Group of 46 emigrants from Isleham Cambs

[Nick Carver]

I have a slightly different perspective on the gggggrandfather emigrating. In addition to my family research, I'm looking at the history of my village and in a book I read recently, it said that a group of 46 inhabitants of Isleham, Cambs werre driven to emigrate by abject poverty in the 1830s or thereabouts (village population at the time was about 1,500, so this was a substantial proportion). I'd very much like to try and find the names of this group as having transcribed the parish records from 1566, it would be nice to know where old families have ended up. I've no idea which boat they used, so wondered if there is a searchable databaase for the place of origin?

Any advice gratefully recieved.

[JDG]

Hi Nick,
That is quite a task! -  Just a few things that sprang to mind as I was reading your posting.

Have you contacted the local museum to Isleham?
Another thought was to look in the local paper if it starts that early.
Is there a mention of this in the Victoria County History for Cambridgeshire?

There is the following URL http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ifhaa/ifhaa/index.html
which is the Internet Family History Society of Australia.
The site has not been updated since 2002, but it might be of interest.

One final thing. There seemed to be various emigration schemes, spring up, certainly from Sussex and Wiltshire from 1830 to circa 1850. Is it possible that they went under a scheme promoted via one of the religious organisations? -  Perhaps the local studies library which covers this area of Cambridgeshire would be able to help?

Good luck and if I think of anything else, I post it on Rootschat.

[Nick Carver]

This original enquiry was a really speculative matter - I thought I might get some links to follow up (that I would follow in the fullness of time) or (best bet) that I might stumble across someone related to this bunch. I just wanted to let folk know that I think I have cracked this one.

Trying to find 46 immigrants in Australia is like finding a needle in a haystack. If you can find one, the others should follow quite readily. Today as I went to the shop for some milk, I saw a chap wandering around the churchyard, peering under a Yew tree at a gravestone. When I approached him and had a chat, it turned out that he was a descendent of one of these migrants and was distantly related to a good friend of mine who works at the local shop. So not only have we exchanged e-mail addresses so that he can help me trace the other migrants and I can help him with his local family research, but I was able to introduce him to the lovely Pauline, a distant cousin.

Sorry for the long rambling message. Sometimes fortune plays a large part in researching family history and this seems like one such case.

[CuriousDiana]

Your 46 people probably fall into the category of "Assisted immigrants" since they were supposedly driven by poverty to emigrate.  As you now know the name of one of them, try http://www.records.nsw.gov.au and follow links to "Assisted immigrants".  At that time they would only have come to NSW (which then included Queensland) or Tasmania (Van Diemens Land). You will find the NSW records on the above website, for Tasmania try www.archives.tas.gov.au

If you find the name of the person, you will also get the name of the ship and date of arrival, and someone might search the ship's list for the other names for you.

[Nick Carver]

 I was told they went to Geelong. Isn't that in Victoria? Would your link still be valid?

[CuriousDiana]

Yes, the link will still be valid. Assisted immigrants to Port Phillip 1839-51 will be the place to look on the website www.records.nsw.gov.au

Sorry, I forgot Vic was part of NSW originally!

There is another website which is supposed to have Geelong arrivals -- www.genseek.net/pass1.htm      I have not used it, so cannot say just what is on it. It may be worth a try.
Diana