Pitt brothers William and Thomas

[Casey]

William Pitt was a well know theatre artist in Melbourne. He was well documented in Victoria, Australia as a publican and artist and owner of the Cafe de Paris. His origins in England are the mystery.

[Neale1961]

What was William’s occupation on the ship’s passenger list?
What is his age and place of birth on his marriage cert, and his children’s birth certificates?

[Casey]

William Pitt is described as an Artist, aged 30 yrs England, his brother Thomas aged 32 yrs, no occupation and Williams defacto wife Mrs Jane 24 yrs, on the ship "Birman"' arriving 1853 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from Glasgow, Scotland. No children with them. They were not married so no Marriage certificate details. They never married in Australia after they arrived despite having children here.

[Neale1961]

I wonder if the fact that they sailed from Glasgow and not from Liverpool, might point to them not living in England. Perhaps the Pitt family was working / living in Ireland. I don’t know if William was well enough known as a artist to be mentioned in papers, but it maybe worth looking in the Irish or Scottish press.

[Casey]

Many thanks, will try Ireland and Scotland. William must have met his defacto wife Jane Dixon in Sunderland though, as she is shown there in the 1841 and 1851 census. Her husband Joseph Huggon abandoned her soon after their marriage in 1847 or perhaps she abandoned him?

[maddys52]

As you will undoubtedly know from searching Trove, this item mentions that William PITT was the scenic artist for "The Prince of Happy Land" at the London Lyceum.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article174599014

This play opened at the Lyceum on Friday 26 December 1851 (advertisement attached from Saturday Dec. 20, 1851
Publication: John Bull.

I don't know how long these backdrops took to be painted, not too long I imagine, but at least you know that William must have been in London some time during late 1851.

As he was "brought to Australia" by George COPPIN, I wonder if following his movements may help to locate William. 

[maddys52]

Curiously, this review of the play says that the scenery was painted by "Messrs. Beverley and Meadows". Did William work on it under their supervision, or at all? 

Saturday,  Dec. 27, 1851
Publication: Morning Post

And a much longer review in "The Standard", Saturday  Dec. 27, 1851 which again extols the artistry of "Mr. William Beverley". Some further investigation of this man may be interesting?

[maddys52]

This item on Trove also says William worked at the Adelphi in London.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138112581

There is this advertisement which mentions the "act drop, painted by "Messrs. Pitt and Johnstone"
   Saturday,  Oct. 14, 1848
Publication: The Satirist; or Censor of the Times

Modified to make image a bit larger and hopefully easier to read. (Love the fact that seats in the Dress Circle now have backs  )

[maddys52]

Numerous other mentions of "Pitt and Johnstone" at the Adelphi in 1848, but there is also this one from 1844, describing the opening of the new season at the Adelphi

Tuesday,  Sept. 24, 1844
Publication: The Standard