"The Somerset Years"

[JACK GEE]

This is a great reference book. My Nicholas line got a great showing in this book. Good luck on your hunt.
Sadly i cannot do a look up as i only copies the pages that had a bearing on my names of interest.

Cheers
Jack Gee

[JoAshby]

I have been trying to access a copy of this book online, however I havent been able to find one. Is there any chance someone could do a look up (Possibly Page 73)
Catherine Hodges (Hodgers). Age 22, Cornwall - Joined ship in Cork.
Lord William Bentinick
Arrival 22 August 1844

[fataussie]

Hi JoAshby
Unfortunately there is no mention of Catherine Hodges (Hodgers) in the Somerset Years.
If she was from Cornwall then she wouldn't be mentioned as the book was about people identified as natives of Somerset.

Cheers
Bryan

[JoAshby]

Thank you I eventually found Catherine Hodge- she was one of the Irish Famine Immigrants to Sydney.

Their house was called Truro, so this means it must be where the Prices came from (John Price - engraver, wife Mary Ann, and son Edwin John Price - she was married to Edwin).

Another rabbit hole to jump down. Took me over two years to locate Catherine Hodge.

[Nanna52]

Ooh, now you have me intrigued.  My great grandparents Alfred James and Elizabeth Heale married in Bath in September 1851 and came to Australia on the Joshua, landing in February 1852.  I wonder if they or the voyage of the Joshua is mentioned. 

Oops, should have added they were from Keynsham, Somerset.

[judb]

Re the book discussing the voyage of the Lysander - I had assumed that is was only about Somerset families but it would be much appreciated if someone could do a look-up for me.

My 2great grandfather and his wife and children arrived (according to Victorian records) in Port Phillip, October 1841 per Lysander
Michael Dwyer, 39
Ellenore Dwyer (nee McCarthy), 37
 Patrick 5, William 3, John 2
Michael and Ellen were born (and married) in Tipperary, as were the children.  There is another child, Honorah, registered as born in Melbourne 1841 so Ellen would have been pregnant during the voyage, or perhaps Honora was born on the voyage.

According to the records held in Victoria the Lysander left from Plymouth so I have no idea how my family got to Plymouth.

Any information would be great! 

Judith

[giblet]

Your John and Susanna Harrison arrived on the Lysander? John Toward Harrison and Susanna Shackloth? IF so i have heaps of information on them i'm happy to share. My Aunt has written a book on the Harrison history.

Yes giblet, that would be them. I've been tracing back the family tree on the Harrison side as a pet project over the last couple of years on and off. I have little time to work on it unfortunately, but I have birth/marriages/deaths from online resources and linked everything from the current generation (i.e. my kids) all the way back to 1510 on the Harrison line.

My wife asked my 'why' my ancestors came out to Australia a couple of days ago, so I went hunting and found John Toward Harrison and Susanna Shackloth came out as assisted immigrants to Victoria (which upset my wife as I think she was secretly hoping my ancestor was a convict ). That's the reason I found out about the book 'The Somerset Years'.

Any information you've have access to would be appreciated, the book by your Aunt sounds very interesting. I've been wanting to fill out details for each person in the family line as my next task and didn't know where to begin. I could also provide some info/a chart of what I have so far if interested up until my grandparents (as they've passed away now so no privacy concerns.) I've been building the chart/connections using only documented resources, so it should be pretty accurate.

Hi Geoff, private message sent.

[fataussie]

Hi Nanna52
 Alfred James & Eliza are mentioned on page 153 on the Joshua. Sailed Plymouth November 5 1851, arrived Hobsons Bay January 30 1852.
James Alfred (23, Primitive Methodist. Literate) Eliza (19. Literate)
Alfrd was the son of George James & Mary (Cantwell). He & Eliza (Heale) went off to find work in Melbourne, later moving to the goldfields at Creswick.

Cheers
Bryan

[Nanna52]

Spot on, thank you Bryan.  I didn’t know when the Joshua left England but have traced their movements after they landed through the births, and unfortunately many deaths of their 11 children.  I am descended from number 11, James Arthur James.  They were in Creswick in 1854 so now I need to work out if Alfred was one of the miners who marched from there to Eureka.  I’m patient, I will eventually get answers.
Alfred later became involved in setting up a school in Scarsdale.