Hamilton

Group family photograph of the Willis family - William being Sarah’s brother:

Willis family group in front of general store owned by William and Laura Willis, Wrightville, Cobar, NSW. They are left to right; Alfred, Unknown, William, Charlie, Laura(Charle Reynolds sister), Grace Violet, Jessie.

Thanks to my cousin Jim Thorn for providing this photograph.

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I remember saying in my introduction that during the course of your family history research you come across, from time to time, brand new things that you never knew about. This is what makes this past time so interesting - no matter how long you have been in the game there are surprises, big and small, just around the corner. As I have just discovered!

Thanks to my newly found cousin, James Thorn, I have new information to add to this project; information I would never have found had it not been for his generosity and years of his own hard work.

The information is regarding the name Wagner and Reynolds; hence I have altered the Wagner category so that it now reads as Wegener.

I have earlier recorded the middle name of my Great-Grandfather as Charles Wagner Reynolds. It was thought that his middle name was taken from his father although it has come to light now that it was not Wagner but Wegener. This was in fact his surname not his middle name, although that is how his name appears on his marriage certificate.

After his father died in 1858 Charles mother, Eliza, remarried to George Reynolds. Charles would have been approx ten years of age at this time. He thereafter took the surname of Reynolds from his mother’s new husband. This is how the name Reynolds found it’s way into my father’s side of the family. Some of Charles’ siblings retained the Wegener surname though.  I have made the appropriate changes in the past entries but have retained Wagner (although in brackets) simply because that name appears on his documents and for reasons of avoiding confusion. There is a possibility that other relations may be searching this person so it makes sense to retain the information they would also be using in their research.

Finally, as Charles used the Reynolds surname throughout the rest of his life I shall, of course, refer to his wife and  descendants by that name where applicable.

Charles’ sister Annie (nee Wegener/Reynolds) with husband Thomas Cottome, Grenfell NSW 1874. The couple married at Grenfell 12 March 1870 when Annie was nineteen and several months pregnant.

Thanks to Jim Thorn for providing this photograph.

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Sarah Sophia Willis (Reynolds) was born 1859 in the Victorian country town of Clunes. Her parents were:

Joseph Wells Willis (died Forbes 1902) and

Maryann Maria (Davidson) born - 1824 Bombay, India (died  5th August 1909 Forbes)

They married in Bombay, India, in 1854.

The parents of Maryann Maria Davidson were:

William Davidson - born Scotland -  Surgeon in the Black Watch Regiment stationed in Bombay, India.

Maryann Maria - born Scotland - died 1825 (in childbirth) Bombay, India.

 Pictured above: Sarah Sophia (Willis) Reynolds

Thanks to James Thorn, great-grandson of Sarah, for sharing this photograph and information.

Parents of Sarah Willis: Mary Ann Maria (nee Davidson) and Joseph Wells Willis. Mary Ann was born 1824 in Bombay India - Joseph was born Tunbridge Wells, England 1819.

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