White Family of Chichester Sussex

[mkplato]

Dear Fellow Genealogy Researchers,

Thank you for the opportunity to post my query and to all those who read it my sincere appreciation.

I have a rather large brick-wall that is proving difficult to break down. Following is the research I have managed to piece together:
My G Grandmother: Fanny White - Born 1829 Westhampnett, Chichester, Sussex England.
Her Sister: Charlotte White - Born 1831 (as above)
Father: James White - Born 1805 – (1809/10) - labourer
Mother: Sarah Forester - Born 1808
Married: 1829 Boxgrove, Sussex England

The next piece of information is a supposition on my part as it seems to fit:
Hampshire Telegraph, 24 October 1831
Sussex
On Monday and Tuesday, the Quarterly Sessions for the Western Division of the county were held at the Guildhall, Chichester...
On Monday the following prisoners were tried...
James White, for stealing at Boxgrove, on the 17th of August, four gallons of wheat, the property of Thomas Fogden, was sentenced to seven years'
transportation. The prisoner was employed by prosecutor at the rate of four shillings per diem during the last harvest when he committed the theft

Further to this entry is the following:

New South Wales 1832
List of Male Convicts by the Ship Lady Harewood...arrived from England 5 August 1832

Indent No. 151
James White
Age - 21
Read/Write - None
Religion - Protestant
Single, Married, or Widowed - Married
Children - 2 Female
Native Place - Sussex
Trade/Calling - Ploughman, shepherd, milks, sows, reaps Offence - Stealing grain Where Tried - Sussex Quarter Sessions When Tried - 17 October 1831 Sentence - 7 Years Former Conviction - None Height - 5 feet 5 3/4 inches Complexion - Fair ruddy Hair - Brown Eyes - Chestnut Marks - Scar right side of forehead, small red mark outer corner of red eye

The two daughters Fanny and Charlotte make it to Australia sometime between the 1830s and 1843. Many of the children of convicts were transported to reunite with their parent/parents. As such they were only identified as children. I have not been able to find Sarah White nee Forester after the date of James' conviction. I can only think she may have gone into the poor house?? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
From Australia
Karen Kestigian

[chempat]

No help to you but just putting a link to some information on the scheme to send out families:

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

Have you checked parish records for Sarah's death in Westhampnett?
When do you first have information on the children without her?

[mkplato]

Dear Chempat,

I have searched for dear Sarah without any success. It seems she just vanished. My g grandmother Fanny, when she was admitted to the "poor' asylum in Adelaide, claimed she arrived in Australia on board the Royal Admiral. That was a convict ship. It's last voyage to Australia was in 1842 and that was a transportation of an all female convicts. The following includes your reference and is part of the research I uncovered.

According to a reference on the families of convicts. Wives and children had the opportunity to be reunited under a government scheme in the UK. On the ship they were fed, clothed and on some ships the children received a rudimentary education. The families were listed separately on the embarkation lists which often did not state numbers or names of the free women and children, but between 1820 and 1842 at least 297 wives and 643 children were sent out to join their husbands and fathers in Van Diemen's Land.

A footnote to the 1842 passenger list of the Royal Admiral is that names were missing from the transcribed list but that the original record would have those names. Can anyone tell me where I might find the original record for this voyage, please? I know that in previous research there were at least 17 children on board that voyage of female convicts.

The only way I can think where the children may have been identified is perhaps in the ship's manifest in England. I have been unsuccessful in obtaining that information. It appears Fanny had a child in Adelaide in 1847. So it may be she was on the Royal Admiral as a child in 1842. The Royal Admiral sank later off the coast of India.

Many thanks for your kindness
Karen Kestigian   

[rosie99]

The only way I can think where the children may have been identified is perhaps in the ship's manifest in England. I have been unsuccessful in obtaining that information. It appears Fanny had a child in Adelaide in 1847. So it may be she was on the Royal Admiral as a child in 1842. The Royal Admiral sank later off the coast of India.

The National Archives at Kew appears to have some information on the Royal Admiral passengers in 1842 but mainly medical

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5897131

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4106901
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10559258
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10559259
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10559260

[mkplato]

Dear Rosie,

Thank you so very much for your leads and I will definitely follow through. I did read an account some time ago, by the ship's doctor but didn't find anything about our girls. hopefully there might be something in the Kew documents. I just love your dog. We have Tibetan Terriers.

I really appreciate your kindness in helping me.
Best wishes
karen

[jonw65]

The next piece of information is a supposition on my part as it seems to fit:
Hampshire Telegraph, 24 October 1831
Sussex
On Monday and Tuesday, the Quarterly Sessions for the Western Division of the county were held at the Guildhall, Chichester...
On Monday the following prisoners were tried...
James White, for stealing at Boxgrove, on the 17th of August, four gallons of wheat, the property of Thomas Fogden, was sentenced to seven years'
transportation.

See James White in the Order Book here. Michaelmas Sessions at Chichester, 1831
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D5T4-B7?i=421&cat=685415

Gaol Calendar on image 427

[jonw65]

Baptism of Fanny at Westhampnett
Father James a Labourer
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DY99-59R

Charlotte in 1831, entry is written at the bottom
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DY99-LNJ

From the BT, the abode given on Charlotte's baptism looks like Maudlin?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1S3-C7C?i=661&cat=1022207

[mkplato]

Dear jonw65,

Thank you so much for your assistance. it is very interesting as I hadn't picked up that Fanny and Charlotte were born in different places. James must have been seeking work. One area of historic interest is that during that period England was heavily influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the farming labourers' payment changed. They were paid for how much they had reaped. The country had gone through several years of poor crops due to the weather. So earning the earning capacity had been badly affected. This contributed as to why so many people were convicted and transported because many had to steal to support their families.

Many sincere thanks for you help.
Kind regards
Karen