Thomas Hurrey & Charlotte Stephenson
Thomas Steadman Hurrey was born in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, on the 21st December 1805. He was the son of Thomas Steadman Hurrey (born 1878, in Spalding, and died in 1850) and Ann Gray (born during 1782, in Spalding. She died in 1851)
Thomas was baptised in May 1809. He grew up and became a Farmer.
Thomas sailed, as a Steerage passenger, then aged 23 years old, aboard the barq Tranby departing from Hull, on Wednesday, 9th September 1829. The Tranby had been chartered by a group of Wesleyans from the Yorkshire and the Lincolnshire district.
Thomas was baptised in May 1809. He grew up and became a Farmer.
Thomas sailed, as a Steerage passenger, then aged 23 years old, aboard the barq Tranby departing from Hull, on Wednesday, 9th September 1829. The Tranby had been chartered by a group of Wesleyans from the Yorkshire and the Lincolnshire district.
Charlotte Elizabeth Stephenson was born on the 16th of September 1804, in Kirton, in Holland, Lincolnshire, England. (Parts of Holland was one of the three medieval divisions or 'Parts' of Lincolnshire (the other two being Lindsey and Kesteven) ) Charlotte Stephenson was the daughter of John & Sarah Stephenson.
Charlotte became a servant to the Hardey brothers and, as a single 25 year old woman, sailed to the new Swan River Colony aboard the chartered ship Tranby.
The first port of call for the ship was Cape Town, South Africa, in December. (There must have been a ship board romance aboard the Tranby before arrival.)
Charlotte became a servant to the Hardey brothers and, as a single 25 year old woman, sailed to the new Swan River Colony aboard the chartered ship Tranby.
The first port of call for the ship was Cape Town, South Africa, in December. (There must have been a ship board romance aboard the Tranby before arrival.)
Thomas Hurrey and Charlotte Stephenson were married in a ceremony, on the 13th December 1829, aboard the Tranby, while the ship was anchored in the bay at Cape Town.
They were married on the deck of the Tranby by the Reverend John Burdett Wittenoom, who was also on his way to the Colony, on board the Wanstead. He was to become the Colonial Chaplain. The Wanstead was also anchored in the bay, at Cape Town. (John Wittenoom's wife had died, previously in England, and the clergyman was travelling to to Swan River Colony with his mother, his sister and his four sons.) |
After Arrival at Fremantle
The Tranby arrived in Gage's Road, on the afternoon of the 3rd of February 1830, and anchored in Cockburn Sound.
Thomas, and his wife Charlotte, came ashore with the rest of the Tranby folk at Fremantle. This was not much more than a tent village set back from the beach. Conditions were difficult.
The wide range of Livestock, the Goods and Chattels, stores and provisions from England, and the Cape, were then brought ashore onto the beach. It was two weeks before all of the goods on Tranby had been transferred to the shore. Thomas Hurrey was granted a total of 614 acres in the Colony for the value of his goods. Firstly, 41 acres was granted within the Swan District, on the Peninsula (now in the suburb of 'Maylands'), as Swan Location 'I" . Later, he was allocated a further 573 acres, over the Darling range in the Avon district, after that area was opened up for settlement. |
Thomas and Charlotte Hurrey would have begun their married life on the Peninsula, as they moved up to the Swan River with the rest of the party. Work would have been difficult on the Peninsula. Accommodation needed to be built, crops sown and harvested over the next year. The Peninsula flooded during 1830 and storms were frequent. One benefit of having a house on high ground was that it was not susceptible to flooding. By the July the 20th, the water was one foot deep in the Hardey's first house and on that day, the Hardeys were given shelter in the Hurrey house on the relatively higher safe ground on the Peninsula. The water went slowly down over the next week. Joseph Hardey returned to his house on the 29th of July followed by his wife and baby daughter on the 30th. The 31st of July was spent drying clothes.
The first six months on the Peninsula farm, as recorded in Hardey's diary, were spent clearing the land, sowing cereals (including wheat, barley, oats and rye) and vegetables. Hardey reports, "... all came up well, but the fences not being sufficiently good the cattle broke in and destroyed a great part of the crop; that which escaped their ravages came to maturity, and was of a very good description".
Thomas and Charlotte were not in the new colony for long. They obviously became disenchanted with the conditions of their employment, or the conditions in the Colony in general. Earlier, on the 14th of April 1830, two fellow Tranby passengers; Mr. Thomas Coke Brownell along with his family, and the Missionary Mr John Leach departed Fremantle, bound for Hobart.
The Hurrey's stuck it out for some time but, Thomas and Charlotte Hurrey sailed from the Swan River Colony and headed to Van Dieman's Land, before the end of 1831.
The approved 1835 Plan of the 'Peninsula Farm' shows that John Wall Hardey was then the proprietor of Location 'I' of 41 acres "by right of purchase". Presumably it was purchased before the Hurreys left the colony in 1831.
The first six months on the Peninsula farm, as recorded in Hardey's diary, were spent clearing the land, sowing cereals (including wheat, barley, oats and rye) and vegetables. Hardey reports, "... all came up well, but the fences not being sufficiently good the cattle broke in and destroyed a great part of the crop; that which escaped their ravages came to maturity, and was of a very good description".
Thomas and Charlotte were not in the new colony for long. They obviously became disenchanted with the conditions of their employment, or the conditions in the Colony in general. Earlier, on the 14th of April 1830, two fellow Tranby passengers; Mr. Thomas Coke Brownell along with his family, and the Missionary Mr John Leach departed Fremantle, bound for Hobart.
The Hurrey's stuck it out for some time but, Thomas and Charlotte Hurrey sailed from the Swan River Colony and headed to Van Dieman's Land, before the end of 1831.
The approved 1835 Plan of the 'Peninsula Farm' shows that John Wall Hardey was then the proprietor of Location 'I' of 41 acres "by right of purchase". Presumably it was purchased before the Hurreys left the colony in 1831.
Life in Van Dieman's Land
Their first daughter, [1.] Sarah Ann Hurrey was born in Launceston, on the 12th of April 1831, and was baptised the same year on Wednesday, the 3rd of August. Their first son, [2.] John Hurrey was born two years later in Launceston, on 25th February 1833. Next, son [3.] Thomas Henry Hurrey was born to Charlotte, when she was 30 years old, on the 3rd of June 1835, in Launceston. He was baptised in Hobart. Thomas went on to become a farmer.
Two years later, Henry Hurrey was born in Hobart, on the 26th of April 1837.
Two years later, Henry Hurrey was born in Hobart, on the 26th of April 1837.
To Victoria
By 1839, the family had left Tasmania and were living in Melbourne, Victoria. Their last child was born in Melbourne: [4.] Edward Charles Hurrey was born on the 29th of August 1839.
The 1840's
Their young baby, [4.] Edward Charles Hurrey died during 1840, in Melbourne.
Charlotte Elizabeth Hurrey (nee Stephenson) died during the same year as her son, Edward Hurrey, on the 24th of March 1840, in Melbourne, aged just 35 years. It is not sure how the Hardeys, (Charlotte's former employers) back in Western Australia, would have heard of this loss.
Thomas Hurrey was then left with four children, all aged under 9 years old.
After a time of difficulty, Thomas later re-married, two years after Charlotte had died. Thomas married the 20-year-old, Alice Hamilton (born during 1822). They were married on Wednesday, the 27th of April 1842, in St James, Melbourne. Thomas was then 36 years old. (They had no further children together.)
Thomas Hurrey was then left with four children, all aged under 9 years old.
After a time of difficulty, Thomas later re-married, two years after Charlotte had died. Thomas married the 20-year-old, Alice Hamilton (born during 1822). They were married on Wednesday, the 27th of April 1842, in St James, Melbourne. Thomas was then 36 years old. (They had no further children together.)
William Pickering surveyed the new town of 'Warrnambool' in 1846, on the southwestern coast of Victoria and named the streets in the original 250-acre grid. The first land sales took place in Melbourne in July 1847.
Thomas Hurray seems to have purchased 2 roods of Town Allotment [about a half an acre] (called Lot 61) in Warrnambool. The sale was proclaimed on 23rd October 1847, and the Deed dated 30th December 1847. During the Victorian Gold Rush, Warrnambool became an important port and grew quickly in the 1850s, benefiting from the private ownership of nearby Port Fairy. |
1850's
Thomas and Charlotte's first daughter, [1.] Sarah Anne Hurrey married, at age 26 years to, Andrew Granger (he had been born in 1830). They were married on the 16th of August 1857, in Darebin, in Victoria. Sarah's daughter, Jane Granger was born three years later.
Thomas may have been joined in Australia by his younger brother, John Steadman Hurrey, when he emigrated to Victoria, following the death on their father (Thomas Hurrey senior) in England, during 1850, and their mother Ann's death during 1851.
Thomas may have been joined in Australia by his younger brother, John Steadman Hurrey, when he emigrated to Victoria, following the death on their father (Thomas Hurrey senior) in England, during 1850, and their mother Ann's death during 1851.
1860's
Young John Steadman Hurrey married Elizabeth Mason during December 1866, in St. James Cathedral, Victoria. Elizabeth was 22 years old, and John was aged 33 years old, and living at Epping. They had three children together, the first son (John Thomas Hurrey) arriving in 1867.
Thomas and Charlottes second son, [3.] Thomas Henry Hurrey married the 23-year-old, Mary Jane Hall on Tuesday, the 2nd of November 1867, in the Christ Church, Whittlesea. Thomas was living at the time, in Glenn Hall at Epping. Mary was the daughter of Thomas Hall Esq. and Elizabeth (nee Robertson) of Castle Hill, Yan Yean, in Victoria. Mary had been born in Ireland and had arrived in Australia in October 1853. Thomas and Mary went on to have 16 children.
1870's
Thomas and Alice's grandson, John Thomas Hurrey died on the 19th of December 1878, aged only 11 years, 3 months old.
1880's
Thomas's younger brother, Alfred Clark Hurrey (the fourth son of John Stradman Hurrey) married Mary Anna Frances Newman in Richmond, Victoria on the 19th of February 1880.
Thomas Hurrey died at his home in Murray Street, Preston (Victoria), on the 2nd of December 1884, aged 78 years. (Ref No. 13733) Thomas was described as 'an old and respected colonialist of 45 years.' He was buried in the Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery, in Coburg, Victoria.
His second wife, Alice Hurrey (nee Hamilton) died on the 17th of February 1886, aged 64 years, in Melbourne. Two years after her husband Thomas had passed. (Ref No.: 3112) She was also buried in the Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery, in Coburg.
His second wife, Alice Hurrey (nee Hamilton) died on the 17th of February 1886, aged 64 years, in Melbourne. Two years after her husband Thomas had passed. (Ref No.: 3112) She was also buried in the Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery, in Coburg.
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