William Houlder (b.1790) of Southwark - Transportation Mystery - Seeking Opinion

[caitcarl]

Hello fellow researchers, this may be a bit long-winded, so I do apologize in advance.

I have been recently corresponding with a third cousin in regard to our 4-3x great-grandfather, William Houlder, Jr.

He was born 20 Jun, 1790 in Southwark, Surrey, to a William Houlder (1757-1807, glazier) and his wife, Sarah nee MacCulloch (1752-1826). He had two siblings, a brother and sister, who both died by 1791. William Jr inherited his father's glazing company, and appears to have held a stall at the Borough Market. The Houlder glaziers were commissioned to do work on the Surrey Sessions House and County Goal from 1803-1829.

William Jr. married an Elizabeth Ellis (b. ~1792 in Heathfield, Sussex) on 6 May 1813 at Saint Saviour, Southwark. The pair had seven children:
William Houlder (III) - b.1814, Southwark
Elizabeth Hannah Houlder - b.1818, Southwark
Henry Houlder - b.1819, Southwark
Sarah Ann Houlder - b.1822, Southwark
Alfred Houlder - b.1824, Southwark
Augustus Frederick Houlder - b.1826, Streatham, Surrey
Edwin Savory Houlder - b.1829, Streatham, Surrey

By the 1841 Census, William is listed as living in St. Mary Newington, Lambeth, Surrey:
Willm Houlder - 50 - Agent [occupation] - Y [born in county]
Elizth Houlder - 45 -          - No
Alfred - 15 - Y
Augus's - 14 - Y
Edwin - 12 - Y

Now, Edwin Savory Houlder and his brother Alfred Houlder, had a very successful shipping company called Houlder Brothers & Co. based in London. My cousin has a book entitled One Hundred Years of Houlders, which was written about 50 years after Edwin's death, but includes several pages about Edwin's life as the book is about the shipping company and the many people, and ships, involved. The 'real' mystery is in a short paragraph of the book:
"...Mr. Edwin Savory Houlder was born on the 19th December, 1828, and was the seventh child of William Houlder (born about 1780 this is off 10 years of my research). William Houlder is believed to have lived at Heathfield in Sussex (I have not found any records indicating this), and his wife was formerly a Miss Savory of Irish descent (this also does not match our research). William Houlder was a landowner and amused himself with hunting and sport. He spent much of his time in good living, and bad gambling, with the ultimate result that he eventually found circumstances far beyond his control. He thereupon settled the problem in a manner which was easiest for himself by sailing away abroad with what moveable property he could take, and nothing more was heard of him from that time. His wife was left with the responsible task of bringing up his family of seven children, aided only by her daughter Sarah Ann."

In attempting to research the validity of William Jr. having "sailed off", I have found the following record at Old Bailey Court: https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=def1-614-18440205&div=t18440205-614&terms=William|Houlder#highlight

This William Houlder, a clerk/agent, was transported for 7 years to Tasmania for punishment after being found guilty of embezzlement. Records found in Tasmanian archives indicate that this William Houlder's origins were in St. Saviours, Southwark, that he was married with seven children. One of these record indicates that his wife's name is Elizabeth Walworth. I cannot find any marriage of a William Houlder and an Elizabeth Walworth during this time period, anywhere in the world.

Curiously, the 1851 Census (Surrey, Camberwall, St. George), shows the following:
Elizabeth Houlder - Head - Marr. - 56 - [blank occupation] - Heathfield, Sussex
Sarah A Do. - dau - single - 28 - Governess - Surrey [illegible]
Alfred Do. - son - single - 26 - Merchants Clerk - Do.
Edwin S. Do. - son - single - 22 - Do. - Surrey, Streatham

No William, though Elizabeth is married.

With all of that said, I can find nothing about William after 1841, until I found a William Houlder, who passed away at the Clapham Workhouse on 25 Mar 1856. He was buried in Norwood Cemetery, which leads me to believe this may be the same William as mine, as I am descended from his eldest son, who at the time lived [quite well of, I'll mention] at Norwood Green.

I would love to hear other genealogists thoughts, findings, etc. on this matter. Have I got the right William Houlder, glazier? Where does the Savory come in? Do you think it's possible the convict is also my William? Looking forward to discussion! 

[philipsearching]

The 'real' mystery is in a short paragraph of the book:
"...Mr. Edwin Savory Houlder was born on the 19th December, 1828, and was the seventh child of William Houlder (born about 1780 this is off 10 years of my research). William Houlder is believed to have lived at Heathfield in Sussex (I have not found any records indicating this), and his wife was formerly a Miss Savory of Irish descent (this also does not match our research).


William Houlder, a clerk/agent, was transported for 7 years to Tasmania for punishment after being found guilty of embezzlement. Records found in Tasmanian archives indicate that this William Houlder's origins were in St. Saviours, Southwark, that he was married with seven children. One of these record indicates that his wife's name is Elizabeth Walworth. I cannot find any marriage of a William Houlder and an Elizabeth Walworth during this time period, anywhere in the world.

My feeling is that SAVORY as the mother's maiden name is an incorrect assumption by the book author.  None of Edwin's siblings had the name Savory.  It is possible that Edwin had a godfather named Savory, or was given the name in tribute to a friend or relative.

Walworth is a district of Southwark and it is quite possible that it was incorrectly assumed to be a surname rather than a location.

For the benefit of other Rootschatters:
WILLIAM HOULDER, Theft - embezzlement, 5th February 1844.
Reference Number: t18440205-614
614. WILLIAM HOULDER was indicted for embezzling 40l.; 2s. 3d., the monies of his masters, Webster Flockton and another; to which he pleaded
GUILTY . Aged 53.— Transported for Seven Years.
The prosecutor stated his loss at 230l.;

If William returned to England after his 7 year sentence in time to die in the Clapham workhouse he would have to have voyaged c1851-56 - there may be a surviving passenger list.  If the two Williams are the same man, we could surmise that the well-off family were embarrassed by their "black sheep" and perhaps disowned him when he returned.

All the best.
Philip

[Bookbox]

I found a William Houlder, who passed away at the Clapham Workhouse on 25 Mar 1856. He was buried in Norwood Cemetery, which leads me to believe this may be the same William as mine, as I am descended from his eldest son, who at the time lived [quite well of, I'll mention] at Norwood Green.

Just worth bearing in mind that Norwood Green is in Middlesex, near Hounslow, to the west of the metropolitan area. Norwood Cemetery is in Lambeth, then in Surrey, now in south London, and a completely different place.

[Bookbox]

Walworth is a district of Southwark and it is quite possible that it was incorrectly assumed to be a surname rather than a location.

I think this is very likely. The address where they're living in 1841 is Westmoreland Place, which is in the very heart of Walworth. At that date Walworth came within the parish of St Mary Newington, which is why the census page is headed that way.
ref: HO107/1064/4 folio 11 page 14.

I suspect that someone who doesn’t know London has misconstrued the Tasmanian convict record.

[Bookbox]

For deciphering purposes, this is how the wife is shown in the convict indent CON14/1/22. Houlder is the last entry.

[caitcarl]

phillipsearching & Bookbox: Thank you so much for your input! I live in New Hampshire, USA, so don't have a full understanding of all the small districts of London. So glad I've found this site, and fellow genealogy enthusiasts, to help with my research.

All of this is extremely helpful. I'm feeling more and more confident that the convict sent to Tasmania is my William.

Now to determine if the William in the Clapham Workhouse was him or not. It would make sense to me that if he returned, it would be to the same area of the city, whether his family still lived there or not. Off to ship manifests!

[Jomot]

Have you considered the 1867 death in Hobart of William HOLDER aged 71 81 & born England?  The age is a little out but he died as a pauper of old age & debility at Brickfields Depot.

A little info here about Brickfields: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickfields_Hiring_Depot

[Bookbox]

Now to determine if the William in the Clapham Workhouse was him or not.

Have you searched the 1851 census for the one who died in the workhouse in 1856, to try to eliminate him?

The man you're looking at was 68 when he died, so he is probably the William HOLDER who was already in the workhouse in 1851, aged 63, a gardener born in Dorking, Surrey.
ref: HO107/1577 folio 362 page 9

[caitcarl]

Bookbox: You are just one step ahead of me during a work day! Thank you for that; I believe your hunch is right.

Onto Australian records. My cousin and I have confirmed that the William Houlder in Tasmania was released at 4 years 8 mo on good behavior.