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William Rudlan Hawkins and Ann Quaife © Records held indicate William was born in Sussex on the 20th February, 18071 & 9. The son of Richard Hawkins and Elizabeth, he was baptized as William Rudling Hawkins in the Parish Church Burwash, on the 22nd March, 18079. Nothing is known of the early life of William, however we do believe his father and most likely also his grandfather were rural workers of some kind, possibly farmers. The next record found for William is that of a marriage to a Mary Bishop, in All Saints, Heathfield, Sussex, on the 16th October, 1826, the reference indicates William was recorded as William Radlam Hawkins, but to-date no record has been sighted2. Situated on the southern slopes of one of the main ridges of the High Weald in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in East Sussex, Heathfield is 10km south-south-west of Burwash. Weald means a wood and the accounts of the Sheriffs for the year 1230 record Heathfield as Hatfield, meaning open land overgrown with heather. Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest traces of human habitation in this part of the Weald go back to the Neolithic people who came over from the continent sometime before 3000BC3. It would appear that William and Mary had at least one child: William 1827. No evidence of any further children of this couple have been found and it is believed that Mary died around 1829. On the 2nd July, 1832, William, a Widower, married Anne Quaif, a Spinster, by Banns, in St Peter, Ashburnham, Sussex4. This record indicates they were both from the Parish and both signed their names. They were married by the Vicar Edward Warneford, the witnesses being Thomas and Winifred Dann. Ashburnham lies approximately 20km south-south-east of Heathfield. Anne is believed to be the eleventh child and third daughter of Edward (Ned) Quaif and his wife Mary (nee Waters). The exact date of Anne’s birth or baptism is not known. Records held indicate she was born in Catsfield around 1809, but a search of the Catsfield Parish Registers failed to locate a Baptism for her. However, family records indicate she may have been baptized in Catsfield on the 2nd October, 1812, aged 3. Located in the beautiful landscape of the Sussex Weald, Catsfield lies approximately 4km south-south-east of Ashburnham and 12km south-south-east of Burwash. Many suggestions have been made about the origin of the name Catsfield but it is unlikely its true derivation will ever be known. One theory advanced is the village name possibly derived from ‘Cats feld’ – ‘the field of cats’, however this questionable. A more probable origin is from a North Saxon tribe called the Catti, who were known to have settled in Sussex in Roman times. Another notion is that the name is based on a belief that a church was built in Catsfield by St. Chadd, or his brother St. Cedd who was active in the South East, hence Caedsfeld or Chaddesfield. Prior to 1066, it is believed to have been held by Elfalm, a Saxon, but after the Norman Invasion it was controlled by a Norman priest called Wrenc. The first known record of the village is to be found in the 1086 Domesday Book, Cedesfille where there were 13 medium size households and ‘a little church serving the Hall’. The parish church of St Laurence was built during the 11th Century and the village is home to a 16th Century pub, the White Hart’, which was originally built as a private home. The center of the village was open common land until the around the late 19th century, and is known today as ‘The Green’5. Records indicate that Anne had an illegitimate son, George in 1830, this record indicates Anne was from Penhurst, which is a small hamlet, approximately 1.5km north-north-east of Ashburnham and 3.5 km north-north-west of Catsfield. Penhurst is also the site of an old earthworks probably dating from Pre-Saxon times. It is also believed that Penhurst may be the lost town of Mercredsburn , which was conquered by the Saxon Aella in 491AD, just before Pevensey (Andredceaster or Anderida) was sacked. A very old settlement, Penhurst is mentioned in the Domesday Book, although it only had 2villagers and was worth just 8shillings per year to Osborn for the Count of Eu. Today the village consists only of the 14th century Church, a 1341 Elizabethan manor house, a few farm buildings and a duck pond5. Records also show Anne had a daughter, Emily, who was recorded as illegitimate on her baptism record in 1832. On this record Anne’s abode is given as Ashburnham. However, it is believed that both George and Emily were the children of William Rudlan Hawkins, born before he married Anne. Emily married Thomas Lutherborough in New South Wales, Australia, 1851. Anne and William’s second daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1833, a son William followed in 1834, Francis arrived in 1835 and Edward in 1841. Records of these four children's baptisms have not yet been located. However, as William is thought to have been an Independent, it is possible the children were baptized in an Independent or Congregational Chapel. The 1841 Census6 show that William age 33, his wife Anne age 31, and children: George 11; Emily 9; Elizabeth 8; William 7; Frances 6; and Edward age 4months, were living in Dowley Street, Greenwich, in the Parish of St Paul, Deptford, South-east London. It is unclear what the family were doing in Deptford as William's occupation is given as Farmer, and Deptford's history and population has been mainly associated with the docks since the mid-1500s. However, an old map of the area does suggest there was also a large manor estate and some open land which may have been used to grow produce. It is known the family was back in Burwash by 1843, as son Richard was born there. It is believed the family remained in or around Burwash until at least 1847. By 1848 the family is found on the Passenger List of the Emperor1, heading for the far shores of Australia. By this time it would appear the family had lost Frances, but had grown with the addition of Richard 1843, Robert 1845, and Thomas 1847. The index indicates William was a Farm Labourer, his birthplace was Burwash in Sussex, he could read and write, and his religion is recorded as Independent. Anne and the children's religion are recorded as Church of England. Surprisingly it is recorded that Anne and four of the older children could both read and write, while Elizabeth could read. George's place of birth is recorded as Ashburnham, Sussex and his occupation as Farm Servant. Emily, Elizabeth and William, also born in Ashburnham, are recorded as Farm House Servants. Edward was born Deptford, Kent, although the Shipping Index records Middlesex. Richard, Robert & Thomas are all recorded as born in Burwash, Sussex. Another child Alfred was born in 1848 and place of birth is recorded as Burwash, but as he is listed on the Board's Immigration List and not on the Shipping Index it is unclear whether he was born 'at sea' or in New South Wales after the family's arrival. It is not known why William decided to bring his family to Australia, but the Immigration List indicates William had an Uncle Thomas, who arrive in Australia with his family in 1839 and settled at Williams River, Burnt Hut. It is highly probable Thomas was successful and encouraged William to set out for a new life in the Colonies. Arriving in Botany Bay on the 4th November, 1848, the Immigration Record shows William and his family were all in good health, and that none had any complaint regarding the ship or the voyage1. It is possible William and his family made their way to William River where his Uncle Thomas was located. William River is a perennial stream that is a tributary of the Hunter River, in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, approximately 160km north of Sydney. It is assumed Burnt Hut was the name of the dwelling where the family resided. In the early European settlement period, the overwhelming mass of work undertaken within the William River area was agricultural and forestry, with the majority of people either working for themselves or for owners with comparatively small capital. The exception were a small number working for stores and commercial enterprises in the towns, and a narrow range of professionals such as teachers, nurses, doctors and others7. It is not known what occupation Thomas followed, and it is assumed there was little opportunity for William as he soon moved his family on to Wollombi, a small village in the mountains south of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Here it is believed that William became a Farmer and a lay Wesleyan Preacher. Family story has it that as there was no Wesleyan Church in the area several marriages were conducted at William' home, although no record of this has been found. It is said however, that there is evidence that Anne, as a nurse, assisted in the birth of many of the early settler’s children, but again this has not been sighted. Much of the land in and around Wollombi in the mid to late 1840s was given over to growing Wheat, Maize, Potatoes, and Tobacco. However, there was a Flour Mill and Timber-getting was also a thriving industry8. There is some evidence that William may have supplemented his income as a ‘Bushman / Labourer’, it is unclear just what this entailed, but it could have involved felling and hauling timer in and around the area. An early map of the Wollombi area suggests William obtained a parcel of land fairly quickly, possibly as a land grant for a new immigrant. It is plausible to assume he may also have farmed his small plot, as most small holders were fairly self-sufficient. Anne died at Laguna on the 15th July, 1877, she was 68years old. Cause of death is recorded as Enlargement of the Liver and she had been ill for 11days. She was buried in the Wollombi Church of England Cemetery on the 18th July, 18779. Her grave is marked by an impressive headstone bearing the words10:
Sacred Following his wife’s death, William continued his role as an upstanding member of the local community, although he gradually withdrew from social activity and became reclusive. By early 1889, his advanced age and re-curing ill health made it difficult for him to live on his own, and he moved to live with his son and wife in Laguna. On the 22nd September, 1889, William died at Wattagan Creek, in the home of his son-in-law Henry Brown9. He was 82years old and cause of death given as Decay of Nature. His occupation was recorded as Farmer, born in Kent, England, he had been in the Colony for 41years. Buried next to his wife Ann in the Wollombi Church of England Cemetery on the 23rd September, 18999, William's final resting place is marked with a large headstone, which reads10:
Sacred His death was reported in the local newspaper on the 1st October, 1889, giving a glowing account of a much loved and well respected man who, in his younger days, had led an active and useful life, and one who possessed considerable scholastic ability. The article also reported that sadly owing to the infirmities of age he had, for many years before his death, been forced into comparative seclusion11. William and his family are listed in the Pioneer Register, published by the Cessnock District Historical & Family History Society in 200012.
References:
6. 1841 UK Census
via Ancestry.co.uk
https://www.ancestry.co.uk 8. Wollombi Valley History by the Wollombi Valley Progress Association 1992 (rev. ed.) 9. Death Certificate
10. Transcribed directly from Headstones 2000
12. Endeavour: Journal of the Cessnock District Historical and Family History
Society Inc. V37 (4) 2008 Other Sources: Public Family Trees via Ancestry.co.uk https://www.ancestry.co.uk Oral Family History Parish Registers Burwash Sussex England via Sussex Records Office Various Family History Websites
I also gratefully acknowledge the assistance given by other researchers of the Hawkins/Quaife lines. |
