(no subject)
On the 2nd July 1808, the ship The Admiral Gambier left Portsmouth with 200 prisoners aboard. Three died on the journey and the ship with 197 prisoners arrived in Sydney on the 20th December 1808. One of the prisoners was a William Davis who had been sentenced in 1807 at the Somerset Assizes to 7 years transportation. In January 1810 he was further transported to Van Diemans Land (Tasmania).
After he served his time he acquired property, but in April 1823 he (together with 4 others) was hanged for stealing 103 sheep. At the time he had 100 acres of land, a two storied brick home (which was only pulled down in 1970), a wife (Harriet Neat) and two children, Henry and Caroline. Harriet subsequently remarried and had another 9 children. By the time she moved from the farm into town, she owned 1000 acres and was leasing another 1300 acres. One of the highlights of my visit to Tasmania in January was finding Harriet's grave, surrounded by those of her descendants through her daughter Caroline and the children of her second marriage.
William and Harriet's son, Henry, married Catherine Judge and they had a total of 9 children, some in Tasmania, some in South Australia, and the youngest, Charles, in Victoria in 1860. Charles married Sophia Lockens, whose parents were free settlers from Ireland (the first free settlers in this line of the family), and they had 8 children. Sophia died in 1929 and Charles died in 1944.
Charles and Sophia's 4th child was Agnes Ruth, who married twice-she had 4 children by her first husband and one (my mother) by her second.
Tomorrow will be 200 years since my great great great grandfather arrived in Australia. He didn't want to come, and he may not have wanted to stay, but stay he did, and thank goodness he did.
My mother and her older sister are the only ones left from that generation. My aunt will be 88 next month, and lives in a nursing home. She is having day release and about 50 of my grandmother's descendants will be getting together to celebrate. Four of my cousins are coming from interstate-I haven't seen them since their father's funeral in August last year. Some of my relatives would like to be there but can't get to Sydney. Those of us who can are looking forward to celebrating a very special day in our family's life.
After he served his time he acquired property, but in April 1823 he (together with 4 others) was hanged for stealing 103 sheep. At the time he had 100 acres of land, a two storied brick home (which was only pulled down in 1970), a wife (Harriet Neat) and two children, Henry and Caroline. Harriet subsequently remarried and had another 9 children. By the time she moved from the farm into town, she owned 1000 acres and was leasing another 1300 acres. One of the highlights of my visit to Tasmania in January was finding Harriet's grave, surrounded by those of her descendants through her daughter Caroline and the children of her second marriage.
William and Harriet's son, Henry, married Catherine Judge and they had a total of 9 children, some in Tasmania, some in South Australia, and the youngest, Charles, in Victoria in 1860. Charles married Sophia Lockens, whose parents were free settlers from Ireland (the first free settlers in this line of the family), and they had 8 children. Sophia died in 1929 and Charles died in 1944.
Charles and Sophia's 4th child was Agnes Ruth, who married twice-she had 4 children by her first husband and one (my mother) by her second.
Tomorrow will be 200 years since my great great great grandfather arrived in Australia. He didn't want to come, and he may not have wanted to stay, but stay he did, and thank goodness he did.
My mother and her older sister are the only ones left from that generation. My aunt will be 88 next month, and lives in a nursing home. She is having day release and about 50 of my grandmother's descendants will be getting together to celebrate. Four of my cousins are coming from interstate-I haven't seen them since their father's funeral in August last year. Some of my relatives would like to be there but can't get to Sydney. Those of us who can are looking forward to celebrating a very special day in our family's life.