52 Ancestors: Week 24: Catherine Maria Guillon, the 14 year old bride in India in 1844

Catherine Maria Guillon was born on 4 January 1830 in Bellary, Madras, India as possibly the first child of Alexander or Archibald Guillon. She was baptized on 12 February 1830. It would appear that when she was just 14 (probably not uncommon in India at that time), she married Richard Seddon, son of Giles Seddon, on 9 October 1844 in Bellary, Madras, India.

Richard Seddon and Catherine Maria Guillon had the following known children:

1. Richard John Seddon was born on 09 Nov 1851 in Madras, India. He died in 1890.
2. Giles Seddon was born on 12 May 1856 in Madras, India.
3. Alexander Seddon was born on 26 Sep 1857 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
4. Agnas Ellen Seddon was born on 26 Dec 1860 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. She died on 18 Jul 1862 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
5. Ruth Seddon was born on 13 Aug 1862 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. She died on 15 Jun 1864 in Madras, India.
6. Allan Jehoshaphat Seddon was born on 20 Sep 1864 in Madras, India.
7. Samuel Arthur Seddon was born on 30 Jan 1868 in Mooltan, West Bengal, India. He died on 01 Jul 1939 in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. He married Sybil Rosamund Pitts on 23 Sep 1891.
8. Judith Seddon was born on 16 Sep 1869 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
9. Lucy Seddon was born on 17 Jan 1871 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. She died in 1871 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
10. Esther Seddon was born on 20 May 1874 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

This is a work in progress and much of the information needs to be checked and double checked.

52 Ancestors: Week 23: John Bunce Lea - from Kidderminster to Quebec

John Bunce Lea was born about 1844 in Lower Mitton, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England as the third child of James Bunce Lea and Ann Davis. He had three siblings, namely: Charles Bunce, Sarah Ann, and Elizabeth. When he was 26, he married Harriot Caroline Barnet Batkin, daughter of William Batkin, on 26 April 1870 in St Stephens Claines Worcester.

John Bunce Lea lived in Worcestershire, England according to the 1851 and 1861 censuses. He arrived in Quebec and Montreal, Quebec on 13 Jul 1870 and was still living there according to the 1881 and 1891 Canadian censuses.

John Bunce Lea and Harriot Caroline Barnet Batkin had the following known children:

1. Frederick W Lea was born in 1863 in England.
2. Emma E. Lea was born in 1867 in England.
3. John E. J. Lea was born in 1869 in England.
4. Louisa Lea was born in 1869 in England.
5. James Lea was born in 1870 in England.
6. Charles H. Lea was born in 1871 in Quebec, Quebec. He married twice it would seem. The first time to Emma Perry on 20 February 1894 in Guildhall, Essex, Vermont, USA. And the second time to Jennie C Perry on 29 September 1902 in Lancaster, Coos, New Hampshire, USA. He died before 1930.
7. Florence Isabella Lea was born in around June 1871 in Quebec, Quebec. She married George Emery Cilley on 03 October 1893 in Colebrook, Coos County, New Hampshire, USA.
8. Alberta A Lea was born around Marche 1873 in Canada.
9. Ada A. Lea was born in 1874 in Quebec, Quebec.
10. Laura A Lea was born on 10 December 1875 in Quebec, Quebec. She married Benjamin Pierce Bullock on 28 December 1904 in Lancaster, Coos, New Hampshire, USA.  She died in Caledonia, Vermont, USA. 
11. William B. Lea was born in 1879 in Quebec, Quebec.
12. Walter Alexander Lea was born on 24 April 1885 in Quebec, Quebec. He died in Los Angeles, California, USA.

52 Ancestors: Week 22: William Steventon Aston (1856-1924)

William Steventon Aston was born on 25 November 1856 as, possibly, the first child of William Aston and Sarah and was baptized on 19 July1857 in Saint Thomas' Church, Dudley, Worcester, England.  He died on 24 March 1924 in Staffordshire, England. 

When he was 27, he married Elizabeth Law, daughter of Edward Law and Ann Unknown, in 1884 in Staffordshire, England.

He lived in Tipton, Staffordshire, England throughout the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses.

William Steventon Aston and Elizabeth Law had the following known children:

Elizabeth Lilian Aston was born on 23 Jul 1890. She died on 07 Apr 1977 at Park Lane West, Tipton, Staffordshire, England. She married Frederick Richard John Jeffery in March quarter 1922 in Dudley, Worcestershire, England.

Daisy Winifred Aston was born on 10 Jun 1895 in Tipton, Staffordshire, England and it looks as though she died at the ripe old age of 100!  Now I wonder what stories she could have told me.

52 Ancestors: Week 21: Samuel Fairbairn (1849..) did he go to New Zealand?

James Fairbairn/Fairburn was born on 24 Aug 1825 in Smethwick, Staffordshire, England as the first child of Robert Fairbairn and Mary Parish. He had three known siblings, namely: Eleanor, Robert, and Mary Ann. He died on 14 Jan 1891 in Smethwick, Staffordshire, England. 

When he was 20, he had married Hannah Bowater (daughter of Samuel Bowater) on 24 Aug 1845 in St Mary, Handsworth. 

James Fairbairn and Hannah Bowater had the following known children: 

James Fairbairn was born in 1848 

Samuel Fairbairn was born in 1849 

Joseph Fairbairn was born in 1854 

Mary Fairbairn was born in 1856 

According to an Ancestry tree a Samuel Fairbairn, son of James Fairbairn and Hannah Bowater, arrived in New Zealand in 1874 on board the Strathnaver and in 1881 married Martha Dean. He is shown as having died in 1896 in Kumara, Westland, New Zealand. However, I have not been able to find any evidence yet - there are no records linked to the Ancestry Tree. I can find Samuel in the census up to 1871 at home with the rest of the family but I can't find him in 1881 so maybe he did make a trip to New Zealand. This is yet another work in progress.

UPDATE (@ 13:29):

Just had a quick search on google for strathnaver list 1874 new zealand family search and found the following.
Family Search - New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973

'My' Samuel was a blacksmith from Smethwick in Staffordshire.

Just gone back to the page and you can see a copy of the original document. I hadn't realised you could do that on Family Search now. Samuel is shown as 25 in 1874 making his birth the same as 'my' Samuel - 1849. 

The citation is 

"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FSTL-P2V : accessed 04 Jun 2014), Saml Fairbairn, 31 Aug 1874; citing Strathnaver Ship, Arrival Port Wellington, National Archives, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412287.