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Thanks a lot ArgyllGran.
The 1907 voyage looked hopeful but definitely not my William Blackey as he died in 1891.
Not sure about the other, but as you say, there are lots of people with the same or similar surname..
All this information (and the emigration records previously
), are a great help to get a better picture of what happened to William and family.
As always you’ve helped me a lot and I’m grateful
Glyn

Earlier you said that William "emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 1854."

It was certainly between 1851 and 1855, though I don't see anything in 1854.

There's this record, following on from Frances and the children arriving in Australia in May 1855:

Wm Mr Blakey
in the Web: Victoria, Australia, Outward Passenger Index, 1852-1915
Name: Wm Mr Blakey
Age: 47
Birth Year: abt 1808
Departure Date: Oct 1855
Departure Place: Victoria, Australia
Destination: WELLINGTON
Ship: VIBILIA
Ship's Master: SCOONES G

Travelling with Mrs Francis [sic ], Joseph, Sarah, and Anna.



There are lots of travel records for men named W or William Blackie/Blakey/Blackey travelling alone to/from NZ/Australia/UK, but without any indication of age, or accompanying members of his family, it's impossible to know if any of them are the right man or not.

This one looks possible:

W A Blackey
in the New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922
Name: W A Blackey
Port of Departure: London
Port of Arrival: Sydney, New South Wales
Voyage Arrival Date: 18 Oct 1907
Vessel Name: Orontes

He's ultimately heading for New Zealand. At least I assume that's what "New Zealand" in the Remarks column on the document means.


Another possibility, unprovable:

W Blachey
in the Web: Victoria, Australia, Outward Passenger Index, 1852-1915
Name: W Blachey
Age: 69
Birth Year: abt 1809
Departure Date: Mar 1878
Departure Place: Victoria, Australia
Destination: LONDON
Ship: SOMERSETSHIRE
Ship's Master: HOLT H F
Page: 008

The 2 records I found on FMP relating to William Blackey are, the one you found for 1872 from Victoria to Liverpool, and 1888/9 Unassisted travel, NSW travellers list Vessel “Oriya” London to NSW landing in Sydney.
Other than the name I have no proof it was my William, but he married a much younger woman in 1885 and I wondered if she wanted to go to U.K.
That’s all I have
Glyn

Wow that’s great Argyll Gran and Erika.
I sort of knew about Mary, but Thomas Blackey had lots of brothers and they all seemed to use the same names for their children. Hence the many Hannah Blackey ‘s, so I wasn’t entirely sure if it was the same Mary, but you have found the trail better than I did.
I’ll get the info about Williams journeys to you soon, as I’m not home atm.
Yes Frances did go as a widow but William went separately so I think it was a ploy to get free passage for her and the children.
I’ve been in contact with a “cousin” many times removed who is related to William as well, and he heard William did a few trips back to U.K. That seems strange as it was a long journey and expensive, and although William did well for himself in NZ, it seemed odd to return so often.
I found 2 records for William Blackey and I assumed it was he, because when he went to NZ he travelled via Oz, and that was the journeys I found on FMP. I’ll send the details soon.
Thank you for finding out so much about the 3 sisters. I’m glad Sarah lived so long, as she lost her mother when she was born, and her husband died young.
Glyn

Frances was listed as widow when she and the children emigrated (to Australia ?) in 1855:



William Blackey
in the 1851 England Census
Name: William Blackey
Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1803 [ actually born 1808 ]
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Frances Blackey
Gender: Male
Where born: Liverpool
Civil Parish: Toxteth Park
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration District: West Derby
Sub-registration District: Toxteth Park
ED, institution, or vessel: 1n
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 71
Piece: 2186
Folio: 275
Page Number: 18
Household Members:
Name Age
William Blackey 48
Frances Blackey 40
Joseph Blackey 10
Sarah Blackey 8
Hannah Blackey 6
Hannah Lowe 21



France Blackey
in the Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923
Name: France Blackey
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Age: 44
Arrival Date: May 1855
Arrival Port: Melbourne, Australia
Departure Port: Liverpool
Ship: Salem
Nationality: English

She's a widow, travelling with Thomas 24, Joseph 13, Sarah 10, and Anna 9.


There are certainly NZ records for Frances and William Alfred Blackey (no sign of a middle name in UK records) and their daughter Frances Sarah, but I don't see travel records for William. (Apart from that possible one in 1872.)

??????? IF the marriage is the right woman. Suggest you invest in a copy of the marriage cert for factual info

Name: Hannah Thompson
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1807
Registration Year: 1869
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 62
Registration District: West Derby
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 262

What are the dates of the voyages you say William made to and from New Zealand?

I'm not seeing any on Ancestry - maybe you found them elsewhere.

I assume this is the 1872 voyage from Victoria which you mention:

William Blackey
in the Web: Victoria, Australia, Outward Passenger Index, 1852-1915
Name: William Blackey
Age: 64
Birth Year: abt 1808
Departure Date: Oct 1872
Departure Place: Victoria, Australia
Destination: LIVERPOOL
Ship: GREAT BRITAIN
Ship's Master: GRAY JOHN

The age is right, but otherwise there is nothing on that record to prove if that's your William or not, at least as far as it shows on Ancestry.

How do you know that's the right man, please?

Just noticed that you already knew Mary's history, Glyn.

In 2018 you wrote:

So Thomas Blackey 1766-1854 had a daughter called Mary Blackey.
She never married. I’ve found her on the 1851 and 1871 and 1881 censuses. She was born Dec 1810 and died 1890 in Birkenhead.

From a geographical point of view, the marriage seems more likely than the death.

So far, I can't see Hannah and John in later censuses.

If the 1852 death is your Hannah, the 1852 marriage can’t be.

In 1881 the Hetheringtons were fairly close neighbours of Mary and Sarah.

Mary and Sarah at 68 Mersey Road, and the Hetheringtons at 9 Lilly Street.

These streets don't seem to exist today, but on the census form Mersey Road is the next one after Lilly Street .
Working through the form, there's 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1 Lilly Street, then 70 and 68 Mersey Road.

She was still with the Hetheringtons in 1901:

Sarah Simpson
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Sarah Simpson
Age: 83
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818
Relation to Head: Visitor
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Birkenhead
Ecclesiastical parish: Rock Ferry St Peter
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England
Street Address:
Registration District: Birkenhead
Sub-registration District: Tranmere
ED, institution, or vessel: 24
Neighbors:
Piece: 3398
Folio: 110
Page Number: 53
Household Schedule Number: 312
Household Members:
Name Age
Tom J Hetherington 51
Elizabeth Hetherington 46
Robert Y Hetherington 20
Tom Y Hetherington 14
Donald F Hetherington 13
Sarah Simpson 83


The Hetheringtons' marriage:

Marriages Jun 1879 (>99%)
Foster Elizabeth Wirral 8a 537
HETHERINGTON Tom Yeoward Wirral 8a 537

Possibly Sarah's death?? Age a little out, but depends on what the informant thought was correct.

Deaths Jun 1903 (>99%)
Simpson Sarah 85 Birkenhead 8a 310

Possibly Sarah in 1891 ??

Sarah Simpson
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Sarah Simpson
Gender: Female
Age: 74
Relationship: Visitor
Birth Year: 1817
Birth Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Tranmere
Ecclesiastical parish: St Paul
Residence Place: Tranmere, Cheshire, England
Registration District: Birkenhead
Sub registration district: Tranmere
ED, Institution or Vessel: 18
Neighbors:
Piece: 2891
Folio: 111
Household Members:
Name Age
Tom Y Hetherington 41
Elizabeth Hetherington 36
Robert G Hetherington 10
William Hetherington 9
Tom G Hetherington 4
Donald F Hetherington 3
Sarah Simpson 74


Ancestry's transcription lumps a couple of other families in with them, calling them all Hetherington, even though they're at different addresses.

In 1871 (already posted), Mary Blackey 1811 and Sarah Simpson were living in Tranmere, Birkenhead.

Possible death??

Deaths Mar 1890 (>99%)
Blackey Mary 79 Birkenhead 8a 411



Mary and Sarah in 1881:

Mary Blackie
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Mary Blackie
Age: 70
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Relationship to Head: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Lpool, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Tranmere
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England
Street Address: 68 Mersey Rd
Education:
Employment status:
View image
Occupation: Housekeeper
Registration District: Birkenhead
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Neighbors:
Piece: 3587
Folio: 109
Page Number: 43
Household Members:
Name Age
Mary Blackie 70
Sarah Simpson 68

I don’t know for sure but non Conformist church on occasion. Maybe the husband was. Thanks Erika and Argyll Gran for that. So Hannah married and died in the same year. Very sad. That was before William went to NZ.
That leaves Sarah who may also have died, and then Mary.
And the mystery of why William made 2 or more journeys back to U.K.
THANKS
Glyn

????????

Name: Hannah Blackey
Age: 46
Birth Year: abt 1806
Burial Date: 19 Sep 1852
Burial Place: Holbeck, St Matthew and New Wortley, St John the Baptist, Yorkshire, England
Parish: Holbeck, St Matthew and New Wortley, St John the Baptist

LancsBMD version of the marriage posted earlier

BLACKEY Hannah THOMPSON John 1852 Liverpool, Register Office or Registrar Attended Liverpool REG_LP/8/142
BLACKEY Hannah THOMPSON John 1852 West Derby, Register Office or Registrar Attended Liverpool REG_WD/8/142

Not CofE - were they RC? Or Non-conformist?

Unfortunately there are lots of Hannah Blackey ‘s in the family. It’s Williams sister Hannah, 1806, that I’m trying to find out about, along with her sisters Mary 1810 and Sarah 1815. The other Hannah 1846 is Williams daughter, and she did marry in New Zealand.
It’s the 3 sisters life, and how many times William came back from NZ to either see them or settle their affairs, that I’m interested in, but can’t get any further than the information I’ve already mentioned
Thanks ArgyllGran

Re Hannah 1807 (actually born 1806, but census suggests 1807) -


???
Hannah Blackey
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name: Hannah Blackey
Registration Year: 1852
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District: West Derby
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 686
Records on Page:
Name
Hannah Blackey <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Margaret Conoly
John Deegan
John Thompson <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


Ancestry also suggests this as a possibility:

Hannah Blackey
in the New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937
Name: Hannah Blackey
Marriage Year: 1862
Marriage Place: New Zealand
Folio Number: 62/273

Which Hannah in 1851 do you mean?
Hannah 1807 or Hannah 1846?


Re Hannah 1846 -

her probable birth:
BLACKEY, HANNAH mms DIMILOW
GRO Reference: 1845 D Quarter in WEST DERBY Volume 20 Page 1026

so she's presumably a daughter of a son of Thomas 1766