We have some reports in from a Gloucestershire researcher
who seems to think that Henry Edwin Atkins (convict) and our Edward Atkins are
one and the same person.
There are, she says, good grounds for taking that position although of course we do not yet, and may never have, absolute proof that the two men are one and the same. However, at this point in time there is more evidence pointing in that direction than in the opposite.
The image we have of our Edward with his daughters Mary and Lizzy fits well with the description given of the convict Edwin Atkins although any capacity to identify moles on the face of our Edward would be a clincher. Luke said the photo we have of him and his daughters is in the possession of a cousin so there is some chance we might be able to have a look at the original and possibly get ‘mole’ proof of what we now believe. Or not as the case may be.
At this point in time there do not seem to be too many more avenues to pursue in Gloucestershire or the UK in terms of establishing the connection in any concrete way.
The information in the reports from the researcher does not add much to what we had but is worth having all the same and I shall post it here and follow on with previous posts on the topic of whether or not, Henry Edwin Atkins, sentenced to death and then commuted to seven years transportation in Australia, in 1830, is our ancestor, Edward Atkins who died at Wirrabarra in South Australia more than half a century later.
If they are one and the same then our Edward stood in the dock at the age of 18 and heard the death sentence, for stealing a sheep, pronounced. What went through is mind from that day until his sentence was commuted? We can only imagine. No doubt being transported to Australia became a joyful prospect when compared to dangling from the end of a rope.
Recent research indicates what common sense and logic told me and no doubt many others long ago, that we have a cellular memory and in fact 'inherit' many emotional experiences from our ancestors. How much of Edwin/Edward's trauma was passed down is open to conjecture, but one can imagine to some degree the horror he felt when he was sentenced to death and the nightmares of imaginings which pursued him until he was granted a King's pardon.
He was eighteen, young, almost a boy, about to sail across the world to a distant and alien land but compared to death, it was no doubt a joy and perhaps it was an adventure he found exciting. From reports in Australia he seemed well behaved during his time as a convict and perhaps he had learned his lesson.
Or perhaps he had been innocent. The case was strange in that he and two others, William and Amy Walker, were charged with the crime of sheep-stealing and yet William Walker was found not guilty while Edwin and Amy were sentenced to death. Why Walker’s wife and his friend should be ‘more involved’ in the crime is interesting and leads the sceptic in me to surmise that perhaps there was more at work with this than stealing a sheep. Perhaps Edwin and Amy were lovers, and William had them framed for the crime because he wanted them dead.
Whatever the truth both Edwin and Amy ended up in Australia although we have no idea what her fate might have been.
Edwin, like our Edward, was a blacksmith who could read and write and who would prove to be adaptable in terms of making the best of what life would bring. I think and feel they are one and the same man even without absolute proof that this is the case.
There are, she says, good grounds for taking that position although of course we do not yet, and may never have, absolute proof that the two men are one and the same. However, at this point in time there is more evidence pointing in that direction than in the opposite.
The image we have of our Edward with his daughters Mary and Lizzy fits well with the description given of the convict Edwin Atkins although any capacity to identify moles on the face of our Edward would be a clincher. Luke said the photo we have of him and his daughters is in the possession of a cousin so there is some chance we might be able to have a look at the original and possibly get ‘mole’ proof of what we now believe. Or not as the case may be.
At this point in time there do not seem to be too many more avenues to pursue in Gloucestershire or the UK in terms of establishing the connection in any concrete way.
The information in the reports from the researcher does not add much to what we had but is worth having all the same and I shall post it here and follow on with previous posts on the topic of whether or not, Henry Edwin Atkins, sentenced to death and then commuted to seven years transportation in Australia, in 1830, is our ancestor, Edward Atkins who died at Wirrabarra in South Australia more than half a century later.
If they are one and the same then our Edward stood in the dock at the age of 18 and heard the death sentence, for stealing a sheep, pronounced. What went through is mind from that day until his sentence was commuted? We can only imagine. No doubt being transported to Australia became a joyful prospect when compared to dangling from the end of a rope.
Recent research indicates what common sense and logic told me and no doubt many others long ago, that we have a cellular memory and in fact 'inherit' many emotional experiences from our ancestors. How much of Edwin/Edward's trauma was passed down is open to conjecture, but one can imagine to some degree the horror he felt when he was sentenced to death and the nightmares of imaginings which pursued him until he was granted a King's pardon.
He was eighteen, young, almost a boy, about to sail across the world to a distant and alien land but compared to death, it was no doubt a joy and perhaps it was an adventure he found exciting. From reports in Australia he seemed well behaved during his time as a convict and perhaps he had learned his lesson.
Or perhaps he had been innocent. The case was strange in that he and two others, William and Amy Walker, were charged with the crime of sheep-stealing and yet William Walker was found not guilty while Edwin and Amy were sentenced to death. Why Walker’s wife and his friend should be ‘more involved’ in the crime is interesting and leads the sceptic in me to surmise that perhaps there was more at work with this than stealing a sheep. Perhaps Edwin and Amy were lovers, and William had them framed for the crime because he wanted them dead.
Whatever the truth both Edwin and Amy ended up in Australia although we have no idea what her fate might have been.
Edwin, like our Edward, was a blacksmith who could read and write and who would prove to be adaptable in terms of making the best of what life would bring. I think and feel they are one and the same man even without absolute proof that this is the case.
The reports:
Aim: to establish
whether Edward Atkins d.1891 is the same as Edwin Atkins transported to
Australia in 1830/31.
CRIMINAL EVIDENCE
Gloucestershire Archives hold the gaol registers for the
county gaol at Gloucester. There is an entry for Edwin Atkins which ties in
with the newspaper report of the crime supplied:
Gaol register
Committal 9/2/1830
9th Feby 1830 Edwin Atkins age 18 Cubberley committed by Sir
Wm Hicks bart. Wm Hicks, clerk, James Clutterbuck Esq, H. Norwood Frye Esq
Charged on the oath of John Bishop and others with having on
the night of Friday the 5th day of February instant at the parish of Cubberley
feloniously stolen taken and carried away one ewe teg the property of Richard
Bishop of Cubberley aforesaid farmer.
Light brown hair, dark blue eyes, fair complexion, long face
six small moles on his forehead six small moles on right cheek a small mole
near his left ear, four small moles left arm, two moles near R armpit three
small moles left arm two moles on his back, three moles on the back of his
neck.
Read and write; blacksmith; height 5’7”
Lent assizes April 7 1830
Death recorded
Transported 7yrs - see penitentiary registeri
Removed 24th May 1830
Orderly behaviour
[Source: Gloucestershire Archives Q/Gc/5/4 Entry No 217]
National Archives,
Kew, London hold the registers of convicts held on the prison hulks prior to
transportation:
Registers of convicts in the hulk 'Cumberland', moored at
Chatham, with gaoler's reports, 1830-1833
Entry 396; Received from Gloucester 24/5/1830
Aged 18 convicted of sheep stealing 7 April 1830. Sentenced
to 7 years.
Single, can both read and write, blacksmith
Discharged 14/8/1830 to Florentia
Gaolers report – character disposition convictions [sic] and
former course of life – bad. Orderly in gaol.
[Source: National Archives via Find my Past ADM6/418]
Registers of convicts in the hulk 'Dolphin', moored at
Chatham, with gaoler's reports, 1829-1835
Entry 396; Edwin Atkins age 18 convicted of sheep stealing
at Gloucester on 7 April 1830, sentenced to 7 years. Single, blacksmith
On 4th October 1830 discharged to Florentia
Gaolers report – character disposition convictions [sic] and
former course of life – bad. Orderly in gaol.
[Source: National Archives via Find my Past ADM6/421]
Photo: The convict ship Florentia which took Edwin/Edward Atkins to Australia.
NB. Virtually all other convicts had the same entry re
former life. I note from the information sent to me that Edwin had a tattoo of
his initials. This does not appear in his physical description from Gloucester
gaol but further research has shown that convicts would often get themselves
tattooed whilst on the journey over with varying items including their
initials.
PARISH REGISTERS
The parish registers for Coberley were checked for a period
between 1804 and 1830 and no Atkins entries were found. [Source:
Gloucestershire Archives P105 IN – microfilm copy]
The following registers were checked for Cirencester:
Christenings 1784-1831
Burials 1809-1833
Marriages 1778-1812
[Source: Gloucestershire Archives P86 IN – microfilm copy]
As was suggested by your earlier researcher the christening
of Henry Edwin was in February 1812 with a birth listed as January 1812. All
children born to parents Joseph and Ann are listed below, starting with the marriage
of Joseph. Burials are included and events are in chronological order.
DATE NAMES EVEN ADDRESSiii
OCCUPATION
14/8/1809 Atkins, Joseph & Haines, Ann m both of this
parish
23/2/1812 Atkins Henry Edwin s Joseph & Ann born
22/1/1812 c
13/2/1814 Atkins Joseph Lewis s Joseph & Ann born
18/1/1814 c
5/10/1816 Atkins James Webb s Joseph & Ann born
14/8/1816 c Cirencester
cordwainer
28/12/1817 Atkins Susannah d Joseph & Ann born
30/11/1817 c Cirencester
Shoemaker
15/1/1818 Atkins, Susanna d Joseph & Ann 6wks b
Cirencester
2/1/1819 Atkins George s Joseph & Ann born 12/12/1818 c
Cirencester
Cordwainer
3/11/1820 Atkins Jane d Joseph & Ann born 17/9/1820 c
Cirencester
Shoemaker
19/5/1822 David s Joseph & Ann born 31/3/1822 c
Cirencester
shoemaker [Poss gaol record copied Q/Gc 5/6 1/10/1840]
24/7/1825 Atkins Thomas Haines s Joseph & Ann born
20/6/1825 c Cirencester
Cordwainer
30/10/1825 Atkins, Thomas s Joseph & Ann 4m b
Cirencester
4/2/1827 Atkins Mary Ann Haines d Jsp & Ann born
10/1/1827 c Cirencester
Cordwainer
16/11/1828 Atkins, Alfred s Joseph & Ann 6m b
Cirencester
Note – b=burial; c=christening or baptism; m=marriage. A
cordwainer was another term for a shoemaker
CENSUS
In 1841 Joseph was living in Cheltenham, in Witcombe Place
which was a cul de sac of about 17 houses erected by the 1820s. His occupation
is listed as a shoemaker. He and wife Ann were both listed as 50years old,
David was 15 [a labourer], Marian [Mary Ann] 14, and another girl, Eliza 10.
She was presumably a daughter but as no relationships are given in this census
year this must not be assumed on this evidence
alone. Ages of those over 14 were rounded to the nearest 5,
but not all enumerators followed this ruling therefore ages may not be
accurate.
A copy of the page is included.
A copy of the page is included.
[Source: National Archives via Ancestry HO107/353 schedule
29 page 22]
Photo: Ceylon in the early 18th century when Joseph Atkins was on military service.
By 1851 the family had moved to Charlton Kings, now almost a suburb of Cheltenham but at this time a separate village. Charlton Place is a section of London Road comprising 7 houses at the time of the census.
By 1851 the family had moved to Charlton Kings, now almost a suburb of Cheltenham but at this time a separate village. Charlton Place is a section of London Road comprising 7 houses at the time of the census.
Joseph is now listed as a 67 year old shoemaker and Chelsea
Pensioner. A Chelsea Pensioner was an ex soldier who was in receipt of an army
pension. They are still in existence today with their base in London.
Ann is 65, Mary A 35 and Eliza 20. Interestingly Eliza is
listed as daughter, confirming the evidence from the 1841 census but she was
born in Worcestershire [Birlingham]
[Source: National Archives via Ancestry HO107/1972 Folio 99
page 14]
A likely death for Joseph is in 1860 Cheltenham aged 74. The
burial registers for the town may confirm the correct person but the death
certificate would be the best evidence.
[Source: Gloucestershire Registration – Cheltenham
registration district 1860 register 32 entry 431]
Ann is living on St James Street, at Sion House, as a lodger
in 1861. She is listed as on poor relief so records may survive in the
Overseers disbursement and payments for Cheltenham in this year. Daughter Mary
Ann is still with her, also on poor relief.
[Source: National Archives via Ancestry RG9/1797 Folio 70
Page 40]
Ann’s death is probably the one recorded in 1865 with her
age as 74.
{Source: Gloucestershire Registration – Cheltenham
registration district 1865 register 40 entry 371]
Further Research:
Worcestershire Archives to view parish registers for the
birth/baptism of Eliza c.1831. Any other evidence of the family in the location
and any documentation as to why they may have moved there. Note the timing
around the time of Edwin’s transportation. Did the family move away to avoid
the scandal?
Civil Registration certificates of the deaths of Joseph and
Ann and the burial registers, although these are extensive but well kept and
written. To search for the two events will take about an hour but there is no
guarantee that the burial entries will be found.
Gloucestershire Archives to view Cheltenham Poor Relief
records for any information regarding Ann and Mary Ann’s hardship.
Aim: to establish whether Edward Atkins d.1891 is the
same as Edwin Atkins transported to Australia in 1830/31.
Results of search at National
Archives by Geoff Swinfield [GSGS] on behalf of Lynne Cleaver [LCRS] done on
15/1/2014.
ASSI 5/150/5 Indictments
1/ Printed papers giving same
information regarding alleged crime as the Gloucestershire Gaol registers
already supplied
2/ handwritten report of the
trial [transcribed – the edge of the page is tightly bound hiding some words;
the lack of punctuation is as was written at the time]
Gloucestershire The Jurors
for our Lord the King upon their oath present that William Walker, late of the
parish of Cubberley in the County of Gloucester labourer Amy wife of the said
William Walker and Edwin Atkins late of the same labourer on the sixth day of
February in the eleventh year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the
fourth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King defender of the
faith with force and arms at the parish aforesaid in the county aforesaid One
Lamb of the price of twenty ... of the goods and chattels of Richard Bishop
then and there being found feloniously did steal take and drive away against
the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity And the jurors
aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid do further present the said William Walker
Amy his wife and Edwin Atkins afterwards [to wit] on the same day and year
aforesaid with force and arms at the ... aforesaid in the county aforesaid one
lamb of the price of twenty shillings of the goods and chattels of the said
Richard Bishop then and there being found wilfully and feloniously did kill
with a felonious intent to steal take and carry away the carcase of the said
last mentioned lamb against the form of the statute in such case made and
provided and against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity
[Ends]
Names sworn in court: Richard
Smith, John Bishop, Andrew Hathaway, Isaac Deaves, Thomas Griffiths, Richard
Bishop
Second Roll – William Walker
found not guilty; Amy wife of William Walker guilty to be hanged; Edwin Atkins
guilty to be hanged.
ASSI 2/31 Crown & Gaol
books
Edwin Atkins transported for
seven years for sheep stealing
HO 6/15 Judges & Recorders
letters and reports
May 1830 letter and pardon
presented
To the Kings most excellent
Majesty
These are humbly to certify
to your Majesty that the following prisoners were convicted before us
respectively your Majesty’s Justices of assize and General Gaol Delivery for
the last Oxford Circuit of the several offences hereinafter mentioned and
sentence of death was recorded against them for the same pursuant to the
statute but some favourable circumstances appearing in their respective cases
they were reprieved and we humbly recommend them as fit objects of your
Majesty’s Royal Clemency on the condition hereinafter mentioned if Your Majesty
shall so please - that is to say list
of names until:
Amy wife of William Walker
Edwin Atkins
To be transported beyond the
seas for and during the term of seven years
HO 13/55 & 56
Correspondence, Warrants and commutations 1830
Letter from Whitehall [offices
of the parliament and civil service] dated 29 April 1830
GSGS has copied six pages the
first of which is not good enough to transcribe in full but has a general
greeting and outline of the request followed by the start of a list of
prisoners, their crimes before the following plea:
And you having by
certificate under your hands, humbly recommended them to His Majesty as fit
objects of the Royal Mercy, on condition of their being transported beyond the
seas for and during the terms hereinafter mentioned viz
Follows a list of prisoners and
their new sentences including ‘Mary’ wife of William Walker and Edwin Atkins
Both Edwin Atkins and Mary
[sic] wife of William Walker had their sentences commuted to seven years
transportation to New South Wales or Van Diemens Land by the King, signed by
Robert Peel [by 1834 he was prime minister].
Geoff writes in an email ‘As
can be seen, Edwin Atkins and Amy, the wife of William Walker, had their
sentence commuted to seven years transportation on 28th April 1830 (HO16/15
& HO13/55), and this was recorded on 29th April. Both had originally been
sentenced to be hanged (ASSI 5/105/5). William Walker was found not guilty at
the trial. ASSI 2/31 simply records the hearing as of “William Walker & 2
others”.
Edwin was always recorded as such except in the printed index to ASSI
5/105/5 where he is listed as Edward Atkins.’
As Geoff has observed re the
name, that Edwin was Edwin apart from the occurrence of a printed list with
Edward. Likewise Amy Walker appears once as Mary. This is due to the italic
writing which could very easily be mistaken for either by a clerk. These can
both be taken as clerical errors and clearly refer to the same people in both
cases.
My thoughts re Edward Atkins being one and the same are that they are
indeed the same, more evidence points towards this than against. On release
wishing a new start he made a slight alteration in his name and went on to live
a long and good life.
Further Research:
Worcestershire Archives to view
parish registers for the birth/baptism of Eliza c.1831. Any other evidence of
the family in the location and any documentation as to why they may have moved
there. Note the timing around the time of Edwin’s transportation. Did the
family move away to avoid the scandal?
Civil Registration certificates
of the deaths of Joseph and Ann and the burial registers, although these are
extensive but well kept and written. To search for the two events will take
about an hour but there is no guarantee that the burial entries will be found.
Gloucestershire Archives to
view Cheltenham Poor Relief records for any information regarding Ann and Mary
Ann’s hardship.
 Photo: life as a convict was hard but Edwin Atkins was said to be well behaved and so hopefully avoided being lashed.
National Archives and/or
Regimental Records for Joseph Atkins military service. There are two
references on Find My Past: 1/ Princess Charlotte of Wales [Royal Berkshire
Regiment] 49th and 66th Regt. of Foot National Archives reference WO121
[According to the record for this Joseph served in the East Indies and Ceylon
between 1805-8.]
While there is no clear evidence that the two men are one, the researcher, Lynne Cleaver, has taken the view that there is more chance they are than they are not and with years of experience in ancestry research, I think that is worth taking into account. She had not seen the photo of our Edward Atkins but I also feel quite strongly that the description of Henry Edwin Atkins (convict) and our Edward’s image as recorded in the photograph with his daughters are a match which is better than good. We also had more children for Joseph and Ann than the researcher found: |
Charles Atkins
baptised (abbreviation bp.) 1 July 1810
Henry Edwin
Atkins bp. 23 February 1812. Born January 22, 1812. (This now
gives a birth date for Henry Edwin of 1812 but it is close enough to 1811 given
the vagaries which always seem to surround ages at the time.)
Joseph Lewis
Atkins b. 18 January 1814, bp. 13 February 1814, bur. 3 April 1814.
Sarah, b. April 30, 1815.
Sarah, b. April 30, 1815.
James Webb
Atkins b. 14 August 1816, bp. 5 October 1816
Susannah b. 30
November 1817, bp. 3 January 1819
George, born 12 December 1818. Baptised January 2, 1819.
Jane, born September 17, 1820. Baptised November 3, 1820.
George, born 12 December 1818. Baptised January 2, 1819.
Jane, born September 17, 1820. Baptised November 3, 1820.
David Atkins b.
31 March 1822, bp. 19 May 1822
Thomas Haines
Atkins b. 20 June 1825, bp. 24 July 1825, d. 30 October 1825 –
Mary Ann Haines
Atkins b. 10 January 1827, bp. 4 February 1827
Eliza Atkins was born in 1831.
Photo: Wedding certificate for Edward Atkins and his first wife Hannah Mcleod.
But
to just run through the connections which were put together for another post
although I don’t think there is much doubt that Henry Edwin Atkins, son of
Joseph Atkins and Ann Haines, is the convict Edwin Atkins. The researcher does
not seem to think there is any doubt about this.
And I am re-posting earlier information so that it is all in one place for any family researchers who arrive, new to the quest.
LINKS BETWEEN HENRY EDWIN ATKINS, EDWIN ATKINS AND EDWARD ATKINS.
And I am re-posting earlier information so that it is all in one place for any family researchers who arrive, new to the quest.
LINKS BETWEEN HENRY EDWIN ATKINS, EDWIN ATKINS AND EDWARD ATKINS.
Henry Edwin Atkins and Edwin Atkins,
convict:
1.
Age – birth year
2.
Location - Gloucestershire
3.
Edwin Atkins has the initials HE*A tattooed on his wrist.
4.
Edwin is from the parish of Cubberly (Coberley) which is close to Charlton
Kings where Joseph and Ann Atkins, parents of Henry Edwin Atkins, are recorded
in the census and whose second son was Henry Edwin Atkins.
5.
Father of both named Joseph.
Edward Atkins and Edwin Atkins
1.
Age – birth year.
2.
Time-frame in Australia.
3.
Profession – both shepherd/blacksmith.
4.
Employer connections
5.
Description of Edwin fits image of Edward in photograph closely.
6.
Origin Gloucestershire.
7. Both could read and write.
Henry Edwin Atkins and Edward Atkins
1.
Same name of father, Joseph.
2.
Edward’s first son called Henry, not Edward.
3.
One of Edward’s daughters calls son Edwin Henry
4.
Two of Edward’s daughters share names with Henry Edwin’s sisters: Jane and
Sarah. One is called Anne, possibly after mother (Hannah) or paternal
grandmother.
5.
Age – birth year
6.
Location – Gloucestershire
7.
Maternal name Haines or Haynes. Henry Edwin’s mother is Ann Haines/Haynes.
Edward’s son James Haynes Atkins and grandson Haynes Mashford Atkins.
8.
Edward’s son is James; Henry’s brother is James.
Henry Edwin Atkins, Edwin Atkins and
Edward Atkins
1.
Origin Gloucestershire.
2.
Age – birth year 1811/12.
Father named Joseph.
Father named Joseph.
3.
Photo: Marriage certificate for Edward Atkins and his second wife Elizabeth Mashford Lewis.
Photo: Marriage certificate for Edward Atkins and his second wife Elizabeth Mashford Lewis.
We know that the father of Edward Atkins was called Joseph
and we established in previous research that a Joseph Atkins married Anne
Haines (Haynes) in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, in 1809 which fits the
time-frame for parents of our Edward.
This time-frame would also fit for parents of the convict Edwin/Edward Atkins, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, who is a possible ‘same man’ fit for our Edward.
The link between them was made on the presence of the Haynes (Haines) family name for Edward Atkins and Elizabeth Mashford’s son, James Haynes and grandson, Haynes Mashford; the fact that Edward had Gloucestershire links or family and the relevant time-frame.
This time-frame would also fit for parents of the convict Edwin/Edward Atkins, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, who is a possible ‘same man’ fit for our Edward.
The link between them was made on the presence of the Haynes (Haines) family name for Edward Atkins and Elizabeth Mashford’s son, James Haynes and grandson, Haynes Mashford; the fact that Edward had Gloucestershire links or family and the relevant time-frame.
Joseph and Anne have been found in the 1851 and 1841
censuses for Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire. He is listed as shoemaker and Chelsea Pensioner, the
latter giving him a military connection which has now been confirmed and
expanded.
The names and ages of children listed are just a little at
odds with previous information but ages, as we know, can be a moveable feast
and names can also change.
In the 1841 census, Joseph Atkins, 50, shoemaker, is living in the Parish of Cheltenham, St. Mary’s, Cheltenham, with his wife Anne, also 50.
The children are:
David, 15, labourer, born 1826.
In the 1841 census, Joseph Atkins, 50, shoemaker, is living in the Parish of Cheltenham, St. Mary’s, Cheltenham, with his wife Anne, also 50.
The children are:
David, 15, labourer, born 1826.
Marian, (Mary Ann) 14, born 1827.
Eliza, 10, born 1831.
Joseph Preston, 30,
painter, born 1811. NB: although he is
probably a lodger and possibly a relation. Preston could be a middle name but
it is not likely. At his age he would be independent and the lodger theory is
most likely.
Elizabeth, 30 (Joseph’s wife presumably).
Elizabeth, 30 (Joseph’s wife presumably).
In 1851, Joseph Atkins is recorded in the census as living at 3, Charlton Place, Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire, born Cirencester, Gloucestershire. He has aged considerably and is now 67, with a birth year of 1784 as opposed to his age of 50 just ten years earlier which would have given a birth year of 1791. Anne is now 65 with a birth year of 1786 as opposed to the 1841 census where she was the same age as Joseph.
They have two children still living with them. Their daughter Mary, one presumes the earlier Marian,(probably a phonetic spelling of Mary Ann) is living with them and is aged 25, which gives a birth year of 1826, also in Cirencester, and she is a servant out of place – or unemployed.
Daughter Eliza is also an unemployed servant and unmarried like her sister, and is aged 20, with a birth year of 1831 which accords with the earlier census, and a birthplace of Birlingham Worcestershire. Information on Eliza may have slipped under earlier radars because she is listed as Altins not Atkins.
The earlier data had the following:
Joseph Atkins married Ann Haines on August 14, 1809 in Cirencester in the county of Gloucestershire. All the children were baptised in Cirencester, Gloucestershire:
Charles Atkins baptised (abbreviation bp.) 1 July 1810 – he would be 31 in 1841 so not living at
home.
Henry Edwin Atkins bp. 23 February 1812 – he would be 29 in 1841 so not living at
home but also possibly in Australia. NB: Our Edward has a birth year of 1811 if
his age at death is correct. With baptism in February of 1812 he was probably
born a couple of months earlier, December of 1811. Family trends show
baptism between 4-8 weeks after birth. James Webb nearly 8 weeks later; David
nearly seven weeks later; Thomas Haines five weeks after birth; Mary nearly
four weeks; Susannah five weeks later and Joseph Lewis nearly four weeks
after birth. It is a good bet if Henry Edwin was baptised at the end of
February that he may have been born at the end of the previous December. NB:
Our Edward called his first son by Hannah McLeod Henry Edward.
Joseph Lewis Atkins b. 18 January 1814, bp. 13 February 1814,
bur. 3 April 1814. Died as a baby so not
likely to be the Joseph (Preston) registered in the 1841 census. Preston could
be a second name but it is not likely. Lewis must be a family name, maternal or
paternal. NB: Our Edward called his second son by Hannah McLeod, Joseph.
James Webb Atkins b. 14 August 1816, bp. 5 October 1816 – he would be 25 and not living with his
parents in 1841. Webb must be a family
name, maternal or paternal. NB: Our Edward called his son by Elizabeth
Mashford, James.
Susannah b. 30 November 1817, bp. 3 January 1819 – In 1841 she is 24 and either married or
working away as a servant.
David Atkins b. 31 March 1822, bp. 19 May 1822 – He would be 19 in 1841 and not living at
home but the David Atkins who is, is only 15, so this first David may have died
between 1822 and 1826 when the David recorded in the 1841 census was born.
Thomas Haines Atkins b. 20 June 1825, bp. 24 July 1825, d.
30 October 1825 – this child did not
survive but the name Haines, a maternal surname, now appears.
Mary Ann Haines Atkins b. 10 January 1827, bp. 4 February
1827 – Mary Ann must be the Marian
mentioned in the 1841 census with a birth date of 1827 in the 1841 census and one of 1826 in
the 1851 census. Marian is probably a
phonetic mistake from Mary Ann.
Eliza Atkins was born in 1831 and not mentioned in this earlier list.
Photo: Edward Atkins.
St. Mary’s Church, Cheltenham which the Atkins family would
have attended and where Joseph and Ann were probably married and their children
baptised, had been dedicated in 1190 by William Bishop of Hereford as a chapel
of ease to St. Mary’s Cheltenham which at that time belonged to the Augustinian
Abbey of Cirencester.
The researcher suggested more work on Joseph’s military history but in fact this had already been done and I will pre-post it here so everything is in one place:
The researcher suggested more work on Joseph’s military history but in fact this had already been done and I will pre-post it here so everything is in one place:
But some of the most interesting new information, courtesy
of family researcher, Kylie comes from records of Joseph’s service in the East
India Company.
Joseph was in the 66th Foot Berkshire
Regiment and served in Ceylon between 1804 and 1807. He spent five years in the regiment, joining
at 18 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and being discharged at the age of 23
after five years and one month of service.
His discharge, on September 10, 1807 records ‘contraction of the right leg,’ which translates to lame and was a condition which often resulted from ulcers – not uncommon in the tropics of Ceylon. This gives a birthdate of 1784 for Joseph which correlates with his age in the 1851 census.
The military records show that Joseph Atkins of the 66th Regiment of Foot, landed 18th July 1804, Trincomalee, the isle of Ceylone in the East Indies and left East Indies 11th September, 1807.
What an adventure it must have been for a ‘boy’ from Gloucestershire. Trincomalee boasts a magnificent harbour. The District was captured by Portugese in the 16th century. The destruction and looting of the Koneswarar Temple by Constantine De Saa on a New Year day in the beginning of 1620 was a turning point in the history of the District. The Dutch conquered this district from the Portugese in 1693 and it fell into the hands of British in 1796.
His discharge, on September 10, 1807 records ‘contraction of the right leg,’ which translates to lame and was a condition which often resulted from ulcers – not uncommon in the tropics of Ceylon. This gives a birthdate of 1784 for Joseph which correlates with his age in the 1851 census.
The military records show that Joseph Atkins of the 66th Regiment of Foot, landed 18th July 1804, Trincomalee, the isle of Ceylone in the East Indies and left East Indies 11th September, 1807.
What an adventure it must have been for a ‘boy’ from Gloucestershire. Trincomalee boasts a magnificent harbour. The District was captured by Portugese in the 16th century. The destruction and looting of the Koneswarar Temple by Constantine De Saa on a New Year day in the beginning of 1620 was a turning point in the history of the District. The Dutch conquered this district from the Portugese in 1693 and it fell into the hands of British in 1796.
Joseph had joined the Regiment in 1802 and in that year it
received orders to proceed to Jersely where it landed on November 3 and
occupied Fort Henry and Granville Barracks. The Regiment has been based
overseas and now had eleven months of well-earned rest. For Joseph it would
have been an easy start to army life.
In 1803 Napoleon broke the Peace of Amiens and hostilities
broke out with war formally declared against France on May 18, 1803. In just
couple of months the Regiment, with Joseph, would be sent to Ceylon, no doubt
as part of a greater plan for power and defence against the French, who had
already tried to take the island previously. It was also a time of intense
recruitment and depending upon when Joseph joined the Regiment, and the reality
that there would have been whisperings for a time, he may well, like many of
the English, been indignant at French aggression and sought to fight for his
country.
Within a year the First Battalion would embark for Ceylon
and services on the Madras Coast. On March
3, 1804 the 1st Battalion 66th Regiment left Winchester
to be billeted in the neighbouring towns during the Spring Assizes, but on the
following day, orders were received at Bishop’s Waltham, where they were
headquartered, for the Regiment to proceed to Portsmouth and await transport to
Ceylon.
Three days later the 66th marched into Gosport, over 1000 bayonets strong, and went on board the Brunswick, Canton and Marquis of Ely – three merchant ships engaged in the China trade – who would carry them to the East Indies. But it would be two weeks of laying off the Mother Bank before the winds arrived which enabled the vessels to weigh anchor. Sailing down the Channel they began a journey which would take them nearly four months, arriving at Trincomalee on July 16, 1804.
When they disembarked some had the luxury of Barracks but for others it was life under canvas. As a ‘new boy’ it was probably tents for Joseph. They rested for six weeks, following, as the records attest, ‘the tedious voyage around the Cape,’ and then the Battalion was broken into detachments.
Three days later the 66th marched into Gosport, over 1000 bayonets strong, and went on board the Brunswick, Canton and Marquis of Ely – three merchant ships engaged in the China trade – who would carry them to the East Indies. But it would be two weeks of laying off the Mother Bank before the winds arrived which enabled the vessels to weigh anchor. Sailing down the Channel they began a journey which would take them nearly four months, arriving at Trincomalee on July 16, 1804.
When they disembarked some had the luxury of Barracks but for others it was life under canvas. As a ‘new boy’ it was probably tents for Joseph. They rested for six weeks, following, as the records attest, ‘the tedious voyage around the Cape,’ and then the Battalion was broken into detachments.
Interestingly, while Joseph’s
military career was comparatively brief, he had, by the time of discharge,
risen to the rank of Corporal. Not bad for a labourer in just five short years.
And if his ‘contracted right leg’ had been due to ulcers, Joseph must have
recovered good health as he would live another 54 years, dying at the age of 77
years – a goodly innings.
Perhaps the ‘limp’ with which he was left was why he became a shoemaker. One presumes that four years with the East India Company in Ceylon, with little on which to spend wages, would have left him enough money to retrain and set himself up in business. He would have nearly two years from the time he returned to England the time that he married – more than enough time to train as a shoemaker, perhaps, as was the way, with a relative or family friend.
The connections so far between the convict Edwin Atkins and
our Edward Atkins are:
1. Edward Atkins gives his father's name as Joseph on both
of his marriage certificates, firstly to Hannah Mcleod and secondly to
Elizabeth Mashford Lewis.
2. His obituary has a note asking that Gloucestershire
papers be notified, when he died in 1891
at the age of 80.
Edward Atkins was born circa.
1811 or 1812. - Henry Edwin Atkins was baptised February1812 so may have been
born 1811. A few weeks or a couple of months has been recorded between birth and
baptismal dates for two of his siblings.
Joseph Lewis Atkins was born January and baptised February; James Webb
Atkins was born August, baptised October.
The convict Edwin/Edward Atkins has in most records, a birth date of 1811.
There is an age discrepancy in one convict record to date but we have the following, and it is probably wise to ignore the one discrepancy regarding age:
Edward Atkins 1830 Florentia - on convict muster record but not transcribed to ship record. 24 yo Gloucester. (This may be another Edward or the age may be incorrect and this is most likely given the other records which give a correct age for Edwin/Edward the convict and our Edward.)
Edwin Atkins 1830
Florentia (transcribed to ship
record) 19 yo from Yas Plains.
Convict Registers
Convict Registers
Edwin Atkins Gloucester Assizes 7 April 1830 7 years
Convict &
Passenger Records
Edwin Atkins 19
Florentia 1830 7 yrs
Protestant Hy
O’Brien ‘Yass Plains’
NSW Muster Rolls
Edward Atkins 20 Florentia 1830 Gloucester
3. The convict, Edwin Atkins arrived in NSW in April 1831,
having departed August 1830, after having been convicted At Gloucester Assizes
and given a seven year sentence, which would have ended in 1837. He was found
guilty of sheep stealing. Edward Atkins
appears in South Australia definitely in 1843 and possibly in 1840, both dates
occurring after Edwin/Edward would have completed his sentence.
4. Edwin Atkins worked as a shepherd on NSW properties whose
owners later had links with South Australia. There were numerous cattle drives
between the area where Edwin served his sentence and South Australia between
1837, when Edwin finished his sentence and 1840 when an Edward Atkins appeared
in South Australia. Edward Atkins worked
as a shepherd and both Edwin and
Edward had trade recorded as blacksmith.
5. Description of (Henry) Edwin Atkins is a good match for a
photograph of Edward Atkins, circa 1860, when he would have been about 49.
The Certificate of Freedom report on Edwin/Edward Atkins says he had dark grey eyes, sandy hair, a ruddy-freckled complexion, eyebrows meeting and he was 5ft. 71/2 inches and had a tattoo HEA on his right inside wrist.
6. Edward Atkins 'appeared' officially in South Australia in
1843 when he marries Hannah McLeod. There is no record of him arriving in the
colony by ship.
7. An Edward Atkins is mentioned in an assault record in SA
in January 1840, aged 27 which is a birth date of circa. 1813 - in the region
of 1811, the same age as our Edward and Edwin Atkins.
8. Edward's son by his second marriage to Elizabeth Mashford
is named James Haynes (Haines) Atkins. James called his son Haynes
(Haines) Mashford Atkins.
9. His first son to his first wife Hannah McLeod was called
Henry, not Edward, which was a common tradition of the time, and his second son
was called Joseph. We have found nothing
beyond the birth notice for Henry but we have a death notice for Joseph as a
child.
Photo: The remains of a hut in the Wirrabarra Forest where Edward Atkins and his family lived in the mid to late 19th century. No doubt their home would have been something like this.
10. The name Edwin Henry appears for one of Edward's
grandsons. Sarah Atkins, daughter of Edward and Hannah McLeod, who married Walter James Stacy in 1872 at St
Marks Church in Penwortham. They had 11 children ) and one of they was called
Edwin Henry Stacy DOB 31 Mar 1882 Bundaleer Springs DOD 08 Apr 1882 Bundaleer Spring.
Further information is as follows:
James W. Atkins and his wife Jane, and son George aged 1
were living in Cheltenham.
Figure 1 - James Atkins, 1841 Census of St Mary, Cheltenham
The researcher found possible deaths for Joseph in
Cheltenham in 1860 and Ann in Cheltenham in 1865. These records had them both
aged 74, which would give a year of birth c. 1791. NB: The 1851 census which fits with the age of Joseph on discharge from
the military, and birth dates respectively of 1784 and 1786, for Anne, would have him aged 76 or 77 at death and Anne 79 or 80. Certainly
good ages for the times.
In Slater’s Directory of 1850, under Cirencester, the researcher found one entry that may be of
interest – Payne & Atkins, of Castle Street, who were listed as milliners
and straw bonnet makers. This may be a
female enterprise, perhaps one of the sisters listed above in partnership with
another person?
Subsequent censuses revealed George Atkins and David Atkins
with their spouses, but not ‘Edward’ Atkins at all, which seems to suggest that
he was elsewhere.
Figure 2 - David Atkins, 1851 Census of Cheltenham
Figure 3 - George Atkins, 1861 Census of Lutterworth,
Leicestershire
Figure 4 - David Atkins, 1861 Census of Stroud,
Gloucestershire
Figure 5 - David Atkins, 1871 Census, Stroud,
Gloucestershire
A David Atkins married a Hannah Holder in Cheltenham, during
the September quarter of 1842, which seems to tally with the above.
Further research in the Cirencester family also found
possible further siblings for Joseph Atkins.
A Thomas Atkins married Grace Boulton on June 3, 1778, Cirencester,
Gloucestershire.
A Thomas Atkins was cited as the father of the following
children:
Joseph Atkins, who was baptised 22 June 1788 in Cirencester.
NB: This is four years too late for
Joseph Atkins who married Anne Haines but the records are often very hard to
transcribe accurately and the year may well be 1784 and not 1788.
Mary Ann Atkins b. 26 June 1795, Cirencester.
Thomas Howell Atkins bp. 26 June 1796, born Cirencester, d.
28 August 1797
Thomas Atkins bp. 1 July 1798, Cirencester.
NB: It is a longshot but given the habits of the time, the
presence of the name Lewis as a
middle name for Joseph and Ann’s son indicates a connection to family with the
surname of Lewis. If Joseph and Ann are found to be the parents of our Edward
Atkins, there is always the possibility that there was a connection between the
Peter Lewis that Elizabeth Mashford married, and that this played a part in her
meeting Edward Atkins at a later date, in South Australia.
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