Ragged school immigrant Robert Conning Walter 1854

[Dundee]

I have discovered a personal account of the shipwreck written by Robert Canning Walter in late 1853. He begins the narrative ( I became an inmate of Bloomsbury school about the 15th of March 1853, l will Pass over that portion of time from my first entering the school as an orphan to the time I left to go to Canada ) Leaving me in no doubt it was a sponsored emigration by the ragged school and he returned after the shipwreck to the shelter of the ragged school organization in Bloomsbury. Then he finishes his narrative ( Since my return I have been enabled by a few kind friends to procure a passage to Australia, I may yet live to bless the day I first entered a ragged school )

The supervisor finishes ( He has sought help again of the ragged school committee which with the assistance of a lady in Cheltenham, has been afforded so as to secure him a passage to Victoria. He sailed a few weeks since for Melbourne at which place he has a sister.
 
Regards everybody
Allan

I assume that you have definitely confirmed the identity of the boy onboard the ship as being Robert Canning WALTER, not a different Robert WALTER?

Can you give the context of the above narrative?  Where is it recorded?  Is it only about the shipwreck?  It doesn't sound like it was written by a 13 year old.

It is possible that between 1851 and 1853 his mother's financial situation worsened but then improved by 1861 after her sons had been working.

The admittance and discharge records of the two institutions would be the best place to look for notes on why/when he was there.

I cannot see anything obvious in the arrivals and departures for Victoria, but the records are not complete.

http://prov.vic.gov.au/research/ships-and-shipping

Debra 

[majm]

Like Dundee,  I too have searched and searched for your lad's arrival into any of the colonies and I cannot find a possible arrival 1853-1854.   

And even if he managed to arrive in Victoria,  I cannot find him leaving Victoria to be back in England in time for the 1861 Census

http://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/c.php?g=245260&p=1633084

And like Dundee, I know the records are not complete.

Here's the RChat Resources board for Victoria,
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=369963.0

Here's the link to the free to search digitised newspapers and much much more http://trove.nla.gov.au/

Cheers,  JM

[Dundee]

In 1861 Robert's sister Martha was living with her uncle and aunt in Oxfordshire - Robert and Sarah Ann STILES.

(RG 9; Piece: 885; Folio: 104; Page: 11)

Their marriage:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NXSJ-HPX

If Robert and Martha did come to Australia then they didn't stay long.

Debra 

[~MERLIN~]

I have discovered a personal account of the shipwreck written by Robert Canning Walter in late 1853. He begins the narrative ( I became an inmate of Bloomsbury school about the 15th of March 1853, l will Pass over that portion of time from my first entering the school as an orphan to the time I left to go to Canada ) Leaving me in no doubt it was a sponsored emigration by the ragged school and he returned after the shipwreck to the shelter of the ragged school organization in Bloomsbury. Then he finishes his narrative ( Since my return I have been enabled by a few kind friends to procure a passage to Australia, I may yet live to bless the day I first entered a ragged school )
The supervisor finishes ( He has sought help again of the ragged school committee which with the assistance of a lady in Cheltenham, has been afforded so as to secure him a passage to Victoria. He sailed a few weeks since for Melbourne at which place he has a sister.

The person is named as R C WALTERS not Robert Canning WALTER 

The 10 pages from the Ragged School Union magazine, Jan 1854 are in the public domain:

http://postimg.org/gallery/t4xxlnwm/

[majm]

Many thanks Merlin,

So whether it is Conning or Canning makes no difference whatsoever then .... 

    

Someone needs to undo any message sent to the living person named in the following quote

It may be worthwhile contacting Carol Jackson via Ancestry as she would appear to have a connection to this family

Cheers,  JM

[Vatersay]

Hello everybody.

I have ended up more confused again.
I have been back through the original newspaper articles there is a Robert Walter on the third boat that left Barra and was driven to Skye. In another article he is Walker but never Walters, though in the narrative he is called by the other boy's Walters.

So are we saying that at that period there were two boys roughly the same age in London orphanages one called R C Walter and one R C Walters?
I think its more likely that Robert took the money and cashed in his ticket and never went to Australia, who could blame him after all he had been through.
In only one place is he called Walters that is in the ragged school magazine.

Not saying I am right but it's a possibility.
 Can I say I also think its an impressive piece of writing by a 13 year old, what does that say for their education system or what does it say about ours?

Will try the London Metropolitan library after everything returns to normal for records of disharge, hoping this will give me the origins and ages of another 10 individuals.

Thanks again to everybody for your time and your efforts it is very much appreciated.

Allan

[majm]

....
So are we saying that at that period there were two boys roughly the same age in London orphanages one called R C Walter and one R C Walters?
I think its more likely that Robert took the money and cashed in his ticket and never went to Australia, who could blame him after all he had been through.
In only one place is he called Walters that is in the ragged school magazine.
....

Hi there,

According to the following website, the population of London in 1851 was well over two million people.  Would you expect there to be two youths in London, one as R C WALTER and one as R C WALTERS.  The surname could well be mishmashed as WATTERS too ....

http://www.victorianlondon.org/population/population.htm

Please remember that earlier in this thread Dundee posted that Robert and Richard were at Christ’s Hospital School and provided a live link to the conditions of entry.

In 1851 Richard and Robert are at Christ's Hospital School - it wasn't a 'ragged school', more about the conditions of entry here:
http://www.victorianlondon.org/education/christshospital.htm

ADD
From the online index of Wills and Administrations.
31 July 1880. 
Administration of the Personal Estate of Robert Canning WALTER late of St James;s near the City of Chichester, Brewer, a Bachelor who died 29 June 1871 at St James’s was granted at Chichester to Martha WALTER of the Ferms Wickham in the Parish of Rumboldswhyke in the County of Sussex Spinster the Sister.

That would match the online index for 3rd Quarter of 1871  that has:
WALTER Robert Canning, 31, Chichester  2b.  231.

But as to the supposition that R C WALTER, the lad who wrote the article being actually a lad named  Robert Canning WALTER, likely still young enough to be a boarder at the school Dundee located and that it was Robert Canning WALTER who was funded by the Ragged Schools (and not by his own school) to embark from Liverpool (rather than from London where Robert Canning WALTER and family members likely were) heading to Canada on the Annie Jane   sorry but the dots are simply not joining up for me.   

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKV2-Z1G2  1851 transcription

Further ADD
" Robert C Walter ( aged 13 among a group of 11 orphans being sent to Canada  ) " http://www.anniejane.net/passengers/steerage-passengers-surviving/

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Some possible 1851 England census sightings for various Robert lads.... 

HO107  1185/19
WALTER Richard, Robert, Martha in 1841 with their parents Richard and Rebecca in WILTSHIRE 
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M732-68X   
so is this a different family from the one mentioned in the OP with Richard at an orphanage in London in 1851 census ? ? ?

There was another brother called Richard I have no record of him except he was in an orphanage in London in 1851 he was two years older than Robert.

HO107 1761/204
WALTER Robert, born London, pupil at Linton CAMS
 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKV5-235L

HO107 2430/351
WATERS Robert, Lodger, at Carlisle CUMBERLAND
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKVY-F723

HO107/2146/489
WALTERS Robert G, boarder, at Alstonefield, DERBYSHIRE
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKVJ-F1LF


Cheers,  JM  (I am NSW Australia based, and almost all of my ancestors were already in NSW before the Gold rushes which commenced 1851, so I am not familiar with searching the UK census, sorry)


 

[Vatersay]

Happy New Year everybody.

JM thank you for all your hard work I am embarrassed and humbled by the amount of time you have spent on this

Assume nothing, You think I would know that by now.

I will alter the entry to ( Robert C Walter among a party of 11 orphans from London bound for Canada ) all I ever wanted was the origins of the immigrants just to show what a national and international catastrophe it was, the ages just add another dimension, his age was based on the other Robert.

I will be asking for somebody to look up the orphanages records when the festive season is over so God willing that will establish who the young Robert was, I cannot manage down to London till after June this year. I am excited because it should give another 10 individuals the survivor who vanished and the 9 who died. If they match the names on the list we will be able to have a lot more confidence in its veracity.
You will be the first to know who Robert is, that's a promise.

Thanks again and all the best for 2016

Allan