Genealogy Forum UK

Ferdinando on BCC here:
http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/fa ... are-Family

Ferdinando and his brother Benjamin were baptised on the same day in 1814, and for many years I, and a number of others assumed them to be twins, particularly as there is a long history of twins in this family, including two of my grandmothers siblings. However, from later records it seems Benjamin was born in 1812, and I have recently found the record of Ferdinandos incarceration on the Prison Hulk Ganymede (he was transported to Port Philip, New South Wales, for shopbreaking). His age on this would make him born around 1809, so I have amended BCC.

I have details of his 'Ticket of Leave' and burial in Australia - can anyone find any other records: did he marry/ have children?

His 'accomplice' Joseph Bloomer is on BCC here:
http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/fa ... mer-Family

Do you think we can add in that bapt for benjamin in boxes now then safely?

Northern Lass wrote:Do you think we can add in that bapt for benjamin in boxes now then safely?

Yes, I am sure it is correct. Ferdinando & Benjamin were, of course, born before their parents marriage, which is most likely the reason their baptism was delayed.

I wonder if it is worth looking for records of them under the surname Boxley, which was their mothers maiden name?, although they subsequently seem to have always used Shakespeare.

I love looking up convicts....lets see what we can find....

Looks like he was convicted along with a Joseph Bloomer.

His Victorian death record says he was born 1801.

So does his burial record on Ancestry (which was transcribed by me and a bunch of others and sold to Ancestry).

I will see if I have a transcriptions of the headstone.....

The Shakespeares buried at Heathcote are:

Jane Shakespeare abt 1811 1874 Heathcote, Victoria
George B Shakespeare abt 1816 1882 Heathcote, Victoria
Fernando Shakespere abt 1801 1889 Heathcote, Victoria

I can see no evidence of him marrying.

There is no mention of his parents on his death certificate.

The age discrepency was not uncommon when somebody other than family was the witness on the certificate.

Looking in the English newspapers...Berrows Worcester Journal of the 15th March 1838. Worcester Assizes.

Ferdinado Shakespeare, aged 23, and Joseph Bloomer, aged 22, both nailors; indicted for breaking into the shop of William Cox, at Cradley, in the Parish of Halesowen and stealing an amount of bacon, cheese and other articles. Sentenced to 10 years transportation each.

MarkCDodd wrote:The Shakespeares buried at Heathcote are:

Jane Shakespeare abt 1811 1874 Heathcote, Victoria
George B Shakespeare abt 1816 1882 Heathcote, Victoria
Fernando Shakespere abt 1801 1889 Heathcote, Victoria

If I remember correctly that Jane was from Worcestershire. I think it's probably coincidence that they are all buried in Heathcote.

The account in Berrows Journal gives an age which roughly fits with the baptism date of 1814 - I wonder if he produced a baptism certificate as proof of identity? Is this likely?
I am inclined to believe the age on the Prison Hulk entry - it makes more sense: his brother Benjamin, baptised the same day consistently gives age in the census which would make him born 1812, and if, as now seems likely (tellingly the baptism record does not say twins, whereas other entries in the same register make a point of this, including triplets in one case) - this means Benjamin was born the year before his parents marriage, and it would make sense that Ferdinando was the older son as this was his grandfathers name.

The Heathcote area includes Geelong, which is a very large city and was once the capital of Victoria (till the gold rush forced a population boom in Melbourne).

A lot of people ended up in the Geelong area post gold rush.

The climate is a bit more bearable than the "golden triangle" of the gold mine districts.

Joseph Bloomer was my husbands 2x reat uncle, I have from ancestry transportation, ticket of leave information and a possible death 1895 in Parammatta, but haven't got round to sending for the certificate yet.

nessa

Too bad he didn't kick the bucket in Victoria. You just download the certificates from the BDM site....

is this completed sp1 ok to archive?

Archive please