The first New Zealand website I quoted also states
'Henry Matson, was born in Kent in 1814 and emigrated with his brother to Australia in 1835.'
The second website gives Henry's age at his death.
'People buried here include the ‘grandfathers’ of the family, Henry Matson, 71, who died on 24 October 1885.'
The Rochester Matsons farmed 'Upper Delce farm'.
In New Zealand Henry Matson's estate was called Delce.
'Triggs bought a farm just west of the railway crossing at Papanui next door to Henry Matson’s estate, Delce’.
The brother who emigrated with Henry Matson could have been his brother Robert or his brother George. Both were at some point in Australia but both returned to England. Robert was at home with his parents in Rochester on the 1851 census, George was probably at that time in Australia. Robert was also there on the 1841 census so it looks as if his time in Australia was shorter in the early 1840s and it was perhaps George who went with his brother in 1835.
THE WRECK OF THE "ISABELLA"
On 18 June 1844 the "Isabella" left Melbourne headed for London, England and Leith, Scotland. She was a 422 ton barque under the command of Captain J. F. Hardie. Her journey had started in Sydney and since arriving at Melbourne on 6 April 1844 had loaded a cargo of wool.
When she left Melbourne there was a strong fair wind and thick weather which had increased to a hurricane by 21 June when land was sighted. Captain Hardie mistakenly thought this to be part of the Kent Group of islands and tried to navigate through what he believed to be a well known channel of those islands. Unfortunately the land was actually part of Flinders Island and the ship ran aground on a reef of rocks on the morning of 22 June 1844.
All the passengers and crew were able reach shore safely before the ship broke up. After some days they made contact with a party of sealers and a few days later reached the "Flying Fish" which was on the other side of Flinders Island and about to sail for Melbourne. They were all taken aboard the "Flying Fish" and arrived at Melbourne on 2 July 1844.
On 9 September 1844 the Postmaster, Henry D. Kemp, issued a list of some letters he was holding at the Melbourne Post Office. He said that these letters had been rescued from the wreck of the "Isabella" and would be re-forwarded to London in the first direct mail. This list, with addresses abbreviated for privacy reasons, was published in the "Port Phillip Herald" on 17 September 1844, and appears hereunder:
MATSON, Robert - Rochester, Kent, England
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~pioneers/pppg5ao.htmOn the 1851 census both Robert Matson junior and James Moon Matson were at home with their parents in Rochester. John Matson was married with a wife and two daughters and living in Camberwell Surrey. He married in Dover (Kent) registration district in 1844. At the time of the 1851 census John was a clerk in the Admiralty Office. No sign of brother George and from this website it looks as if he was in Australia since he played cricket for Tasmania in the 1850s.
http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2626/2626.htmlFull name: George Matson
Born: 5th December 1817, Rochester, Kent, England
Died: 22nd July 1898, Brighton, Sussex, England
Teams: Tasmania (Main FC: 1853/54-1857/58)
On the 1881 census George was living in Brighton a retired banker.
Regards
Valda
