Can Anyone Help with Some Australian Genealogy
Hi. Can anyone help as I am not getting far here in England. I am searching for any info on Duncan McGregor SYME born about 1926 to Duncan McGregor SYME and Catherine McGregor SYME nee Hunter in Scotland. He married Margaret Waddell Paterson in 1945 but left shortly before their daughter was born in 1948. I believe he emigrated to Australia and may have remarried there. I can find no passenger lists, emigration papers or anything else, so any information would be great. Thank You
Related Surnames:
An engagement announcement in the Sydney Morning Herald 18 July 1953
SYME - SMITH-The Engagement is announced of Margaret Couper elder daughter of Mr and Mrs George Laing Smith of Turramurra to Duncan McGregor younger son of Mr Duncan Syme and late Mrs Syme of Glasgow Scotland
From www.trove.nla.gov.au
Hope this helps. The trove site is a treasure trove. The National Library of Australia is digitising Australian newspapers and the site is very useful.
Happy researching.
Thank you :-)
I gather he had no other children before the daughter was born.
What makes you think he came to Australia? Would he have changed his name?
Every time I see the name Syme I think of David Syme who started The Age newspaper. Large and highly influential family, I don't recall a Duncan in amongst them. But yes, from Scotland so could have been related.
I think I've found him
In 1954 a Duncan McGregor Syme was working as a police constable and living at
62A Thompson Street, Drummoyne, Sydney.
That year he married Margaret Couper Smith in Sydney.
In 1960 an unnamed female born to the couple died.
Our online birth registry goes only to 1911 marriages up to 1961 and deaths up to 1981.
Here are the only records pertaining to this couple in bdm.nsw
DEATHS:
10305/1960 SYME UNNAMED FEMALE DUNCAN MCGREGOR MARGARET SYDNEY
MARRIAGES:
90/1954 SYME DUNCAN MCGREGOR SMITH MARGARET COUPER SYDNEY
The only other Duncan Syme born in nsw is this one
13034/1896 SYME DUNCAN L DUNCAN MCI MARGARET HELENSBURGH
Too early to be yours with second forename initial L However may still be related to the above (father or Grandfather if this Duncan McGregor Syme is not yours.)
Now I'll hunt around and see what else I can find out about this policeman.
Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980
about Duncan McGregor Syme
Name: Duncan McGregor Syme
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1954
State: New South Wales
District: Martin
Subdistrict: Drummoyne
Doesn't seem as though he stayed in the policeforce because in 1958 he and Margaret were living at 62 Baringa Avenue Seaforth that's on the North Shore of Sydney and he gave his occupation as Litho Printer.
1963. still in Seaforth and still Printing
1968. Moves to 5 Connemara Avenue, Killarney Heights (still on the North Shore) and still in the Litho Printing business
Then they both drop of the radar- must have moved interstate because they didn't die.
*off
I'll check the other states and get back to you
Hi. He is definitely the Duncan McGregor Syme who married Margaret Couper as I managed to read online the engagement notice in the Sydney Morning Herald and it stated Duncan's parents back in Glasgow. In the archives of the same paper I found the death notice of Duncan who died on 24th October 1996. Margaret died the following year on 5th August 1997 and the notice gave her home as Killarney Heights! You have been so helpful as I cannot get much information from here in England. Anything else you can find will be much appreciated especially if there are any more children. Thank you so much :-)