Find Ancestors

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Van Damiens Land ships passengers

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 6 Feb 2013 22:40

Anyone good at navigating the above.....am going round in circles :-(

Have a soldier William Woollett sailed 1839...thinking it may have been on convict ship....only info I have is that according to his service record he embarked June 22nd but does not mention which ship.....my first venture into Australian records.

Many thanks
Ann

MarieCeleste

MarieCeleste Report 6 Feb 2013 22:54

Hi Ann, so he wasn't actually a convict?

Have to say I've never had any luck with soldiers on ships.

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 6 Feb 2013 23:01

Hi Marie,

No that's right..he was a soldier in the 51st. Have found him by chance on one of the OZ sites, listed on garrison day. A couple of convict ships record carrying his regiment but they are either too early or too late. Am thinking they were not recorded individually like the convicts. It would have been nice to know which ship he sailed on.

Ann

MarieCeleste

MarieCeleste Report 6 Feb 2013 23:35

Did he stay in Oz?

(Have just read back my post above and realised it doesn't go with my prim image!)

BeverleyW

BeverleyW Report 7 Feb 2013 07:50

May be of use, from http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/search/guides/brief/bg031


The Regiments were used to maintain civil law and order and to provide guards and overseers for the convict system. The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office (TAHO) has lists of the Regiments that served in Tasmania but there are no details of the members of the Regiments because these records remained with the Regiments and are now available from the National Archives, Public Record Office, UK. Some series have been filmed as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project. The most useful are the paylists however as these are arranged by Regiment it is necessary to know the Regiment in which an individual served.

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 7 Feb 2013 08:06

Hello Marie.....no he served 7+years. Thanks Beverley will take a look at that today.

Ann

Gee

Gee Report 7 Feb 2013 08:12

Ann

When and where was he born please?

Any middle names for him or his parents details?

TonyOz

TonyOz Report 7 Feb 2013 10:28

Some info you may or may not have?

Tasmanian Archives:

WOOLLETT, WILLIAM
Gender: Male
Birth
Marriage/Relationship:1838 - SORELL,Tasmania ( BUXTON, SARAH ) [e]
Death:
FAMILY INFORMATION
Children:
307907 WOOLLETT GEORGE1839
307906 WOOLLETT TIMOSINE1843

1848 Census Tasmania
Woollett William
District: Great Swan Port
Reference: CEN1/1/78
Page:75

**************************************************************************
http://www.woolletthistory.co.uk/gedmill/indiI4050.html

Life History
William WOOLLETT1809 - 1869
Born1809
1838 Married Sarah BUXTON in Tasmania, Australia.

1839 Birth of son George WOOLLETT
1840 Birth of son Thomas WOOLLETT
1843 Birth of daughter Thomasine Louise WOOLLETT
1844 Death of Sarah BUXTON
1869 Died in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia.

Notes
•Arrived on ship "Mary" in 1832 and settled at Little Swanport.
Described as "William Woollett of Vandiemans Land - The first free settler".
Most info from Ross Woollett.

**********************************************************************************

TROVE NEWSPAPER RE: WILLIAM WOOLLETT

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=WILLIAM+WOOLLETT

Snippett:......More to read on site
GOVERNMENT NOTICE. Colonial Secretary's Office, Nov 29, 1843. Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857) Tuesday 12 December 1843
p 4 Article... GOVERNMENT NOTICE. 1 Colonial Secretary's Office, Nov 29, 1843.
The Lieutenant-Governor has been pleased to approve of Mr. William Woollett being appointed to the situation of Postmaster at Waterloo Point,
vice Mr. Makepeace. By His Excellency's Commmand, _ J. E. Makepeace. ... 42 wordsText last corrected on 8 February 2010 by anonymous


Tony ( Melbourne Aust. )

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 7 Feb 2013 13:13

Hi Gins....He was born in Otham Kent c1919 .possible son of Thomas and Sarah but not confirmed.....no middle name.

His service record is recorded surname WOLLETT on FMP.

Where have you been hiding Tony....was thinking about you when going crazy with the ships lists.....saw the trove postmaster item.....my William was a soldier.....did they do dual duties??......strange though that there are two with same spelling. Def not my William marriage as he left UK 1839.

Thanks guys

TonyOz

TonyOz Report 7 Feb 2013 21:42

Hi Ann.
Haven't been hiding. :-) Dont visit much nowdays on GR as to busy with other
things, but occassionally drop back for a quick look see.

Cant see much else on your William WOOLLETT/WOLLETT
There are a number of William WOOLLETT mentioned on Aussie records.
One in 1857 in Melbourne,Vic ( Police Gazette) who had a watch stolen from his property.....and various shipping records of William WOOLLETT/S moving around the Colony's by Ship during the mid to late1800s.

Found this while searching thge net...but you may have already seen it??
Under " References to soldiers on Convict ships" so most likely he was military on convict ship to Aussie, therefore wont possibly be listed as a passenger on ships convict or freesettler coming to Oz

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/w51st.htm

Snippett:
The Soldiers listed below a represent the soldiers who were in Australia on Garrison Duty. Some may have settled, some may have not. When it has been confirmed they settled in Australia they will receive their own page. If it is confirmed the men settled in Australia, they will not appear on this page,they will appear on the surname page. If they are listed on this page, then this is all we know of them .

Surnames of the 51st Regiment Soldiers who stayed
.........." WINWARD Alexander ", . " WITHAM James ", . " WITHERS James ", . " WOOD John ", . " WOOD Joshua ", . " WOODFALL John ", . " WOODS Henry ", . " WOOLETT William ", . " WOTHERS James ...............

also:
Ships transporting the Royal 51st Regiment
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/shipsthe51st.htm

Two possibles:
" John Barry " .....Date Arrived :22 March 1839

" Runnymede " ..... Date Arrived : 25 June , 1840

Both these Ships would have delivered convicts to the then 3 major Convict Colonies,,,,,,,,,Western Australia penal Colony and then V.D.L ( Tasmania ) also possibly Sydney?.....The "Runnymede" definatley had soldiers from the 51st regiment on board.

Thats about all i can see ( at the Moment ) but will add any info as it comes to light.

To be more precise in finding his Ship...better information may come from U.K records?

Cheers. Tony ( Melbourne Aust ) :-)

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 8 Feb 2013 18:49

Thank you for all the info Tony...will have a look at it this evening.....yes I did see the reference to him being listed garrison day....the two ships you mentioned I also came across....wonder if when they "embarked" there was a chance that they remained in port for some length of time.

Ann

DottyAnn

DottyAnn Report 12 Feb 2013 17:31

Hi Ann
Just replying to your post out of a common interest.
My Great Grandmother's brother William Seaton, born 1822 Bucks joined the army and was sent to Tasmania in 1841 with the 51st reg of foot. He was there for 4 and half years.. The Reg finally left Tasmania in 1846 on a ship called Java but known as the 'Floating Coffin' lots about it on line. He went to the East Indies and fought in 2nd Burma War, receiving Burma Medal with clasp for Pegu.
I found his service record on FindMyPast.
Back in England in Dec 1860 he married and because he hadn't had permission from his commanding officer his young bride had to live in lodgings in Chatham, where in April 1861 she was burnt to death, age 24!
He then left the army, citing bad eyesight as the reason for wanting his discharge.
Just thought that we could maybe share any other information either of us might come across regarding the regiment or any references found about either of our soldier relatives?
Where did you find the reference to Garrison Day?
Regards
Ann

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 12 Feb 2013 17:57

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/w51st.htm


The above link Ann. Am just dishing up dinner so will read your reply properly later and post again.

Annx

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 12 Feb 2013 19:58

Hi again Ann,

How awful... the poor woman. Took a look at yoUR FMP record see if there was any additional info on there re arrival dates etc....but no luck.

Do you. Know what ship he travelled on?

Have you actually found him listed on the Java?

DottyAnn

DottyAnn Report 13 Feb 2013 09:38

Hi Ann

Thanks for replying.

I think William Seaton must have arrived in Tasmania about Apl 1842 as he served 4 and a half years there. The 51st Foot all left finally on the Java in October 1846 to go to Bombay so I can only assume William left then. I have put the probable facts together from reading his service record and researching the Java online.

Strangely, his sister Elizabeth married in Victoria in 1854 to a Charles Tanner who was a convict in Tasmania and previousy married to another convict Sarah Marvin who would have been there when William was a convict guard. She died 6 months before Charles & Elizabeth married. Elizabeth was not on the 1851 UK census and I can't find a voyage for her.
Lots of mysteries there to try to solve! My Mom's whole family has been a nightmare to research, I have more questions than answers!

If I come across any more information I will let you know.

**Ann**

**Ann** Report 13 Feb 2013 21:49

Hello Ann,

That will be a bit more info for me re the Java returning date, and may lead me nearer to the ship my William arrived on as I have been trying to narrow it down.

Why was Williams sister there?

Are you UK based Ann?

DottyAnn

DottyAnn Report 14 Feb 2013 09:04

Hi Ann

Yes, I am in the UK. William's family were from Gawcott, Buckinghamshire. Their mother died in 1847. My Great Grandmother Sophia and youngest sister Sarah were there with their father Thomas on the 1851 census, no sign of Elizabeth who was born in 1831.
Sophia and her father were in West Bromwich, Staffordshire in 1861 and Sarah was in Birmingham.

I don't know when Elizabeth went to Australia or why but I have read that in the early 1850s young women with needlework skills and lacemakers were encouraged to settle in Australia and I know that a lot of the women in Gawcott village were lacemakers.

Her death cert (1909) states that she had been in Victoria for 59 years. She married Charles Tanner in Oct 1854 in Kyneton. They were at Kyneton forge so I think he was a blacksmith or something similar.

Charles Tanner and Sarah nee Marvin had 5 children, 1 died as a toddler in Tasmania and 2 surviving children, John 11 and Fanny 9 were named on her death cert, April 1854, but I haven't found out anything else about them.

I will send you my email address in case anything else comes to mind that might be useful to us both.
Ann