Climbing our Family Tree

Richard Hunter was born between 1786 and 1791, in Wiltshire, according to the 1841 census, which shows him at age 50. This age may be rounded down from as far as 49, in accordance with the enumerators instructions for that census. Richard was an agricultural labourer.

Hannah Hobbs was born in Ramsbury, Wiltshire, the daughter of Thomas Hobbs and Martha Stagg, an earlier child of a large family of ten or more children. Hannah was baptized at Ramsbury on the 1st September 1793.

Richard and Hannah married at Ramsbury on the 5th December, 1812.

Known children:

William: baptized 12th June 1814 at Ramsbury.
Richard: born Ramsbury, baptized 3rd November 1816.
Eleanor: baptized 24th January 1819 at Ramsbury.
George: Christine's 3rd Great Grandfather, married Emily Hobbs, and emigrated to Australia shortly after the birth of their second child in 1851.
Martha: born Ramsbury, baptized 12th March 1826. Martha married George Palmer at Ramsbury on the 10th October 1846. George and Martha had their first two children in Berkshire, George's home county. The next five children were born in London.

I have not found confirmed deaths for Richard or Hannah. Richard may have died before the 1851 census.

1851 On the night of the 30th March 1851 census, Hannah was at the Withers household in Paddington, Middlesex. Visiting with her was granddaughter, Mary Ellen Hunter, George and Emily's daughter. Mary Ann Withers was Hannah's younger sister. I have been told that her husband, Peter Withers, had been transported to Tasmania some 20 years before. He had taken part in riots by the agricultural workers that shook parts of England at that time. It was only a few weeks later George and Emily and their two girls left England for Australia. I have not seen this census image for myself, and the person who kindly gave me the details could not tell if the enumerator had marked the census to indicate that the ladies were married or widowed.

I cannot find Hannah in the 1861 census.

George Hunter & Emily Hobbs

George Hunter was born in Ramsbury, appearing to be the third son and the fourth child of five to Richard Hunter and Hannah Hobbs. He was baptized 27th January 1822. (Census and shipping records supports his birth year to be 1822)

Emily Hobbs was born in Froxfield, Wiltshire - appearing to be the third daughter, and third child of ten - to Charles Hobbs and Elizabeth Mudge. Charles and Elizabeth married at Chilton Foliat 15th May 1825. Emily was baptized at Froxfield 21st February 1830 (census birth entries support her birthyear to be 1830)

George and Emily married 9th January 1848, according to a submission on the IGI. It is not an extracted entry. FreeBMD has a marriage registration in the March quarter, 1848 in the district of Hungerford, Wiltshire, both George and Emily appear with the same registration details.

to be continued...

27 November 2006