The Ancestry and Family of Florence Fuller[edit]

What follows is a table showing the great-grandparents of the South-African born, Australian artist Florence Fuller (1867 - 1918).

8. Andrew Fuller

4. Andrew Gunton Fuller

9. Ann Coles

2. John Hobson Fuller

10. John Hobson

5. Esther Hobson

11. Sarah Tarry

1. Florence Ada Fuller

12. David Vines

6. Joshua Vines

13. Patty Bushnell

3. Louisa Vines

14. George Cook

7. Hannah Cook

15. Hannah Frith

In the article-space below is a full list of the records used to compile this ancestry table. Also included is information on the notable Dowling family and their connection with this Fuller family. I have attempted to preserve the order in which the research was carried out, so as to present the pieces of evidence "building up" atop each other and constructing the family history.

1. Records pertaining to Florence Ada Fuller[edit]

1. Record in the National Probate Calendar, 1878 (published by HM Government listing all probates granted in that year):

"FULLER John Hobson - 14 June. Administration of the Personal Estate of John Hobson Fuller late of South Yarra Melbourne in Australia who died 24 February 1878 at South Yarra was granted at the Principal Registry under the usual Limitations to Stephen Lewis of 24 Coleman-street in the City of London Merchant one of the lawful Attorneys of Louisa Fuller Widow the Relict now residing at South Yarra. Personal estate under £300."

2. Record in the Australian Death index: John Hobson Fuller, died at Victoria, aged 49, son of "Andrew Gunto Fuller" and "Esther Hobson"; registered in 1878 at Victoria. (Registration number 3511.)

3. The record of birth for John Hobson Fuller. Born on 19 August 1828 at his father's house in West Drayton, Middlesex, the son of Andrew Gunton Fuller and his wife Esther Hobson, daughter of John Hobson. (Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry; Class: RG 5; Piece: 141; Certificate nos: 8501-9000, Vol 17 (1837 Apr 14-May 25))

4. The marriage index for John Hobson Fuller and Louisa Vines. Registered in the second quarter of 1860 at Islington. (Marriage Indices for England and Wales, vol. 1b, p. 425).

5. List of passengers who have arrived at the port on Melbourne on the 23 September 1868 from Boston via Cape Town on boardthe Catherine Ship: (Series: VPRS 7667; Series Title: Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (Foreign Ports) [Microfiche Copy of VPRS 947].)

Names of Passengers |      Adults      |     Children    | State whether British Subjects or Foreigners
                    | Married | Single |   12-1 | Infants|
                    | M. |  F.| M. | F.| M. | F.| M. | F.|
---------------------------------------------------------------
John H. Fuller      | 1  |  1 |    |   |    |   |    |   | British
Arthur J. Fuller    |    |    |    |   | 7  |   |    |   |
Alice M. Fuller     |    |    |    |   |    | 5 |    |   |
Louisa C. Fuller    |    |    |    |   |    | 3 |    |   |
Florence Ada Fuller |    |    |    |   |    | 1 |    |   |
J. H. Le Roy        | 1  |    |    |   |    |   |    |   | American
Mme. Marie Duret    |    | 1  |    |   |    |   |    |   | French

6. The death index for Lily Vines Fuller, who died at Victoria, aged 2, the daughter of John Hobson Fuller and Louisa Vines, registered in 1876 (number 7324).

7. The death index for Louisa Fuller, died at Box Hill, Victoria, aged 69, daughter of "Vines Joshua" and Hannah Cook, registered in 1900 at Victoria (number 11887).

8. The birth record of Louisa Vines, daughter of Joshua Vines of Brook Green, Hammersmith, a House Agent, and his wife Hanah, daughter of George Cook, coal merchant, of Hammersmith, Middlesex. She was born at her father's house, 12 Caroline Street, on 3 April 1831. (Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry; Class: RG 5; Piece: 136: Certificate nos: 6001-6500, Vol 12 (1836 June 1-Dec 15))

2. Records pertaining to the Fuller-Dowling link[edit]

1. Death index record for Ellen Dowling, who died in 1924, aged 85, at Geelong, Victoria. It lists her parents as Joshua Vines and Hannah Cook. (Registration no. 9953). [They were also the parents of Louisa Vines, who married Mr Fuller).

2. Marriage index record for Ellen Vines and Benjamin Dowling shows that their marriage was registered at Victoria in 1857. (Reg. no. 2278).

3. Newspaper notice celebrating the marriage of Ellen Vines and Benjamin Dowling on 1 June 1857:

On the 1st inst., at the Baptist Chapel, Lonsdale-street, by the Rev. John Turner, BENJAMIN Dowling, Esq., son of the Rev. Henry Dowling, Baptist minister, Launceston, Tasmania, to ELLEN, youngest daughter of J. Vines, Esq., of Geelong.

(Colonial Times, 11 June 1857, p. 2).

4. Birth record of Benjamin Dowling, born 1822, son of Henry Dowling and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Leonard Danke. Henry registered the birth himself and appears to have been the minister, for he also registered other births in the same book. (Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857, Class: RG 4, Piece 1507: Colchester, New Meeting, Stanwell Street Baptist (Baptist & Independent), 1798-1837)

5. The death index record of Benjamin Dowling, who died at Wagga Wagga, NSW, in 1881. (Reg. no. 9156)

6. The newspaper notice of the death of Benjamin Dowling, 1881:

A well-known sheep-classer, named Benjamin Dowling, died in the Wagga hospital on Saturday last, from the effects of apoplexy. He had been much addicted to intemperance for a long time previous to his death. He belonged to an ancient and aristocratic family residing near Colchester, county Essex, England. In addition to the rate of wages Dowling could always earn, he was in receipt of £1200 per annum, which now goes to other members of his family.

(The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, 6 September 1881, p. 2)

3. Information on the Vines family[edit]

1. The marriage of Joshua Vines and Hannah Cook at Hammersmith in 1822. (London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Paul, Hammersmith: Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith and Fulham, Transcript of Marriages, 1822 Jan-1822 Dec, DL/t Item, 031/032.)

2. The immigration records of Joshua Vines and his family, who were travelling to Australia in 1855. He, aged 60, is travelling with Hannah Vines, aged 53, Jane, aged 21, Mary A., aged 19, Ellen, aged 17, and Caleb, aged 15. They left Liverpool and arrived at Melbourne aboard a ship called "Donald McKay" (presumably that built in 1855 by Donald McKay's company). (Series: VPRS 7666; Series Title: Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (British Ports) [Microfiche Copy of VPRS 947].)

Name    |  Adults | Profession, 
of Passengers|   Ages  | Occupation, 
             | M  |  F | or Calling
-------------------------------------
Joshua Vines | 60 |    | Agent      
Hannah "     |    | 53 | Wife  
Jane "       |    | 19 | "    
Mary A. "    |    | 19 | "    
Ellen "      |    | 17 | "    
Caleb "      | 15 |    | Clerk

3. The death index record of Joshua Vines, who died, aged 80, in 1876 in Victoria. The record lists his parents as David Vines and Parry Bushnell. (Reg. no. 1626).

4. The death index record of Hannah Vines, who died, aged 74, in 1876 in Victoria. She was the daughter of George Cook and Hannah Frith. (Reg. no. 11955)

5. The baptism record of Joshua Vines, son of David and Patty Vines, baptised on 1 July 1795 at Kings Road Meeting House, Reading, Berkshire. (Family History Library references: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C09089-1, GS Film number: 583986)

6. The marriage record of David Vines and Parry Bushnell, 23 September 1784, at Reading, Berkshire. (Family History Library ref.: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I00580-2, GS Film number: 1040615, Reference ID: it 2 p 86 no 257)

7. The birth and baptism record of Hannah Cook, born 10 August 1802, baptised 22 February 1803 at Ebenezer Independent, Hammersmith, London. Parents: George and Hannah Cook. (Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C06891-1, GS Film number: 0596988 (RG4 374))

8. The 1841 Census shows the following household (ages in brackets): Joshua Vines (46), Caleb Vines (1), Hannah Vines (16), Eliza Vines (14), Mary Vines (5), Ellen Vines (3). They were living in Stepney, Middlesex. (1841 Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 713; Book: 8; Civil Parish: Stepney; County: Middlesex; Enumeration District: 23; Folio: 15; Page: 23; Line: 7; GSU roll: 438822.)

9. The 1851 Census shows the following household:

Joshua Vines | Head | 55 |    |
Hannah "     | Wife |    | 48 |
Hannah S. "  | Dau. |    | 25 |
Jane "       | Dau. |    | 18 |
Ellen "      | Dau. |    | 12 |

They lived in St. Jude parish, Middlesex and the registration district of Bethnal Green. (1851 Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 1539; Folio: 635; Page: 30; GSU roll: 174769.)

10. Electoral rolls for 1856 showing Joshua Vines of Gertrude Street, Geelong, Victoria, an architect. (Electoral Roll, Geelong, Ashby Division, 1856, p. 41)

4. Information on the Fuller family[edit]

Note: John Hobson Fuller's grandfather, Andrew Fuller (1754-1815), was a notable Baptist preacher, who has an entry in The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization here and at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. He was the son of Robert Fuller and Philippa Gunton, daughter of Andrew Gunton (ODNB). His works were compiled by John Hobson Fuller's father, Andrew Gunton Fuller, and most are available at the Internet Archive. The ODNB shows him marrying Ann Coles, daughter of Rev. William Coles. The records below show that Andrew Gunton Fuller's mother was Ann, daughter of William Coles.

1. The birth register of John Hobson Fuller (as in Florence Fuller's father) gives his parents as Andrew Gunton Fuller and Esther, daughter of John Hobson of Nortoft Grange, Northampton. (Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry; Class: RG 5; Piece: 141, Certificate nos: 8501-9000, Vol 17, p. 198, no. 3702)

2. Two records for Andrew Gunton Fuller's birth/baptism. Both show that he was born on 26 January 1799 at Kettering, Northampton. The two give the same parents, but one gives greater details. His parents were Andrew Fuller and Ann Coles, daughter of William Coles. His parents lived in Gold Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire. [Family History Library Film Number: 0825340 (RG4 136) ; Kettering, Northampton, Dr. William's Library; Nonconformist Registers; Date Range: 1799 - 1802; Film Number: 816005 ]

3. Andrew Gunton Fuller married Esther Hobson on 17 May 1821 at Guilsborough, Northamptonshire. (FHL Film Number: 1999391, Reference ID: 19)

4. Andrew Gunton Fuller died aged 85 in 1884 at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. (England and Wales Civil Registration Indices, death records, Q1 1884, vol. 6b, p. 324)

5. The 1851 Census shows the following household living at 5 Nelson Street, Cardiff:

Andrew G. Fuller | Head | 52 | Baptist Minister    | Northampton, Kettering
Esther    "      | Wife | 50 |                     | ", Elkington
William M. "     | Son  | 20 | Clerk in Iron Works | Middlesex, West Drayton
Ann C.     "     | Dau. | 24 | Daily Governess     | ", "
Samuel P.  "     | Son  | 14 |                     | Worcestershire, Blockley
Marth Rogers     | Serv.| 21 | House servant       | Pembrokeshire, Haverfordwest

(1851 Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 2455; Folio: 119; Page: 45; GSU roll: 104196-104197)

6. The baptism record of Esther Hobson, born 26 September 1800 at Elkington, Northamptonshire. Her father was John Hobson, her mother Sarah, daughter of John Tarry. (Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry; Class: RG 5; Piece 85: Certificate nos: G 251-500 (1820 Nov 22-1821 Jan 25), no. 483)