William and Eliza CARTER and family to Victoria in 19thC...

[trish251]

Trish,
So what kind of settlement was Tasmania in the 1840's...?
keith

I did miss this query

Tasmania was a convict settlement from early 1800s & (I could be corrected) there was not an large influx of free settlers until 1840s/50s, although there were, of course many convicts who finished their terms and stayed on as freemen. When the British Govt closed Norfolk Is as a settlement in the early 1800s, the residents were all shipped to Tasmania. Most were convicts who had completed their terms & many "forgot" their origins after arriving in Tasmania  . As "free settlers" they were entitled to land grants and became part of Hobart Society. Until the 1980s it was quite common for Australian families to hide their convict origins, but it then became popular to "own a convict" and it is now considered very Australian to have had ancestors among the early settlers - be they convicts or not.

My belief is that the original convict settlers of Tasmania were treated well and the Colony prospered until Gov Arthur appeared and built his ghastly penal settlement with its methods of complete isolation for prisoners and it took some time for the Colony to recover from this. I'm sure there are opposing views. Transportation to Tasmania ceased in the early 1850s.

Trish

[Keith Sherwood]

Trish, Jenn and Genni,
Wow!  I'm beginning to get just a little excited by the prospect that this individual ticks so many of the boxes.  I realise that William Carter is a name that occurs frequently, but there are many details that fit.  Certainly a Lydia Tidmarsh CARTER marrying in Tasmania in the 1840's simply has to be his daughter, thus connecting him with the island.  He was most definitely in Melbourn (sic) Victoria in 1869 according to his brother's will, and this man you say died there.
My William CARTER was born on 7th May 1797 and baptised 4th June 1797 at St Botolph without Aldgate, London, so that is not exactly right. (But not that far out) Father was indeed Robert, but the fly in the ointment is the informant of his death not putting down that Lydia Tidmarsh was his mother.
You've all been so industrious while I've slept this other side of the world, and if you could possibly look for his will or any newspaper reports of his death, Genni, I would be more than grateful.
Meanwhile I'll contact the Tasmanian archives/library and see whether they have more on this individual.
If he turns out to be the right person and he indeed went out to Tasmania as a criminal, got his freedom after serving his sentence, then established himself as a merchant/trader like his successful father and elder brother, that would be quite some story...
Very best wishes,
keith

[tropicalj]

If he turns out to be the right person and he indeed went out to Tasmania as a criminal, got his freedowm after serving his sentence, then established himself as a merchant/trader like his successful father and elder brother, that would be quite some story...

Keith there is nothing as yet to suggest he was a convict as number of  person  went freely  to Tasmania!

regard Jenn

[Keith Sherwood]

Jenn,
Just keeping my options open!  Apparent lack of other family members - apart from his daughter Lydia - and the fact that there wasn't much going on in Tasmania in the early 18 hundreds (forgive me if my ignorance at this time lets me down) - makes me not discount the possibility.  His elder brother Robert ran a very successful wholesale furniture and upholstery (later) business in London.  I suppose William might have had some kind of entrepreneurial skills of his own that he might have employed in an emerging part of Australia.
I've e-mailed the Tasmanian archives, by the way!
keith

[tropicalj]

hello  there KEith
no  harm in  hoping but   he could  have come to establish a business! 
What about his other children  you  found one son William  but any of the others in England?

regards Jenn

[Keith Sherwood]

Jenn,
Up to now, not knowing when he might have gone to Tasmania, Australia, I had been looking for the entire family together, i.e. in the 1841 Census - no sign of them.  Have not been able to find his son William so far.  But I'll have another search for them individually - would be interesting to discover his daughter Lydia Tidmarsh CARTER in the 1841...
Not knowing when he went, and how many family members went with him, or whether he went on his own first and others followed him, makes it all a bit patchy at the moment.
keith

[Keith Sherwood]

Update,
Overnight I've received an e-mail from the Tasmania Archives saying they have stuff on Lavington Roope, and would look to see what they have on William Carter.  They charge a fee of 25 dollars (what would that be in pounds sterling?).
They've asked me for my postal address and whether I give them the go-ahead.  Think that sounds a fairly reasonable price, as I've been asked for up to £40 per hour by some Record Offices here.
Shall I go for it (think I really ought to...)?  Money to be paid once I get whatever they find for me...
keith

[sparrett]

About 10 pounds
Sue

[tropicalj]

hello  there Keith
for what it's worth I got very good information from them  quite quick and good value for the 25AUS DOLLARS payment was on receipt of  the materials which is very trusting of them

regards jenn