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>.

So Far Away

We are very lucky these days to be able to flit across the world. I always feel very sympathetic when I consider our ancestors leaving their 'mother country' to come to Australia.

In most cases they would never see their homeland or their family and friends again. How heartwrenching the goodbyes must have been.

The motivations for making the move must have outweighed those negatives. In some cases a family only made the move after the death of parents, and other family members, siblings and their families, or cousins also emigrated.

Of course, in Australia we had some who had the decision made for them, as many were sent out as convicts. One of these was William DROVER, my 3rd half-great uncle.

From "The Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh Scotland), Monday 17 Jan 1831 page 4":

William Drover was charged with murder, in so far as he did, on 4th or 5th November, within a house near the Fireworks, at Govan Colliery, wickely and feloniously assault Isobel Crooks his wife, with his fists or some other weapon unknown ; and did inflict severe bruises on her head, breast and other parts of her body, in consequence of which she died on the 6th November following, having been this cruelly murdered by the prisoner William Drover. He pleaded Not Guilty, and a written defence was handed in, in which it was stated that the prisoner and his wife had been married for twenty-seven years during which they had lived in the greatest harmony; that of late she had unfortunately become addicted to the drinking of spirits, but notwithstanding of this no change had taken place in his conduct towards her; that she frequently, while intoxicated, got severe falls; that on the Thursday preceeding her death, she left home to go to Glasgow, as she said, to the church ; but instead of doing so, she got herself drunk, and on coming home she bolted the door. On leaving his work, he could not get in by the door, but found entrance by a window, when he found her lying on the floor. He put her to bed, and she complained of being unwell, and died on Satruday morning.

After a long trial the Jury found a verdict of culpable homicide; and on Friday morning Drover was sentenced to transportation beyond seas for life.

He was transported aboard the convict transport "The Camden" to New South Wales in 1831, sailing into Port Jackson on 25 July 1831 (1), over 7,800 nautical miles (2) from home.

Whatever the truth of the case, it appears that their eldest son, John, did not hold any blame or malice towards his father, (regarding the death of his mother), as in 5 years he emigrated with his own family, to join his father (1).

John Drover soon after arriving in Australia in 1836 (1)

It is not believed that either of the other children of William and Isobel, (George or Alison), ever came to Australia. 

There are currently 266 known descendants of William and Isobel, 260 of these in Australia. Despite a tragic start, this has led to success in a new land, far away from Bonnie Scotland. 

(1) 'Convict William Drover and His Descendants' (The Early Lasswade Parish Drovers in Australia, compiled by Geoffrey William Drover, Feb 1993, ISBN 0 646 13718 2.
(2) https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-to-sail-from-Australia-to-the-UK

A Long Line of Miners...

Mining goes back a long way in my family.

The first miner I was aware of was my own father, Barrie Robert SMITH. In 1966 we shifted to Mt Isa in Northwest Queensland, as he had found a job working underground in Mt Isa Mines. Dad was a fitter and turner so would have worked on the machinery underground. He really hated working underground and re-trained in 1968 to leave and become a teacher.

Barrie Robert SMITH

Dad's adoptive father, (and biological grandfather), Arthur Douglas SMITH had many occupations, but one of them was as a miner. The electoral rolls don't say where he was working as a miner in his early life, but Dad did say that after he retired he went North regularly to do tin-scratching. I don't know how he got up there, as he never had a car or a driver's licence.

Arthur Douglas SMITH

Dad's biological mother, Doris Hamilton BRAY, applied for gold mining licences with her husband, Norbert SMANS, in 1938.

Doris BRAY

Doris was only following in her Cornish ancestral footsteps. Her father Abdiel was a miner at Moonta in South Australia, before relocating to Charters Towers to work in the gold mines. His father, Thomas BRAY, grandfather William BRAY, great-grandfather John BRAY, on and on back in the family were all miners. 

Abdiel BRAY

On Doris' mother's side there were also miners with grandfather William Henry Harris KESSELL being a miner, in Cornwall, Kadina in South Australia, and Charters Towers in Queensland. His father-in-law, Edward VIVIAN was a miner in Cornwall and South Australia, and his wife's grandfather John LAWN was a copper miner in Cornwall. 

An engraving of Cornish miners form the St Ives area in 1866, Source=French publication Date=1866 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cornish_miners_-_1866.png

A Fresh Start for the Drover Family

Charlotte Drover was ill and her doctor told her that she needed to get away from the cold wet climate in Edinburgh. He had diagnosed 'false angina.' This prompted William Steedman to pack up his family and they sailed on the "S.S. Pretorian" for Toronto Canada on 28 July 1906. Queenie, (Charlotte's daughter also Charlotte), held up the ship. She said she was late for the train, but the train waited for her, and the ship waited for her to arrive. (I am sure the rest of the family was with her as she was only 4 1/2).

https://www.gjenvick.com/Passengers/Ships/Pretorian-PassengerLists.html

Many other family members had already made the journey and were living in the eastern parts of Canada, so I am sure that was a major reason for chosing it. The family took up residence at 50 Bellview Avenue in Toronto.

50 Bellview Ave, circa 1909

50 Bellview Ave, circa 1987

Queenie went to school, and William (her father) taught music, mainly the violin and cello. A favourite passtime was making snow angels, and Queenie and Gilbert quite enjoyed living in Canada. Unfortunately, the climate in Toronto did not improve the paroxysms in her chest that Charlotte was suffering, and the doctor told her that she needed to be in a warmer country. 

The whole family, William, Charlotte, Fred, Nettie, Gilbert and Queenie headed back to Liverpool England, where they boarded with a Mrs Grant (although the passenger card says that they were living with a Miss Northcroft in Wallington, Berkshire). They had a friend in South Africa and a friend in Australia, and they didn't know which place to go, so they drew it out of a hat! On the 22 September 1910 they boarded the "S.S. Osterly" heading for Brisbane Australia. 

Even though Charlotte was ill she did all the packing in Canada, and left half a house full of furniture. A woman was employed to sell that furniture and send the money, but of course the money never came.

S.S. Osterley

Queenie said the voyage took six weeks and the everyone was amazed by seeing "Halley's Comet".

 

Taken in 1910 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Halley%27s_Comet_-_May_29_1910.jpg)

The kids on the ship must have had a lovely time, sliding down the bannisters, collecting gum, calling out "The World's come to an end, Mrs McGinty's washed her face", and enjoying cocoa and cheese for supper at night.

On arrival in Brisbane the family took up residence in a house called "Meadowside" on Kelvin Grove Road. This house had been described in an advertisement as being double-story with eight rooms and a splendid position, although subsequent advertisements described 7 rooms and a bathroom. William started advertising for pupils, but he had initially been a part of the orchestra playing at "The Lyceum" for King's Pictures.

"The Brisbane Courier" Mon 6 Mar 1911, p11 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19677062

By 1915 William was advertising for Instrumentalists for the St Andrew's orchestra. William's trade was as a printer, but I can't locate any evidence of him working in that profession, only as a music teacher and having his own orchestra. Aroung 1919 William was able to purchase their own home at 37 Spring Street, South Brisbane, which they named in favour of a special family place in Scotland, "Lasswade".

Charlotte and William lived here until they died, and then the home was taken over by their son, Gilbert and his wife Annie. Despite the warmer, drier weather, Charlotte continued to suffer her 'false angina' and lived to be 75 years old.

They may not have been aware, but they were not the first in the Drover family to come to Australia, although the previous member did not come of his own accord. William's half-great Uncle, also William, was convicted of the murder of his wife and sent to Australia nearly 80 years before. They were also not the last Drover emigrants as another William, William Cuthbertson Drover (Bill) and his wife Dot emigrated to Victoria before 1956 on the "Stratheden".

Footnote: the full transcript of the interview with Queenie is in this blog post.

Our Aussie Family Christmas Celebrations

The traditions for our family Christmas celebrations started before I was born, with the first for my family happening just after my parents got married. Their wedding was 21 December in 1957 in Brisbane, so their first Christmas was spent at Fingal Heads in Northern NSW, with my Mum's parents and family. This set the scene for many family Christmas celebrations to come, with many spent at Fingal. Of course, being the middle of Summer, Fingal beach was a favourite place to go.

I don't remember my very early Christmas celebrations, but judging by the photos I would have been 9 months old. Uncle Will made a great Santa, even if I wasn't quite so sure about him. It seems that for this particular Christmas Day we were at Aunty Nettie and Uncle Will's house in Queen Street, Redcliffe.

I look a bit worried about Santa, but I am safely in my Mum's arms.

Santa (Uncle Will) giving Aunty Nettie a gift while Des, (their daughter-in-law), looks on.

I am assuming I got an umbrella for Christmas - luckily it was in my favourite Tartan!

The family gathering at Aunty Nettie's, with Aunty Val (pregnant with Peter), Nellie, Bert Carby, Des, ? behind, Auntie Nettie, Uncle Fred, Uncle Gilbert, in the front row, Uncle Paul amusing me, June, Mum. Jacklyn, ?.

This is how I remember many of our Christmas lunches, in Grandma's dining room at Fingal, with aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Mum and Grandma

Grandpa, Uncle Will, Aunty Nettie, Dad, Mum and me on Grandma's lap.

This year I got a baby doll with a feeding bottle, a beach ball, a teddy and a golliwog.

My new toys all lined up.

We lived in Violet Town in Victoria when I was three, and this photo shows the chimney behind the Christmas tree. This house had two rooms with chimneys. Originally the old lady who lived next door told me I was so lucky that my bedroom was in a room that had a chimney as Santa would be able to come right down. Well, I lay in bed terrified, absolutely sure I could see a black boot at the end of red trousers coming down into the fireplace. In the end my parents had to shift my bedroom as I couldn't sleep all night.

This silver foil tree was in our family for many Christmas's to come.

For 5 years we lived in Mt Isa, and most of the time we travelled south to Fingal for the Christmas holidays, but one year, at least, we didn't and had our Christmas day at home.

I decided I would make a treat for my brothers, and made a Santa marionette. For months I saved up my pocket money and used it to buy little gifts, which I individually wrapped. Santa had a hook on his hand so he could pick up the gifts and give them to Steve and Mal.

   

This post was inspired by Maria Northcote of Genies Down Under  in her December 2014 podcast Episode 39: Christmas Stuff for Genies.