Research success

I recently planned (and have since taken) a trip to Mildura, Victoria, which was going to include some family history research. I recently purchased the death certificate for Maria GROSE, my 3 x Great Grandmother, whose death was registered at Mildura in 1945. (This is a line for various reasons I have not done a lot of research on). I was going to visit the cemetery and visit her final resting place. Never presume. The prompt arrival of the certificate revealed she was in fact buried at Amherst Cemetery and I should have considered that, as she was buried (I am presuming here as I have not followed up with the cemetery) with her husband who predated her 28 years earlier, and is also buried at Amherst.

I knew that Maria’s maiden name was ALBINS. I had done a little bit a search on the Victorian historical indexes, Ancestry and Google but had not got very far.

The death certificate also revealed that she was born in Adelaide and her parents were Sarah and Benner – a most unusual first name.

Not being too familiar with SA research, I have searched the SA indexes for her birth and can find no record of her birth or any record of anyone else possibly from the family.

I knew of Dianne Cummins “We’re bound for South Australia” website but this is hard to find a passenger if you do not already know a date and ship. From there I remembered that the library has her CD-Rom “Bound for South Australia”. I placed a hold and it soon arrived.

This CD lists births and deaths on government-assisted immigrant ships 1848-1885. There are basically two PDF files and it is simple to use the “find” feature to search for your family name. Immediately I received a hit on my ALBINS query and was instantly saddened to see a listing for a child who had died at sea on the “Amazon” (arrived Port Adelaide 1852). In fact there were two children listed as died at sea on this ship. I soon realised that this could be what I was looking for but needed evidence of Sarah and Benner.

Back to the Cummins website but her passenger lists do not include 1852.

I then went to Google and searched – Amazon Adelaide 1852. Bingo, The Ships List website came up, one I should have the forethought to have considered earlier. There I have details of the same voyage including the folloing:


Albins Bennett 30 Agr. Labourer 12/2 Lincoln
Susan 24
John 1 died at sea
Rebecca 3 died at sea


Bennor – Bennett, it has to be the same person.

Where is Lincoln?
I am presuming that this is Lincoln, Lincolnshire. I cannot locate Susan or Bennett or Benner in the 1851 census but believe I have found him in the 1841 census as Benjamin Albin - an Ag Labourer in Gedney, Elloe, Lincolnshire, England. No other family members with him.

It is interesting sometimes to document the path of our research and the resources we have used that may or may not have been successful.