Why don't I have any convicts?

[Lady Di]

Hi Jane,

Feel free to beg, borrow, buy or steal any one of my 17 direct line convicts - and that just my Dad's side 

As someone said, there appears to be a lot of information about each of them but when I tried to trace any of them in UK I came to a dead stop - and have remained that way for many years 

Unless you are back to overseas ancestors in every branch of your family, there may still be hope for a convict or two     - keep searching!

Good luck

Di

[jadewing]

Seventeen convicts   Thats just greedy

Alas there seems to be no hope for a direct line convict.  Although, there is Kezia Wicks/Walters... 

We don't know how, when or why she came to Australia.  She just appears in Sydney when she the baptism of her son James Walters is recorded.  Her husband and 2 other children (12 & 2yo) are still in England.  But a cousin (who does lay claim to a few convicts on her mother's side) says that she is not listed as a convict arrival, or anywhere else for that matter.   

Jane

[PrueM]

Hi Jane,

What else do you know about Kezia?  What dates are we talking about?
I smell an interesting story here...

Prue

[trish251]

As someone said, there appears to be a lot of information about each of them but when I tried to trace any of them in UK I came to a dead stop - and have remained that way for many years 

Di

This seems to be a disadvantage with the convict ancestors Di - it seems near impossible to trace them back in UK. I claim my husband's convict as my own    and many folks have done much research to find his roots. The suggestion that seems to have been excepted by the majority, still seems to me to be based on much supposition. 

From my research, free settlers seem to have kept much more contact with home, come in family groups and passed on much more information to the next generations (not always truthful - but usually interesting  )

Trish

[AmandaP]

Seventeen convicts   Thats just greedy

Alas there seems to be no hope for a direct line convict.  Although, there is Kezia Wicks/Walters... 

We don't know how, when or why she came to Australia.  She just appears in Sydney when she the baptism of her son James Walters is recorded.  Her husband and 2 other children (12 & 2yo) are still in England.  But a cousin (who does lay claim to a few convicts on her mother's side) says that she is not listed as a convict arrival, or anywhere else for that matter.   

Jane

Kezia could have had an alias or multiple.  One of my Gx4 Grandfathers was a convict named James Rixon but he was first recorded as James Hickson.  Another one of my Gx4 Grandfathers was Patrick Harrigan - I won't list his aliases there are too many and theres a couple of threads floating around here somewhere about him...... 

[jadewing]

Hi Jane,

What else do you know about Kezia?  What dates are we talking about?
I smell an interesting story here...

Prue

Its all very strange but what we have so far is:

Kezia Wicks b1806 Charlton Surrey, par Steven Wicks 1781-1837, Butcher, & Jane Flint c1783-1824;
No marriage record found to date but the father of her 3 known children was Ferdinand Walters b 1803 Pentrich Derby d1848 Windsor Berks, Corporal of Horse in 2nd Lifeguards;
Children - Frederick b c1832 London (no birth record yet); Walscourt Ferdinand Walters b 4 Apr 1842 Westminster London (my 3G GF); James b 16 May 1844 chr 9 Jul 1842 Sydney (father Ferd. Walters);
Following Ferdinand's death in July 1848, she married Thomas McEnery in Adelaide 27 Mar 1849;
Kezia died in Melbourne 1895 and is buried in the Melb General Cemetery.

Its a real mystery as to why she would leave such a young child and head off to Australia.  The family story is that the children were left with the Walters family, who placed them in care.

Jane

[PrueM]

Hi again Jane 

Hope you don't mind me asking these questions, you can tell me to push off if you like    I live vicariously these days, now that my own research has slowed right down 

What sources do you have for the births of Kezia's children, and the name and dates of their father?  I can't find any of them in the 1841 census for England...

Prue

[jadewing]

No problem Prue!

In 1841 I have Ferdinand in barracks in Marylebone and Frederick at school in Greenwich (both courtesy Rootschatters!

Other information:
Ferdinand's soldier's record from the National Archives - no mention of wife or children;
Walscourt Ferdinand's (WF) birth certificate St George Hanover Sq Apr 1842 - lists Ferdinand;
James baptism cert Syd 1844 - lists Ferdinand 'soldier with Life Guards';
Ferdinand's Death Certificate Windsor 1848;
Kezia & Thomas marriage cert  Adelaide 27 Mar 1849;
WF, listed as Ferdinand Walters, arrived in Melbourne on the Daylesford Aug 1854 12 yo Unassisted passenger;
Frederick's marriage certificate 1856 m Elizabeth Priddy Lewisham Kent - father Ferd Walters (dec'd) Corporal in 2nd Life Guards;
Also Fred, WF & Kezia's death certs

Jane

[mattmcgrath]

Hi Jane
Found your post through a search for Frederick Dewing (your 5G uncle who owned a property called 'Paraparap')
I have been doing some research of local history of our town Barwon Downs, Victoria which led me to Fred Dewing, as he is the first pastoralist of this district (took up land 'Paraparap' in 1838). So far I have gathered that he and (i assume) his brother Henry were born in NOR,England 1812 and OVERY ENG 1820 respectively, to parents Richard and Elizabeth. I believe Fred may have been in Van Diemens prior to Port Philip district, and there are mentions of a Captain Fred Dewing as master of the schooner "Tamar" which travelled from Launceston to Sydney over the years 1836-39. I wonder if any of this is news to you, or if you have any info to share.
We are gathering historic information for a permanent display in our town.

Regards Matt