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In reply to: The Melbourne Argus of 31st March 1851 has a W. Fordham arriving on the ship 'Pestonjee Bomanjee' from London on 29th March, I have seen this article, however I have not had any success in finding any passenger lists for this ship to confirm if it is my William Fordham, ie. I am trying to find a record to confirm his age of around 16 years or perhaps if it lists who his parents were.

Regarding the book that Jim mentions, I followed this lead and it is not my William. The William from that book never left Tasmania. I even went so far as to contact his family in Tasmania and they also confirmed it was not him. I thought I was so close.

Regarding there's something not right about this record, William John Fordham is William's son. We was actually born in 1883 in Moonambel. Perhaps it was a typing error that has him being born in 1833.

The 1841 English census has him aged 6 living with his parents and siblings at St Edmund King and Martyr Middlesex London. I cannot find him on the 1851 census which is why I think he must have either left London for Australia around that time, which might explain why I cannot find him on the 1851 census.

If he did leave around that time he would have been around 16 years old. Of course he may have lied about his age to get over here in which case he could be 21. I have even searched convict records but a lot of those records do not list parents etc and although there were a few William Fordham's who came out as convicts, I cannot confirm that any of them are mine.

I really cannot find much on this chap and its a pitty as he lived to 88 years of age. I even visited Moonambel where he spent quite a number of years during the gold rush, but they were unable to advise where he moved onto from there.

I shall keep digging and very much appreciate everyone's help.

There's something not right about this record, it has his son born before him!

Australia Birth Index, 1788-1922
Name: William John Fordham
Father's Name: William Fordham
Mother's Name: Nazarine Richardson
Birth Place: Moonambel, Victoria
Registration Year: 1833 ??
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 25200

Joanne - where was your William on the 1851 English census? What was his occupation?

Regarding the book Jim mentions - that would likely be this chap:

Tasmania, Australia, Passenger Arrivals, 1829-1957
Name: William Fordham
Arrival Port: Hobart
Arrival Date: 22 Feb 1858
Departure Port: London
Departure Date: 30 Oct 1857
Ship: Trade Wind
Gender: Male
Place of Origin: Cambridgeshire
Birth Year: abt 1837

Described as a tall, respectable looking young man of about 21, of slight figure. Occupation looks like salesman & shopman.

Australian libraries list the following book.


Title
Trade Wind voyage 1858 : diary of William Fordham /? compiled by Patricia Quarry.
Author
Quarry, Patricia.
Published
New Town, Tas. : I. Schaffer, 1993.
Physical Description
1 v. ; 30 cm.
Subjects
Fordham, William. -- Diaries.
Trade Wind (Sailing ship)
Immigrant's writings.
Language
English

Jim

Kim

The passenger lists on FMP start in 1890 so not much good for someone leaving in approx 1850

Have you tried passenger transcript details on find my past... i found my whole dads family as he moved to australia in the 1950's.... good luck

The Melbourne Argus of 31st March 1851 has a W. Fordham arriving on the ship 'Pestonjee Bomanjee' from London on 29th March .
No saying if it your man or not.

www.trove.nla.gov.au

Mary Ann Pierce /Place/
more

More information
spouse: (show children)
Henry Alexander /Fordham/
birth: 30 October 1832
death: 1 June 1913

Henry Alexander /Fordham/
birth: 30 October 1832
London, England
death: 1 June 1913
Sth Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
less

More information
christening:
St Edmund the King and Martyr, Lombard St, London

Frederick Isaac /Fordham/ birth: 1889

Maud Emily /Fordham/ birth: 1877

Ada Alice /Fordham/ birth: 1873

William James /Fordham/ birth: 1871

Henry Alexander /Fordham/ birth: 1868

Mary Lucinda /Fordham/ birth: 1866

Henry /Fordham/ birth: 1863
death: 1868

Robert /Fordham/

PRINTLucinda Susan /Spencer/
- View Individual Summary
William /Fordham/ birth: 12 March 1835

Henry Alexander /Fordham/ birth: 30 October 1832
death: 1 June 1913

William Richard /Fordham/ birth: 1831
death: 1835

Elizabeth /Fordham/ birth: 1828

Trath /Fordham/ birth: 1825

Lucinda Susan /Spencer/
more

More informationmarriage: 11 July 1815
Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney, London

spouse: (show children)
James /Fordham/
birth: 1797
marriage: 11 July 1815



Additional Information for Lucinda Susan /Spencer/
Citing This Record
"Pedigree Resource File", database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/S15R-SSW : accessed 2012-12-29), entry for Lucinda Susan /Spencer/.

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Lucinda Susan /Spencer/
less

More information
marriage: 11 July 1815
Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney, London

William /Fordham/
birth: 12 March 1835
London, England
less

More information
christening:
St Edmund the King and Martyr, Lombard St, London
marriage: 29 June 1864
St John, CofE, Latrobe St, Melbourne, Australia
marriage: 2 December 1882
Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

William /Fordham/
12 March 1835 - View Individual Summary
John Joseph /Fordham/ birth: 1876
death: 1876

Joseph /Fordham/ birth: 1875
death: 1875

Mary Ann /Fordham/ birth: 6 June 1873
death: 3 October 1952

Edward /Fordham/ birth: 1871
death: 1960

James /Fordham/ birth: 1870

William John /Fordham/ birth: 1867
death: 24 January 1880

Henry /Fordham/ birth: 1865

Violet Grace /Fordham/ birth: 1899
Ivy Janet Sarah /Fordham/ birth: 1896
Florence Nazarina /Fordham/ birth: 1894
Daisy Evalyn /Fordham/ birth: 1892
David Ernest /Fordham/ birth: 1891
Oliver Samuel /Fordham/ birth: 1889
Gertrude Lucinda Martha /Fordham/ birth: 1887
Albert Francis /Fordham/ William John /Fordham/ birth: 1884
Albert /Fordham/ birth: 1882
death: 1883
William /Fordham/
birth: 12 March 1835
London, England
more

More informationchristening:
St Edmund the King and Martyr, Lombard St, London
marriage: 29 June 1864
St John, CofE, Latrobe St, Melbourne, Australia
marriage: 2 December 1882
Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

spouse: (show children)
Mary /Cummins/
birth: 1846
marriage: 29 June 1864
death: September 1881

spouse: (show children)
Nazarina /Richardson/
marriage: 2 December 1882

James /Fordham/
birth: 1797
London, England
Lucinda Susan /Spencer/
James /Fordham/
Lydia //



Additional Information for William /Fordham/
Sources (1)
1.MARRIAGE/FORDHAM WILLIAM/CUMMINS MARY/1864/1334 VICTORIAN BDM'S

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Citing This Record
"Pedigree Resource File", database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/S155-KYC : accessed 2012-12-29), entry for William /Fordham/.

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William Fordham
England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 12 Mar 1835
christening: 08 Apr 1835 SAINT EDMUND THE KING AND MARTYR LOMBARD STREET,?LONDON,?LONDON,?ENGLAND
parents: James Fordham,? Lucinda Susan


name: William Fordham
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 08 Apr 1835
baptism/christening place: SAINT EDMUND THE KING AND MARTYR LOMBARD STREET,LONDON,LONDON,ENGLAND
birth date: 12 Mar 1835
father's name: James Fordham
mother's name: Lucinda Susan
indexing project (batch) number: C00168-2
system origin: England-ODM
source film number: 535723

best really if you stuck to the one posting and continued with that one :-)

Hi I recently posted looking for my ancestor James Fordham. I am also looking for information on his son William Fordham. His details are below:

William Fordham
b: 12 Mar 1835 Middlesex London
d: 11 Jun 1923 Oakleigh Melbourne Australia

Married: 1st wife Mary Ann Cummins

Children of 1st wife:
Henry Fordham
William Fordham
James Fordham
Edward Fordham
Mary Fordham
John Joseph Fordham
Joseph Fordham

Married: 2nd wife Nazarina Richardson

Children of 2nd wife
Albert Frank Fordham
Gertrude Lucinda Martha Fordham
Oliver Samuel Fordham
David Ernest Fordham
Florence Nazarina Fordham
Ivy Janet Fordham
Violet Grace Fordham
Truth Fordham

I have had absolutely no luck finding out eactly when, why and how William came to be in Australia.

His brother Henry Alexander Fordham also came to live in Australia and I have no details on his journey either.

I presure William came out in the early 1850's as his death certificate (he died in 1923) says that he was in the state of Victoria for 70 years. I have searched all ports of Australia and have not been able to find a confirmed record of his travels. I was hoping there might be some records out there in the UK that might have this information.

William settle for some time in the gold mining town of Moonambel. He had all his children with Nazarina there. He is occupations included: miner and farm labourer.

His parents were James Fordham and Lucinda Susan Spencer. His father James was a chemist. I have no idea why he came to Australia. Did he come alone or with his brother Henry?

Any assistance would be very much appreciated.

Joanne