Hunt

To Australia from Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland

The most startling thing happened when researching this line - on June 30th 2006, I discovered that Rob and I are 6th cousins.

• Rob and Christine's 5th Great Grandparents: Francis Hunt & Rose McGuiness
• Rob's 4th Great Grandparents: James Hunt and Ann Welsh
• Christine's 4th Great Grandparents: John Hunt and Catherine Ward or Walls
• Go to Rob's 3rd Great Grandparents: Mary Ann Hunt and John McMillan.
• Go to Christine's 3rd great Grandparents: Julia Hunt and Edward Griffiths.

Francis Hunt & Rose McGuiness

Francis Hunt and Rose McGuiness had two sons who emigrated to Australia together in 1838 on the Garrow.   Francis was a flax dresser according to his sons' shipping records.

James Hunt  James married Ann Welsh.  James is Rob's 4th great grandfather  

John Hunt married Catherine.  John is my 4th great grandfather.

James Hunt & Ann Welsh

James Hunt was born about 1791, County Down, Northern Ireland - possibly in Hillsborough, the son of Frances Hunt and Rosa McGuiness.  James became a yeoman farmer.  

Ann Welsh was born about 1795 at Hillsborough, Northern Ireland - the daughter of James Welsh, farmer, and Catherine Martin. Hillsborough is very close to Belfast.  In the Freeholders' Register for Co. Down, there is a James Welsh with property at Hillsborough at this time. James is shown on this property with another James Welsh and a David Welsh. The relationships are unknown at this stage, but it is assumed that one could be her father.

James and Ann married, most likely at Hillsborough. Their daughter Ann believed that James was 17 and Ann was 15 when they married.   If James age was correct at death, then they married around 1808.

James and Ann emigrated, along with three daughters, on the ship Garrow, arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the 2nd March 1839.  All remained in good health for the voyage, and caused no complaints.  James was listed as a farmer, aged 43, Church of England, and could read and write.  Ann was recorded as a dairy woman, a 40 year old Protestant.  James' parents were recorded as Francis Hunt, Flax dresser and Rose McInnis from Hillsboroughtown.  Ann's parents listed as James Walsh from Hillsboroughtown and his wife Cath Martin.

After arrival in Sydney, the family proceeded promptly to Melbourne, then still part of New South Wales.   Nothing is known of the life that James and Ann had during those two decades in Victoria.  

James died, his age given as 69, on the 11th September 1860, of debility and old age. He died at his home in Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. His occupation was given as a Farmer.   His death was not certified as he did not have a doctor attend him, but it seems that an inquest was considered unnecessary.   Daughter Ann was the informant on the death certificate, and she said James' parents were Francis Hunt, a Farmer and Rose McGuiness.   His wife's name was confused on the document, with Ann saying that her mother was Rosa Welsh, and that they married in County Down when her father was 17 years old.  Ann listed herself as 42 years old, her sisters Mary aged 36, and Margaret aged 25, as the only living children.  She stated that there were also 11 dead children.

James was buried on the 12th September, Church of England Section H, at the then New Melbourne Cemetery, by undertaker John Daley.  A priest is not named, and the witnesses to his burial were W. P. Moore and James Purvis. Already buried in this grave were his sister-in-law Catherine, and two of her grandchildren. The following February he was joined by more of Catherine's grandchildren, twin infants buried two weeks apart.

Three years later Ann died of old age and exhaustion, her age given as 68 years, on the 22nd November 1863. Her occupation was given as a Domestic. Ann also died at home in Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, having been attended to by Dr Frame, who last saw her the day before she died.  Ann was buried the next day in a new grave  in the Church of England Section FF, Melbourne Cemetery, by the undertaker Henry Allison.  There was one other witness to the burial, J. Purvis.  

Daughter Ann registered her mother's death the day after she was buried, stating her mother's parents to be James Walsh, Farmer, and Sarah Martin.   Ann said that her mother married James Hunt when she was only 15 years old, and then listed the issue as herself, aged 44,  Mary as 38, and  Margaret as 27.  Some other siblings are named, with partial ages given on two of them, obscured by the margin in the copy and it is unclear if the names refer to two persons or five - which still only gives a total of 8 children - Thomas, Francis, James, Eliza and Margaret.  Three years previously, Ann had said that there were a total of 14 children, 3 living and 11 dead. 

The three girls known to have come to Australia....

Ann Hunt was born about 1817, her age given as 22 years old in July 1939 on her shipping record. Ann was informant for the deaths of both parents and lived with them at this time at Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. It appears that she did not marry. Ann died in 1868, her age given as 52, and is buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery with her mother.  I have not yet purchased this death certificate.

Mary Ann Hunt was born about 1821, her age listed as 17 years in April 1838 on her shipping record.  Whilst she was a lot younger for her second marriage, her age is correct for this birth year at death.  She married a Scottish born publican, John Evander McMillan in Melbourne, Australia in 1849. After his death she married John Thomas Charnock Light. It was on this marriage that her parents were named, her first wedding being before civil registration began. Mary Ann stated her occupation as a needlewoman. At the time of her death, aged 78, Mary Ann was lodging with Margaret's family at Templestowe, and is buried in the Templestowe cemetery.

Margaret Hunt was born about 1831, listed as 7 years old in July 1838 on her shipping record. On 12th September 1854, she married James Johnston, at the St John's Church, Melbourne. He was the same age and also born Belfast. Her parents are named on the marriage certificate. Margaret and James had nine children: James Evander, William, Evander Cameron, Orlinda, Ameada, Albert, Arthur, Fina, and another Orlinda. Margaret died in 1913, and is buried in the Templestowe Cemetery with her husband. 

John Hunt and Catherine Ward

John Hunt was born about 1792  Co Down, Northern Ireland, possibly in Hillsborough, the son of Frances Hunt and Rose McGuiness.   John became a Flax Dresser.

Catherine Ward was born about 1800 in Co Sligo, Ireland.  The only clue we had to her surname was Walls or Ward, given on various documents.  However her shipping record was transcribed to me, giving her father as Bob Marts or Marks, so I will have to view the original to see for myself one day.

John and Catherine married in Sligo, Ireland when he was about 19 years of age - around 1811 - according to John's death certificate.  However this doesn't suit the details given on Catherine's death - it relates that she married at age 18 giving a marriage date of around 1818. Of course the ages given at death may be fanciful. The names of 5 children appear on John's death certificate, their ages indicating births from 1817 to 1836, which favours the latter marriage.

Emigration. John and Catherine, along with their five children, sailed on the ship Garrow from Belfast 2nd November 1838, and arrived in Sydney, Australia, on the 2nd March 1839.    John was recorded as being from Co Down, a flax dresser, aged 40 in October 1838, son of Francis Hunt, flax dresser of Co Down and Rosa McInnis.  His health was very good, a Protestant, could read, and had no complaints.  

Catherine was recorded as born Co Sligo, the daughter of Bob Marts or Marks, a farmer from Sligo and his wife Mary Helli, also of Sligo.  Catherine was a dairy maid, 40 years old and could read.  She also had very good health, and no complaints.  Children listed as below.

The family, minus Isabella, then sailed to Melbourne on the John Barry, arriving 19th April 1839.  Isabella may have journeyed to Melbourne with John's family (who had also been on the Garrow) at a later date. 

These are the known children, in the order given at John's death, some ages vary, this seems usual for my Irish ancestors.

Isabella - On the shipping record, Isabella was recorded as 18 years old, indicating a birth year of around 1821.   On John's death in 1867 it was stated that Isabella was 50, thus being born about 1817.  Isabella did not travel on to Victoria with the rest of the family.  Isabella was still living when Catherine died, but we know not where.

Eliza/Elizabeth - age given as 46 in 1867, but various ages given indicate a birth year, at Belfast, between 1822 - 1829.  The shipping record states her to be 13, which makes her born about 1826.   I purchased the 1859 birth certificate of her eighth child, John Walter Turnbull.  Husband John Turnbull is the informant, and claims a Sydney, New South Wales marriage held on 27th November 1845.  John was a shoemaker originally from Alnwick, Northumberland.  This marriage does not show up in the index, however it turns out that her surname was wrongly recorded as Haman.  The actual marriage took place at the Scots Church, Sydney, on the 2nd December, 1845.  Elizabeth's surname was amended to Hunt in the margin, and initialled by the minister.   Elizabeth was 19, John was 21.

According to a family tree published on the Gencircles Internet web pages by Rosie Bates, (and confirmed by Ken) Elizabeth was brought before the courts in Horsham in August 1878 with charges under the Education Act regarding two daughters. The charges were withdrawn. The following month Elizabeth was committed to the Ararat Insane Asylum suffering delusional insanity. She died there on 18th November 1891.   John had deserted her earlier, and might have died in NSW in 1895, but the supposed death certificate does not supply sufficient proof to be sure.

Rosie's online tree also has another daughter - Anna Mary Elizabeth - which I have disproved with the purchase of one of her second marriage certificate. Her father, John Hunt was a farmer, her mother was Kate Kennedy.  Anna was born Tipperary, Ireland and married as a Catholic. 

Julia - aged 41 in 1867, being born around 1826.  Julia's age on the shipping record is 16, a birth year of about 1823.  She married Edward Griffiths in 1841. Julia is my great great great grandmother, and Rob's 1st cousin 5 times removed.

Francis - Francis was aged 17 on the 16th June 1838, according to the shipping record, a birth year around 1822.  If still living was aged 32 in 1867, a birth year of around 1835.  Since he seems to be a male, then he was supposed to be  already deceased when Catherine died in 1857.  Nothing further is about him known at this stage.    On John's death he was shown as nine years younger than Julia. 

Roseanne - also known as Rose Annette, was born around 1836 in Hillsborough, Co Down, Northern Ireland - according to her 1854 marriage registration to Thomas Matthew Skinner.  At this time she was living with her parents in North Melbourne, and father John is recorded as a Gentleman. They married at the St James Cathedral Church, Melbourne, according to the rites of the United Church of England and Ireland. Witnesses: William Garritty? and Sarah Skinner. Thomas' parents were recorded as Jonathan Skinner, a carpenter, and Sarah Wellard. Thomas was a bricklayer, aged 27, born Hobart, Tasmania.   Roseanne's shipping record shows her as Rosa, aged 7 - giving a birth year of 1832.   Rose died when only 27 1/2 years old, after 2 years of Heart disease. She had 7 children, 4 who died as infants. Thomas did not remarry.

Catherine died on the 5th of November 1857, aged 57, of enteritis at her home in Flemington Road, Melbourne. She had been attended to by  a G. Moore who last saw her the day before.  Catherine's son-in-law, Matthew Skinner, was present when she died and registered her death.  She was buried two days later, joining granddaughter Ada Turnbull at the Melbourne General cemetery. By February 1861 three more infant grandchildren and also her brother-in-law, James Hunt, were buried in the same grave.   On Catherine's death certificate, there are no burial details recorded, however the date of burial is in the cemetery's own records.

John died at Glenorchy, age given as 75 years, 6th April 1867, following five months of general debility (occupation Labourer). It appears that he was living with his daughter Julia at this time, as her husband Edward Griffiths registered his death.   John's parents were recorded as Francis Hunt, Flax Dresser and Rose Anna Hunt, his birth place was given as Sligo.  Edward had been told that John had married Catherine Walls in Sligo when 19 years old.   John was buried at Glenorchy cemetery three days later, by undertaker John Wilson, the witnesses being Robert Stewart and Edward Griffiths.

Sources: Death certificate of John Hunt; Death certificate of Catherine Hunt; Marriage certificate of Roseanne Hunt and Thomas Matthew Skinner; Birth certificate of John Walter Turnbull (son of Elizabeth Hunt); Burial information from Melbourne General Cemetery; BDM records from Victoria. Death certificate of the possible John Turnbull (from Ken).

27 November 2007