V- Vose

Edward Vose was born in Liverpool, Lancasshire on the 12 April 1798 and baptised at Our Lady & St Nicholas on 20 May. The church record notes that he was the first child for his parents Thomas and Mary (nee Ellis), and that they had been married “in this chapel”. At the time of Edward's birth the family lived at Cheetham Brow and his father was a joiner. Eighteen months later at his sister Elizabeth’s baptism they were living in Vernon Street.

Nothing else is known of Edward’s early life. His military record indicates that he joined the Royal Engineers (later the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners) as a Bugler in 1815. The period of service from 31 December 1815 to 12 April 1816 did not count towards his service as he was under 18 years of age. He eventually became a Private.

Edward married Elizabeth Weller at All Saints Church, Frindsbury Kent on 12 November 1819. Not much is known about Elizabeth’s early life either, however as she was born in Gillingham, Kent it is likely that her father was also in the military. I haven’t yet found a baptism record for the child I believe is their first born. John Frederick Vose was born in 1820 and is recorded on the GRO Regimental Indices 1761-1924. By 1828 when my great-great-grandfather Edward Mark was born the family were living in Omagh, Tyrone, Ireland where Edward Snr and his regiment were employed on the Survey of Ireland.

At this time the family included four sons, with the possibility of a fifth child, looking at dates, whose existence has been lost to time. Two more children George Ellis and Mary were also born in Ireland. When son Henry was born in 1834, the family was back in England, living at Woolwich. Their youngest son, Cornelius Augustus (who also liked to call himself Augustus Cornelius) was born in October 1840.

Edward was discharged as medically unfit due to chronic rheumatism 4 April 1837; with no pension. It was noted that he had first been attacked by rheumatism in 1828 while in Ireland, in his back and limbs and had been subject to the complaint ever since. He was 39 years old. His total service was 21 years and 5 days.

At the census in 1841 the family were living at New Road, Woolwich. Edward was a Labourer. Missing from the census family group were sons John Frederick and George Ellis. John may have been in the military; he certainly was in 1851. The 1841 census did not enumerate ships in port, so he may have been on board a naval vessel or deployed overseas. George had died in 1838 aged 9. On this census, William is also marked as having been born in Ireland, but Mary is not.

In 1851 they were living in Ann Street, Plumstead and Edward’s occupation was recorded as Labourer Chelsea Pensioner. Edward (my great-great-grandfather) was 22 and a Labourer at the Royal Arsenal. This time he and Mary were recorded as having been born in Ireland. Eldest son John was living in Sculcoates Yorkshire with his wife Ellen. They had married in Chatham in 1847 and John was a Private with the same Royal Sappers and Miners. John and Ellen had returned to Woolwich by the end of the year, and that is where John’s death occurred. Charles and William weren’t living with the family in 1851 and I haven’t found them on the census so far. William married in August that year and Charles in April 1853. Mary died in mid 1854.

By 1861 Charles and his growing family were living in Toronto, Canada where he was a Painter. William was settled with his own family in Plumstead. I’m not sure where Henry was, or even if he was still alive, I have a possible death for him in 1860; the age and location seem correct. Cornelius was enumerated on board HMAS Hornet in Aden. Edward and Elizabeth though were still living in Ann street with their son Edward. Edward senior is recorded as a Blacksmith while son Edward was still a Labourer at the Royal Arsenal.

On Christmas Day 1862 their son Edward married Sarah Ann Daniels who on the 1861 census was Nursemaid to the children of Walter Mitchell, Assistant Clergyman at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Sarah was born in Wiltshire but had obviously moved to London for employment. I wonder how they met ? Edward died  in JAnuary 1870 and was buried at St Margaret's churchyard in Plumstead. By the time the 1871 came around Elizabeth was living alone in Villas Road. Her sons William, Edward and Cornelius were living in Mile End Town, Erith and Plumstead.

In February 1879 Edward and Sarah left England with their 4 children and emigrated to Canterbury, New Zealand. Elizabeth was back in Ann Street living with Cornelius, his wife and children on the 1881 census. She moved with them to Upper Earl Street and then Bramblebury Road where they were living at the 1891 census.

When Elizabeth died in 1892 she had 25 grandchildren living on three continents. She was buried with Edward in the St Margaret’s Plumstead Churchyard.

Industrial Action leading to Emigration

Goodness knows where yesterday went - but I am sure that somewhere in the world it is STILL Christmas Day. I'm sure I just read that Hawaii is 23 hours behind NZ, and I know LA is about 19 hours behind, so my cousin there must still be celebrating after Santa's visit.

I had great intentions for this post after having rediscovered some events in my family tree. Three sets of my 2 x great grandparents were married in Christmas week. December 25, 26 and 27. My great great grandparents Sarah Elizabeth Laney and George Bartlett were first generation Kiwis when they married at Bartletts Creek, Marlborough in 1870 but the others were married in England. Maria Ann Horskins married Julius Fuller at St Mary, Newington, Surrey in 1859 and were bound for New Zealand just a few months later. Their youngest son would marry the daughter of Sarah Ann Daniels and Edward Mark Vose in 1901.

Sarah and Edward were married on December 25, 1862 - 150 years ago this Christmas Day - at St Margaret, Plumstead, Kent. Edward was the 3rd or possibly 4th son of Edward and Elizabeth (nee Weller) Vose. Edward snr was in the Royal Sappers & Miners, Edward jnr had been born in Ireland while they were stationed there surveying and mapping the country. Sarah was the 5th daughter of Josiah & Hannah (nee Carter) Daniels born in West Lavington, Wiltshire. Edward jnr and his brothers all seem to have found employment  of some sort at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, Edward was a labourer at the time of their marriage, but by 1871 was listed as a Gas Stoker on the census. Sarah moved to London perhaps with her sister Elizabeth by 1861, as both are employed in the household of Walter Mitchell M.A. Assistant Hospellier (?) at St Barts Hospital. I'm not exactly sure what that means but since his wife's occupation was given as "Clergyman's Wife", I'm guessing it is something along those lines. Sarah, aged 17 (18 on the census) was the nursemaid. There were eight children ranging from 12 down to 2 year old twins - I bet she was busy. Eighteen months later she was married.

In 1879, the little family with their four children emigrated to New Zealand. They came on the Stad Haarlem, a steamer and made the trip in 51 days. The Vose family became market gardeners in Canterbury at Prebbleton and Riccarton. Sarah was a well known local midwife in her new community - I wonder if she had worked as one in England before they emigrated. So, where does Trove come into all this ?

Well its all about the Stad Haarlem. I had read the diary kept on board through the voyage, and some snippets from local papers, but I found more on Trove which I hadnt seen before, and which give a bit more insight into the decision to emigrate that these people made, and of the "experiment" to take large numbers at once on a ship not actually designed to take so many.

Gippsland Times (Vic. 1861 - 1954) Wednesday 5 March 1879 page 3 article62026700-3-001

 South Australian Register (Adelaide SA 1839 - 1900) Thursday 13 March 1879 page 5 article42973041-3-001

The following was an article from Plymouth Thursday 30 January 1862, but published in Australia in March.

South Australian Register (Adelaide SA 1839 - 1900) Thursday 13 March 1879 page 6 article42973028-3-001

  The Argus (Melbourne Vic 1848 - 1956) Tuesday 15 April 1879 page 5 article5939453-3-001

Table Bay, I discovered is in South Africa - the stopover there was reported in the South Australian register as well, from the Cape papers - but appears to have been shorter than the eight days reported at her arrival in New Zealand.

South Australian Register (Adelaide SA 1839 - 1900) Monday 14 April 1879 page 7 article42970688-3-001

And the final decision about this "experiment" in emigration

 South Australian Register (Adelaide SA 1839 - 1900) Tuesday 27 May 1879 page 5 article42976128-3-002

So, there we go, Happy Sesquicentennial Anniversary to Sarah and Edward - and now I know a bit more about their voyage and their fellow emigrant shipmates.

This post forms part of Trove Tuesday as suggested by Amy, from Branches, Leaves & Pollen.