to look up Mining Leases. I found that with some other men he did take our Lease No. 287 on 5 February 1879 at a yearly rental of £6. Lease no, 329 on 1 August 1879 and No. 353 on 9 August 1881 were taken out by William SMYTHE and James Marden WISE as trustees for shareholders in the North Phoenix Gold Mining Co. Family stories state that his gold speculation came good, for as the stories go both of them had a trip back to England. On his return he invested in property here in Gympie.

       On the last trip to the Archives I got the wills of both James and Martha, WISE. Luckily these were on Micro-film and I could get printouts which gave me copies with their signatures. His will was very simple leaving all his real and personal possessions to his wife Martha. Martha’s will was longer and with Administration papers I was able to prove other stories about property.

       And what about Martha – I did find out through the search on her children’s birth certificates that she was born at Hawhurst and from the family bible it was 14 August 1833. She married at 21, came to this country with 2 small children and then had ten more. Martha died in Brisbane on 7 January 1902 and is buried here in Gympie with her Husband James. Not much to know about a life time, but if I am lucky perhaps some day I will find out more about her.
                                                                                                                                               Olive HEARN, 5 Gladstone St, Gympie.

“Perhaps Olive has had some ‘LUCK’ – She has been able to write more!!!!

       The story now continues. During 1988 I have continued my research. Through the film of the marriage register of Deptford, St. Pauls I viewed James and Martha’s marriage entry. James signed his name with a ‘X’, Marhta could sign her name. At the same time I also found a marriage entry in 1851 for Emma OSMOND to Matthew GUY. On both entries the Brides’ father was William OSMOND and he was a Shoemaker. I now have an occupation for Martha’s father.

       On looking up the N.S.W. Agents Immigration Lists and persons on Bounty Ships to Sydney, another descendant found that Emma and her Husband Matthew Guy and 1 year old Emma arrived in Sydney on the ‘Bussorah Merchant” on 19 March 1853. We now have the older sister of Martha living in Sydney mentioned on James and Martha shipping information in Qld. Still working on films through the L.D.S. Library, I tried the 1841 Census for Deptford ST. Paul. This told me that William was a Shoemaker, 35 years old and was not born in Kent and that they lived in High Street. Hannanh was 34; William 9; Frederick 7 were not born in Kent, but Martha 5 and two more sister were born in Kent. The 1851 Cinsus was more informative. The family now lived in Waterloo Place, Deptford St. Paul. William was 46, a Shoemaker journeyman and was born at Robertsbridge, Sussex. Hannah was 45 and was also born in Sussex at Bodiam. William now is 19 and a labourer, and born, Brede, Sussex. Frederick was 12 and is an Errand boy and was born at Frant, Sussex. Charlotte 7, John 5 and Alice 2 were all born in Deptford St. Paul. From the I.G.I. I found another brother christened 14 December 1851. The next step will be the file of the Church Registers to confirm the Christenings of these later brother and sisters of Martha. At least now I have a family of which she was part of.  But who was Hannah?
That will be the next stop to try to find out.”

 This story was compiled by Kathy Punter.  The original story was written by Olive Hearn and the Editor of The Researcher in 1988 was Janice Wegert.

Sources:  GFHS Record Collection;