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Welcome! This website was created on 04 Mar 2012 and last updated on 26 Aug 2017. The family trees on this site contain 2690 relatives and 545 photos. If you have any questions or comments you may send a message to the Administrator of this site.
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 A wonderful collaboration between Robin & Margaret, Rosalind Main and myself has made a breakthrough on Jessie Mein 1801-1850, who married James Douglass in Kelso, Roxburgh Sco in Dec 1834. We now have her parents and extended family. Congratulations all round.

Please let me know if you find any information on this tree which is of use to you, and please if you have further information for me I'd love to hear from you. If you think I've taken the 'wrong path' somewhere, I'd be very interested in learning more.

Note - I have re-changed the settings to require an access code to view this tree, photos and notes - for deceased relatives, so please contact me. I am hoping that my time and research will be respected, and that appropriate acknowledgement is given if/when you use some of the information. Note also that this tree is a "work in progress", with some information requiring further verification - though I have noted this as applicable.  For example, Joseph Pudney, b 1837 Essex England, is now shown on various ancestry trees as being the son of Benjamin ... This arose from a very old tree I started when I was "only guessing", and is incorrect information - which has now spread to numerous trees! As you will see, investigation of UK Census and access to Essex SEAX has now allowed me to find Joseph's family - which is not Benjamin.

This website is based on two booklets I prepared in 2011:

GLIMPSES - Ancestors of Joseph Colin Pudney 1891-1973 & Illma Elene White 1892-1975 - Pudney, Hastings, Wedd, White
 and
 A QUARTER MILLENIUM - 1642 - 1979 - Robert Douglass 1893-1965 & Beatrice May Gibbons 1896-1979 and their Ancestors - Adams, Douglass, Gibbons, Lightly, Pearsall, Fabian, Tilly

It is a story about people. I wanted to know where my ancestors came from, and what their lives were like. I hoped to understand what made them choose to leave the UK and come to Australia. The journey took months and was risky, with cholera from bad water, shipwreck, storms and the 'unknown'. They were, I thought, extremely adventurous and courageous, or desperate, or all three.

GLIMPSES
 =========
 Key Families: Pudney, Hastings, Wedd, White

I learned that the Hastings family arrived in Port Adelaide in 1854 on the 'Marion', the Wedd family in 1853 on the 'Caucasian', and Joseph Pudney in 1865 on the 'Verulam'. Our branch of the White family in Australia began with George White of the 'Tam O'Shanter' which arrived in Port Adelaide in November 1836.

PUDNEY
 My maiden name.

I have updated the tree with new information - Henry Poodeney & Hanah Pearson (married Brightlingsea Essex, both of Much Clacton Essex in 1743-4) -- Henry Pudney 1745-1801 & Grace Haggar 1753-1835; married Henry as Grace Cooper, Widow, in Great Clacton Essex -- John Pudney 1793 (Great Clacton, later St Osyth, Essex) and Hannah Harris (married Wix Essex) -- Joseph Pudney b c1837 -- Joseph Colin Pudney -- Lindsay Pudney -- me. BDMs for Essex have confirmed baptisms, marriages and burials, and I can now also include siblings for the generations. Work continues....

Our branch of the Pudney family in Australia starts with Joseph Pudney, son of John, who deserted the 'Verulam', a cargo vessel, in Port Adelaide in 1865. I had long wondered what inspired him to 'jump ship' in that particular corner of Australia, and had wondered about goldfields ventures etc. His origins in England have now been found, through Census records. Following through on all the members of this family shows that, while their father John Pudney was a farmer/Bailiff (in the sense of farm manager), all of the sons became Mariners - working coastal boats around England, river barges and ocean-going ships. Joseph Pudney, Able Seaman on the Verulam, was clearly following a family tradition.

Another of the sons of John Pudney, Henry, also a Mariner, settled in Yankalilla and Gumeracha, in South Australia, in the mid 1850s and, by 1861, had settled just south of Mount Gambier in an area north of Port MacDonnell. Joseph, it appears, chose to come to the Mount Schank / Mount Gambier / Port MacDonnell area, following the example set by his older brother, Henry.

Joseph Pudney and his wife Catherine Hastings stayed in the Mount Schank area for many years, with Catherine moving to Mount Gambier for the latter decades of her life. The obituary for Henry Pudney, in 1910, speaks of a man who came to the Port MacDonnell area and stayed, with his wife Mary Byrne, running a successful farm - along with his son Joseph, who was born about 1860 and died in 1912, having never left the area. Many of Henry and Mary's other children stayed in the area.

As another link between Joseph Pudney and his brother Henry Pudney, the Lake Terrace Cemetery in Mount Gambier contains Joseph and Catherine, and Henry, Mary and many members of their family. Indeed, almost all (if not all) of the Pudney entries directly related to either Joseph and his wife Catherine, or Henry and his wife Mary, and their children.

According to an elderly family member some years' ago, the two Australian branches of the family were close initially, but drifted apart, because Joseph's branch was Protestant and Henry's branch followed Mary Byrne's Catholic religion.

HASTINGS
 Joseph Hastings and Margaret Dunn - or Haston/Heasting as they were known - emigrated from Huntly, Aberdeen, Scotland,with children including Catherine Hastings, settling initially in Yankalilla and Myponga in South Australia before travelling by Mosquito Fleet boat and bullock dray to the Mount Schank area of Mount Gambier, South Australia, where Catherine Hastings met and married Joseph Pudney, my direct ancestors.

WEDD
 The Wedd family settled in Mount Gambier, SA, having left Kent, England, with their three surviving children. After initially living in Mount Barker, SA, where three children were born, Arthur Wedd and his wife Mary Simpson Wedd moved to Mount Gambier before the birth of their last child in 1862. Arthur had followed his brother William Wedd to SA - William had established himself in Mount Barker, SA. Another Wedd, George, had also settled in Mount Barker - it is likely that he is the son of Arthur and William's step-brother, Robert. Arthur and Mary's daughter, Mary Ann Wedd married John White in Glenburnie near Mount Gambier. Their youngest daughter, Illma Elene White, is my grandmother.

Note: I have much information on this family which I have yet to upload. 

WHITE
 The White family was a mystery... although I now know from John White's death record (1910) that he was born in Cherry Gardens (near Scott's Creek) near Adelaide, SA, in 1849. From his marriage certificate, we know that his father was George. I became an expert on all the George White's in or near Adelaide at about 1849, and have found that John's father George was George White of the Tam O'Shanter and his wife Mary Ann Gowne. George White of Scotts Creek, Hundred of Noarlunga, and his wife Mary Ann Gowne, daughter of Benjamin Gowne, had eight children between 1840 and 1861, and it seems likely that they are the parents of John, though I am still pursuing birth records for the middle three of these eight children.

Evidence for this link grows: my cousin has a photo of George Sim (my grandmother's 'Uncle George'), husband of Maria White. The Executor for both George and Maria Sim was John Christopher White, son of George White the first son of George White and Mary Ann Gowne.

George White of Scotts Creek emigrated on the Tam O'Shanter to Port Adelaide in 1836, with his brother John White c1790-1860. John was a building contractor, and a man of some means, who brought with him a large load of building materials as well as nine labourers and their families. Under the Masters and Servants Act, these labourers were obligated to work for John White for a period of two years, under penalty of imprisonment if they absconded. John White had pre-purchased town acres and a section of land in Reedbeds or Reed Beds, on which he established Fulham Farm. George White purchased one Town Acre, Section 622, and later purchased Section 284, Scotts Creek, Hundred of Noarlunga.

George White c1794-1863, a carpenter, settled on his Town Acre until his insolvency in 1841 - the tumultuous time when the SA government itself went broke. He remained at West Terrace until 1846 and then possibly worked as a timber splitter in Sleep Tiers before settling with his wife Mary Ann Gowne / Gowan / Goun and their growing family in Scotts Creek near Cherry Gardens, in the foothills of the Lofty Ranges near Adelaide, where he lived until his death in 1863. His probate left his estate to his daughter Clementina Frances Fox nee White by his first wife Clementina Frances Handley (back in England, pre-emigration).

More information can be found in the Story The Tam O'Shanter boys, listed below.

My great grandfather John White 1849-1910 died at the age of 61 as a result of a sudden accident while working as a Teamster. The White family spread out and, according to family history and as far as I know, there was little contact in later years between John and Mary Ann's children. Their eldest son, John William Charles White, known as Charlie, sent postcards from his mining adventures in Cangai NSW and in New Zealand, appears not to have married, and may have died in Broken Hill NSW, another mining area - or is he the one who went mining in South Africa, and never came back?

A QUARTER MILLENIUM
 ====================
 Key families: Adams, Douglass, Gibbons, Lightly, Pearsall, Fabian, Tilly

I have found that we are descended from families who mainly lived in Portsea (Hampshire), Sunderland in Durham County, Kent and Somerset – all except Sunderland being in the south or southwest of England. The 'trail' of living over many generations in the one place, followed by a move elsewhere within
 the UK, then emigration, emerged as a common theme. Society was on the move at that time, forced by rapid change in all aspects of working families' lives. In their eyes, they were not 'immigrants' in today's sense of the word: they were merely moving from one section of the British Empire to another.

Another common thread is that they were all skilled and mostly literate, with a trade of some kind. All except one family emigrated as a family, with children. They left behind their parents and some or all of their brothers and sisters. For many of the families, some of their siblings followed or accompanied them to Australia.

Through all the families runs a strong sense of loyalty and family. They had up to a dozen brothers and sisters each; they had up to thirteen children. Some lived to a ripe old age, but not all. They used their trades to set themselves up in this new land, often turning to farming as an occupation. Obituaries speak of men and women who had solid places in their family and in their community. That is their gift to us. I hope this 'log' of their lives and the choices they made helps us to know each of them just a little.

GIBBONS/ADAMS
 We knew that Beatrice (Gibbons) Douglass' Grandfather Thomas George Adams came to Australia on the 'Buffalo' in 1836 with his family, as an infant, and that he was born in Portsea, Hampshire, England. We also knew that her mother Laura Louisa Adams had married Henry Thomas Gibbons in Renmark SA and that Laura died after giving birth to Beatrice and her sisters. I learned that Laura was pregnant with her fourth child at the time of death.

The Gibbons, Weston and Tilly family trees go back to about the 1650s, at which time either the trail is lost – or there are too many options and too few clues. I had become 'stuck' on William Adams b 1774, unsure of which family to follow. I have included ancestors as shown on the Adams CD, researched by family members, which leads us back to Samuel Addames of Catherington, Hampshire, who was born about 1650. The Catherington link comes from old family bibles - they were a family of Cordwainers - shoemakers, the trade followed by John William Adams of the 'Buffalo'.

DOUGLASS/MEIN
 We knew that Robert 'Bob' Douglass' Grandfather James Main Douglass had been born in Kelso, Scotland, and that Bob's father Robert (Maynard) Douglass had come to Brisbane, married Tamar Pearsall there, and moved to Renmark, SA, where Bob later married Beatrice. The family story, as passed on to Barbara Sopp in the 1950s-60s, was that Robert M was a Blacksmith, and that Tamar Pearsall was the daughter of a wealthy silkworks owner who had been cut off without a penny when she followed him to Brisbane.

The Scottish link goes back to James Douglass 1761-1848, born 'Scotland', father (or grandfather?) of James Douglass 1809-1868. Whilst very few James Douglass' were born in 1761 in Scotland, it is difficult to trace this line further with any certainty … although I am hopeful of tracing Jessie Mein, wife of James b 1809.

Jessie Mein, 1801-1850, it has emerged, was born in Eccles, Berwick, where her parents William Mein and Margaret Hewat/Huet had four children. They then moved to Ednam, Robxurgh, where further children were born. A DNA match has been found between a direct descendant of Jessie (on the Douglass side) and of William (on the Mein/Main side). All heads of household were skilled tradesmen - carpenter, tailor, carver & glider, baker - and family names continue through the generations on both sides. Margaret Hewat/Huet's parents and siblings have been found, with more to follow. Again, UK Census has proved its worth with a granddaughter living with one family providing a direct link to another family.

Stop the Presses ** James DOUGLASS, Baker, b~1809 (father James), had a niece Mary Douglass living with him in Sunderland in 1851. In 1857, Mary Geraldine Douglass - probably the same Mary - witnessed the marriage between James Main Douglass and Mary Lightly. In 1861, Mary Geraldine was back in Kelso with an aunt and uncle, and in 1871 with another aunt and uncle. She has been traced through to her death in 1927 age 93. Her parents were Robert Douglass (father Robert) and Esther Ormiston - so we have likely confirmed a relative for James 1809! Robert Douglass died in Sunderland in 1860, a Master Baker. I have shown Robert as James' relative through Robert Douglas b 1780 for the time being, but the actual connection is still being investigated. Other researchers have identified Robert 1780 as the father of 'our' Robert 1810-1, however I remain unconvinced.

SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A note about Sources: records have been sourced through ancestry, freebmd, Phillimores Registers, LDS/International Genealogical Index, ScotsPeople, transcribed Parish Registers, Essex SEAX and many original certificates.

A note about 'Living' people: If I found information in the public domain, then that person is shown; if information only came from family lists (not from public domain sources) and the person is likely to be living, then that person is not shown.

DOUGLASS - Special thanks to Barbara Sopp, in Adelaide SA, who produced the Douglass Book in 1990 and has recently provided many Certificates and much information, and to Gail, in Canada, linked through Mary Lightly, who also kindly provided Government Record Office certificates.  Thanks also to Robin and Margaret McEwan in Scotland for their decades of research into William Mein/Main and his family, and to Rosalind Main in the US.

ADAMS - I also acknowledge with thanks earlier work done by Myra Stringer in 'Adams Family History 1774-1986' (c) ISBN 0 9594363 1 6 printed by Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide, SA 86-995, and updates since that time produced by an Adams group in Adelaide - thanks to cousin Pam in particular. The website www.adams1836.com.au will lead you to contacts for this database. A new (2013) contact, Dale, a descendant of John William Adams, and a UK contact, Phil Dawson, have provided valuable information and confirmation.

WEDD - Much assistance has been offered by Laurie Wedd in Kent, England, and Dianne Baird in Perth WA - Laurie's tribalpages site (link provided) is a wonderful gathering-place for all the Wonderful Wedds...

PUDNEY - My cousin Daphne gave me access to a number of Certificates, old WEDD family letters, photographs and listings. Thanks also to Pat Pudney for her site on Heritage which was a great help in tracing the later descendants of Henry Pudney 1828-1910. Other ancestry trees, notably Doman and Dulcie, were also of assistance for confirmation and/or clues, and I thank them too.

WHITE - 'New' - thanks to John Samuel White and Murray Chesser, descendants of John White, for sharing all they know about their family, and confirming and expanding my research.

STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Special thanks for providing access to the John White papers.

Many photos are from my mother, many from the Douglass Book, some from the the Adams book, and a couple from an ancestry trees. Some photos were taken by my sister and I during last year's exciting visit to England, Wales and Scotland - my gratitude to all, and to those anonymous others who put pictures of towns and scenes on the web.

Please enjoy.
 Lois
 2012
 PS Should you choose to extract stories (c), notes or other information, please be sure to acknowledge this site as the source.

For my grandchildren - you will find Grandad's family at these sites; http://samuelthompson.tribalpages.com/
 http://christinahaddow.tribalpages.com/
 I shall find the other one and add a link for you...

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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.

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