ROBERT HALLETT PICKERING
Robert Hallett Pickering was born in 1827 to Robert Pickering and Mary Robinson in Winchester Hampshire. 2nd Christian name “Hallett” not included in baptismal register.
He was sentenced to 10 years jail for burglary in December 1843, at Southampton Assizes, to be served in Woodford Prison on the Isle of Wight. In 1846 Robert was one of 291 convicts, (Pentonville Exiles), transported to Australia on the “Maitland”.
He married Ann Mullen, date unknown, and on 18/05/1893 they had a son, Robert Hulbert Pickering. The abode given was Muddy Creek, which later became known as “Yea”. Note there is no record of this birth in the official registry. The Government of Victoria sequestered the records of the Catholic Parish of Kilmore and the transcription of the records had some omissions and errors. The church managed to get their records returned and the information is available to interested parties. The information regarding the birth of Robert Hulbert Pickering is drawn from the parish records and agrees with information supplied by Robert Hulbert on his marriage certificate.
In regard to the charge of abduction of a female minor, in 1862 Robert Hallett was being pursued by his creditors. He was the proprietor of the Bridge Inn in Yea and on the day in question he departed down the Whittlesea road on horseback, bound for Queensland.
Catherine, (Kate), Dunn also lived in Yea and as her mother had just given birth to the 9th child, Kate decided she had no future except as an unpaid nursemaid so she grabbed a pony and also headed down Whittlesea road. They met up and together made the epic journey to Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Catherine subsequently married John Clavering Wood in Rockhampton in 1865. The Dunn family apparently thought that Robert was assisting Kate to get to New Zealand and in 1864 when Robert had returned to Melbourne to get his “bankruptcy” certificate; he was arrested on the outstanding warrant relating to the supposed abduction. The Dunn family indicated that they had no wish to pursue the matter as Kate was alive and well and living in Rockhampton and Robert was released.
Regarding the second and third marriage of Robert Hallett Pickering. Robert Hallett married Margaret Ann Whalan on 3/07/1867 in Rockhampton. On the marriage certificate he described his marital status as “widower”. However his first wife’s death certificate gives her date of death as 6/09/1867 so the marriage appears to have been bigamous.
In fairness to Robert Hallett, he had been separated from his first wife for five years and she had been terminally ill for some months. There is some evidence to suggest that he may have thought that she had passed away at the time he remarried.
In 1884 Robert Hallett married for the third time to Kate Hopkins. He again described his marital status as widower. and he reduced his stated age by 5 years at the second marriage and 10 years for the third. This marriage would have nbeen valid as his first wife was deceased and his second marriage had been invalid.
Robert Hallett Pickering died at a residence in Werna Street Winton in Western Queensland on 22/05/1894 and his death was reported in the Capricornian of 2/06/1884.
It appears unclear what happened to his second wife, Margaret Ann Whalen, or their daughter Matilda Annie Pickering, born at Woodford Island on 12/02/1872. I have been unable to locate any records relating to marriage or death of Margaret Ann or Matilda Annie in either Queensland or New South Wales. I note the information supplied by another respondent that Margaret Ann Whalen died in Casino NSW in 1916. I have heard this before but can find no record of this or any burial information relating. I would appreciate any further information that anyone has available. Hope this helps Tony.
Regards, Bill.