The Robert Whatmough Story

by Jacinta Crealy, 2012

Pic 1. Robert Whatmough Pic 2. Mary Whatmough

Robert William Whatmough (1815 – 1887)

Birthplace and Family

Robert Whatmough was born on 26 Sep 1815 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England1. He was the eldest of 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls, born to Benjamin Whatmough (1788 – 18552) and Sarah Brearley (1794 – 18423). Robert’s parents, Benjamin and Sarah, were married at St. Leonard, Middleton, Lancashire, England on 21 Nov 1813. Benjamin was listed as a weaver, and Sarah was listed as a spinster4. Benjamin appears to have remained in the occupation of weaver, as listed on the marriage records of children, James (married in 1843) and William (married in 1844)5. Once a proud profession, the Industrial Revolution sent weavers into poverty and led to riots and criminal charges that included the death penalty and transportation. Whether Benjamin played a part in these public uprisings is unknown, but it is likely that poverty became his lot. Both Benjamin and his wife Sarah died in Heywood, Rochdale; Sarah at the young age of 48 and Benjamin at age 67.

The Lancashire Riots by Christine Goodier MA6

Between 1770 and 1830 British society experienced a period of great social tension. Abroad, the country was at war, first with America and then with France, while at home groups like the machine-breaking Luddites spoke of overthrowing the established order. Trades Unions were springing up to fight the many inconsistencies and injustices that went hand in hand with industrialisation. Revolution was in the air, and the government response was a crack-down on free-speech and the outlawing of many peaceful groups, moves which only forced them underground. With no police force the maintenance of

law and order fell to local magistrates, aided by the military. Bad harvests and the fluctuating price of staples such as bread and potatoes, left many families in dire need.

Periodically East Lancashire, the heartland of the textile industry, was subject to serious outbreaks of violence directed primarily at the growth of the factory system. Mobs made up of Handloom Weavers, who saw their very way of life threatened, attacked and destroyed hundreds of looms -and the mills that housed them- in short but violent outbursts of fury, fed by fear and desperation.

At West Houghton in 1812, and again in a more widespread outbreak in 1826, ordinary men and women who could see no other option, took the law into their own hands, with inevitable consequences. These were dangerous and volatile times. The Lancashire Weavers

The ‘golden age’ of the independent handloom weaver lasted roughly from 1790 to 1812. For most of this period, entire families were involved with the trade. Many men who had once worked the land turned to weaving, and immediately prospered. With a four- day week, high status as skilled craftsmen, and a wage that allowed them to live in comfort, the weavers were the elite of the burgeoning working class. However, things were changing. Almost from the start of this period a series of inventions followed one upon the other that at first assisted the weavers, allowing for the production of larger quantities of finished cloth. Ultimately, of course, these innovations would actually lead to the destruction of the weavers’ way of life. Many of these ground-breaking advances were the inventions of Lancastrians. Their impact was phenomenal, and would ultimately change the face of the western world. In, 1784 Edmund Cartwright invented the “Powerloom.” The first factory opened in Manchester in 1784 with 400 looms operating. The proliferation of such mills was swift, rising from just over 300 in 1819 to nearly 1,000 in 1841. Semi-skilled workers could now produce far greater quantities of cloth at lower prices, gradually squeezing the independent weaver from the marketplace. The Riots of 1812 and 1826

On Friday April 24th 1812 a mob 60-100 strong attacked and destroyed the mill of Thomas Rowe and James Duncough at West Houghton. Four men were found guilty and sentenced to death for their part in the West Houghton riot. They were Job Fletcher, Thomas Kerfoot, James Smith and Abraham Charleson, who was officially listed as being 16, but who may have been as young as 13.

After a period of prosperity in the 1810s the textile industry suffered a serious slump in 1825. Weavers who had been employed to supplement production at local factories were the first to be hit, and by the spring of 1826 there was once again real hardship in the county. Pleas to the government for a minimum wage had fallen on deaf ears, and attempts by the workers to better their own lot had been met with repression and even, as witnessed in Manchester in 1819, with appalling violence (the so-called “Peterloo Massacre”) The average earnings for weavers had nearly halved, and unemployment was running, in some areas, at a staggering 60%. On Monday April 24th 1826 a mob some 1,000 strong gathered on Whinney Hill, near Accrington. The mob split into two groups, one marching to Sykes Higher Grange Mill, where they smashed 60 looms, the other making for Oswaldtwistle where two mills were attacked and a total of 154 looms destroyed. The mob had encountered troops on the way, but the soldiers did nothing to stop them,

indeed some gave the rioters their own rations, leading the mob to believe that the army was on their side. The attacks continued all that day and into the next, with mills destroyed in Over Darwen, Helmshore and Blackburn, among other places. At Chatterton the army finally made a stand. They fired into the crowd, killing 4 people- one a woman who was merely waiting for a coach to Manchester. By Thursday 27th April the riots had run their course. and over 1,100 looms had been destroyed at an estimated cost of £16,000. In total 53 men and 12 women were tried for their part in the riots in Lancaster Castle. Of those convicted, 35 men and 6 women received the Death Penalty. In the end all of these people were reprieved, with some receiving short prison sentences or fines. However 8 men and 2 women (Ann Entwistle and Mary Hindle the only female rioters to ever receive such a sentence) were transported for life to Australia.

Despite a charity fund set up to aid them, the weavers had a terrible time following the riots. In Haslingden between May and September 1826, 35 children under 4 died. Between December 1826 and March 1827 a total of 107 people were buried in the churchyard. The handloom weavers never recovered. All that remained was the factory, a 78 hour week and the end of everything they had fought so hard to defend.

Ironically, the mill-owners fared very well as a result of the riots. Compensation (levied on the rates) enabled them to re-stock their mills with new machinery, and most of them became very wealthy indeed.

Soup kitchens, Lancashire weavers’ families

Chartism Robert was aged 11 at the time of the 1826 riots, 6 years older than his next sibling, and possibly the only child in the family old enough to understand that the world around him was changing. Family legend records that Robert was a lieutenant in the Chartist movement7, which began in 1836 when Robert was 21. Although I have not seen written evidence to confirm his Chartist membership, it is certainly likely given what the family was enduring, and the enormous support the movement garnered.

Extract ‘Roots of Democracy: The Chartists’ In 1836 a committee of six MPs and six working men including William Lovett from the London Working Men’s Association, drew up a petition to Parliament containing six objectives: • Suffrage for all men 21 and over • Equal sized electoral districts • Voting by secret ballot • An end to the property qualification for parliament • Pay for MPs • An annual election of parliament These objectives acted as a catalyst to unite many organisations around Britain including trade unions. It was taken up by hundreds of thousands of industrial workers because they saw an answer to their intolerable economic grievances.

In 1838 the six points were formed into a Parliamentary Bill which became known as the People’s Charter. This was endorsed at mass rallies all over Britain. The movement spread and changed character with three strands. There was the right wing who wanted to use peaceful persuasion and education. The centre was grouped around Feargus O’Connor supported by industrial workers, miners and the ruined hand workers of the North. The left wing was led by O’Brien, a socialist.

The Chartist petition was signed by one and a quarter million people including many women even though the Charter did not demand suffrage for them. This petition was presented to parliament in 1839, but, MPs voted 235 votes to 46 not to hear the petitioners. The employers and ruling class were frightened the Charter would overthrow the English Constitution. Historically this marked the point where workers recognised they were an independent force.

Later in 1839, and still shrouded in mystery, the Newport rebellion took place. Three columns of Chartists, mainly miners from Wales, marched on Newport under cover of night to demand the release of a Chartist leader. Hastily sworn in Special Constables arrested Chartist leaders. Even though plans were kept secret, soldiers waited in hiding and shot at the columns killing ten people. The leaders were put on trial for conspiracy and sentenced to death. The sentences were commuted to transportation to Australia.

Over the next months many Chartist leaders were arrested and imprisoned causing the movement to go underground. A revival did take place as these leaders left gaol and the National Chartist Association was formed.

A second petition with three and a half million signatures was presented to, and again rejected by, parliament in 1842. This coincided with a depression which lasted a year where there was short-time working, wage reductions and rising food prices. Workers took things into their own hands and in Lancashire, the Midlands, Scotland and Yorkshire they went on strike and made economic demands. The unrest became widespread and known as the Plug Plot because plugs in steam boilers were removed to prevent factories working. The NCA eventually recognised the strike and a Manchester trade union conference demanded the Charter be implemented.

The Chartist leaders were much encouraged by the election to Parliament, in July 1847, of their popular leader, Feargus O'Connor.

Working people had proclaimed themselves as Chartists at crowded meetings throughout March 1848. The authorities had viewed this campaign with great concern, and some of the propertied classes had come to believe that the Chartists intended revolution, even though the Movement's leaders always emphasized their commitment to peaceful protest. The government's concern led to Queen Victoria being dispatched to the Isle of Wight for her safety, and the Duke of Wellington - with thousands of soldiers and special constables - was brought in to defend London.

8

The best known petition is the petition of 1848, with six million signatures (although a number of these were later found to be fake), presented to Parliament on 10th April 1848 after a huge meeting on Kennington Common. This event achieved great prominence in the story of Chartism.

9eAll the objectives of the Charter except the annual parliament were eventually attained.

8

Chartist meeting, Kennington Common, 18488

In 1839, at the height of the violent response to the Chartist rebellion and subsequent arrests, Robert married Mary Hill of Lancashire on 4 Aug 1839 at the Manchester Collegiate Church, Lancashire.10 Five months later on 18 Jan 1840, daughter Jemima was born at Schofield St, Heywood, Rochdale, Lancaster, England.11

The Voyage When Jemima was only 8½ months old, the young family undertook the perilous journey to Australia on the ship Georgiana, which left Liverpool on 4 Oct 1840 (see Appendix 1). The reasons for leaving their homeland are open to speculation: poverty; the promise of a better life; adventure; or perhaps escape from the risk of imprisonment due to Robert’s Chartist connections. This emigration was timely. The Australian colony was under increasing pressure from critics to cease convict transportation to New South Wales. There was concern that the ongoing culture of slavery would negatively impact on the colony’s moral and social development.12 With the country crying out for skilled labour, the government began paying for immigrants’ fares in 183213, the beginning of the assisted immigration schemes. In 1836, the bounty immigration scheme began14, effectively a sub-contracting of the immigration business:

Bounty immigrants were free immigrants whose passage was paid by the colonial government under the `bounty scheme'. Under this scheme, an incentive or reward (i.e. bounty) was paid to recruiting agents in Britain to find suitable skilled labour and tradespeople, then ship them out to the new colony which urgently needed the working class people to do the manual labour in this new and untouched land.

Bounties were paid to the ships' masters for the safe delivery of their passengers under the scheme. The typical bounty was 19 pound ($38) for an adult and 5 pound for a child. ...Under the `bounty scheme' newly married couples, or single men and women were given preference. Large families were rarely accepted. Selected immigrants were generally shepherds, ploughmen and agricultural labourers, with a lesser number of tradespeople such as brickmakers, carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors and needlewomen.

15

Pic 3. Section of Passenger List of Georgiana, 1841. Record of Watmore family.

Robert and his family were bounty immigrants, recruited by a merchant company based in Sydney, A B Smith & Co. According to a family history contributor, Robert was listed under a different name on the ship’s passenger list, that of William Watmore16. In every other respect, the details of the family appear accurate: that he and wife Mary are aged 24, that he is a farmer, that they are both from Lancashire, and that on arrival in Port Phillip Bay on 23 Feb 1841, daughter Jemima is aged 1 year and 1 month old. A man named Robert Whaternough paid his own fare as a steerage passenger on the same voyage (Appendix 1), which may be coincidental, or perhaps this was Robert taking a cheap fare option, perhaps all they could afford, and migrating as a single man. With Mary posing as William Watmore’s wife, this may have been a way for the whole family to migrate together. Mary and Jemima would have been safer as cabin passengers, where they were less likely to suffer disease and malnutrition. This would have required the ‘real’ William Watmore to pretend to be Mary’s husband.

One practice which frequently occurred during this period was the taking on of an alias in order to obtain passage. This happened in cases where passage had been denied under the correct name; in these instances, the assumed name was often the maiden name or the name of a person with whom travelling. In other instances, an immigrant assumed the name of a person to whom a passage certificate had been granted.

17

Picture 4. Steerage passengers

Steerage passengers had to cook and fend for themselves, crammed together on the lower decks. Overcrowding was a constant problem leading to outbreaks of cholera and typhus. David Hollet observed that “British emigrant ships on the north Atlantic run only

allowed ten feet of space for every adult, two children counting as one, and infants not being include in the calculations. ...Health care on these ships was either totally inadequate or non-existent. Most ships had no proper toilet facilities and even when rudimentary water closets were provided, these were located on the open deck, and could not be used in rough weather.18

The events of the voyage to Australia were colourfully described in the diary of the ship’s Surgeon Superintendent, Richard Ryther Steer Bowker, who ultimately settled in Australia and became a prominent and respected surgeon, councillor and politician. See Appendix 2 for Bowker’s diary transcript. Bowker described the ship’s captain as “being of the mongrel kind (a cross between an ass and a pony)”, and seemed similarly unimpressed with the crew, who were often insulting and abusive towards the passengers. His complaints to the Captain fell on deaf ears. The entire ship was particularly affected by a paying passenger, Rev Mr Wigmore, an Irish Church of England clergyman. “The noisy Revd. who grumbles (not grumbles either for it more nearly approaches a roar)” was “above 6 feet and is, as the vulgar say, as thin as a lash, gaunt and bony, his nose aquiline, eyes hollow, jaws like nutcrackers.” Mr Wigmore complained loudly and continuously, and became more fractious as the journey continued. The conflict between Wigmore and the Captain reached its peak when the “Captain had [Wigmore’s] door locked with a padlock, Wigmore vociferating that he would break open the door...Wigmore commenced knocking the door from the inside as if with a hammer.” Bowker also had to deal with 17 deaths in the course of the voyage, 3 adults and 14 children (29% of the children aboard). Many of the children died of scarlatine, or scarlet fever, leading to the ship being quarantined for 5 days upon the ship’s arrival at Port Phillip on 19 Feb 1841. At last the family set foot on Australian soil on 23 Feb 184119. It appears the infant Jemima may have been lucky to survive the voyage. Family Biography Alan Partington, Robert’s grandnephew, wrote about Robert Whatmough for a family reunion gathering in Diamond Creek in March 1988. Alan recalls stories passed down from his family. An extract follows:

Robert and Mary, and baby daughter Jemima, came to Australia in 1841. Robert built a bark hut on land which is now the corner of Spencer Street and Flinders Lane, close to where Batman had his orchard. Batman’s orchard ran from Spencer Street to the Yarra River on land which is now Spencer Street Railway Station and Yards. Robert’s son, Emmett [Robert Emmett Whatmough], was born in the bark hut in February, 1842. Robert obtained a job as lamplighter of Melbourne from the then “Powers of Melbourne”, whose headquarters were in Sydney. He also did spare time work in the Batman orchard and learned enough about orchard work to enable him later to move to Greensborough and start his own orchard. He also had previous knowledge of botany and gardening.

He had a contract of two years as lamplighter and lit the kerosene lights in Bourke and Collins Streets. He used to tell stories of how the aborigines, of whom there was quite a number in Melbourne, used to dig holes in the dirt roads and footpaths, cover them with bark and sticks in an endeavour to trap the lamplighter. It was always a very proud point with my family that Whatmough, who was a big strong active man, was never trapped. I would like to mention a very interesting story – In an old diary of Whatmough’s (now lost), he stated that one night he was unable to light his kerosene lamps on the eastern section of Bourke and Collins Streets, as he was unable to cross the gully which was in flood after heavy rain; this gully is now Elizabeth Street. All water from the hills and dales from Carlton South and West used to flow down this gully into a small creek, causing larger flooding than we could imagine today. His excuse was accepted by the board which employed him. In late 1842, Whatmough moved to Greensborough on river flat land which is now the corner of Church Street on one side (west) and bounded by the railway line on the south side and the Plenty River on the east and north. He then started his own orchard. As his lamp lighting contract was not finished, Whatmough walked from Greensborough to Melbourne in the evening to light his lamps and then walked back to Greensborough. Whatmough remained an orchardist until his death. [One of his orchards] is now known as Whatmough Park. Whatmough was a very knowledgeable man in all matters of botany and gardening. He wrote a book in conjunction with Robert Cook on botany and gardening. This book is written in longhand and is arranged in alphabetical order. This book is still in my possession; it was written about 150 years ago, in the early 1830s

20.

Melbourne 1836 - 1848

In June 1836, the young township of Melbourne consisted of 177 residents and 26,500 sheep. There were only 3 weatherboard buildings, about 10 slab or turf huts and a number of tents. These residents were new neighbours for three clans of Aboriginal people who had lived there for more than 50,000 years. A reserve for the Aborigines was set aside on the south bank of the Yarra, about 3 kilometres from the settlement. Plans were made to settle them in a village supervised by Christian missionaries and encourage them to work, but these were not carried out in favour of focusing on other settlement matters21. This dispossession caused immense change to the Aboriginal clans:

With their traditional way of life largely destroyed, deprived of their land and their food, labouring under dysentery, typhus, syphilis, rheumatism, acute catarrh, influenza and other pulmonary diseases, many became beggars. Some were killed by violence, but disease and destitution were the lot of many others and the birthrate fell drastically.

21

Perhaps Robert Whatmough’s stories about the elaborate “traps” were just one way for the Aborigines to annoy and harass their disrespectful neighbours.

In June 1837, Robert Hoddle completed his 3-month survey and allocation of allotments of the young township of Melbourne, based on a simple grid overlay. Melbourne went under auction with the condition that buyers put up houses within 12 months, though not all achieved this. Prices ranged between £5 and £95, and settlers flooded in. By November 1837, Melbourne’s population was around1000. One third of these were women, and 80% of them were from Van Diemen’s land, including ex-convicts. The next few years were boom years, with land values skyrocketing, trades and businesses flourishing and significant building works beginning to take place.21 These boom years required skilled free labour which was sorely lacking, and the government turned to immigration to fill this need. In the three years from 1839 to 1841, 1100 immigrants arrived from the United Kingdom21, Robert and his family amongst them. In March 1841, Melbourne’s population had risen to 4,500, and by the end of 1842, had reached 8,000 people, with women accounting for almost half of the residents.21 “Progress in town followed what was to become a familiar Australian pattern: boom, bust and a slow but successful recovery.”21

The depression in England led to a slump in the wool market in 1840, the land market became glutted and sales ceased. By 1842, the bust was settling in, and the government withdrew its immigration subsidy. Between 1842 and 1845, almost a third of the settlement’s 1000 businesses became insolvent. This was followed by a slow, steady improvement with the pastoral industry providing a firm economic base. Accordingly, immigration schemes were re-introduced in 1848.21

Pic 5. Batman’s Hill and house on the Yarra, 1863

Diamond Valley One of Melbourne’s founders was the prosperous Tasmanian farmer, John Batman. In 1835, he settled near the present site of Southern Cross Station where he developed his orchard. Batman also explored and laid claim to the Diamond Valley area in 1836. He died of syphilis in 1839, aged 38 years old.22 Although Robert did not meet John Batman, this man continued to resonate throughout his life. Robert could step out of his bark hut in Melbourne and look across to Batman’s orchard, where he worked part-time and developed his skills as an orchardist in this new land. In 1842, he took his family, Jemima and their two small children, out to Diamond Valley. Life on the Plenty River at Diamond Valley was no easier than in Melbourne, with new settlers building basic huts and eking out a living. Few could afford to buy land, and for many, including Robert, leasing the land was their only option. Most of the land on the Plenty was purchased by settlers Edward Theodore and Frederick Nevins Flintoff in 1844. Flintoff and his son built their first homestead beside the river, where they planted a garden and orchard of about 3 hectares23. Flintoff’s orchard was described as follows:

...the original lessee was Robert Whatmough...It appears that the majority of trees in the garden were in the first place brought over from

Van Dieman’s Land by John Batman and planted in his garden at the survey camp, somewhere near the site of Victoria’s greatest railway

station. After Batman’s death, the trees were sold and Flintoff bought a number at £1 a piece...A mulberry tree commanded attention...at

the present time it yields £3 worth of fruit yearly, but in the early days the tree in a single section used to bring in £15. This was in the days

of the gold fever and the garden used to bring in £700 a year for Whatmough...23

“During the early periods there were several societies connected with agriculture including the Horticulture Society of Victoria, the

Port Phillip Farmers’ Society, and the Victorian Agricultural Society. These groups supported agriculturalists, gave them advice,

assistance and support and an opportunity to compete and exhibit their products.

“The Horticultural Gazette noted in 1859:

...at the recent exhibition of the Horticultural Society of Victoria at the Melbourne Botanical Gardens...it was gratifying to notice the

perseverance with which some of the horticulturalists around Melbourne have gone on year after year improving the various products of

their gardens. We may fairly instance the Coles, Mr Rule and Mr Robert Whatmough and others who have exhibited at nearly every show

of the society since it has been in existence...

“Whatmough’s prize pumpkin weighed seventy pounds! Whatmough also won prizes for his fruits, including apples, and must have

been the perfect example of the tenant farmer conscientiously tending his plants.”23

Life and death in the Whatmough family

While Robert was making his name as an orchardist, he and Mary had another 3 boys and 5 girls between 1844 and 1856.

However, Robert and Mary experienced the heartbreak of losing six of their ten children between 1845 and 1858.24

Family Timeline 18 Jan 1840 Jemima born, Rochdale, Lancashire, England 26 Mar 1842 Robert Emmett born, Melbourne, Victoria. 11 May 1844 Job born, Greensborough, Victoria. 12 Apr 1845 Job dies, aged 11 months. 17 Sep 1845 Sarah born, Greensborough, Victoria [our ancestor] 28 Jun 1847 James born, Greensborough, Victoria 1 Feb 1848 James dies, aged 7 months 15 Jun 1848 Margaret born, Greensborough, Victoria 24 Mar 1850 Margaret dies, aged 21 months 26 Jan 1851 Jessica Ann born, Greensborough, Victoria 4 Sep 1853 Mary Ann born, Greensborough, Victoria 11 Nov 1853 Mary Ann dies, aged 2 months 25 Jul 1854 Benjamin born, Greensborough, Victoria 2 Jan 1855 Benjamin dies, aged 5 months 22 Jun 1856 Rosalie born 29 May 1958 Jessica Ann dies, aged 7 years. Fever for 14 days.

Members of Robert’s family emigrate to Australia In 1848, Robert’s brother James emigrated to Australia on the Lady Peel. He married and settled in the Newbury area, Victoria, northwest of Melbourne.24 In 1849, back in Lancashire England, Robert’s younger sister Ellen had married Charles Partington.25 They had 4 children between 1850 and 1855, Sarah, James, Emma and Robert. Unfortunately, Sarah and Emma died as infants.26 In 1856, Charles and Ellen came to Australia as assisted immigrants on the Arabian, with James aged 5 and Robert aged 1, arriving in Geelong on 27 Jan 1857.27 Details about the journey on the Arabian haven’t been located, but it appears that baby Robert became sick on the journey, as he died 5 days after the family’s arrival in Australia.Pic 4

Charles and Ellen travelled to Greensborough to stay with Robert and Mary. The two families appear to have been very close. Charles and Ellen went on to have another 7 children, although in 1860, they lost James, their son who had travelled from England with them, aged 9.28 The two couples buried their children in a private cemetery, as there was no official cemetery for the area at that time. Charles and Ellen’s grandson, Alan Partington, advised local historians that every spring, bulbs flower to identify each grave.29

Robert and Mary lived on a property called Lookout Hill.29 Charles, in the

meantime, leased the property, Willis Vale, from Flintoff. In 1872, Flintoff was

renting a small garden and paddock for £30 a year to Partington, the lease

extending from seven to fourteen years, and, in a letter to Partington, Flintoff wrote:

‘so that you can feel it is a home to do as you like...I have extended the lease...’23

Pic 6. Cemetery memorial, Whatmough & Partington children.

Charles and Ellen (nee

Whatmough) Partington

outside 'Willis Vale' homestead

Greensborough (circa 1885)

[Museum Victoria - Gary Partington 2008]

Faye Fort (nee Partington) is the great grand-daughter of Charles and Ellen. Her story about life at Willis Vale is posted on the Greensborough Historical Society’s website, date 10 July 2011. Her story follows.30

When my grandfather William James Partington died in 1947, in

his sleep, beside his wife Annie May, she was left alone with 150

acres of land to look after, as well as a farm to run. 'Willis Vale', a

two-story house overlooking the Plenty River, by this time the

house was over 100 years old. It was built in 1840. My father, his

brother and sisters were all born there. The kitchen was separated

from the rest of the house, the same as the homes back in

England, the reason for this was, in case of fire, which often

happened, when lamps and candles were knocked over, it was

easier to put out a fire, the water tanks were just outside the

kitchen.

After my grandfather’s death, my family had to sell our house and

move in with Annie May and help run the farm. We all slept up

stair in two bedrooms, there was no bathroom or plumbing, we

only had a large jug and basin for washing, if we wanted hot

water, we had to go down stairs and out to the boiler, which was in the kitchen,

where there was always hot water. Our bath was a big tin tub. There was no

covering between the house and the kitchen, if it was raining you just ran like mad,

the same if you needed to go to the old dunny, which had an ivy creeper growing all

over it. It was scary for us as small children aged four, five and six. My brother Garry

was born in 1943, six years after me.

Annie May lived there until she was in her sixty’s, still milking her cow, and still using the log to cross over the river, now with a walking

stick, she still attended church regularly, and visited friends as she had done for years. Can you believe, in those days there were no

locks on the doors or windows. She loved gathering blackberries and making jam. I can still taste it today, with scolded cream on scones,

yum.

My poor mother had never lived on a farm before; we didn’t have a fridge, only a Coolgardie, a frame with bagging all around it, kept wet,

and on top a container filled with water. We were all healthy kids. Most of our food was home grown and home cooked, always plenty of

milk, eggs, poultry etc. being so young, we didn’t realize how tough things were.

I remember when Garry aged about three, on two occasions, couldn’t be found, they searched everywhere, of course the river being the

first place, eventually he was found under the floor of the old fruit house, this was where the fruit and

vegies used to be kept ready for the market, another time he was found under the fruit house again,

this time playing with kittens that had been born there.

Not long after this, mum had taken Garry and the horse and dray up to town to get flour and sugar,

which at that time, was in large hessian sacks, on the way home, they had crossed the ford, and were

half way up the lane when mum stopped to open the gate, the horse, which had come from the Army

was used to a brake being used when stopped, so of course, it backed down into the river and turned

over the dray, everything getting wet, including Garry. Things weren’t very happy at our house for a

while.

My father, a policeman, stationed and working at Heidelberg, this meant that mum had to do almost

everything, as well as lighting the fires, washing which was done in a tub and looking after us kids,

poor dear. We kids all went to Greensborough Primary School, as those before us had. From 'Willis

Vale', we had to cross the river, as those before had done, on a log with wire to hold onto (The log

was our bridge). Later in 1947, my family moved across the river to a new house at Whatmough

Park, Annie, in her 70’s, went to live with her daughter in Greenhills.

Now empty, vandals wrecked the old house, sideboards, and bookcases full of books,

feather mattresses even the organ, all chopped up with axes, it was such a shame. The

marble fireplace had been imported from Italy, the stove and boiler from, Locksmoor in

Scotland; the origan beams were also imported. No one was charged, the vandals were

never found, it was so sad for my father and family. The council had bought the land but

were not interested in preserving the house. Fires came through in the 1960’s and finished

it off, it had stood there for nearly 130 years, and there are still some of the pear trees

around the oval today.

My great grandfather [Charles Partington] bought the property 'Willis Vale' in 1878; my

grandfather had four brothers and two sisters they all lived there.

When my grandfather ran 'Willis Vale', he had a Jersey stud farm and a dairy farm as well

as the orchards, when his first wife died in childbirth in 1900, he was left with a one year

old daughter (Eva), this was when her grandmother Sarah Price came to look after her, she

stayed on at 'Willis Vale' until her death in 1927, even after grandfathers second marriage

to Annie May in 1905, she then helped raise their four children, because Annie May had to

help with the dairy and orchards.

'Willis Vale' homestead

Greensborough (circa 1920's)

[Museum Victoria - Gary Partington 2008]

Log bridge over the Plenty River at 'Willis

Vale', Greensborough

My grandfather Will was the first child baptised in the new Methodist Church, built in Main Street, Greensborough in 1872. My

grandmother had the same seat in the same pew for over sixty years. Eva never married, she worked on the farm until about 1930, she

then worked for Dr E.R. Cordner, then his son Ted, Dr E.P. Cordner, she was with them for 30 years. She passed away from cancer, a

dreadful death, in 1970.

Faye Fort (nee Partington)30

Willis Vale was a place of gathering for

Robert, Mary and their family also. This

photo shows Robert Whatmough at Willis

Vale butchering a pig. His son, Robert

Emmett, is holding the stick. His wife Mary

and daughter Jemima stand well away,

looking slightly disgusted!29

A Full Life

Robert and Mary lived a life of poverty and

hard knocks but also took on the adventure of

travel to a new land where they worked hard

and achieved some success. They remained

at Plenty River for the rest of their days.

Mary died on 25 Oct 1881, aged 68, and

Robert died on 25 Sep 1887, aged 71.24

Robert’s Horticultural Skills Acknowledged Probably one of the most fascinating parts of Robert Whatmough’s story is the legacy he left behind due to his renown as a horticulturalist. It is claimed he and his son produced 80 different types of apples and pears.29 In 1875, Robert was one of the horticulturalists invited to display his fruits in the Philadelphia Exhibition in Melbourne. Such exhibitions were popular.

Melburnians were exhibition enthusiasts and the city's patron of culture, Judge Redmond Barry, presided over events in 1854, 1861, 1866, 1872 and 1875. These were, typically, edifying 'national' displays of manufactures, assets and achievements; and preliminaries to participation in events overseas. ...The 1875 show was a triumph of intercolonial co-operation that received 240 000 visitors before the exhibits were shipped to America for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.31

The best way to display the fruits was to make wax replicas. The specimens are not only incredibly lifelike, but 130 years later, they look almost brand new and are kept at an archive centre at Museum Victoria under the title, ‘The Whatmough Collection’. Visitors can apply to the Discovery Centre at the Museum to be shown the collection, and must give the Museum several weeks notice and make an appointment.

This collection of Wax Fruit was commissioned by the Industrial & Technological Museum in the 1870s. The models were based on specimens grown and donated by Mr Robert Whatmough who operated an orchard and commercial nursery on the property ‘Willis Vale’' at Greensborough, Victoria, while others came to the collection via the Horticultural Society of Victoria. The Society specimens had been grown in the Horticultural Society's Experimental Gardens at Richmond from seedlings raised by Robert Whatmough (a founding member and practical committee member of the Society). Many of these Wax models were prepared for the Philadelphia Exhibition in 1876 by the Museum model maker, Thomas McMillan. They were exhibited in the Victorian display in the Horticultural Gallery.

32

Pic 7. Some examples of the wax models held at Museum Victoria.

The Batman Tree

In 2008, the Banyule City Council included the Plenty River Pioneer Trail as part of their Spring Programme. The Trail included a visit to the Batman Tree, which is possibly the oldest living apple tree in Victoria. It is believed to be the last remaining tree from the Batman orchard in Melbourne. Some believe it was planted by Robert Whatmough, because the apples it produced were called “Whatmough’s Fancy”. It is likely the tree was already there before Robert took over the running of the orchard, though certainly he would have tended it. Hopefully, it is still possible to see the tree today.29 Another legacy remains: Whatmough Park in Greensborough, so named after the Whatmough family pioneers.29

REFERENCES 1. John Cameron Ward’s genealogical website, created Feb 11, 2012, http://www.wardjc.com/people/p00000mv.htm#I14270

2. Lancashire BMD: Births, Marriages and Deaths on the Internet, last updated 31 Mar 2012,

http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.php Ref No. H/15/82

3. Lancashire BMD: Births, Marriages and Deaths on the Internet, last updated 31 Mar 2012, http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.php Ref No. H/5/57

4. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks, search in ‘The Parish of Middleton in the County of Lancashire’ http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/indexp.html Witness: John Taylor; Richd. Kenyon. Married by Banns with consent of parents by: Evan Jenkins Curate. Register: Marriages 1813 - 1819 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 24, Entry 72. Source: LDS Film 1545699

5. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks, http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/indexp.html

6. Goodier, Christine, ‘The Lancashire Riots’, accessed Apr 2012, http://www.lancastercastle.com/html/people/tour.php?id=42

7. Partington, Alan (Robert’s grand-nephew), 1980s, letter accompanying a mug brought to Australia by the Whatmough family. Article ‘A Remarkable Journey: The Whatmough Jug’, Nillumbik Custodian, October 2007, Volume 3, Issue 1, Nillumbik Historical Society, Diamond Creek, Victoria.

8. Campaign against Euro-federalism website, Democrat September-October 2008, ‘Roots of democracy: The Chartists’, http://www.caef.org.uk/d110rootschrtsts.html

9. Roberts, Stephen, last updated 20 Jun 2011, The Chartist Movement 1838-1848, ‘The 1848 Petition’, BBC: History website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/chartist_01.shtml

10. Lancashire BMD: Births, Marriages and Deaths on the Internet, last updated 31 Mar 2012, http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.php Ref No. CATH/11/325

11. Lancashire BMD: Births, Marriages and Deaths on the Internet, last updated 31 Mar 2012, http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.php Ref No. H/3/460

12. Haines, Robin & McDonald, John, July 2002, ‘Skills, Origins and Literacy: a comparison of the bounty immigrants into New South Wales in 1841, with the convicts resident in the colony’, Australian Economic Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, Blackwell Publishers and the Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand.

13. Roosen, Geoff, nd, ‘The Bounty System’, extracted from Concise Guide to State Archives of New South Wales, http://www.roosen.com.au/RoosenComAuWeb/Genealogy/Background/Bounty_System.html

14. Joyce, Jenny, nd, Assisted and Bounty Immigrants, pdf file, accessed April 2012.

15. Franklin, Hilary, 2000, ‘Bounty Immigrants’, The Branches of the Booth Family Tree website, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hilaryfr/booth/bounty.htm

16. aussie_femme Family Tree, www.ancestry.com.au

17. NSW Government, nd, ‘Indexes to assisted immigrants’, State Records, NSW Government, http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-immigration-and-shipping-records/indexes-to-assisted-immigrants

18. Mayo County Library, The Crossing, http://www.mayolibrary.ie/en/LocalStudies/Emigration/CrossingtheAtlantic/TheCrossing/

19. State Records Authority of New South Wales, ‘Persons on bounty ships arriving at Port Phillip (Agent’s Immigrant Lists)’ Series: 5318; Reel: 2143A; Item: [4/4813]. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

20. Partington, Alan in Mears, Mary,1988, ‘Whatmough’, Godbers/Wilson: 150 Years of Settlement and Growth. Family Gathering, March 1988. Diamond Creek News.

21. A.G.L. Shaw, ‘Foundation and Early History’, http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00602b.htm

22. City of Melbourne, ‘John Batman Memorial’, http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM02087b.htm

23. Edwards, Dianne H. 1979, The Diamond Valley Story, Shire of Diamond Valley, Greensborough.

24. Crealy, Jacinta, Reeves Family Tree, www.ancestry.com.au

25. Lancashire BMD: Births, Marriages and Deaths on the Internet, last updated 31 Mar 2012 www.lancashirebmd.org.uk Ref CE7/10/247.

26. FreeBMD, England and Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915, accessed on www.ancestry.com.au

27. Public Record Office Victoria, Index to Assisted British Immigration 1839-1871, http://prov.vic.gov.au

28. Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 [database on-line], accessed on www.ancestry.com.au

29. Ward, Dennis & Withers, Noel, Banyule City Council Spring Outdoors Programme 2008: Greensborough and the Plenty River Pioneer Trail

30. Fort, Faye, Life at ‘Willis Vale’, Greensborough Historical Society, http://greensboroughhistorical.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/life-at-willis-vale.html

31. Dunstan, David ‘Exhibitions’, http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00542b.htm

32. Museum Victoria, Whatmough Collection, http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/1522/whatmough-collection PICTURES Pic 1. Robert Whatmough, http://victoriancollections.net.au/items/4f72bdad97f83e03086066c0 Pic 2. Mary Whatmough (nee Hill), aussie_femme Family Tree, www.ancestry.com.au Pic 3. NSW Government State Records, ‘Online’ microfilm of shipping lists, ‘Passengers on the ship Georgiana – Arrived 23 Feb 1841’ http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.asp?Page=NRS5316/4_4813/Georgianna_23%20Feb%201841/4_481300111.jpg Pic 4. Mayo County Library, ‘Emigration vessel – between decks’, The Crossing, http://www.mayolibrary.ie/en/LocalStudies/Emigration/CrossingtheAtlantic/TheCrossing/ Pic 5. Liardet, W. F. E. (Wilbraham Frederick Evelyn), 1799-1878. National Library of Australia, http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an2962703 Pic 6. Publication 2008, Banyule City Council Spring Outdoors Programme 2008: Greensborough and the Plenty River Pioneer Trail Pic 7. Museum Victoria, Whatmough Collection, http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/1522/whatmough-collection

Appendix 1: Information and passenger list: the voyage of the Georgiana, 1840-41 http://ship47.site88.net/41/ge41.html CametoPortPhillipin1841 website

‘They came by the 'Georgiana' as Self-funded and as Bounty Immigrants in 1841’ Prepared by Elizabeth Janson The Georgiana was a 406 ton barque Departed Liverpool, England on 4 Oct 1840 Arrived 19 Feb 1841 212 emigrants and placed in Quarantine Captain: George Stephenson Surgeon Superintendent: Richard Ryther Steer Bowker 1st Mate: James Murphy 2nd mate: Edgar Griffin. Boatswain: Freeman Sailors: Bryant; McCraham; Cully Dr Bowker was paid 97/2/6 - 10/6 for each migrant landed safely. He kept a diary on board. 17 Deaths: 3 adults and 14 children. Many of the children died of scarlatina [scarlet fever], leading to the ship being quarantined upon arrival.

“We regulated our messes (the whole number are divided into messes of 12 adults or equal to 12 adults, 3 children under 7 receiving equal to 1 adult and 2 children between 7 and 14 having the same, after 14 they are considered adults. One of each mess is constituted president and his duty is to report what his mess wish to have, they are allowed to have one kind of food instead of another, as oatmeal and flour instead of meat or biscuit etc.), to receive it and carry it to the cook and after it has received his attentions to carry it to his mess and distribute it among them. The emigrants declared that some of their presidents during our first disastrous days were sick and could not do their duty and that others had good appetites and devoured what was prepared for the whole mess.” from Perilous Voyages to the New Land by Michael Cannon

Georgiana

Barque Total Staff Other Died Born Couples With chn Hus Wives Sons Daus Chn Bounty Families Un mal Un fem

Georgiana 218 7 20 10 1 11 29 39 37 38 24 59 183 138 18 28

The Georgiana passengers

In this ship list, people are numbered within the classified group - families or single male or single female. In this ship list, people

are classified families or single male or single female, and each person has a different number.

Colour code Staff and Crew, Paid own passage Bounty Immigrant Disallowed Bounty departing PP

Mrs Anson (Cabin 1)

Son Anson born 8 Dec (Cabin 2)

Robert Art 39 hus (family 1) Cooks Town

Jane Art 37 wife of Robert (family 1) Cooks Town

Jane Art 19 dau of Robert (single woman 1) Cooks Town

Samuel Art 18 son of Robert (single man 1) Cooks Town

Isabella Art 16 dau of Robert (single woman 2) Cooks Town

Mary Ann Art 14 dau of Robert (family 1) Cooks Town

Robert Art 7 son of Robert (family 1) Cooks Town

Thomas Bell 19 (single man 18) Manchester

John Bland 23 Widower (family 2) Dublin

Bland - wife of John died 30 Jan 41 after premature birth (family 2)

William Irving 31 hus (family 24) Scotland

Jane Irving 31 wife of William (family 24) Scotland

James Irving 13 son of William (family 24) Scotland

Joseph Irving 11 son of William (family 24) Scotland

John Irving 9 son of William (family 24) Scotland

Jane Irving 8 dau of William (family 24) Scotland

William Irving 1 son of William died 16 Dec 40

(family 24) Scotland

James Johnston 38 hus (family 23) Antrim

Elizabeth Johnston 39 wife of James (family 23)

Dunmore

Joseph Johnston 17 son of James in trouble 12 Dec

(family 23)

Thomas Johnston 15 son of James (family 23)

R R S Bowker - Surg Supt (Staff 2)

Edward Broderibb / Broderick 32 hus appointed Overseer (family 4)

Tipperary

Margaret Broderipp 28 wife of Edward (family 4) Tipperary

Mary Broderipp 4 dau of Edward (family 4) Tipperary

Mrs Brooks died 16 Dec 40, family back in Ireland (Cabin 3)

Crew Bryant a sailor (Staff 7)

John Byron 32 hus (family 3) Lancashire

Mary Byron 32 wife of John (family 3) Lancashire

Lees Byron 7 son of John (family 3) Lancashire

William Byron 5 son of John (family 3) Lancashire

Abraham Byron 3 son of John (family 3) Lancashire

Alfred Byron 0 son of John born at Sea (family 3)

Mrs Casey - (Cabin 1)

Miss Casey courted by Mr Williams (Cabin 2)

John Clark / Clarke 31 hus Overseer (family 7) Co Cork

Margaret Clarke 27 wife of John (family 7) Co Cork

Francis Coffey / Coffee 15 (Disallowed 5) Kildare

Margaret Collin / Colin 16 (single woman 4) Cork

John Conolly / Connolly 25 hus (family 8) Co Meath

Robert Johnston 13 son of James (family 23)

Archibald Johnston 11 son of James (family 23)

Eliza Johnston 8 dau of James (family 23)

James Johnston / Johnson 21 son of James Fought

with Readon, knew pan belonged to Cully (single

man 6) Eameskillen

William Johnston / Johnson 19 son of James on 12

Dec did not like brother being punished (single man

7) Eameskillen

Mary Keiler / Keilan 22 (single woman 14) Cork

Henry Leader 20 (single man 9) Staffordshire

John Lord 27 (single man 10) Rochdale

Thomas Mahony / Mahoney 31 hus (family 25) Cork

Julia Mahony / Mahoney 34 wife of Thomas (family

25) Cork

Catharine Mahony / Mahoney 4 dau of Thomas

(family 25)

Daniel Mahony / Mahoney 3 son of Thomas (family

25)

Eliza Mansfield 26 (single woman 16) Cork

Ann Mccarthy 24 (single woman 17) Cork

Crew McCraham Sailor in fight over Cully's pannikin

Elizabeth Conolly / Connolly 26 wife of John (family 8) Co Meath

Fanny Crawley / Crawley 23 (single woman 3) Rochdale

Henry Crossley 26 hus (family 6) Belfast

Ann Crossley 26 wife of Henry (family 6) Belfast

infant Crossley died 26 Nov 40 (family 6) Belfast

Christopher B Cud (Steerage)

Mathew Culley / Cutley 26 hus his pannihin was stolen (family 5)

Belfast

Ann Cutley 28 wife of Mathew (family 5) Lancashire

Sarah Cutley 4 Died 7 Nov 40 (family 5) Lancashire

John Cutley 2 son of Mathew (family 5) Lancashire

Elizabeth Cutley 0 dau of Mathew (family 5) Lancashire

Patrick Donahoe 32 hus (family 10) Co Cork

Johanna Donahoe 30 wife of Patrick (family 10) Co Cork

Catharine Donahoe 9 dau of Patrick (family 10) Co Cork

John Donahoe 4 son of Patrick (family 10) Co Cork

Christopher Donelly / Donnelly 28 hus (family 9) Fermanagh

Jane Donelly / Donnelly 25 wife of Christopher (family 9)

Fermanagh

Eliza Drew 22 (single woman 11) Cork

Louisa Drew 18 (single woman 5) Kerry

(Staff 5)

Ann Mcmurtley / McMurltig 24 (single woman 15)

Antrim

John Mcwalter 20 (single man 15) Cork

David McWilliam (Steerage)

Michael Meskill / Miskill 20 (single man 11) Cork

Henry Morris / Moris 21 2nd cabin (single man 12)

Wales

Alice Mullin 23 (single woman 18) Armagh

James D Mr Murphy - not liked by Wigmore (Staff 3)

Catharine Naylor 19 (single woman 20) Cork

Thomas Nicholson 20 (single man 13) Down

Jane Nicholson 25 (single woman 19) Kerry

Thomas Ortin 25 (single man 8) Manchester

John Oshea 33 hus (family 26)

Sarah Oshea 22 wife of John (family 26)

Mary Ann Oshea 9 dau of John (family 26)

Mrs Drew - Mother (Cabin 3)

Rebecca Drew 12 dau (Cabin 4)

Mr Francis Drew - son (Cabin 6)

Mr John Drew - son (Cabin 5)

Denis Egan 30 hus (family 12) Cork

Mary Egan 36 wife of Denis (family 12) Chester

Bartholomew Egan 10 son of Denis (family 12) Cork

Denis Egan 5 son of Denis (family 12) Cork

John Egan 3 son of Denis (family 12) Cork

Ellen Egan 0 dau of Denis (family 12) Cork

John Egan 24 hus (family 13) Cork

James Egan 22 (single man 3) Cork

Mary Egan 28 wife of John (family 13) Cork

Richard Evans 40 hus (family 11) Chester

Jane Evans 39 wife of Richard (family 11) Chester

George Evans 20 son of Richard punished (single man 2) Chester

Samuel Evans 15 son of Richard (family 11) Chester

Rosanna Evans 10 dau of Richard (family 11) Chester

Mary Flanagan 21 (single woman 7) Drogheda

Mary Ann Fox 28 (single woman 6) Manchester

Crew Freeman Boatswain (Staff 6)

Edmund Gallagher 38 hus - servant to Wigmore (family 14)

John Oshea 7 son of John (family 26)

Honoria Oshea 22 (single woman 21) Cork

Robert Purlingham / Partingham 30 hus (family 27)

Leith

Lucy Partingham 31 wife of Robert (family 27)

Christopher Peed 27 insulted in fight over Cully's

pannikin (single man 14) Cork

Isabella Purvis / Purves 22 (single woman 22) Cooks

Town

John Reardon 27 hus, a tall Irishman Fought with

Johnson (family 30) Cork

Bridget Reardon 26 wife of John (family 30) Cork

Mary Reardon 5 dau of John (family 30) Cork

Robert Reardon 4 son of John (family 30) Cork

John C Ridelday (Steerage)

Jeremiah Rigby 24 hus (family 28) Lancashire

Ann Rigby 26 wife of Jeremiah (family 28)

Kilmarnook

John Rigby 1 son of Jeremiah (family 28)

Thomas Rowe / Roe 30 hus (family 29) Sheffield

Hannah Rowe / Roe 37 wife of Thomas (family 29)

Yorkshire

Eliza Gallagher 35 wife of Edmund (family 14) Yorkshire

child Gallagher died 13 Nov 40 (family 14) Yorkshire

Francis Gallagher 15 son of Edmund (family 14) Yorkshire

Mrs Garrow Paid own fare did not like Wigmore (Cabin 9)

Margaret Geavey / Geary 17 (single woman 10) Cork

Mary Gary / Geary 20 (single woman 9) Cork

John Gibbons (Steerage)

James Gibbons 21 appointed Overseer (single man 5) Eameskillen

Jane Gracoley / Gracely 23 (single woman 8) Samskillen

William Gracie / Gracy 20 (single man 4) Wigton

Edgar Griffin - 2nd Mate Friend of Doctor (Staff 4)

Samuel Halfpenny 37 hus (family 21) Newcastle

Ann Halfpenny 30 wife of Samuel (family 21) Newcastle

Sarah Halfpenny 8 dau of Samuel (family 21) Newcastle

John Hanson 30 hus (family 15) Yorkshire

Mary Hanson 29 wife of John (family 15) Yorkshire

Charlotte Hanson 7 dau of John (family 15) Yorkshire

Sheffield

William Saxon 20 hus (family 31) Lancashire

Betsy Saxon 31 wife of William (family 31)

Lancashire

Nicholas Saxon 1 son of Thomas (family 31)

Lancashire

Ann Sprigg / Sprig 20 (single woman 24) Cork

Ann Stanton 22 (single woman 23) Cork

George Stephenson - Master (Staff 1)

John Sikes / Sykes 37 Widower (family 32) Yorkshire

Wife With Sykes - wife of John died on voyage

(family 32) Yorkshire

Martin Sykes 11 son of John (family 32) Yorkshire

Mary Sykes 9 dau of John (family 32) Yorkshire

George Taylor 28 hus (family 33) Lancashire

Agnes Taylor 21 wife of George (family 33)

Lancashire

infant Taylor died 28 Oct 40 (family 33)

James Thomson / Thompson 22 hus (family 34)

Manchester

Mary Ann Thomson / Thompson 24 wife of James

(family 34) Manchester

Tamar Harding 18 (single woman 12) Cork

George Henessy / Henessey 30 hus (family 18) Cork

Ellen Henessy / Henessey 29 wife of George (family 18) Cork

Robert Holt 35 hus (family 19) Lancashire

Mary Holt 35 wife of Robert (family 19) Lancashire

Esther Holt 11 dau of Robert (family 19) Lancashire

John Holt 9 son of Robert (family 19) Lancashire

Sarah Holt 5 dau of Robert (family 19) Lancashire

Elizabeth Holt 2 dau of Robert (family 19) Lancashire

Henry Hooton 31 hus (family 20) Lancashire

Harriet Hooton 27 wife of Henry (family 20) Lancashire

Alice Hooton 6 dau of Henry died 6 Dec 40 (family 20) Lancashire

Abraham Horsefall / Horsfall 28 hus in fight over Cully's pannikin

(family 17) Yorkshire

Ruth Horsefall / Horsfall 25 wife of Abraham (family 17) Yorkshire

Mary Ann Horsefall / Horsfall 0 dau of Abraham died 6 Dec 40

(family 17) Yorkshire

Thomas Houghton (Steerage)

Robert Hudson 20 hus (family 16) Sligo

Mary Hudson 27 wife of Robert (family 16) Sligo

John Hunter 38 hus (family 22) Antrim

Ellen Hunter 38 wife of John (family 22) Antrim

Joseph Thomson / Thompson 2 son of James (family

34) Manchester

Thomas Vaughan 28 hus (family 35) Cork

Mary Vaughan 26 wife of Thomas (family 35) Cork

Benjamin Vaughan 0 son of Thomas (family 35) Cork

John Hoe Waitley (Steerage

Daniel Waters 26 insulted in fight (single man 16)

Kildare

Silvester Waters 24 (single man 17) Kildare

Mary Waters 16 (single woman 26) Richmond

William Watmore 24 hus (family 38) Lancashire

Mary Watmore 24 wife of William (family 38)

Lancashire

Jemima Watmore 1 dau of William (family 38)

Lancashire

Robert Whaternough (Steerage

William Whittaker 38 hus (family 36) Samskillen

Elizabeth Whittaker 27 wife of William (family 36)

Samskillen

Albert Whittaker 17 son of William (family 36)

Samskillen

Caroline Whittaker 16 dau of William (single woman

Daniel Hunter 15 son of John (family 22) Antrim

James Hunter 14 son of John (family 22) Antrim

William Hunter 11 son of John (family 22) Antrim

Mary Hunter 7 dau of John (family 22) Antrim

Dau Hunter died 11 Nov 40 (family 22) Antrim

Eliza Hutchinson 16 (single woman 13) Armagh

2) Eameskillen

tte Whittaker 10 dau of William (family 36)

Samskillen

William Whittaker 2 son of William (family 36)

Samskillen

Georgiana Whittaker 0 dau of William born at Sea

(family 36) Samskillen

Revd Thomas Wigmore - hus Irish clergyman

(Intermediate 13)

Mrs Wigmore - wife of Thomas nee Mary Ann

Wilkinson (Intermediate 14)

Richard Wigmore 14 son of Thomas Richard born in

Cork died 1862 aged 35 in Victoria (Intermediate 15)

Ellen Wigmore 12 dau of Thomas wed 13 Jan 1848

to Robert Whiteway at Bothwell,Tasmania

(Intermediate 16)

Eliza Wigmore 11 dau of Thomas wed 01 Mar 1851

to Matthew Kennett at Hobart,Tasmania

(Intermediate 17)

Mary Wigmore 5 dau of Thomas (Intermediate 19)

William Wigmore 3 son of Thomas (Intermediate 20)

Louisa Wigmore 0 dau of Thomas (Intermediate 21)

Catharine Wigmore 27 (single woman 25) Cork

Sophia Wigmore dau died 6 Dec 40 died 6 Dec 40

(Intermediate 18)

Mr CA Williams (Cabin 8)

David M Williams 26 hus, an Irish farmer, (family 37)

Wilton

Catharine Williams 29 wife of David (family 37)

Wilton

George Wilmot 36 hus used improper language

(family 39) Manchester

Elizabeth Wilmot 37 wife of George (family 39)

Manchester

Anna Wilmot 15 dau of George (single woman 28)

Manchester

Robert Wilmot 11 son of George (family 39)

Manchester

Emma Wilmot 9 dau of George (family 39)

Manchester

Georgiana Wilmot 7 dau of George (family 39)

Manchester

Elizabeth Wilmot 5 dau of George (family 39)

Manchester

William Wilmot 2 son of George (family 39)

Manchester

Appendix 2: Richard Ryther Steer Bowker’s Diary transcript

http://www.oocities.org/vic1847/ship/georgiana41.html Victoriabefore1848 website ‘They came by the Georgiana, arrived 1841’ Summary of the very entertaining record from Richard Ryther Steer Bowker’s Diary Transcribed by Linley Hooper Rev Mr. Wigmore about 45 years of age, an Irish Church of England Clergyman. He stands, I think, above 6 feet and is, as the vulgar say, as thin as a lash, gaunt and bony, his nose aquiline, eyes hollow, jaws like nutcrackers.

Oct. 9th: Mr. Wigmore, a second cabin passenger, complains this morning of the butter, of the sugar, of the biscuit, of the pork, of the wine and in fact of everything, in the name of the rest, i.e., he says he is their natural protector. Since being out, all the second cabin passengers have been accommodated with the cabins and have for part of the time messed at the cabin table and for all the time we have been out, till a day or two ago, have had cabin butter and sugar, have had presents of apples etc., from the Captain. We were unable from bad weather to get at some stores such as fruit, the ship being in distress and instead of considering the cabin table fare, they have used as balancing the above. Mr. Wigmore has demanded the other extras which they could not have last week from the state of the weather. I left it to the Captain and he decided that they should not have them, but now should go on regularly. I told them this and Mr. Wigmore said that he would draw up a report at Port Philip. Some of the cabin have had the cabin servants to attend upon them as if they had been cabin passengers, with other indulgences as aforesaid but nothing seems to satisfy this clergyman. Indeed, so quarrelsome is he considered by his countrymen that they asked if he could mess by himself, giving as their reason his quarrelsome disposition. Mr. Morris, and English or Welsh 2nd cabin passenger, made complaints 2 or more times to me that he could not obtain his allowance of spirits (the spirits for 2nd cabin mess were served out all together with the exception of Wigmore's children and which he did not think them entitled to). I was obliged to urge Morris' claim more than once. We have the greatest difficulty in getting the emigrants on deck or to clear the tween decks. I have spent some hours among them this morning, we requested them for their own sakes at first, afterwards were obliged.

Oct 15 - The noisy Revd. who grumbles (not grumbles either for it more nearly approaches a roar) all day long about the past and future victuals and when the victualling office has closed for the day piously thanks providence that he is no epicure and that he minds not a straw what goes down his throat.

Oct. 12th: Punished Evans junior for throwing scalding water in a President's face, keeping him on poop from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with biscuit and water for dinner.

Mr. Williams, an Irish farmer, is courting Miss Casey, a fine young lady, religious and phrenological, metaphysical etc., who is descended from the Scots and has a most expressive and agreeable face, fine blue eyes.

Oct. 16th: Day before yesterday appointed Broderick & John Gibbons overseers and the Captain and myself gave them authority for demanding obedience of emigrants to rules which I had drawn up for the purpose of ventilation and cleanliness for I have one case of fever. We have had this morning a glorious view of the lofty peak of Teneriffe. I was obliged to punish a tall Irishman of the name of Readon, he had used insolence to my constables and refused to obey them when they told him to go on deck.

Oct. 29th: Yesterday and today have given lots of matter for journals A sailor (Bryant) was swabbing and came to the place they were using. Mr. Wigmore says Bryant touched him with the swab - at all events, he desired Mr. Wigmore to move, which Mr. Wigmore refused. The Captain, who was on the poop, repeated the command, Mr. Wigmore again refused, when high words, which I did not hear, were made use of by both. Yesterday night Taylor's child died. It had been ill nearly from the commencement of the voyage with vomiting and purging and wasting, no fever. Storm at Sea At last I got up and went into the cabin occupied by Williams, Morris and the two Drews. After a crack of thunder they heard a woman scream. Williams and the elder of the two Drews were roused by the shriek. Williams had an intended wife below, dear to an excess according to those who see the billing and cooing between them on deck, and Drew a mother and sister and how did they know but the scream came from one of them. When the rain came, our live cargo, except sailors, were frightened into alacrity by the loud thunder and when the violence of this had abated and it began to abate immediately after the one which had so much effect, they were called and soon at work catching the rain. Child is committed to the water. Oct. 31st: The sea is smooth as a looking glass, the Captain has allowed the emigrants 2 boats for their amusement and after taking a party on a trip, am after splitting my sides at the sight of the grotesque rowing of some of the landsmen, particularly Readon. Sunday Nov. 1st: We have been followed by sharks in spite of whose appearance our sailors and some of the emigrants bathed and appeared to enjoy it much.

Nov 1, This morning I was engaged in the hospital. Miss Drew met me going up for wine for some of my patients. She told me that Mr. Wigmore was being a trouble.

Nov. 5th: We have had a great deal of rain with hot calm weather and are 15 miles further north than we were 2 days ago. Today is fine, lat. 25, long. 20 and we have a nice breeze from S by E or SSE, and hope it may be the beginning of the Trades for we are heartily sick of this roasting and basting (vid a cookery book-roast hares). We see lots of vessels, mostly or all outward bound and

are at present employed in at a conversation A la Marryat, with a fine English one, about 3 or 4 miles off. We do not speak of his reverence, we see him sitting in his cabin, his long skinny arms, neck and breast exposed and forming by no means a pleasant picture. He knows the Captain does not like this but it seems to give him pleasure to annoy.

Nov. 7th: Readon was struck today by Johnson on the nose violently. Boatswain said he heard Readon say he could beat any of the Johnsons on board. Freeman heard them quarrelling but could not tell what was said. Other Johnsons corroborated what the Boatswain said. As Johnson had been clearing the passage, a very good man making himself useful on every occasion, I punished him by confinement on the poop till dinner time only.

Sat. Nov. 7th: Today died Sarah Culley aged 4, of Scarlatina Maligna. Illness commenced on Saturday last. On Tuesday the eruption made its appearance, commencing over its legs.

Nov. 10th: On occasions, passengers have been insulted by the sailors and I reported them as often to the Captain who has taken no effectual steps to redress or even put a stop to it. Yesterday two, Peed and Waters, were assaulted without provocation.

Nov. 11th: Matthew Culley, about 3 weeks ago, missed his pannikin. Yesterday Horsefall saw this pannikin on the forecastle. Horsefall reached it to him and said "Culley, is this your can?" Culley then examined it and found the initials of his name had been erased from the bottom of it, but that the initials M.C. remained on the top of the handle. One of the sailors, McCraham, snatched it from his hand and said it was his own and threw it overboard. Horsefall saw the can on the forecastle, saw M.C. on the handle, showed it to Culley who at once knew it. David McWilliams saw M.C. on the handle. James Johnson saw M.C. on the handle.

Nov. 11th: Died Hunter's daughter of gastro-enterite, producing atrophy.

Nov. 13th: Died Gallagher's child (Mr. Wigmore's servant). It was buried next morning by the Captain. It was much emaciated, having had a gastro-enterite from the commencement of the voyage.

Nov. 16th: Wilmot, who has been for some time past getting uproarious, the purser having several times lately complained that Wilmot abused him, was heard by the Captain this morning to use improper language. The Captain placed him on the poop, he refused to eat his biscuits and tea while on the poop. About 6 the Captain lectured him and let him down.

Sunday Nov. 22nd Mr. Griffin owes me 5/-, he having lost this sum to me about the seaman's wages, he betting they were £2/10/0 in money, I that they were not more than £2/5/O.

Nov. 26th: Yesterday night died Crossley's infant. Some time ago it had a very severe attach of bronchitis and with very much ado, recovered, but never regained its strength. It was always a weakly child, pigeon breasted, its father a very delicate poor creature. They had previously lost 2 children, all they have had. The Captain read the service over it this morning and it was committed to the deep.

Nov. 26th: We have had a terrible disturbance again this morning between Wigmore and Captain, the latter has appeared to me for a long time to be prejudiced against Murphy, without just cause, in my opinion. Later in the evening, Mrs. Garrow was telling me what Wigmore had said (we were then in the passage leading from the cuddy to the cabins or in part of the cuddy) and Wigmore overheard, I suppose, what was said, for he burst out of his cabin and commenced in a violent manner to abuse Mrs. Garrow, calling her an insolent woman and telling her that she ought to be in the steerage. I heard the carpenter trying mildly to persuade him to allow them to shut his door but he, in his usual tone, refused to listen. I then heard Griffin's voice "God damn my eyes, let me shut the door", The Captain had the door locked with a padlock, Wigmore vociferating that he would break open the door. Wigmore called his son Richard who sleeps in my cabin. Richard got up and when he went to the door to enter, Wigmore commenced knocking the door from the inside as if with a hammer. The Captain came out of his cabin and when he found that Richard wished to go in, he unlocked the door, saying that he did not wish to punish the family.

Sunday Dec. 6th: Died Mr. Wigmore's daughter, Sophia, about 3 days before her death she was attacked by Scarlatina. About the same time died Hostom child, having sunk during the sloughing stage of scarlatina.

Monday 7th Dec: This morning the Captain performed the burial service and the bodies were committed to the deep. The Captain, previously to burying them, went to tell Mr. Wigmore that if it were any satisfaction, he might perform it. He said the Captain might do as he liked. Today died Horsefall's child after the sloughing stage, having sunk during the separation of the sloughs.

Tuesday Dec. 8th: Captain interred the body of deceased. Mrs. Anson delivered of a male.

Dec. 12th: Yesterday we had a great disturbance. Joseph Johnson forcibly stole a piece of pork from the purser. Johnson had many times before been abusive, so I sent Clark, one of the overseers, to bring him up. how could I hope to overcome the fever if they were allowed to persist in refusing to obey the regulations. I repeated several times that I would never again go into the tween decks and at last he ordered Mr. Griffin, the 2nd mate, to fetch him up. Mr. Griffin went down and said to him to come up, the Captain wants you. The sailors had cutlasses and bayonets but at last the emigrants were got down from the poop and Joe Johnson put in irons without injury to any of them, as they gave way to the intimidation. The offender was kept on the poop and asked for water, it was given to him. He afterwards said that he wanted to go to the head. I had his irons taken off and took him into my cabin and after he had finished, the irons were put on again (his mother begged that I would take care that he did not jump overboard, so the carpenter made the foot bar fast to the floor of the cabin). I gave him a book, some of the homilies to read, and left him. At tea time his brother brought him in some tea, and biscuit and butter, but he refused to take it and it was left by him. At bedtime I told him that if he would give me his word that he would allow me quietly to put the irons on him again in the morning, I would take them off and he should sleep in the hospital. He agreed, and did so, Mr. Peed being in with him. This morning I put the hand irons on again. He still refused his breakfast. His mother, father and brothers were abusive to me, yesterday afternoon his brother William saying that if he were kept in irons all night there should be blood spilt and saying that he had a pistol and should fight a "duel" with me in the morning. In the evening the Captain had the men aft to speak to them and ordered, through me, the women, boys and girls below. The Captain asked William Johnson if he were past 21. William Johnson said he was. The Captain

then asked his elder brother his age, he replied between 23 and 24. The Captain and I then looked over the list and found that William Johnson was 19 and his elder brother 21. The Captain then addressed them on the folly and danger of insubordination.

Dec. 16th: Yesterday died one of Irving's children of the sequela of Scarlatina, having gradually sunk under chronic inflammation of the intestinal and gastric mucous membranes. Several abscesses formed also on the external surface. During last night died Brookes. He had been during the whole time of being at sea, very disponding and grieving about leaving his wife and 6 children on shore.

Sat. Jan. 30th Mrs Bland died this morning. She had for some time laboured under dysentery and latterly under a muco-gastritis together with the former. She had been married just 7 months when she was seized with the symptoms of labour, apparently brought on by disease and after a rather lingering time was safely delivered of a male child. By its size it appeared nearly 7 months old. The pupil and nails were developed, it lived 2 days.

Monday 22nd Feb: Soon after casting anchor we showed up a light and fired a gun. The Captain and I sat down in the cuddy and beguiled the time by a conversation on the joys of being rid of our cargo, the Captain enjoying at the same time his Havannah and glass of grog. Presently, Mr. Griffin announced a pilot boat. He was told to usher in the pilot who soon made his appearance. He was a fine looking fellow who might earn something by sitting as a model for a ruffian, about 5' 9" in height, shoulders large and bulky, his eyes fine, dark as was his face, his forehead large in the region of the perceptive organs, his head rather low, very wide and bulky about the hinder part of it. He had been in the Portuguese service and I learnt afterwards, had killed a man by a blow of a handspike. I never shall forget the scene which ensued. On his entrance into the cuddy, the Captain sat still, his face turned to the ground and his features mounted in surlipsimo. He spoke not a word, the poor pilot stood cap in hand inside the door, looking first at one of us and then at the other. I waited, thinking that if I spoke, our Diogenes might open his battery. At last I could stand it no longer so I pointed out the Captain to him. The pilot told him very civilly and humbly that he was a pilot, no answer, and come to take the ship out of danger. No you're not - your ship may be lost before morning - no it won't - I must move your ship directly - no you won't - we must trip the anchor -no we shan't. He thus tried quiet words, then - I am a pilot and I take charge of the ship - no you don't, how do I know you are a pilot, show your licence. I heard the gun and came off in a hurry without them. I'll no move my ship till daylight for you or any other man, in the morning I give it up to you - Well I have warned you. This interesting and polite discussion having thus concluded, the pilot sat down and was helped to a glass of grog. Gradually the Captain rose from below zero to about his usual freezing point and questioned the pilot as to the place. I threw out as broad a hint as I could about the folly of this opposing the pilot's wishes but as it was all of no use, the Captain being of the mongrel kind (a cross between an ass and a pony). I went to bed and awoke to the sound of the Captain with the "cheery men of the crew", they had been a very little time at work

before the chain cable broke, the anchor worth about £100 I suppose, was lost. This will perhaps be a lesson to his muleship, if he is not too old to be taught, for of course, as the pilot had not been allowed to have the command, the Captain would be responsible. We sailed along with just the proper quantity of wind, up a spacious bay, 30 or 40 miles long, when we nearly reached within a few miles of our destination, we were hailed by Mr. Stafford, the tidemaster, who asked about our health. On telling him that we had had Scarlatina, he ordered us to heave to until he brought someone else. He sent out the boat containing Mr. Lewis, the harbour master, who after more questions ornamented us with a yellow silk pocket handkerchief and sent us to anchor in the quarantine ground. This was pleasant after our many days spent in longing for the land. Arrived in port, we were fixed just far enough off to see the wished for shore. I have often when a boy and hungry smelt a good dinner going for someone else. This reminded me in some measure of the sensation. Feb. 23rd: We continued in quarantine until Monday and during our confinement received a visit from Dr. Cousins, the colonial surgeon, who not being able to take notes of my answers while in the boat was persuaded to mount the side. He stood on the steps outside the ship but after a time was induced to come into the ship. He thought that we ought not to be kept in quarantine and having dined with us, promised to procure an order for our liberation. We continued, however, in status quo all Sunday and on Monday morning received a visit from three medical men who constituted a board and were deputed to examine and report our condition. After the examination, they allowed us to haul down the pocket handkerchief and to move the ship into a more agreeable situation. On the Monday following, the board sat for the purpose of passing the emigrants. They asked each if he had any complaints to make and carefully wrote down such as were thought of sufficient moment. Many complaints of assault were made against the Captain and some against the crew. Not one was entered against me but I was much gratified to find that many spoke in my favour. One who made the gravest complaints, said had it not been for my kindness, he could not have lived through the ill treatment he received. Some of the board said that I ought not to have allowed the Captain to have interfered with the emigrants. I showed them my instructions, they said these were inadequate so I think altogether I have escaped very well. Further information about Richard Ryther Steer Bowker is on Linley Hooper’s site: http://www.linleyfh.com/oursecondsite-p/p98.htm