I’m back on the case, searching for my grandmother Edna’s birth father – my mysterious great grandfather, aka M.G.

It’s been a while, so a quick re-cap: I’m exploring the lives of two Collman-Weston couples and their sons – the five men who might be HIM. This time it’s the turn of Thomas. Could he be the one?

Thomas William Collman was born on the 17th of August 1884 in Louis Street Redfern, not too far from where Edna lived as a child.

His father was also named Thomas William Collman. Thomas junior was known as ‘Will’ to his siblings so for clarity, I’ll call our main man ‘Will’ for the moment.

Will’s mother was Augusta, and her family name was Weston. At the time of his birth, his father’s occupation was Government Storeman.

There really isn’t much to learn about Will’s life in Sydney. Around 1908 – the exact moment in time that matters – he was a member of his local Marrickville Masonic Lodge, known as 117 Stephen Loyal Oddfellows Lodge.

On the 10th of January 1914, Will Collman married Jane Jackson in Brisbane in a ceremony that was performed according to the rites of the Joyful News Mission.

Their marriage took place at the residence of Robert J Lynn in Lougham Street Bowen Hills. Considering both parties stated their usual residence was in Lougham Street, they may have been married at home. Neither party needed parental consent – he was a 29-year-old labourer, and she was a 23-year-old dressmaker.

Jane was born in Mackay, Queensland. That’s about as far to the north of Brisbane as Sydney is to the south. The witnesses to this union were not named Collman or Jackson – I wonder whether they were both a long way from home.

Jane’s father was a sugar farmer, an unsurprising occupation for Mackay, considering it was the main centre for Queensland sugar growing from about 1865. Will said that his father’s occupation was inspector of stock – which might have been all that he knew and might suggest that he hadn’t seen his father for a while. Tom senior had previously been an inspector of stock. By 1904 he ‘left the service’ and in 1905 selling insurance in Casino, northern New South Wales. By the time of Wills marriage in 1914 Tom senior was heavily involved in community life in the Casino general area – stock inspecting was a dim and distant memory.

Why did Will get married in an obscure Mission Church in Brisbane, far away from his mother and siblings? Is it a coincidence that two months after Will’s marriage, my grandmother’s mother, May Willock, was also unexpectedly in Brisbane getting married in an obscure Mission church?

By the time Will died in 1961, it seems he was known to his family as George but how or why that came about is a mystery known only to himself and his family.

Am I any closer to an answer?

Will was in Sydney towards the end of 1908 and my grandmother was born in Sydney in August 1909. The timing is perfect. Assuming my great grandmother, May Willock, was in Sydney at that time, and not in Mallanganee in northern NSW with her parents, Will could easily be my grandmother’s father, the much sought after M.G., the man who had a… thing… with May Willock.

Otherwise, nothing points directly to him.

Unless.

Something stands out to me at this moment.

Will and Jane’s first daughter was known as Maisie, but her birth name was May.

Is this a clue?