George PIERPOINT

[grandarog]

Hello Toffgem,
                      Bit of sidetrack info for you to consider.
                      Albert Pierrepoint 1905-1992 was famously, the most prolific official Hangman of all time, here in England, having seen off about 433 male miscreants and 17 women.
                      He was closely followed by Thomas Pierrepoint, 1870-1954 with a few less, between 300 and 400. The numbers are not exact as Thomas was Hangman for Eire and also the US Army in the UK during WW2, as well as England.
                      As your name spelling is most probably the English simplification of the original French name you are probably of the same ancestry . I believe the Pierrepoints were settled mainly in the Yorkshire area.
                                                Good Luck  Rog.

[trish251]

Hi Tofgem

I was at the archives with Ruskie on Tuesday - I ran out of time but she checked the immigration for your Pierpoints & this is what she found - sounds like a not too easy trip

It was a very strange film - looked like a list by the agent rather than immigrants on an individual ship. This is what it said:

The following are Navvies [I was unable to read the first letter of this word so made an educated guess] sent out on the Light of the Age selected by the agency of Mr Percival of Liverpool for the Railway Works.

1866
Pierpoint G and fam
Ship: Light of the Age
1865 Dec
agent: Percival
place: Liverpool
Free passengers: VERY difficult to read but looks like 3 ½ [wondering if this means three adults and one child – remembering that what what considered an adult then is considered a child today]

There was some additional information at the beginning of the film:

A letter dated 4 Apr ’66 by the inspector of immigrants on the ship “light of the Age”.
Ship left Glasgow 9th December 1865
arrived Brisbane 26th [sorry unable to read the month] at 5pm
206 souls, including five cabin passengers
There was little sickness on the voyage except 4 cases of scarletina and 1 of measles, 3 births, 10 deaths all under 2 years of age.
Poop cabin – married couples, light and airy, clean and well arranged.
In between decks, one side for the remaining married couples, one side for young men, This part of the ship was ill arranged, dark and ill ventilated.
Some bunks were wet for most of the voyage from leakage from the galley and single female’s water closet. The surgeon Supt complained to the captain but no attention was paid. The main deck was extremely dirty.
Water closets for men – 4 on each side – no doors and ‘disgusting looking. Surgeon Supt complained to captain but nothing was done.
2 water closets for single females were decent.
2 galleys – one for cabin crew, one for passengers (too small) – cooking apparatus was heated by the steam of the condenser boiler.
Complaints:
Wet bunks during the greater part of the voyage
Lack of seats
3 people were put aboard without proper clothing or bedding which had been promised them. This agent behaved in a most unbecoming manner.
The captain was enebriated and frequently used improper language
Numerous robberies and petty thefts
The immigrants were unruly in their conduct and dirty in their habits
Credit to the Surgeon Supt for the few deaths and immunity to disease – most remarkable considering that measles and scarlet fever existed.

Trish & Ruskie

[Ruskie]

Hi everyone,

Just putting my name down to receive notification of replies ...

Tofgem, I wasn't sure if the above immigrants were your family, but it is such a rare name and the dates match well, that it surely must be them.

Disappointingly, there were no other details or names of family members. If my interpretation of 3 1/2 (three and a half) passengers is correct, I wonder who they were?

[tofgem]

Hi Trish and Ruskie

Many thanks. This is definitely the family. It makes interesting reading and tells me why the family emigrated to Australia. They left Greenoch on the ship Light of the Age on 9-12-1865 and arrived Queensland 16-3-1866. I have not been able to confirm how many children they had when they left. There were definately three; Samuel, John and Mary. I have found references to at least six others (four of which were definately born in Queensland), but my research is ongoing. Unfortunately I live too far away from the Cheshire Record Office to check the births of children in the UK, but perhaps I will manage to do this at some time.
Again, many thanks. I am amazed how much information you have all managed to find for me.
Tofgem

[Ruskie]

Tofgem,

Do you know what kind of life they made for themselves in Queensland? I hope they were happy after that awful trip. But perhaps they may have been on the poop deck .... 

I believe Stanthorpe is a lovely place (tho I've never been) and somewhat milder in climate than the more humid coastal and arid inland areas. They grow apples there which gives an indication of the climate.

Have you tried any other methods to find out if the couple had any more children? You could post a query on the Cheshire board - I believe there are some rootschatters who visit the Cheshire RO occassionally.

PS. I am not confident in my interpretation of passengers 3 1/2 - I originally thought it was 5 1/2 but checked the number against others on the film decided on three .... but unsure ...

Tofgem, I just googled Pierpoint and Stanthorpe and got loads of hits - there is a Pierpoint Street there, many hits of Pierpoint motors etc .... Worth a look if you haven't already done so.

[tofgem]

Ruskie
I have also googled Stanthorpe and have contacted the local Family History Society (I emailed Pierpoint Motors, but received no response). There are 300 photos of Stanthorpe on the Queensland photo archive, some of which are of the family. They appear to have been quite successful. There is a book entitled 'They came to a Plateau' which is a history of the settlement of Stanthorpe which apparently  has references to the Pierpoint family. Although out of print I have ordered a secondhand copy of the book which I await with interest.
I am beginning to build up a picture of the family and am fascinated by my results.
Again thanks for your help.
Tofgem

[Ruskie]

Thanks Tofgem,
It's great to hear the success stories - and the book sounds fascinating. You've done well to find a copy. Hope you enjoy it!

[trish251]

It occurs to me - the 3 1/2 passengers may have been 2 adults and 3 children - which would fit with the 3 arriving with the family as known by Tofgem

I forgot to mention - there was also a will at the archives for Samuel Pierpont died 1912 - would you be interested in the details of this? Sorry I didn't have time to check it

Trish

[Ruskie]

Now that's a thought Trish .... makes sense too.

As I said, I did look at other passengers to try to decipher the numbers and it was the passengers with "+fam" which had these numbers that looked like fractions. I should ask next time I go to the Archives.

If Tofgem is interested in the will I'm happy to check it (unless you're heading back that way Trish?)