My g-g-uncle Henry Bowman BRISTOW married twice, the second time to an Isabel(la) Purkis(s), 4th June 1879 at Holy Trinity Church, Sydney, NSW. On the marriage certificate Isabel gave her details as: Isabel Purkiss, Spinster, birthplace London, England, age full, residence Fort Street, Sydney, father Arthur Purkiss, tea merchant, mother Martha Chamberlain. Two of the witnesses were relatives of the bridegroom and the other was an R Eames who we think was a friend of the groom.
Isabel's gravestone says she died 20th July 1935 age 94, and there is a death reg on the online NSW indexes for Isabel Bristow 1935, Chatswood district, parents' names Samuel and Martha.
I did some digging around before I was given the info from the marriage cert, and this is the family I had come up with:
1841 West Street(?), Poole, Dorset
John Purkis 67 Horse Keeper N
Mary Purkis 63 N
Martha Purkis 26 N
Isabella Purkis 6 months Y
1851 West Shore, Poole, Dorset
Martha Purkis Head U 35 Annuitant Hants Portsea
Isabella S Do Daur 10 Dorset Poole
Samuel Jno S Do Son 4 Scholar Dorset Poole
Robert Slade Do Son 3 Do Do
1861 Church Crescent, Parkstone, Dorset
Martha Purkis Head Un 46 From Dividends Hants Portsea
Isabella Do Daur Un 20 Dorset Poole
Samuel J Purkis Son 14 Scholar Do Do
Robt Slade Do Son 13 Do Do Do
1871 Railway Terr, Feltham, Middlesex
Martha Purkiss Head Widow 56 Annuitant Hampshire
Isabel Purkiss Daur Unm 30 Dorset Poole
There is a submitted IGI entry for Martha Purkis born 4 Dec 1814 baptised 2 Feb 1815 Portsea, Hampshire, parents John and Mary. And a death reg Mar 1872 Staines district (which included Feltham) for Martha Purkiss age 58.
Robert Slade Purkiss certainly emigrated to Australia as he is listed on the electoral roll in 1925 at Moreton, Queensland, and also on the Index to Teachers in Queensland.
There is a Samuel Slade who married in Mar 1842 Portsea district and on the 1851 census there is a Samuel Slade age 36, Printer, born Hants Portsea with wife Catherine. There is a Samuel Slade death registered in Dec 1856. I'm wondering whether this was Isabel's father, but if he was then it seems a bit unlikely that he would be the father of the two boys as his marriage would have happened in between?
Sorry this is so long!
I haven't managed to find Isabel(la) on a passenger list going to Australia yet - I'm wondering whether she emigrated with brother Robert? Can anyone find either or both of them?
I'm inclined to think the Isabel on the censuses is the right one, especially as I haven't managed to find any trace of an Arthur Purkiss, tea merchant and Martha Chamberlain - what do you think? Is it the same Isabel and she just made up some parents for her marriage certificate to avoid saying she was illegitimate?
Isabel's gravestone says she died 20th July 1935 age 94, and there is a death reg on the online NSW indexes for Isabel Bristow 1935, Chatswood district, parents' names Samuel and Martha.
I did some digging around before I was given the info from the marriage cert, and this is the family I had come up with:
1841 West Street(?), Poole, Dorset
John Purkis 67 Horse Keeper N
Mary Purkis 63 N
Martha Purkis 26 N
Isabella Purkis 6 months Y
1851 West Shore, Poole, Dorset
Martha Purkis Head U 35 Annuitant Hants Portsea
Isabella S Do Daur 10 Dorset Poole
Samuel Jno S Do Son 4 Scholar Dorset Poole
Robert Slade Do Son 3 Do Do
1861 Church Crescent, Parkstone, Dorset
Martha Purkis Head Un 46 From Dividends Hants Portsea
Isabella Do Daur Un 20 Dorset Poole
Samuel J Purkis Son 14 Scholar Do Do
Robt Slade Do Son 13 Do Do Do
1871 Railway Terr, Feltham, Middlesex
Martha Purkiss Head Widow 56 Annuitant Hampshire
Isabel Purkiss Daur Unm 30 Dorset Poole
There is a submitted IGI entry for Martha Purkis born 4 Dec 1814 baptised 2 Feb 1815 Portsea, Hampshire, parents John and Mary. And a death reg Mar 1872 Staines district (which included Feltham) for Martha Purkiss age 58.
Robert Slade Purkiss certainly emigrated to Australia as he is listed on the electoral roll in 1925 at Moreton, Queensland, and also on the Index to Teachers in Queensland.
There is a Samuel Slade who married in Mar 1842 Portsea district and on the 1851 census there is a Samuel Slade age 36, Printer, born Hants Portsea with wife Catherine. There is a Samuel Slade death registered in Dec 1856. I'm wondering whether this was Isabel's father, but if he was then it seems a bit unlikely that he would be the father of the two boys as his marriage would have happened in between?
Sorry this is so long!
I haven't managed to find Isabel(la) on a passenger list going to Australia yet - I'm wondering whether she emigrated with brother Robert? Can anyone find either or both of them?
I'm inclined to think the Isabel on the censuses is the right one, especially as I haven't managed to find any trace of an Arthur Purkiss, tea merchant and Martha Chamberlain - what do you think? Is it the same Isabel and she just made up some parents for her marriage certificate to avoid saying she was illegitimate?
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