Morning, I am descended from a Sarah Reed, the daughter of James and Mary Read from Whitehaven. (Bounty immigration information). On Sarah's death certificate (Grafton, NSW) it is stated that her father was James Reed, mine manager. Her husband (John Casson) was alive at the time so the information it should be reasonably accurate. However, the informant was her son and he did not know the first name of Sarah's father. The mine manager could have been an exaggeration. It appears that a James Read married a Mary White in 1798 in the Old Chapel, St Nicholas, Whitehaven. However, I cannot find anything else about this James Read. I cannot find them in the census, so they may have both died before 1841. I checked a will for a Mary Reed, widow from 1837. Her executor was her son Thomas Reed, Mariner. Other executors were James Reed engineer and Thompson Reed, builder. Not sure what the relationship of James and Thompson were to Mary. James and Mary Reed's eldest son was a Thomas, so this may be Mary. There was a James Reed, engineer, born about 1810, who died in Whitehaven in 1841. This is probably the one who was an executor of the will. I cannot find a father for him, so perhaps he is a son of the James Reed I am looking for and Mary is Mary White.
Sarah and John Casson, who was a blacksmith, sailed on the Helen in March 1841, from Liverpool to Sydney. There was an add in the Carlisle Journal.
Would appreciate any assistance/suggestions. Thanks, Natalie
