surviving graves at Camperdown Cemetery, Sydney

[gemmanoon]

Hello all,

I've recently discovered that one of my direct ancestors was transported to New South Wales in 1840, where he served out a ten-year sentence, before eventually passing away and being buried in Camperdown Cemetery, Sydney.

I have located the burial record for him (see below) but I was hoping that someone familiar with the cemetery could tell me if there is likely to be a memorial still standing.

I believe he died in the Liverpool Asylum as I know he was admitted a few years before his death, but there is no discharge record that I can find. I assume that he was probably in a pauper's grave, or that any grave marker is likely gone as he had no family in Australia that we know of, however, I'd love someone with local knowledge to confirm.

Thanks!

Gemma

John Babington (also appears as Bebington or Bebbington on earlier records)
OCCUPATION     Plumber & Glazier
DEATH   1 Jan 1862 (aged 78–79)
BURIAL   Camperdown Cemetery
PLOT   Burial number BN09903

[majm]

Liverpool Asylum was many miles from Camperdown,  more likely to be the Benevolent Asylum in Sydney.

Google Camperdown Cemetery, Sydney as there is a webpage,  family history groups,  visits, some monuments have been lost, moved,  but the webpage is detailed.

I am not at home,  so cannot access my reliable offline resources,  sorry.

JM

[natae]

There is a camperdown site on facebook it's good

[CassT]

have you looked on Family Search, last year I found details of a headstone at Camperdown, (in their Catalog list)

"Camperdown cemetery records, and copies of tombstone epitaphs, early 1800's and early 1900's
Authors: Camperdown Cemetery (Sydney, Australia) (Main Author)"

It appears to be a typewritten record of Tombstone inscriptions at Camperdown.

Once I found the Tombstone inscription in the book  I contacted the Cemetery via a website i found on Google and they were able to find the actual headstone and they sent me a photo. The headstone was in very bad shape, the sandstone was very weathered, and you could just make out the wording, but after years of searching I was very happy.

Cass

[Lady Di]

Interesting that your John was in and out of the Liverpool Asylum from 1859-1861; the last record being on Dec 2 1861 when he absconded - he went over the wall - which was a pretty good feat for a guy in his 70's who was unwell.

Does his death cert state his actual place of death, or address at time of death. If that place was closer to Camperdown then that might be why he was buried in the Camperdown cemetery.

[gemmanoon]

Interesting that your John was in and out of the Liverpool Asylum from 1859-1861; the last record being on Dec 2 1861 when he absconded - he went over the wall - which was a pretty good feat for a guy in his 70's who was unwell.

Hi Lady Di - I hadn't located that record! Can you point me in the right direction so I can take a look? He certainly seems to have been one heck of a character - he was in and out of prison in the UK as well, so absconding from the institution seems right up his street.
*EDITED*

I found those records - it seems he jumped the wall at least three times and absconded at least one more. I can't decide if he's either a right character or if he was very ill.

***end of edit***

I have a burial record but not the actual death certificate yet, as I have never had to order them from Australia before. It's on the "to do" list.

Thank you, everyone, for your help, I will be doing a bit more digging tonight.

And to think, this was the family line I thought of as "boring" 

[gemmanoon]

THe burial isn't him :-(

Thanks everyone for your help! I found a transcribed record for John Babbington, and it appears to be a different man (here: http://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15769926)

The John who is in and out of Liverpool Asylum is my John, as it usually lists the ship he arrived on as the Maitland, not the Arab.

Back to the drawing board!