John Henderson, Fife mariner died on visit to Australia.....

JohanH · Post by **JohanH** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:46 am

I have been trying to find a DC for my gg grandfather, John Henderson The OPR Marriage entry shows he married Catharine Henderson 28 August 1839 in Dysart, Fife (his father named as James, weaver in Kirkaldy). His children were John 1841, Margaret McLeod 1846 and James 1849 - they were all christened in the Pathhead Associate Congregation church. At some time between 1849 and 1865 John (senior) sailed to Australia and during a stopover in Melbourne, he drowned while crossing the Yarra River on a raft when the river was in flood. However there is no death entry in the Australian records and I can find nothing in newspaper archives. I can't find John's birth record although his parents may possibly be James Henderson and Nelly Paton from Fife. For a long time John has been my 'brickwall' - any help would be much appreciated!

Post by **AndrewP** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:01 am

Hi Johan,

The online IGI gives these five as children of James Henderson and Helen Paton.

MARGARET HENDERSON - Christening: 06 MAY 1810 Abbotshall, Fife
JOHN HENDERSON - Christening: 29 MAR 1812 Abbotshall, Fife
BETSY HENDERSON - Christening: 14 AUG 1814 Abbotshall, Fife
JOHN HENDERSON - Birth: 22 JUL 1818 Dalmeny, West Lothian
ROBERT HENDERSON - Birth: 25 APR 1820 Dalmeny, West Lothian

Your challenge is to find some documents that link this family to yours. Assuming that these are all of the same James Henderson and Helen Paton family, then is is highly possible that John of 1812 died young and his name re-used in 1818 for the next son born.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

JohanH · Post by **JohanH** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:06 pm

Thanks, Andrew. I did some more IGI searching and it seems that there are 2 families involved. The Fife family is probably the one I am looking for - but you are right in saying the challenge is proving it. There are so many Hendersons in the records that it's like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack!

Post by **AndrewP** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:16 pm

Hi Johan,

You're right, a further look at the IGI shows an Auchterderran, Fife (1808) and a Dalmeny, West Lothian (1810) marriage of a James Henderson to a Helen (Nelly) Paton. These two are extracted from the OPRs. Additional to that there is an LDS submission apparently repeating the Auchterderran marriage in Abbotshall.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson