B - The building blocks of genealogical research
Throughout this series there will be many births, deaths and marriages, the building blocks of genealogical research. Immigration, marriage and residence records provide additional details.
On this day - April 2
1855 - Immigration: Lucy Elizabeth JAMES, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia - my children's 3x gt. grandmother
Lucy Elizabeth James was 8 years old when she arrived in Tasmania on the ship "Whirlwind" with her parents and 2 sisters and a brother on April 2nd 1855.
The James family had migrated from England. Lucy's parents, Jacob James and Lucy Statham are my husband's 3x gt-grandparents on his maternal side. They had paid $82 for the passage on the ship in steerage conditions.
It had been a stressful journey, first leaving London in January but delayed by sickness and deaths, the passengers suffered from scarlatina. Many deaths were recorded in newspaper reports. The ship finally left Plymouth and arrived in Launceston on April 2nd but the passengers did not disembark until April 5.
Two more children were born to Lucy's parents in Launceston, Walter in 1856 and Ellen in 1858. By 1860 Lucy's parents moved their family to New Zealand, where land was gradually being released for white settlement. Another child Alfred was born in 1860 in New Zealand.
Lucy’s first marriage
Lucy may have remained in Launceston, perhaps by then she had paid work. Here her marriage to Jacob Pickford is recorded in Launceston, Tasmania in 1863. Lucy is recorded as being 17 years old with Jacob eight years older than her.
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| 12 Dec 1863 marriage of Lucy James and Jacob Pickford https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/RGD37-1-22/RGD37-1-22P267 |
By 1866 Lucy was in New Zealand where her first daughter Amy Ada Pickford was born in August.
The Pickford marriage must have been short lived as she was soon reunited with her parents.
Lucy’s second marriage
By 1864 Hokitika had become a centre for those who flocked to the New Zealand West Coast goldrush. It was there in Hokitika that Lucy (now Pickford) married Cornelius Gothard on 2 March 1869.
Cornelius Gothard at age 18 and his brother Ebenezer, who was 3 years older, had arrived in Victoria in 1857. Ebenezer established a butcher's shop at Kyneton in Victoria. After it was sold he advertised a grand opening for the Albion Hotel in Taradale, Victoria in 1862. By January 1863 the hotel was advertised for sale. Like many others, the brothers migrated across to New Zealand. In 1870 they dissolved a partnership in Nelson, where they had been butchers together since 1867.
Adelaide Gothard's birth to Cornelius and Lucy in August 1869 was just a few months after their marriage in March of that year. Four more girls were born to the couple in the next few years. Maud my children’s 2x gt grandmother, in 1871, Eva in 1872, Cornelia in 1874 and Jane in 1875.
Tragedy struck in 1877 when Lucy died leaving behind six girls under the age of 11.
This notice appeared in the Grey River Argus on 24 July 1877.
A report of the funeral funeral details appeared in the Inangahua Times on the 25 July :
The remains of Mrs C. Gothard were interred in the Reefton cemetery yesterday afternoon. The funeral moved at 4 o'olock) and was very numerously attended. The members of the Loyal Reefton Lodge of Oddfellows attended in mourning regalia and marched to the place of burial. The burial service was performed by the Bishop of Nelson, assisted by the Rev. Mr Rutherford.
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| Line of descent to Galvin from Lucy James |
1860 'Advertising', The Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900), 27 December, p. 5. , viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240850851
1862 'Advertising', Mount Alexander Mail (Vic. : 1854 - 1917), 6 June, p. 1. , viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197094168
1863 'Advertising', Mount Alexander Mail (Vic. : 1854 - 1917), 13 January, p. 3. , viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200379640
This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin
I had to look up scarletina. I found it was also known as scarlet fever. That was very serious in those days, before antibiotics. My mother's youngest brother died from it in 1931. It must have really spread in steerage. And been frightening for the family to be pretty much stuck there.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for modern medicine that we do not have to face such a dilemma
DeleteIt never ceases to amaze me how mobile our ancestors were in the 19th century. I don't think I would have the courage to undertake such tedious journeys.
ReplyDeleteYes tedious and courageous, perhaps we are more risk adverse.
DeleteIntersting story. Did she divorce Jacob Pickford or just leave him behind to start a new life?
ReplyDeleteAt this stage I don't know, perhaps more research may reveal what happened.
DeleteHmmm I think I've already left a comment but now I'm not sure as the comment field went blank regardless I enjoyed reading you Blogpost
ReplyDeleteAll comments come to me as email before they are published. That way I keep track of any that are scam.
DeleteFascinating! Family history is full of such interesting stories. @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
I have deaths from scarletina in Caroline Young's family (my post for C).
ReplyDeleteDo you know what happened to Jacob Pickford? It would seem likely that Lucy was not divorced when she married Cornelius as divorce was rare in that period.
I know Jacob died in Tasmania many years later, perhaps more research may reveal what happened.
ReplyDelete