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Post by barry on Oct 10, 2008 23:14:35 GMT -5
Hello, I am writing to this forum in the hope of getting some help in my quest for information about my great grandfather Ah CUE who I believe was born in Canton, China in 1843. Ah Cue (1843 - 1902) was a 30 yr old market gardener at Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia when he applied for Naturalisation in 1873. His application papers state that he was resident in the Colony of Victoria for eleven years and that he had arrived 20th January 1862 on the ship "Wee Sing" which sailed from the port of Hong Kong. In 1869 he married Sarah Hannah Doncaster (born 1855 New Zealand). He signed the marriage certificate with his Chinese signature and it also appears on the Naturalisation papers next to the name Ah Cue. I would like to know if it was possible to translate this signature and hopefully find further information of my great grandfather's life and origins, and information also of the ship Wee Sing. Thank you, Barry, Victoria, Aust.
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 11, 2008 3:53:59 GMT -5
Barry, This is one Aussie to another. Ah Cue , the Cue bit and the Chinese character means bridge. It is probably his given name. Other than that there is nothing else to work on. Hope this would help in your first step to find out more about your great GF
Douglas Sydney N.S.W.
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Post by helen on Oct 11, 2008 4:10:03 GMT -5
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Post by geoff on Oct 11, 2008 5:07:56 GMT -5
Hello Barry, If your ancestor's ship travelled down the east coast of Australia on the way Melbourne Victoria, then it probably visited the port of Sydney NSW. There was a ship called "Margaret Eliza" that departed Hong Kong & arrived in Sydney on 13 January 1862. On the Mariners & Ships in Australian Waters mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/Click on Browse by year & month Select "January 1862" for list of ships & passengers arriving in Sydney Select " Margaret Eliza ship from Hong Kong" On the crew & passenger list there is a "Cheuy from China". Click on "Scan" at the bottom of the page to view the original passenger list. To the right side of the passenger list, there is a "#2 Chin Chuey". Could "Chin Chuey be your ancestor? On the above web site, I found my great grandfather arrving in Sydney in 1874 on his way to Melbourne Vic. I thought that this was his arrival date in Australia but later I found his 1881 Vic naturalization. He had arrived in Vic in 1856, aged 18 years old. He became a tea merchant in Little Bourke St Melb according to his children's birth certs & Sands & Mcdougall directories. The 1874 date on the passenger list was his return trip from China after marrying my great grandmother. Ggfather died in Melb in 1898 & later his embalmed body returned to the village for final burial. His elder sons moved to NSW while the younger children of his #2 wife & the wives moved to the village in China. I'm in the process of tracing the ancestors in the village. Hope this helps.
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Post by barry on Oct 11, 2008 6:38:15 GMT -5
Hello Douglas of Sydney,
Your translation (bridge) confirms that which I was given from another source. It is a pity there is nothing else to glean from his signature.
Thanks for your help.
Barry.
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Post by barry on Oct 11, 2008 6:39:57 GMT -5
Hello Helen,
Thanks very much for the weblink, I will check it out. My ancestor was a Gardener by occupation but I do not know if he was a member of any organisation or Chinese community.
I have visited his grave in the Wangaratta Cemetery. It is surrounded by a wrought iron fence but sadly there is no headstone or marker at all.
Thanks, Barry
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Post by barry on Oct 11, 2008 6:45:29 GMT -5
Hello Geoff,
I will have a good look at the website you suggested. It could well be that my ancestor came down the East coast via Sydney or he may have entered Victoria via Robe in Sth Australia, I have no way of knowing as yet.
My problem is that there is very little in the way of family stories concerning Ah Cue.
My grandmother was was the seventh of eight children in the Cue family. She was only 8 yrs old at the time of her father's death and shortly afterwards the family split up. My grandmother was placed in a Salvation Army orphanage and lost contact with her mother and seven siblings. The youngest daughter Lucy Maude was adopted by a Chinese family and taken back to China. Lucy Maude eventually returned to Australia in later life and I was recently contacted by a descendant of hers who knew nothing of Ah Cue and his family. So there is not much to go on.
I will bear your advice in mind in my searches, thanks very much for your help.
Barry.
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Post by geoff on Oct 11, 2008 7:37:40 GMT -5
Hello Barry,
Luckily, oral family history has given me a large amount of info on our recent 100 years in Sydney & country NSW. My research has wound the clock back a further 30-50 years to when the first on both sides of the family, arrived in Vic. We don't have any living relatives in Vic so research down south is a bit slow going.
I recently contacted the district historical society where my paternal gggfather lived in 1870's to early 1880's. I told them his personal name, his business name & when he resided in that small Victorian gold mining country town. A very helpful lady searched the local council rates & verified Gggfather's info. She also told me that he was a gold miner. He must have found gold in those Aussie Gold mountains as he had established a business just 5 years after arriving in Aust. By the way...when he came to Sydney, he established market gardens & poultry farms.
Try searching Wangaratta's council rates for more info.
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Post by barry on Oct 14, 2008 1:14:38 GMT -5
Hi Geoff,
What was your G/Grandfather's name?, and what was the name of the "small Victorian gold mining country town" you speak of?. You never know, I might come across something on him while trying to research my own Chinese ancestor.
I have been in touch with the Wangaratta Historical Society and they sent me a wonderful photo of Ah Cue's eldest daughter. It was taken sometime in the 1890's, she was a beautiful girl of about 20 yrs of age and it was a great feeling to see what she looked like.
I will check the Wangaratta council rates when I get a chance. I don't know if they will give me anything of significance. I know he held 32 acres of land in the Warby Ranges to the South west of Wang. and that he left the property and all his goods and chattels to his eldest son William.
Thanks for replying to my message,
Cheers, Barry.
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Post by barry on Oct 14, 2008 1:55:35 GMT -5
Hello folks, So far, no evidence has been found of the ship "Wee Sing", which is alleged to have arrived in Australia from Hong Kong, carrying my G/grandfather, on 20th January 1862. A very, very kind lady has been searching the shipping records at PROV for me, and she has found that there were very few ships arriving from Hong Kong in that timeframe. But she says there was the "Formosa" arrived 21st Jan. and the "Jupiter arrived 20th Jan. She came up with the idea - "what did the Chinese call "Formosa", and how would it be pronounced in Chinese? And - "Maybe "FORMOSA" is "WEE SING" ?" So my questions now are - Is the name "Wee Sing" English or Chinese terminology? Could it be written as something else in English. Is it Chinese for "Formosa" or "Jupiter", or even the "Margaret Eliza" mentioned in Geoff's reply above? So I am hoping someone will be able to advise me here please? Cheers, Barry, Victoria, Australia.
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Post by geoff on Oct 14, 2008 5:30:59 GMT -5
Hello Barry,
I've sent you a message.
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 14, 2008 5:41:49 GMT -5
Barry, Jupiter in Cantonese is Mook Sing, Mook means wood, which is one of the five elements which shape the physical being of everything.(Please don't quote me because my knowledge comes up short). Sing in this context could mean star. But Wee Sing is not quite Mook Sing, therefore it is stretching things a bit to associate it with Jupiter.
Douglas Sydney
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Post by barry on Oct 14, 2008 6:05:59 GMT -5
Hi Douglas,
That's very interesting information, Wee Sing may not mean Jupiter, as you say, but your reply shows me that perhaps my questions were not silly ones after all.
Thanks for your help, it is much appreciated.
Regards, Barry
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Post by barry on Oct 14, 2008 6:13:48 GMT -5
Hello Geoff,
Message received, I'll keep that information on file, maybe something will turn up.
Barry.
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Post by geoff on Oct 23, 2008 15:26:21 GMT -5
Hello Barry, Have you enquired at the Bendigo Chinese Association Golden Dragon Museum? At the Golden Dragon Museum www.goldendragonmuseum.org , click on research library, click on Chinese family names. In the list there's an "Ah Cue" listed. It maybe worth checking out?
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