Roberta Rebecca CROSS/MATTHEWSON/HICKSON/ALLAN/ALLEN

[roberta]

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need help finding any trace of my maternal grandmother Roberta Rebecca CROSS, born in Glasgow Scotland around 1895. She was also known by surname MATTHEWSON (maybe a first "marriage" ). The rare record we have of her is as Roberta Rebecca HICKSON as listed in Australia in Victorian BDM registry as mother of her daughter Ruby Yvonne (born 1923 in Melbourne VIC), and New South Wales BDM registry at birth of daughter Lillian Beatrix born 1924 IN Sydney NSW. HICKSON was the surname of my maternal grandfather Alfred Thomas HICKSON, however there is no evidence in Australian BDM registries for a marriage. It appears she just assumed Alf's surname.

We think Roberta followed Alf to Australia after WW1 where Alf served with the Australian Army. No record of her leaving GB or entering Australia can be located.

Roberta is listed in the NSW Electoral Roll of 1930, but Roberta abandoned the family around 1932. She is noted on both Ruby & Lillian's marriage certificates as Roberta Rebecca ALLAN/ALLEN.(deceased) We have no idea where this surname came from. Whether she was actually deceased at this time is unknown. No death record can be located in Australia. Maybe she returned to Scotland??

If anyone can add anymore pieces to my ancestral jigsaw puzzle, I will be forever appreciative.

Regards
Jean

[SarahND]

Hello Jean and
Sounds like a real puzzle you have there! Where did the surname Cross come from? Is that supposed to have been her maiden surname? The more you can tell us about which records give which surnames, the more it will (we hope) help us help you.

All the best,
Sarah

[WilmaM]

Hi Roberta, a warm welcome to Talking Scot.

Where did you get the info of her birth place, year and the Cross surname?
Scotland People [the official source of Scottish BMD certs] only has 1 Roberta Cross, born 1912.

I've tried using at her other 'surnames' too but no obvious hits.

[SarahND]

Hi Wilma,
I tried a search for rob* reb* born between 1890 and 1900 and only one came up in the Glasgow area, a Rebecca Roberts(on?) Brown born in Tradeston in 1894. Doesn't sound very convincing As you noted, there don't seem to have been any births of either a Roberta or Rebecca Cross in the right place and time.

In 1901 the only possible sighting is a Rebecca Cross born abt 1894 in Strathmiglo, Fife, living in Leslie, Fife, parents James and Mary. Not too convincing either.

All the best,
Sarah

[Currie]

Here are the Australian Army files for Alfred Thomas Hickson. (See the digital copy link)

WW2 – He was born 14 October, 1897, in Sydney, he has written Single on the 1942 Attestation Form and listed daughters as NOK, but on the Service and Casualty form he is shown as a Widower. He died 1st May 1962.
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNR ... de=5634827

WW1
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNR ... de=5457672

Alan

[roberta]

Thanks Sarah, Wilma and Alan for your quick replies. I wasn't expecting any replies for ages; a lovely surprise!

I don't have any certificates for Roberta (with any of her many surnames). The only places I can locate traces of her are:

1. Victorian BDM registry where the birth of my aunt Ruby Yvonne HICKSON was registered. The registry entry of the mother's details is "Roberta HICKSON, formerly MATTHEWSON, m/n (maiden name) CROSS, Age 27, Born Glasgow Scotland. This entry is from 1923. Marriage date listed as 27 October 1920 in Sydney, NSW. (From her age, year of birth is 1895/1896)

2. New South Wales BDM registry where birth of my mother Lillian Beatrix HICKSON was registered. The registry entry of the mother's details is "Roberta Rebecca HICKSON, maiden name CROSS, age 29, born Glasgow Scotland." This entry is from 1924. Marriage date listed is 27 October 1922 in Melbourne, Victoria.

Note same 'marriage' date but different year and place. Perhaps 27 October was Roberta's birthday???

Ruby's and Lillian's births are only 14 months apart, so Roberta's birthday must fall in between 30 October (Ruby's birthday) and 19 December (Lillian's birthday) for her to be 27 at Ruby's birth and 29 at Lillian's birth.

3. Australian (NSW) Electoral Roll 1930 and 1933 lists Roberta living with husband Alfred Thomas HICKSON in Hurlstone Park (Sydney) NSW.

4. NSW Electoral Roll lists Alfred living at his parents' house at Croydon NSW. Roberta has gone by this time, leaving the 2 daughters with their father.

5. Daughter Ruby's marriage certificate in 1943 lists mother as Roberta Rebeca ALLAN/ALLEN (hard to read handwriting), deceased.

6. Daughter Lillian's marriage certificate in 1946 lists mother as Roberta Rebecca ALLAN, deceased.

That is the sum total of what we know about Roberta. My father never met her.

Thanks for the WW1 & WW2 records; we did have them and have gone through them with a fine tooth comb but unfortunately no further clues.

Back to the puzzle
Thanks, Jean

[WilmaM]

She certainly sounds a mystery lady: appears to give birth then vanishes.....

We only have her word that she was born in Scotland [from those birth certs]
Wonder if she was Irish?
most migrants from the North of Ireland would have arrived in Glasgow perhaps she came over as a child and only remembers Glasgow?

I wouldn't take her given age as too concrete, many foks never knew the exact date/year of birth, and they were inclined to 'tweek' it depending on the spouses age

I had a quick look at the Scottish census for her under many guises but again nothing jumping out as obvious.

[garibaldired]

In 1901 the only possible sighting is a Rebecca Cross born abt 1894 in Strathmiglo, Fife, living in Leslie, Fife, parents James and Mary.

Had a look at the birth extract for this one.
Born 18 April 1893 to James Cross and Mary Cross ms Hart in Cowdenbeath. Couple married Strathmiglo 31 Dec 1889. So not looking likely.

Best wishes,
Meg

[Currie]

Hello Jean,

A common reason then for living together outside of marriage was that one party was already married. I guess that if she couldn’t get the marriage year right at the births of the two girls, when it was supposed to have been only a couple of years before, then it’s a pointer to it being a fabrication.

Any ideas on why she was in Victoria when the first child was born? They seem to be mainly NSW based.

You said that Roberta ‘abandoned’ the family around 1932, but when you read the 1962 death notice for Alfred it doesn’t give that impression. It includes “dearly loved husband of the late Roberta Hickson, loved father of Ruby and Lillian, father-in-law of ……” etc.

Clutching at straws, and headed in the wrong direction, there’s this supposedly female passenger born 1895 at AncestorsOnBoard. http://www.findmypast.co.uk/passengerLi ... art.action

ALLAN Robert 1895 F 1921 Glasgow Canada Quebec

Alan