Hello!....yes, I'm ANOTHER Aussie looking for the family of one of my ancestors!!
My great great grandfather called himself John Oakley (however on the marriage certifs. of 2 of his children, they name their father as Alfred John, and on another John Alfred).
I have just 'found'reference to John Oakley here in Victoria, Australia...in a little country town named Lancefield, where he and his wife Jane nee Hamilton raised their children...one of them being my great grandmother Frances Mary Oakley b1862. It has taken a while to find but I have just bought the death certif. of John, who was sadly killed in a cart accident in 1878, having been brought to Melbourne to treat his injuries.
On our John's dc, it states that he was born in Gloucester (sadly, no other specific information), aged 56..which places his birth around 1822. Although my Frances Mary states on her wedding certif, that she was born in Melbourne, I have actually found her birth and that of her 3 older siblings in Launceston, Tasmania, begining around 1858. Family Folklore has always had 'mystery' around our John, and it is now a bit obvious that he may have been hiding a convict past. I can find a convict record for a John Oakley, born Newent, Gloucester around 1820, who was transported to Port Arthur in 1852. The convict docs. for this fellow also states that he was 'married with 2 children'. Regardless of his marital status, I can find a 'Permission to Marry' for this John who arrived in Aust on the 'Lady Montague', to another convict named Ann Reilley...who is also listed as being married with one child. The pair were married in 1854, and can be seen living at Lancefield Vic in the 1890's.
Our John states that he and Jane were married in 'England' before coming to Aust, but this may not be true at all.
Can anyone help me find the birth and perhaps his marriage to a Jane Hamilton in Gloucester...I would love to know of his parents and siblings!...and also if there is by any chance, two John Oakleys born around the same era and same place...one of which was a convict and transported to Australia in the early 1850's, and one that arrived in Tasmania with his wife Jane at some time prior to 1858.
The two 'wives' of John Oakley seem to overlap the time that a John Oakley can be found on records at Lancefield, and although I can find no children to John and Ann, they all seem to be residing in this tiny little country town.

Any help would be just wonderful!
Thankyou and best wishes
Rosie

Melbourne Aust

On the 1841 census for Newent

Ann OAKLEY - 80 **
Elizabeth OAKLEY - 40
Frances OAKLEY -15 (is this a family name!!!!)
Matilida HUGHES -10

1851 Census, Newent, Culvert Street

Elizabeth OAKLEY - 54, born Glos. Newent
Frances OAKLEY - 24, Niece, born Gloucester, St Michael

Frances Mary Anne Percival OAKLEY, daughter of Anne, christened St Michael, Gloucester - 19 December 1824

The nearest I can find to a John OAKLEY in Gloucestershire - is a John OCKLEY - age 20, in the Registration District of Newent @ Oxenhall, ag labourer. There are OCKLEY's baptisms in Newent- FOD records (two early ones) inc Anne OCKLEY, 29 March 1795, parents Rowland & Anne ** possible Ann OAKLEY - 1841 census age 80... (Anne 1795 - possible mother of Frances)

Gloucestershire Marriage Index

John OAKLEY married Margaret HALE - Newent (by banns) 14 October 1821

Gloucestershire Baptism Index

Children of John (labourer) and Margaret OAKLEY - baptised at Newent St Mary

Elizabeth - 27 June 1824 - address, Newent Clifford Arms
Hannah - 20 May 1827 - address, Newent Town
Eliza - 31 May 1829, address, Culvert Street
Mary - 4 March 1832, address, Newent

Using the advance search - there is a baptism at Weston Under Penyard - 18 February 1822 of a John OCKLE - (surname not clear etc) - parents John (labourer) & Margaret, address Sandford. No other baptism of an OCKLE with this set of parents.

1841 census, Newent

Margaret OAKLEY - 36 ag. lab (born in County)
Eliza - 12
Richard - 2

also christened at Newent

Eliza (bad) - Mother: Sophia, 10 March 1825, address - Newent Gorsley

Children of Thomas (Miller) & Anne OAKLEY christened at Newent - address, Little Ford House

Thomas - 16 November 1828

Anne - 21 May 1836
Elizabeth - 3 July 1831

On FreeBDM

John OAKLEY married Elizabeth HOWELS, Dec Qtr 1844, Newent

on FOD records

26 October 1844, PAUNTLEY

John OAKLEY age 23, Bachelor, labourer, Grooms Residence, Pauntley
Father John OAKLEY. Married Elizabeth HOWLES,residence Pauntley age 23, Spinster, father John HOWELS. Witnesses: William HOWELS and Elizabeth OAKLEY.

at Pauntley, two children of a John and Elizabeth OAKLEY

Sarah Anne - 30 November 1845, (sponsors, Nancy IMMINS, George & Sarah MATTHEWS) and Charles - 15 January 1847 (Sponsors, Richard BEARD - John & Margaret IMMINS)

No luck on later census (as yet) for a John/Elizabeth/Sarah/Charles OAKLEY !!!

........

Margaret OAKLEY appears to have been widowed and re-married John HEMMINGS (and is on the 1851 census for PAUNTLEY) -

(Margaret OAKLEY - widow, married John IMMINS, Newent 18 December 1841)

John HEMMINGS - 41, Ag Lab. born Glos. Bewdley
Margaret HEMMINGS - 49, born Newent
Eliza OAKLEY - age 21, wife's daughter born Newent
Richard OAKLEY - age 12, wife's son born Newent
Maria HEMMINGS - (age crossed through) born Pauntley
Mary HEMMINGS - ditto

Wow M.P.!....so many thanks for all of this information!
I've just put it all onto paper, and you have helped me to work out that I think that we have two different John Oakleys here. Convict John is clearly from Newent with a wife and two children, as his convict papers say so. I think that this John is one of the children of John Oakley and Margaret Hale, who married in 1821. This John went on to marry Elizabeth Hale in 1844 Newent, and the children Sarah and Charles are born just before this John was sentenced for stealing a sheep in 1849 and transported to Port Arthur in 1852. The names of family listed on his papers match the 'Elizabeth, Eliza and Hannah' who match his family members of this family. Convict John was the John who married fellow convict Ann Reilly in 1854.
I think that the John Oakley aged 20 born 1821 Winchombe Coates, Gardener, with wife Ann and children Sophia and Alfred is probably my John. It appears that this John's mother was named Anne, and he may have had a sister named Frances Mary Percival Oakley b1824....and of course, the Frances Mary and Alfred names are well entrenched in the Aussie Oakley family.
I just need to find out why and how this John ended up in Tasmania by 1857 and having another family with Jane Hamilton!...I think that I need to go back to the convict archives, and perhaps look at a John Oakley who perhaps began his sentence at Botany Bay, and was then moved to Port Arthur!

So many thanks for helping me put all of this together M.P.....your help is much appreciated.
Best wishes.
Rosie

Rosa

The John OAKLEY and Ann in Winchombe are still there in later census - c1816

At Wincombe - John OAKEY christened 30 August 1816, parents John (Mason) and Mary