RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: Anthoula on Friday 07 January 11 15:10 GMT (UK)
-
I am hoping to discover some information about Thomas Bennett who was christened on 29th July 1827 in Chillingham. Family records show his parents were a Thomas Bennett and Elizabeth Oliver
When he was christened his father`s occupation is recorded as "farmer" and the family lived at Hepburn Bell, Chillingham. I believe his christening took place at St. Peter, Chillingham.
Online Convict Record of 1851/54 shows that Thomas was transported to Tasmania in 1851 (one of 250 convicts), leaving Portsmouth on the 5 February on the Lady Kennaway, and arriving in Tasmania on the 28 May. He had been convicted at Northumberland Assizes at Newcastle upon Tyne, on 3 August 1848 of stealing 3 bullocks from a Mr Pringle of Edinburgh and sentenced to 10 years transportation.
There is plenty of documented information regarding Thomas`s life/descendents after his arrival in Tasmania, but I really need help to discover anything about his life and parents pre 1851. I have not found any record of Thomas Bennett Sen. marriage to Elizabeth Oliver, and both names seem fairly common in Northumberland in the early 1800s.
Any help/advice will be warmly welcome.
-
Found a Thomas Bennet and Margaret Oliver marriage in 1822 Kelso, Roxburgh
My Chillingham index shows no Bennet's or Olivers pre 1812 in Chillingham
Janis
-
Newcastle Courant Edition of 3rd Aug 1848
A summary............
Thomas Bennett, a butcher of Tyne St, and John James Hansen, assistant charged with stealing two oxen and one heifer from field in Elastic Lane, belonging to Mr Baron of Cattle Market Inn. Hansen has confessed.
Newcastle Courant 8th Sept 1848.
Summary....
Convicts recently left the town for the Milbank Penitentiary..Thomas Bennett
Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh) 22 June 1848
summary...
Thomas Bennett and John James Hansen, butchers, charged with beast stealing, one quey, two steers, belonging to James Pringle of Pathead.
-
Thank you very much indeed for this information - extremely interesting and greatly appreciated.
-
I am a descendant of Thomas Bennett, who married Elizabeth Cartledge in Victoria. Thomas was born 1827 and baptised 29/7/1827 at Chillingham. Thomas arrived in Tasmania (Hobart Town) in 1851 on board the Lady Kennaway II. He spent 5 years in Hobart Town with very good behaviour which earned him an early release. He married Mary Ann Long (also a convict) and they had two daughters. Mary Ann died and Thomas remarried Elizabeth. They went on to have a successful marriage with another 6 children born in Melbourne. Thomas earned his living as a butcher, working in the Flemington, New Market area of Melbourne. He died in 1904 in Williamstown, Melbourne. He kept his convict past a secret. I have a lovely full size portrait of him.
I too have tried to find information on Thomas' beginnings, potential siblings etc without much success. I wonder if his parents did not marry and his mother, Elizabeth Oliver, married another person?
-
Thank you for getting in touch. It is great to learn of another of Thomas Bennett`s descendents. My partner is a great grandson of Thomas. Since originally posting here in January I have discovered more about Thomas`s convict past, but sadly nothing about his parents & earlier years. My research has shown that Thomas & Elizabeth had 8 children of their own.
I have also been trying to discover anything about Elizabeth Cartledge prior to her arrival in Australia. Of course I know she had also been married before - to Thomas Brown & they had a son who died in infancy. Do you have any more information about her past?
My partner would be thrilled to see a picture of Thomas Bennett if you would be prepared to email a copy.
-
There is an entry in the 1841 census for Street house near Prestwick about 10 miles NW of Newcastle on the road to Scotland much used by droves of cattle; Elizabeth Bennett 40 b in county and Thomas Bennett 14 b in county which might be them.
Tyne Street was an industrial part of Newcastle by the riverside. The Cattlemarket Inn Geo Barron proprietor was at the other edge of the town in Forth Place near the Live Cattle Market. A Thomas Barron was a butcher in the New Market. Cattle for slaughter were often fattened close at hand to the market so perhaps Elastic Lane is a misprint for Elswick Lane which stretched into the fields from the Forth area.
Peter
-
Because of the " Elastic Lane" doubt, I browsed the Newcastle Courant again.
An article dated 23 June 1848 has it that Thomas Bennett " of North Shore" was accused of stealing beasts from a field in Elswick Lane ( as Peter deduced). His butchers business was in Tyne Street.
An article dated 11 Aug 1848 has Thomas aged 20 yrs, James Hansen/Hanson 21 yrs. Thomas guilty 10 yrs. James not guilty.
Michael
-
Hi, I'm a Great Great Granddaughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Bennett and would love to communicate with my relatives.Have spent a few hours at Newcastle Upon Tyne Library researching, and a few hours walking in Thomas' footprints. I live in Australia.
-
It will be great to hear from another of Thomas & Elizabeth Bennett`s descendents. You can contact me at (*)
Moderator Comment: email address removed to help prevent spam and other abuses as per RootsChat Policy. Please use our secure PM (personal message) system to share email addresses and other personal information. Thank You.
Note: New members need to make 3 postings before the PM system is fully functional
For Information on How to Send a PM
http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php
-
For family members wishing to get in contact: (*)
I have photos and other family items I can share.
Moderator Comment: email address removed to help prevent spam and other abuses as per RootsChat Policy. Please use our secure PM (personal message) system to share email addresses and other personal information. Thank You.
Note: New members need to make 3 postings before the PM system is fully functional
For Information on How to Send a PM
http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php
-
Hi Anthoula, still learning how to used Rootschat, still travelling, now Scotlnd, home in Aus next week. Very excited to hear from relative. Visited Chillingham, St Peters church today and took photos.Would love contact with you tot ell you of my visit to follow in Thomas" footsteps. One of his children, William Harmsworth, was my Great Grandfather, my Grandfather was William Bennet, and my mother Mavis Bennett.Will attempt to do PM so I can get your email as it is blocked due to privacy. I live in Mebourne.Thanks for prompt reply.It's funny that Although Thomas was a convict, his ancestors all trned out to be very upstanding citizens.
-
Hello again family members
I too visited Chillingham in May and took photos of the church. I also visited Portsmouth, his port of departure.
For Anthea I believe I have a photo of Thomas (and maybe Frederick) in Rhodesia. I will need to get these photos scanned and will send via your email.
And I'm guessing Mavis' daughter is either susan or helen? I'm Harry's daughter. Mum is still alive but quite frail and her short term memory is not so good but she can remember her life on the block.
Cheers, enjoy your pilgrimage as I did.
-
So thrilled to know that you are walking in the family history footsteps Amancestor. Like you I`m still trying to fathom out this P.M. thingy!! I have your Grandfather, William, and his siblings on the family tree, but that is where that branch has ended. Hope we will beable to share family info. If only we had known you were over here in the U.K. we may have been able to meet up. We are going up to Scotland in a couple of weeks to walk the streets of another family branch!
It will be wonderful to see that photo and any you have ConvictAus, Chris. It has been quite a struggle, and an expensive one, to obtain family info./certificates from Oz.
-
So sad I missed opportunty to meet UK relatives of Thomas, however, if I can ever work this PM thing out I will post my email address on it for you Anthoula. My name is Anne. When I get home I will contact you ConvictAus as I believe I have your number, meant to talk to you before we left for UK but ran out of time. Home next wek. I have photos.
-
Hi Anne . ConvictAus has my email address so I am sure she will kindly pass it on to you.
-
Hi Anthoula, thanks, will do when I get home.It has been an amazing journey and I couldn't help but feel so sad for the young Thomas at 20 in dreadful hard times, what a terrible time for him and his Mother. If I can get copies of anything you can think of in Aus please don't hesitate to ask me, as I know how expensive this can be and I appreciate the groundwork you have all done so far. My Mother's cousin Bill has an amazing Bennett collection and his wife has done a powerpoint presentation for him. I will get copy for you and send it once we are in contact. Cheers
-
Hi all,
I'm also a descendant of Thomas and Elizabeth. I come from the Bennett's that moved to Rhodesia - more specifically Frederick and John Bennett.
I have about 360 people in my tree and am eager to learn more about my family living in Australia (as I now live here). I read that some of you may have photos to share and I would love to add them to my tree.
-
My partners grandfather was Frederick Charles Bennett. His mother being Frederick`s youngest daughter, Joanna Petronella and my partner was born and raised in, what was, Rhodesia.
I also have many names/dates & information on the Bennett side of the tree and will be happy to share this with you.