A few details to start the ball rolling fieldsinoz7.

William WATSON and Emma PRATT were married in Victoria in 1882. I know from the marriage index they were both born in Ballarat, Victoria, so we know where they were born.

Their marriage record for 1882 would confirm their ages, places of birth and parents names. Having the correct information to start with does make research much easier. I searched the births going by William and Emma's year of birth as given above and came up with the following.

William WATSON.
Born: 1860 Ballarat, Victoria.
Father: John WATSON.
Mother: Isabel ELTRINGHAM.

Searches today did not find a death for William with the parents named above. As with many deaths the informant often gave the wrong parents names, and finding deaths can sometimes be hard. Remember, I'm only going by William's birth year as 1860, so it's possible this may be the wrong William. There were other William's born in Ballarat a few years earlier.

I feel certain the following details for Emma will be correct.

Emma PRATT.
Born: 1861 Ballarat, Victoria.
Father: Thomas Longstaff PRATT.
Mother: Hannah DAWSON.

Emma WATSON nee PRATT.
Died: 1933 Ballarat East, aged 72 years.
Father: Thomas Longstaff PRATT.
Mother: Hannah DAWSON.

Burial details for Emma.

Buried: 16 February 1933, Ballarat Cemetery.
Area: Presbyterian. Section: 9. Grave 16.

The death and cemetery records confirm this is the same Emma. However, it does not confirm if this is the same Emma married to William WATSON, but I think it will be.

Hope this helps to get things started.

Hello and many thanks.
I am delighted with your quick response and will follow up by getting a certificate of death from Dept. BDMS in Melbourne.
The details indeed seem to be correct and gives me a possibly genuine lead etc.
I do have some further details of Hannah as she retired with her husband to our city until they both died.
I am still getting used to the system of FTC so will study the instructions again.
I must admit to be being late to the research as I can visit Ballarat Library. And also the general cemetery so the burial grave will be my next aim when I can visit visit . Age and health now restricts my travel but family history is giving me a new lease of life and use for my computer skills. Lucky me today with your help. I hope others are kind to you too.
Now I need to get my act together and notes organised for the next foray.
Thanks again and regards from Noel FIELDS. nefields@me.com

Thank you, and my kindest regards to both of you.

Hope you will let me know if I have the correct Emma.

Cheers for now.

Thanks again tonkin.
I feel sure sure that I have the right details thanks for your efforts in the library.
Since last week I have unearthed many details from my father's collection of family trivia I have inherited.
Hannah, the daughter, was my father's mother, i.e. my grandmother and she visited her 2 brothers in NZ in 1935.
Their story is now being unravelled from various notes. Photographs from that time, found in the boxes of family 'treasure' seem to confirm certain other details.
Like lots of research unnamed and undated photos lead to dead ends.
Lots more coming to light here and to think it was in my closet for the last 30 years, proves the point that collecting family trivia is really GOLD. Not to mention keeping notes.
Thanks dad!

More great stories to come from this lot.
Noel FIELDS
researching- FIELDS, WATSON, PRATT, MAJEWSKI, HURWOOD, PARKER

Your welcome Noel.

It only takes a few names and dates to give people that little kick-start.