Who were the Hensons?Margaret Henson (born Margaret O'Shea) was also a convict. She was Irish, born in Limerick. She was a nurse-maid. At age 18, she was convicted for receiving stolen wearing apparel, and received a 7-year sentence. Within six weeks, she was shipped out of Dublin, on one of the last convict ships ever to come to Tasmania, away from her country, her home, her family and her friends, on a 5-month ocean voyage to VDL, arriving 22 May 1852. Margaret's work orders caused her to be sent into the country. About 11 months after her arrival, she and Thomas Henson made an official marriage application, a necessary requirement when convicts wished to marry. When their second child, John, was born, his birth-place was recorded as Peppermint Bay. As this was where Thomas worked I assume this is where the Hensons lived. Years later, in 1862, we find them in Watchorn Street, Hobart, though Thomas continued to work as a sawyer, in that broad area south of Hobart known as the Huon. A fascinating speculation for me is this: Thomas Henson was born in Creaton, 17 km from Kettering in England.. He lived and worked and his son, John, was born, 3 km from Kettering in Tasmania. Quite a coincidence, unless, that is, Thomas had something to do with naming the Tasmanian Kettering, however indirectly. I like to think it is so. |