Watkins

Y for Yorkshire

Miss W. Dixon, England, Pickering, Watkins , , , ,

Yorkshire was originally a county on its own. By 1660 it was divided into ridings – East, West and North. The city of York was its own county. A white rose is the floral emblem of Yorkshire as it was used by the Plantagenets. The county is sometimes known as God’s own country.

Yorkshire area has been ruled over by many different tribes:

  • Early Celtic Brigantes and Parisi
  • Romans and Angles
  • Danish Vikings
  • Wessex Kings of England
  • Normans then raided by the Scots

Some of the industries thriving in Yorkshire included the wool manufacturing, coal mining, textiles and steel making. During the second world war, the RAF bomber command was based in Yorkshire as were industries helping the war effort. This led the Luftwaffe to bomb the area often.

The boundaries of Yorkshire are the River Tees to the north, the Humber Estuary to the south, the North Sea coast on the east and the Pennine Hills to the west.

Places to visit in Yorkshire include Whitby Beach, The Shambles in York, Ilkley Moor, Bronte Country near Haworth and Scarborough spa town.

Many books and TV shows have been produced in Yorkshire including Downton Abbey, All Creatures Great and Small, Last of the Summer Wine and Emmerdale.

Five Snickelways (small streets and footpaths) lead off the Shambles in York

 

Yorkshire and my family history

John England, my 2nd great grandfather, was born in Rotherham in 1827. He was convicted of rape and transported to Van Diemen’s Land.

Isabella Watkins(on), my 3rd great grandmother was born in Kingston-upon-Hull around 1823. She was convicted in Surrey and sentenced for seven years transportation.

David Dixon, my 3rd great grandfather, was born around 1814 at Hessle (near Hull) and his future wife Mayday (Mary) Pickering was born around the same time but at Duggleby near Malton. This married couple arrived as free settlers to Van Diemen’s Land.

V for Van Diemen’s Land

Miss W. Boyd, Bryant, Chandler, Colgrave, convict, Davey, Dawson, Dixon, England, Hearn, Jackson, Pickering, Sutton, Virco, Watkins , , , ,

The state I live in is now called Tasmania but was once called Van Diemen’s Land.

The Palawa or Aboriginal Tasmanians were first on this island. When the rising sea level cut off the island from the mainland of Australia, the Palawa were isolated from contact with the aborigines on the mainland.

Their first knowledge of Europeans was when Abel Janzsoon Tasman landed in 1642 and planted a Dutch flag near what is now the town of Dunalley on what was then called Blackman Bay. There was no contact with the aborigines though.

It was at this time the island was named Anthoonij van Diemenslandt (Anthony Van Diemen’s land). This was in honour of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies.

During the early colonisation of Australia the name Van Diemen’s Land (VDL) was used and it was part of the colony of New South Wales. But in 1825, VDL became a colony in its own right. Then on 1 January 1856, it was renamed Tasmania.

The new name was to celebrate Tasman as the early explorer but also to get rid of the notorious convict past of VDL.

Tasmania 1644

How does VDL relate to my family?

Nearly all my ancestors first arrived when the colony was known as VDL.

Convicts:

  • Francis Colgrave – 1832 – ship Circassian
  • Isabella Watkins(on) – 1841 – Garland Grove
  • John Holliday Boyd – 1836 – Henry Porcher
  • Martha Virco nee Hearn – 1839 – Hindostan
  • John England – 1846 – Pestonjee Bomanjee
  • Rebecca Jackson – 1847 – Waverley
  • William Dawson – 1850 – Maria Somes (2)
  • Catherine McKay – 1848 – Cadet (3)
  • Mathew Sutton – 1840 – Mandarin
  • Mary McCrewney – 1848 – Kinnear (2)

Free settlers:

  • John Davey – 1854 – Wanderer
  • David and Mary Dixon nee Pickering – 1841 – Andromeda
  • William Chandler – 1855 – Fortitude
  • Caroline Bryant – 19 Jan 1856 – La Hogue – would have arrived during celebrations of new name Tasmania

Marriage Colgrave Watkins

Miss W. #NaGenWriMo 2022, Colgrave, Watkins , , , ,

Isabella Watkins is my 3x great grandmother. She was a convict transported for stealing 2 shawls. She was convicted at Surrey assizes on 29 March 1841. Just 3 months later she was put on the ship Garland Grove and left London on 23 June 1841. Isabella wasn’t mentioned by the ship’s surgeon as having been ill on the trip. On 10 October 1841 the ship arrived in Hobart Town with 179 female convicts and 13 children.

Just one year after arrival, Isabella Watkins(on) was asking permission to marry Francis Col(d)grave who was by this time a free person.  Convicts, still serving their sentence, needed to get permission to marry from the government. Their application was first sent to the muster master on 7 October 1842, who then passed it on to the secretary who received it about the 18th. In the final column of the marriage permission says App?

Permission to marry for Coldgrave and Watkinson

From reading other permissions to marry (PTM), it looks like the woman has to have been in the colony for at least 12 months before being given permission to marry someone.

The couple didn’t waste time. On 14 November 1842 they were married in the district of Avoca at the newly consecrated Anglican church. They were the 85th marriage in the church. They were married by Rev. William Richardson who was a Colonial Chaplain and was made the incumbent in October 1841.

Readers: Did you have an ancestor who had to get permission to marry from the government or a parent?