Help - Scenic/Theatre Artists in 1840's

[jomcd967]

Hi Apfin,

Sorry the link no longer works, Yendis would be the person you would need to contact, as I was just browsing on her behalf to thank her for her kind help with my research, and as this was five years ago and not my line of reseRch I have no notes to refer back to.

Good luck in your search and sorry that I can't help.

Kind regards, Jo

[Casey]

Jo, I too am searching for William Pitt, Theatre Artist who came to Melbourne with his defacto wife Jane Dixon and brother Thomas in 1853. Did you ever have any luck discovering him in BMD or Census before he came to Melbourne?

[ttip]

Hi
William Pitt and Jane/Dixon/Huggon are my great great grandparents.
They arrived in Australia in 1853 on the ship Birman with Williams brother Thomas.
Their son Richard Brinsley is my great grandfather, his son Charles Melbourne is my grandfather, his daughter is my mother.
Regards
Greg

[ttip]

Hi
Wm and Jane are my GG grandparents, their son Richard Brinsley is my G grandfather, his son Charles Melbourne my grandfather, his daughter Margaret my mother.
Interesting reading all of these threads.

It seems William and Jane were never married, in his will and hers and her probate, she is referred to as Jane Dixon|Huggon. We, all relatives that have done research believe they were never married, no evidence and confirmation in wills etc.
William was also an artist of many scenes in and around the Dandenong and has had paintings catalogued in Melbourne. His son Richard before going to Queensland was also an artist and went to the Victorian Arts in Melbourne late 1800s.
Williams brother Thomas wasn’t as successful as William or his son William.

Thomas went the gold mines up near Ballarat to Clunes.
He died 29th October 1869 as a result of an accident, he was thrown from a sulky, he managed to get back to his residence, McCullullochs Tourello Hotel, went to bed and was found dead in his bed the next morning by the hotel owner, an inquest was held on his death and was found to have died of apoplexy.
He was buried at Clunes cemetery in an area where strangers were buried with others in a paupers grave.
His brother William declined to claim his body, why I don’t know as he was an influential person as his son was in Melbourne.
This is refered to in the coroner’s report on Thomas’ death.
William as you know was a licensee in many hotels and theatres in Melbourne.

I have original pics of William Snr including Jane, and their 3 surviving sons, William, Richard and Charles and some of William Pitt jnr architect and his surviving children, Elizabeth Collingwood, Gladys Jessie, Vera Jane, Stanley Melbourne and William Gordon.
Where do you fit into the Pitt family?




quote author=jomcd967 link=topic=555388.msg6096643#msg6096643 date=1478722054]
Hi Apfin,

Sorry the link no longer works, Yendis would be the person you would need to contact, as I was just browsing on her behalf to thank her for her kind help with my research, and as this was five years ago and not my line of reseRch I have no notes to refer back to.

Good luck in your search and sorry that I can't help.

Kind regards, Jo
[/quote]

[Watson]

The name Pitt was used in the Dibdin family.  Charles Dibdin the younger (1768-1833) was an important figure in the theatrical world, so it seems quite possible that William Pitt was associated with his extended family. (Charles, married in 1797, had 11 children). Harriet Pitt, an actress, was his mother.  But I'm not sure if Sunderland or Durham fit in, as I think Charles operated mainly in London.

Of course, Richard Brinsley are the forenames of the famous writer, Sheridan.

Regards, Watson

[Watson]

"William Pitt, scenic artist, engaged by me from the London Lyceum under Vestris and Matthews, was a great acquisition."  (source: Coppin's Diary, The Imperial Review, page 1)

If - and it may be a big if - Pitt really did work at the Lyceum, perhaps that knowledge will make it possible to find more about him.

[Nickeleye]

William and Thomas Pitt that went to Australia are not likely to the Birmingham ones. William Pitt 1818 to 1900 was from Birmingham, moved to London and then returned to Birmingham where he was buried. He and his brother Peter were Jappaners and artists. They are buried in the Warstone Cemetery in the jewellery quarter, I saw their grave on Saturday. The stone is missing now but ti said that William Pitt Snr, William Pitt Jnr, plus his wife Janetta, Peter Pitt William Pitt's eldest son. Per find a grave the wife of William Pitt snr was buried in the Birmingham Cathedral, I'll have to check that out. The plot is in C section number 132 if anyone wants to check, there is still a cross for Peter's son and daughter in law there, Joseph Ballard Pitt and Jane.

[jomcd967]

Hi Nickeleye,

Thanks for replying, but this is not the same William Pitt, the WP, theatre artist is buried in Melbourne, at the St Kilda cemetery, along with his wife Jane and several other members of his family, he definitely is not the WP who was a jappanner who was married to Janette, although this family have certainly thrown lots of red herrings in the way during my searches.

He is well documented in several online directories in Australia https://daao.library.unsw.edu.au/bio/william-pitt-1/biography/#:~:text=William%20Pitt%20b.,1819&text=An%20experienced%20scene%2Dpainter%20from,him%20resign%20from%20his%20post.

Kind regards,
Jo 

[Nickeleye]

I think there well may be a distant relationship though, so many people with the same names! William Pitt the Snr was the brother of my granddad's granddad's dad, Thomas. There are a lot of painters and designers in all the generations since. My great grandfather's twin brother Richard Pitt died early and his wife and kids went to Melbourne, but that was in 1914.George William Pitt who went with his mum said that there was a large colony of Pitt families. He lived in Brunswick.  John Nicholson Pitt a cousin of George William Pitt also lived in Australia.

Ive attached the note I got at the graveyard, only just seen how to do that