RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Essex => Topic started by: Evelyne Stokes on Thursday 18 October 18 13:34 BST (UK)
-
Hi,
I am looking for my ancestor Jesse Richard Stokes, born in 1811 at Epping, Essex. He left England around 1828/1829 to Australia Van Diemen's Land. I suspect he was a convict but I didn't find him on the convict lists. He stayed in Van Diemen's Land for 29 years, then went to Geelong and Ballarat in Victoria, Australia where he was a Horse dealer. I took a subscription to SEAX but didn't find anything about him. On his death certificate it's noticed that his parents were William or Richard Stokes and Ellen Savall. Your help would be very appreciated !
Kind Regards
Evelyne Stokes
-
When did he die?Was an obituary published?
-
I would suggest that you look for Richard Jesse Stokes as he married (VIC AUS) as Richard and is mentioned as Richard Jesse Stokes on Trove.
1857 154 SINNETT Eliza to STOKES Richard
4th column: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5698308
Death:
1884 7829 STOKES Jesse Richard parents William and Ellen (Savall) aged 73
All their children have father's name registered as Richard, also.
Jamjar
-
Evelyne where did you get this information?
"Jesse Richard Stokes, born in 1811 at Epping, Essex. He left England around 1828/1829 to Australia Van Diemen's Land. I suspect he was a convict but I didn't find him on the convict lists. He stayed in Van Diemen's Land for 29 years, then went to Geelong and Ballarat in Victoria."
Jamjar
-
Hi Jamjar,
Thank you for your help. I know all the information about him here in Australia because Jesse Richard Stokes is the great great grand father of my husband. So we had information and pictures from the family but I have nothing from his youth and family in England and how and why he came in Australia. I know he spent more than 20 years in Van Diemen's Land and then he went to Victoria. He married Eliza Halse in Geelong, Victoria and then they went to Ballarat, Victoria.
To Warncoort, Jesse Richard Stokes died in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. His grave is in Ballarat Cemetery.
Kind Regards
Evelyne Stokes
-
Yes, you say that you know that he was in Tassie, but where have you found that information?
Jamjar
-
To Jamjar: information came from some family members who live with him in Ballarat. Great uncles and cousins. Excepted the fact he spent time in Tasmania, nobody spoke about why he was over there and it is what I try to discover from England. If he was convict, maybe family members do not wanted to speak about it. This information about his time in Tasmania appeared also in the Ballarat Chronicle in an article about his son's 50th wedding anniversary Jesse Richard Stokes (same name).
If I have a doubt, I never put the information inthe family tree. I want it to be accurate. I saw so many mistakes on some websites!
-
A public tree on Ancestry has his death certificate,time in Tasmania 20 years and 35 years in Victoria.
Have you checked resources page for Tasmania to trace his arrival?
-
To Warncoort: Yes I checked the resources ( passengers lists, convicts lists etc) of Tasmania but didnt find anything. Also I checked in New South Wales as some convicts arrived directly in NSW and after were sent in Tasmania but bad luck. It's why I decided to look at the source in England. He is born in 1811 and died in 1884 so at the age of 73. 73 - 55 years spent in Australia means he left England when he was 18 so in 1829. At that time Van Diemen's land was mainly used as prison. Also the History of Van Diemen's Land says that convicts when free or with a pardon, were leaving Tasmania to Victoria because it was a free state. It is noticed that most of the convicts migrated towards cities as Geelong and Ballarat for Gold and also because Melbourne didnt want to have convicts in the city. Geelong and Ballarat are cities where Jesse Richard Stokes lived. I don't know if he was a convict but there is a possibility. I went on the Essex records but the Court Rolls of Epping Essex are not online. So I continue the research ! Thank you for your help
-
Tasmania was open to free settlers who provided goods and services to the military and many farmers had convict workers.One thing the British did was to keep record of all prisoners,year of arrival and ship, to identify each person,so if Richard doesn't appear on any list seems to suggest he was not a convict.
It is unlikely convicts would be pardoned however once they had served their time they were free to apply for a ticket of leave and travel wherever they wished.Victoria around 1850 was not a "free state" but part of New South Wales then during the gold rush Melbourne was desperate to retain people as every man Jack was heading to the goldfields.
Geelong was merely the access port and was also losing population to Ballarat and Bendigo.I note Richard was married in Geelong but see nothing for him living there though an 1861 newspaper notice shows him as Richard Stokes,Lethbridge.
-
Hi Evelyn. I too am researching someone by the name of Jesse Richard Stokes, wife of Ellen Elizabeth Wayward and father of Mary Frances Stokes (1909-1996, born and died in West Australia). Looking at Ancestry, there appear to be many generations of men with the name 'Jesse Richard Stokes', mostly in Victoria. One was a builder in the Ballarat area. I have no idea where "my" Jesse Richard Stokes was born; I only know he died before 1932 (the date Mary Frances was married). I'm just wondering if you have gone any further with the family tree of your Jesse Richard Stokes?
Regards
Ann