Family Friday, George Wellington Vaughan

                                                     George Wellington VAUGHAN.

George, like the song from CSI, I ask "Who are you?"

You are the sixth child and third son of Henry and Charlotte, born 18 June 1852 and baptised 15 August 1852*, at St Philips Church, Sydney. I wonder if your middle name, Wellington, is in honour of the 1st Duke of Wellington, the hero of the Battle of Waterloo. He died in 1852, so this seems likely.

Then George you disappear, vanish! No death. No marriage. Nothing in any newspaper. Nothing, very frustrating.

BUT searching the New South Wales (NSW), Birth, Death and Marriage records, I find this;

Ref No  1876/1213*
Groom VAUGHAN, Edward Wellington
Bride STANSALL, Esther Maria.
Place Sydney.

Could this be you? Certificate ordered and I wait. While waiting I look for any possible children, your death, anything that might be helpful.

The transcript arrives and bingo, it is you but you are called Edward. Why?  You and Esther marry on 30 December 1876 and you give your parent's names as Henry Vaughan and Charlotte. You give your occupation as a painter and both you and Esther are born in Sydney. No ages are given and the witnesses don't appear to be family.

I do another search of the NSW BDM's, just in case I missed you being a twin, no. I do another death search, nothing. Okay, you are now Edward.  Why did you change your name? On Ancestry, there is a tree with you named as George Edward Wellington Vaughan. I'm not sure about that, Edward isn't on your baptism record, George isn't on your marriage, confusing.

I have found two children to you and Esther, May born 1880 and Albert Edward born 1889.

I then find your death on 24th June 1900 and your death certificate* is full of information. Your full name, occupation, parents, age at marriage, spouse, children, etc. and the big one Informant, Louisa Rogers, sister. So it looks like Louisa is still close to her family.  I find your death notice in TROVE but there is no new information to be found.

BUT there are three notices in the Sydney Morning Herald, in 1937, all from the Public Trustee.

The first one on 12 February 1937, page 2 is a notice " By order of the Public Trustee, Estate of Edward Wellington Vaughan, Deceased...convey and distribute the property and assets of said deceased."

The second is on 26th May 1937, for the auction of 216 Rose Street, Darlington, by Henry E Vaughan & Son. WAIT! That is the house you died in, you must have owned it. And the auctioneers are family.  The third notice, on 2nd June 1937, is again for the house. The auction was on Thursday 3rd June 1937 at 11am.


What has me  puzzled is why has it taken 37 years to settle you estate? I look for Esther's death and find that she has died in 1936. Did you leave the house to her, until her death? I start a search for your will and so far haven't found one but I will keep looking.

Well Uncle Edward, from what I have found you seem to be a good man and a good provider. I still want to know why you changed your name? 

Hugs,
Your great-niece,
Lilian.

* denotes I have the document.



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