The IRELAND & HORSMAN families migrate to Australia

We will probably never know what prompted Esther PAYNE to decide to come to Australia in February of 1840. She was the eldest child of John Walpole IRELAND and Esther HORSMAN, and in 1836 married William PAYNE.(1)

"The Colonist", Wed 12 Feb 1840 p2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31724557

There 'seem' to be no children of this marriage, and we can only assume that William died, as Esther emigrated as a 'single' cook, aged 25, (daughter of John IRELAND (Cooper) and Esther IRELAND), aboard the "James Pattison". She spared little time before she married Heinrich PROTT (Henry), in April 1840, as a widow. Also on the same ship was her sister, Mary Anne COOKE (nee IRELAND), with her husband Robert COOKE, In addition, her 17-year-old brother Alfred, a pastrycook, who was engaged on board the ship on arrival. What eventually happened to Alfred is a mystery, as in 1846 his mother was advertising for him in "The Sydney Morning Herald":

FREDERICK OR ALFRED IRELAND, who arrived in this colony free, per James Pattison, in 1840, and entered the service of Mr. Lachlan McAlister, is requested to forward his place of residence, for the information of his mother, who has been unsuccessfully seeking him for the last five years.
N.B -Any person who can afford any information of the above-named person, will confer a deep obligation by addressing a line to Mr. H. Witton, 59, Elizabeth-street, Sydney; or, Mrs. Ireland, Darlinghurst Brewery.(2)

The ship departed for England, via India on 7 March 1840, but caught on fire on 29th of September, and although being totally destroyed the crew were saved.(3)

John Walpole IRELAND and Esther (nee HORSMAN) arrived as bounty immigrants aboard the "Queen Victoria" on 26 July 1841. Perhaps they were excited to meet their first grandchild, William Henry PROTT who was born only weeks before their arrival. It appears that John & Esther were accompanied by their daughters Martha Rebecca and Matilda Ruth. Their 2nd eldest daughter, Harriet Elizabeth, who was 24 at the time, 'appears' to have remained in England. How another son, John William IRELAND came to Australia is yet to be determined.

"Port Phillip Patriot & Melbourne Advertiser" 2 Aug 1841, p2
 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226511494 

On his immigration, John Walpole IRELAND had said he was a cooper, but he must have shifted his trade slightly as 2 years after arrival he was charged with illegal distillation, at or beside Albion Brewery in Sydney. Sometime after this he became a publican and held the licence to the "Cottage of Content" in Wooloomooloo Street until his death in 1852. Esther took over the licence, but sold just over a year afterwards. Apart from an altercation in 1857, where she was charged with failing to appear on a summons regarding threatening language, (in which she was wrongly named), nothing further is known until her death in 1873.

Esther had been the eldest surviving child of her parents, James HORSMAN and Mary (nee CUCANN or KUKAN), but they had died in 1825 and 1840 respectively, so perhaps the death of her mother also had some bearing on the decision to migrate to Australia. Nothing much is known of her other siblings, but it seems that her youngest brother, William Burnell HORSMAN and his wife Eliza Silke (nee EVANS), also decided to emigrate. The youngest of their 8 children, Ruth, was born in Sydney in 1843. Sadly, William was drowned when the "Sovereign" steamer was wrecked off Amity Point, Queensland in 1847.(4)

There are over 800 currently known descendants of the IRELANDS, and 172 currently known descendants of the HORSMANS in Australia.

(1) Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire; Gloucestershire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Numbers: Gdr/V1/374

(2) "Advertising" The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) 20 November 1846: 4. Web. 25 Feb 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12899871>.

(3) "AUSTRAL-ASIA SHIPPING." South Australian Record and Australasian and South African Chronicle (London, England : 1840 - 1841) 24 October 1840: 15. Web. 25 Feb 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245933247>.

(4) "MELANCHOLY LOSS OF THE SOVEREIGN STEAMER." The Sentinel (Sydney, NSW : 1845 - 1848) 1 April 1847: 1. Web. 26 Feb 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226461801>.

Letters & Diaries - A Love Story

When this topic came up I was wondering exactly what I was going to write about. I don't have any diaries, apart from my own, and although I do have letters, none are particularly old ones. 

So, I thought I might just have a look through my mother's 'box'. 

I have only briefly scanned it in the 13 years since she died, and didn't really think there was anything of to much interest there. How wrong could I be? There were certainly letters, quite a few from me, including one sent when I was a child and sent to a camp at Magnetic Island, and another after I gave birth to my eldest son. There were letters from my Grandfather...I had forgotten that he had always written in red ink! They are hard to read, so for another day. There were receipts for lots of things, telegrams, cards, medallions, and newspaper clippings. The real gem was an unassuming little Spirax notebook with my mother's name, Val Anderson, on the front. 

It seems that this is a bit of a diary from before she married. And, the little bit of diary is about the holiday she went on with her future-to-be sister-in-law, (also Val), where she met my father!

It reads:

Monday 16th July 1956

The boat was set to said at 11 o'clock. We went to the Wintergarden to see "Never Say Goodby (sic)" then we looked over the ship. Had a snack at Haddon Hall. Then home to cook the tea.

9 o'clock Auntie & Uncle picked us up and we boarded the 'Elsanna" shortly after.

Dad came too and they were just going to see us off settled & then go. We watched the loading of cargo, and Dad spoke to Mrs. Campbell & introduced us. Then the bier was over and the time passed quickly. Fun and games with the streamers and one honeymoon couple on board. Stayed on deck for a while going down river.

Tuesday:: Slept fairly well!

Breakfast: Pawpaw, rolled oats, Haddock & tea & toast. 

Cloudy at first, but gradually lightening. Record sitting for meals.

A porpoise led the ship this morning. Said to be a good sign. Pinky colour, big & very fst. Also spotted a whale.

Lunch: Soup (veg), Sirloin steak, vegs & ginger steamed pudding.

Afternoon tea.

Sunbaked on deck, knitted & slept.

Sadly, the following pages are written in shorthand, so I can't read them. Mum was a stenographer, shorthand/typist.

the "Elsanna"

The story that I have been told is that Val was sea-sick, so Mum had been sunbaking on the deck alone. She looked up and Dad, a 4th Engineer on the ship, came up from below-decks in his white uniform, dazzling in the sun. It was love at first sight!

Val and Barrie at the ship's wheel

Dad looks very pleased with himself there.

I also have the letter that Mum sent to her mother telling her that she had met "the one"!

There doesn't seem to be a photo of Dad in his white uniform, but here he is at what I think is their engagement.

Barrie in his uniform, Val sitting

This meeting had a happy ending as they married on 21 December 1957, and were together 54 years until Val died. 

Barrie SMITH (1934-2014) and Val (nee ANDERSON) 1935-2012)

Surprise! I'm Related!

In over 40 years of family history research, some of the best surprises I have had is when I discover that someone, who I already know, is related to me.

The year 2000 was when I set off, back-packing alone, on my first overseas trip, to visit and experience the places of my ancestors, Scotland, England, & Germany. I had a wonderful time, and when I returned home, a lovely friend caught up with me for a coffee. She asked what surnames I was looking for in Germany, as her husband also had German ancestors. I reeled off the main surnames: WEINHEIMER, WEIBLER, MELCHERT... She said "hold on! I've got Melchert relations!" I really thought it was unlikely, as every MELCHERT in Australia seems to be a descendant of one William Frederick Martin MELCHERT, who came to Australia some time before 1877, and we have a pretty good handle on all his descendants. I even thought that she had misheard what I said, but it turns out that my great-uncle William Frederick Martin MELCHERT, Junior, is married to Lee's great-aunt, Elsie Beatrice ROBERTSON! How exciting to be linked, (even by marriage), to someone as lovely as my friend Lee.

In the early days of research, I was mostly trying to locate my father's biological parents, given that his announcement of his adoption, (see this post), was what started me on my journey. Once he was able to legally receive his Birth Certificate, it stated that his mother was Doris BRAY. Doris had been born to Abdiel BRAY and Lily May KESSELL in 1916 in Charters Towers. I made contact with another family historian from that family, Bill BRAY, and it turned out that his son is married to the twin sister of my best friend from High School, both of whom I went to school with.

DNA has also played a part. There was no match to me, but matches to 2 cousins and to my brother of a lady who had the surname of someone I had also attended High School with, in my class. I 'had' often wondered if there was a connection, and eventually linked up with my school friend on Facebook. She confirmed that the match was her sister, and it turns out that I am a 4th cousin to their father. Our shared ancestors are Alexander Dun SMITH and Helen TURNER, from Scotland, but who emigrated to Australia in 1853. We have since caught up in person, and are both amazed to find out we are related.

I am sure there will be plenty more of these wonderful surprises yet to come, as I locate more descendants of my ancestors.

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