James Kerrison and Mary Long

ITEM 1: The emigrant Kerrisons as most Tassies see them:
Sources: The actual Wymondham Registers:
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JOHN CURRISON = MARY BARDSWELL (both single) 11 Nov 1730.
Born:? Born:?
Buried; John Currison 16 Feb 1769? Buried?
CHILDREN;
1.Susan Currison (Parents: John & Mary Currison) Bapt. 1 Aug 1731.
2. Thomas Currison (Parents: John & Mary Currison) Bapt 1 Oct 1736
3. (Not found, but there should be a son JOHN CURRISON?? (See Below##)
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##JOHN CURRISON = SARAH CHILDERHOUSE (both single) 10 Oct 1758.
Born:? Born: 1736??
Buried:? Buried Sarah Kerrison, widow of John Kerrison,
age 64 , 23 March 1800??
CHILDREN;
1. Stephen Kerrison (Parents John & Sarah K) Bapt 10 July 1764.
2. JAMES CURRISON (Parents John & Sarah Currison) Bapt 23 July 1769. (See Below##)
3. Mary Currison (Parents John & Sarah C) Bapt 7 June 1778 when 7 yrs old.
4. Sarah Currison (Parents John & Sarah C) Bapt 28 April 1777.
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##JAMES KERRISON = MARY LONG: 28 July 1795.
(both single - in church - by Banns of 12, 19 & 26 July 1795)
( Witnesses Robert Long and James Forster, clerk)
James' Bapt: 23 July 1769?
James' Burial: James K of Silfield, age 50: 21 June 1819?
Mary's Birth: 1766?
Mary's Burial: Mary K of Silfield, age 53: 21 July 1819?
CHILDREN:
1. STEPHEN CURRISON; (Parents James & Mary) Born 13 May 1798; Bapt 3 June 1798. (See Below ~##).
2. John Kirerson - twin;
3. James Kirerson - twin;
(Parents James & Mary Kirerson) Born 20 Dec 1799; Bapt 24 Dec 1799; Buried: John & James K; infant twins 9 Jan 1800.
4. James Kerrison (Parents James & Mary K) Born 10 Sept 1801: Bapt 30 Sept 1801.
5. Elizabeth Currison (Parents James & Mary C) Born 20 Aug 1803: Bapt 28 Aug 1803.
6.??Samuel Kerrison ( Parents James & Mary) Born 31 Jan 1807: Bapt 15 Feb 1807 (needs checking).
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##STEPHEN KERRISON = MARY GOODINGS: 12 Oct 1820.
(both single of this parish - by Banns of 20, 27 Aug & 3 Sept )
Witnesses Thomas Rose & Jeremiah Forster,clerk)
Stephen: Born 13 May 1798
Stephen: Bapt 3 June 1798
Mary: Birth & Bapt ??
CHILDREN:
1. Caroline Kerrison (Parents Stephen, a Downham husbandman, & ary( Goodings)
Born 20 Dec 1820( IGI-not in Wym registers however)
Bapt 22 Apr 1821 (Parents Stephen & Mary (Goodens).- Wymondham Register(=WR)
2. John Kerrison -
Born about 1822 (John is 13 on ship's manifest 1835)
Bapt: 22 Dec 1822 (Parents Stephen, Downham husbandman, & Mary (Goodens)) (WR)
3. Eliza Kerrison -
Born about 1823 (Eliza is 12 in 1835 ship's list)
Bapt: 28 Oct 1827 (Parents Stephen, weaver of Lizard, Wym, & Mary (Goodings)) (WR) - multiple baptism, see later.
4 & 5: Mary & Stephen Kerrison, twins -
Born & Bapt: 10 May 1825 (Parents Stephen K, weaver of Downham, & Mary Goodings)
Died: 20(Stephen) and 28(Mary) May 1825 "infants".(WR)
6. Stephen Kerrison - Born about 1829 (aged 6 in 1835 on ship)
Bapt: 10 July 1832 (IGI) ( Attleborough Register, not far from Wym).
7. Cornelius Kerrison (twin) -
Born about 1831 (aged 4 in 1835 on ship)
Bapt: 5 June 1831 (Attleborough Register)
8. Harriet Kerrison (twin) - as above.
9. James Kerrison -
Born about 1833 (age 2 in 1835 on ship)
Bapt: 28 July 1833 (Attleborough Register)
(THESE EMIGRATED)
10. George Kerrison is "on the way" aboard ship! He is born 21 May 1836 (after the November 1835 landing).

The above suggests that
- 1820-1825 : they are living in Wym afteer 1820 marriage, until 1825: Caroline is born at Xmas and is appropriately named. Stephen is a husbandman (and may have been shepherding) in the Downham fields just north of Wym until 1825, when he becomes a weaver in Downham.
-1827: Stephen is a weaver in the Lizard part of Wymondham. The Lizard seems to have specialised in silk weraving on the handloom (if that makes sense). -1827-1832; they are missing! There must have been children who died. None found so far, but they *must* have been born and died in some Norfolk parish. A rumour persists that they lived or worked in Brampton Hall in Norfolk. Another rumour suggests that Stephen had to high-tail it to Oz before he was apprehended by the law for a minor offence. NOT substantiated AT ALL.
-1832-1833: they are in Attleborough, juust down the road from Wym. It is strange that 3 year old son Stephen is baptised one year after his younger twin siblings! Attleborough was famous for its ducks, turkeys and cider.

When they landed in Launceston, the kids were "staying with friends". Just who were they?? Need to know!!

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ITEM 2: WAS IT THE 1798 STEPHEN WHO EMIGRATED? (My "hang-up"!!)
If one wishes to nit-pick, there is something wrong here. Caroline was born on 25 Dec 1820; they arrived in Launceston on 20 Nov 1835, one month short of her 15th birthday, so she is quoted as being 15 years old.
So their ages are being quoted as at or near their arrival. Thus father Stephen, born 13 May 1798 should be well past his 37th birthday - BUT is said to be only 35. He has no reason to lie about his age - he is still a young man. He must have been born later. It is the wrong Stephen.
Here is the May 30th 1835 advert which he may have seen:-
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This advertisement appeared in the Norwich Mercury newspaper published May 30th 1835 (seventh of a series I will be posting to the list over the next few days, with the permission of the newspaper proprietors and Mark).
For a full list of advertisements from the Norwich Mercury between 1830 and 1840 for ships departing from England with emigrants see http://istg.rootsweb.com/newsarticles.html
Derek of Norwich
________________________________________________________
EMIGRATION TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES
The first class ship CHARLES KERR of 500 tons, fitted up under the direction of the Emigration Committee, expressly for the conveyance of Females, will sail from the Thames for Van Dieman's Land on the 9th of July next - His Majesty's Government, in order to encourage the emigration of SINGLE WOMEN to the Australian Colonies with the view of reducing the great disparity which exists there between the sexes, and of improving their social conditions, have authorized the EMIGRATION COMMITTEE to grant A FREE PASSAGE to such Single Females from 15 to 30 years of age, as the Committee shall ascertain to be of good health and morals, and likely to conduct themselves with discretion and usefulness in the colonies. They will be accompanied by a carefully selected Surgeon and Matron, to watch over their health and comfort on the voyage and will be received and protected by the local Government on their arrival until placed in suitable situations. Married Agricultural Labourers, Gardeners, Shepherds and Mechanics of good character will be assisted liberally by the Government towards paying their passage. A limited number of such families will, when they have obtained the sanction of the Committee, be allowed to proceed on liberal terms by this conveyance. All particulars may be known on application to Mr John Marshall, Australian Emigration Agent, 26 Birchill Lane, Cornhill, London.

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THE FOLLOWING FAMILY ALSO LIVED IN WYM WHEN THE 1798 STEPHEN WAS BORN. IT CONTAINS A 1799 STEPHEN . PUT IT THIS WAY!-

WHICH STEPHEN CURRISON WENT TO TASMANIA? -
There are TWO Stephen Currisons who were born in Wymondham at about this time:
(1) Born 13 May 1798: bapt. 3 June 1798: son of James and Mary (Long) Currison.
(2) Born 25 December 1799: bapt. 8 January 1800: son of John and Mary (Bunn) Currison.

Arrived Tasmania 21 November 1835 aged 35: died 28 October 1881 aged 82.

CALCULATIONS;
(A) If born 13 May 1798 = 0: 1799=1: 1800=2: 1801=3: 1802=4: 1803=5: 1804=6:1805=7; SO
21 November 1835 = 37 years old = NO! and
28 October 1881 = 83 years old = NO! (Note that Tasmanian death cert states aged 83 BUT gravestone states 82 - very important).
(B) But if born 25 December 1799=0: 1800=1:1801=2: 1802=3: 1803=4: 1804=5: 1805=6: SO
21 November 1835 = 35 (36 in December) = YES! and 28 October 1881 = 81 (82 in December)=NEARLY!
THUS IT SEEMS THAT THE SECOND STEPHEN CURRISON ABOVE, BORN 25 DECEMBER 1799, WENT TO VAN DIEMEN'S LAND IN 1835.

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> JOHN CURRISON = MARY BUNN (both single- both of this parish-by banns) 21 Dec 1781.
John Born: 1756??
John buried: John Currison, Suton Division, age 88, 12 June 1844?
Mary Born: 1759?
Mary Buried: Mary Kerrison, Damgate, Suton, age 82, 22 March 1841?
(Note: Damgate is a Wym street; Suton is a part of Wym)
CHILDREN:
1. Elizabeth Kerrison bapt 10 March 1782.
2. Mary Currison bapt (private - infers very poor) 14 July 1789.
3. Jonathan Currison bapt - private- 25 sept 1791.
4. Nelly Kerrison born 6 June 1793; bapt 13 Oct 1793 (?died an infant?)
5. James Kerrison (parents are paupers) bapt-private-22 June 1794.
6. Nelly Currison born 4 Dec 1796 Bapt 12 Feb 1797.
7. STEPHEN CURRISON born 25 Dec 1799 bapt 8 Jan 1800###
8. Solomon Currison born 22 May 1802 bapt 23 Aug 1802.
9. Hannah Kerrison born 25 March 1806 bapt 26 March 1806
(ALL OF THESE HAVE PARENTS JOHN AND MARY, SO CANNOT BE CONFUSED WITH FIRST FAMILY OF JAMES AND MARY).

*This* Stephen *is* 35 on landing: but more - 6 of his 8 surviving siblings HAVE THE SAME NAMES AS THE OZ CHILDREN, INCLUDING ***SOLOMON***. He fits closely the age of death on Stephen's gravestone at Supply River (which is different from his age on the death register remember). This Stephen and his daughter Caroline would, incidentally, have celebrated a Xmas Day birthday together.
Other facts to ponder:
1. a Jonathan Kerrison married Dinah Wright before 1810 when possibly only 19. He went to the States (see later). Was he the Tassy Stephen's brother? (proof coming up later!!!)
2. an Eleanor (Nelly?) Kerrison married James Alderton (Olderton) in 1820. a Stephen Kerrison was a witness.
3. an Hannah Kerrison married William Cann in 1832.
4. Solomon did not emigrate. He married Sarah Peele from Wym and their descendents live in Hampshire, Plymouth and Manchester.
Question for you - can you link any of these surnames with possible Tassy emigrants? Which "friends" did the kids stay with after landing?

--------------------------------------- ITEM 3; DO YOU WANT MORE PROOF?
There is no doubt that Mary Goodings' Stephen went to Oz. The 1799 Stephen had a brother Jonathan, who married Dinah Wright. Here is a multiple baptism in Wymondham in 1827. What is Mary's Stephen doing, having his kids baptised with those of Jonathan and Dinah? It cannot be anything else but that Aussie Stephen (and Mary) born 1799; and Jonathan (and Dinah) are brothers. Q.E.D.

Wym Par Reg:
28 Oct 1827: Eliza d of STEPHEN KERRISON & MARY GOODINGS: LIZARD; WEAVER.
28 Oct 1827: Mary d of JOHN KERRISON(Jonathan Currison) & Dinah Wright:
Downham Husbandman.
28 Oct 1827: John s of " " "
" "
28 Oct 1827: Ann D of " " "
" ".
Does this infer that Aussie Stephen and Jonathon Currison are BROTHERS?

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So I have proved to myself that the 1799 Stephen is a Tassy! The rest of Oz thinks that the 1798 Stephen is theirs. Why? Simple - because Mandy Haynes in her book quotes ME as saying so, way back in 1993 when I had not done enough RESEARCH. (She says that I come from Clevedon, when it is Cleveland. I had written to the Goodsons of Melbourne and they must have passed my incorrect info on to Mandy).
I have other bumph which I will send:
a. Brother Jonathan and Dinah high-tailed it to Pittsburg and finally to Illinois at about the same time as the Tassies were emigrating in 1835. I think I'll leave it to you to discover their saga.
2. Will send all sorts of bumph on the voyage of the "Charles Kerr".

Best Wishes, Ron Kerrison in England.

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Very careful Kerrison Research in England