Looking for Henry Sawyer and his wife Elizabeth Wickens

[warrawillah]

Hi all,
 The South Australian Dictionary of Biography lists William SAWYER baptised at Slaugham, Sussex on 14 March 1830 to parents Henry Sawyer and Elizabeth WICKENS. William emigrated to Australia in 1849.

I have not been able to find this couple in the 1841 or 1851 census, or indeed any mention of William's baptism at all in any Sussex register I have found.  I did find a Henry SAWYER dying in 1831 but do not know if this is the correct one

Could someone please point me in the direction of where I should look now?
Many thanks,
 Marie in Sydney.

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

I think that it's possible that William's name got misspelt somewhere in his lifetime. I have found this baptism, but there is no image there to check.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kjg/


A Henry SAYERS married an Elizabeth WICKENS 10 miles from Slaugham in Horsted Keynes in 1805,

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kjh/


A Henry and Elizabeth SAYERS have a lot of children in Slaugham between 1806 and 1830,

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kji/


Charlotte    08 November 1807
Henry         04 August 1811
Ann            26 June 1814
Sarah         14 April 1816
Jane           22 November 1818
Susan         25 November 1821
John           21 March 1824
William       30 March 1830


There is this death,

Henry SAYERS    Sep Q 1838    Cuckfield    07  192     
Age:  66 

Burial
Henry SAYERS   
03 Sep 1838   
Cuckfield   
Age:    67 



There is this family in 1841, Susan is transcribed as being 15 but I think the 5 looks different to the others on the page and it could be 18.


1841  HO107/1111/6  f.8  p.8  Cuckfield
Staple field Common

SAYERS
Elizabeth    50    Labourers Widow     
Susan        15/18?
William      11

All born in County.

Then if this is the right family William loses his mother and sister while he is still very young.

Death
Susan SAYERS    Sep Q 1841    Cuckfield    07  201 

Burial
Susan SAYERS
18 Jul 1841
Cuckfield
Age:  19


Death
Elizabeth SAYERS     Dec Q 1843    Cuckfield    07  235
Age:  57 

Burial
Elizabeth SAYERS   
28 Dec 1843   
Cuckfield   
Age:   57 



Oh no...I've just found this death which could be the above William,

William SAYERS    Jun Q 1845    Cuckfield    07  218     
Age:  14   


I still think the baptism could be correct as the date seems too much of a coincidence to be wrong.


I can't see any images or further info. on the above suggestions, maybe someone else with more local knowledge will be able to help.


Regards,
Daisy

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Oh no...I've just found this death which could be the above William,

William SAYERS    Jun Q 1845    Cuckfield    07  218     
Age:  14   

There's another William Sayers aged 9 on 1841 [as Willm] in Cowfold parish, also in Cuckfield distrct, with parents Samuel and Jane. However there is a 19 yr old b Cowfold working as a servant in 1851

[jonw65]

The William Sayers who died in 1845, age 14, was buried at Cowfold, 5th May. Abode Cowfold.

I have found this baptism, but there is no image there to check.

14 March 1830, Slaugham
William
S of Henry + Elizabeth Sayers
abode Cuckfield
father a Labourer
performed by R Ellison

Available to see here if you want to register (free) with the FamilySearch website
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1D4-9X?i=224&cat=229018

[warrawillah]

Thank you Jon, Mabel and Daisy. This is certainly food for thought. Was William in fact a Sayers or did the Biographical people in Sth Aust make an error and assume they'd found his birth?  Certainly, William is listed on his shipping record in 1848 as William SAWYER.

How do I go about proving the link please? Is there a way?

Marie

[jonw65]

The South Australian Dictionary of Biography lists William SAWYER baptised at Slaugham, Sussex on 14 March 1830 to parents Henry Sawyer and Elizabeth WICKENS. William emigrated to Australia in 1849.

This matches the info found and posted by Daisy. The only difference being the name is Sayers rather than Sawyer. It certainly appears to be the same person!
But I can't find anything about William Sawyer in South Australia. Why is he in the Dictionary of Biography?
John

[warrawillah]

Hi JOhn,
 I have no idea why he would be in the Dictionary of Biography, except perhaps that he was one of the early settlers of South Australia. SA was gazetted in 1836 and he arrived in 1849. By 1854 he was a landowner at Mitcham. He was just an ordinary working class fellow who was a labourer, then contract carter, farmer and quarry man.  He died aged 43 in a quarry accident, struck by falling rocks, leaving 6 children aged from 2 to 15 years.

One of his sons is also mentioned in the Dictionary of Biography and he was a road building contractor.
Marie

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

Just to help us place him, is this his marriage and death?


St John, Kapunda, South Australia
01 Aug 1857

William SAWYER
Age:  27
Father:  Henry

Mary CONSIDINE
Age:  20
Father:  Michael



William
SHAWYER
04 Sep 1873
Age:  41
Residence:  Springbank
Mitcham
Adelaide
South Australia

(spelling SHAWYER at Genealogy Sa and FindMyPast) but reports found at Trove spell it SAWYER.


Do either of these records give his date of birth or baptism?


Did he go to Australia as a convict or an immigrant? I'm having difficulty finding him on a passenger list 1848/49.


Daisy

[warrawillah]

Yes Daisy,
 Both these records seem to refer to him as marriage and death dates are correct. The only reference to baptism is in the Biographical Index of SA 1836-1885 on CD which says as shown above that he was bap in Slaugham on 14.3.1830, son of Henry SAWYER and Elizabeth WICKENS. The same source says he immigrated per Anna Maria, on 12 10 1849. I have looked up the passenger list for this ship arriving at Port Adelaide  and there certainly was a William Sawyer on it but how do I know if it's the right one?

Thanks for your interest,

Marie