randomfacts.com.au
John WATTS & Nancy AVERY
Enquiries to enquiries@randomfacts.com.au
Back to Early Settlers (my family) Homepage
Enquiries to enquiries@randomfacts.com.au
Back to Early Settlers (my family) Homepage
Webmaster's Note: The history of John WATTS and Nancy Avery has been researched in depth by Suzanne Hirst (a Watts descendent). Sadly, Suzanne has passed but her research lives on. Some of what follows on this page is from her research, and some is from my research.
John WATTS was born on 29th June 1812 in Lincolnshire, England.
His father, John WATTS, was a military tailor.
John died 20 June 1895 at Littlehampton aged 83 years.
Ann Nancy AVERY (known as Nancy) was born 30th April 1818 at Surrey, England.
Her parents were William and Sarah AVERY. She was baptised on 30th August 1818 at Morden, Surrey.
Nancy died 30th November 1995 at Blakiston aged 77 years. Both are buried at the Blakiston Church.
John and Nancy were married on 23rd November 1834 at St. Matthews Church of England, Bethnal Green, London, England. John was 22 years old and Nancy was 16 years old. In 1836, Bethnal Green was transitioning from a rural village into one of England's most densely populated and impoverished parishes. The local silk-weaving industry was in steep decline, forcing residents into low-paid, insecure trades like tailoring and costermongering. Their first child, John Avery WATTS was born on 18th March 1836. John's application for a passage to South Australia listed his address as 43 Bethnal Green, London, and his occupation as Tanner, but family records show that John was a tailor.
His father, John WATTS, was a military tailor.
John died 20 June 1895 at Littlehampton aged 83 years.
Ann Nancy AVERY (known as Nancy) was born 30th April 1818 at Surrey, England.
Her parents were William and Sarah AVERY. She was baptised on 30th August 1818 at Morden, Surrey.
Nancy died 30th November 1995 at Blakiston aged 77 years. Both are buried at the Blakiston Church.
John and Nancy were married on 23rd November 1834 at St. Matthews Church of England, Bethnal Green, London, England. John was 22 years old and Nancy was 16 years old. In 1836, Bethnal Green was transitioning from a rural village into one of England's most densely populated and impoverished parishes. The local silk-weaving industry was in steep decline, forcing residents into low-paid, insecure trades like tailoring and costermongering. Their first child, John Avery WATTS was born on 18th March 1836. John's application for a passage to South Australia listed his address as 43 Bethnal Green, London, and his occupation as Tanner, but family records show that John was a tailor.
The Voyage of the 'COROMANDEL'
Under the command of Captain William Chesser, the 'COROMANDEL' left Blackwall Dock, London 1st September 1836, bound for Adelaide, South Australia. She dropped down the River to Gravesend on Tuesday afternoon and officially set sail on Thursday, and reached Deal in Kent on 9th September 1836. She had trouble clearing the Goodwin Sands. (there freezing cold waters that conceal treacherous sands, which were nicknamed "the graveyard of ships"). The COROMANDEL reached the Cape of Good Hope on 5th November, stayed and took on freshwater, fruit and vegetables. Captain Chesser gave the passengers time to improve their health with good food and water before he set sail again on 28thNovember. They left the Cape of Good Hope on 3rd December 1836. the 'COROMANDEL' dropped anchor at night on the 25 December 1837 in Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island. She safely berthed the next day near to Kingscote where the South Australian Company had set up headquarters for the new colony. The ship discharged goods which it had carried out for the company and also some passengers.
The 'COROMANDEL' was held up on the instructions and direction of Coronel William Light until the 'BUFFALO' and the rest of the official fleet had passed by. Proclamation of the colony was on 28 December 1836 at Glenelg. They set sail on 6th Jan 1837, arriving at Holdfast Bay on 12 Jan 1837 with 156 passengers (124 adults and 32 children). The 'COROMANDEL' was the first migrant ship to arrive in South Australia after proclamation of the province. These emigrants were all under twenty six years of age, principally labourers and some mechanics and a few Lincolnshire shepherds. Of the one hundred and fifty-six passengers, all with the exception of one survived the voyage. Two couples were married onboard after 9 days at sea. John and Nancy were travelling with their son John Avery WATTS, who was 8 months old when they departed. An unlikely cargo transported by the 'COROMANDEL' on this voyage was Adelaide's first bank and ten thousand pounds in notes. The entire plant of the bank, together with a framed banking house, iron chests and so forth, were on board. In March (1837) the bank commenced operations.
There was another family from Bethnal Green on the 'COROMANDEL', the HORSELL family and some years after their arrival, both families were living nearby, the WATTS family at Dawesley and the HORSEL family at Callington. John and Nancy's fifth child, Mary Ann, married Robert James HORSELL some years later.
Under the command of Captain William Chesser, the 'COROMANDEL' left Blackwall Dock, London 1st September 1836, bound for Adelaide, South Australia. She dropped down the River to Gravesend on Tuesday afternoon and officially set sail on Thursday, and reached Deal in Kent on 9th September 1836. She had trouble clearing the Goodwin Sands. (there freezing cold waters that conceal treacherous sands, which were nicknamed "the graveyard of ships"). The COROMANDEL reached the Cape of Good Hope on 5th November, stayed and took on freshwater, fruit and vegetables. Captain Chesser gave the passengers time to improve their health with good food and water before he set sail again on 28thNovember. They left the Cape of Good Hope on 3rd December 1836. the 'COROMANDEL' dropped anchor at night on the 25 December 1837 in Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island. She safely berthed the next day near to Kingscote where the South Australian Company had set up headquarters for the new colony. The ship discharged goods which it had carried out for the company and also some passengers.
The 'COROMANDEL' was held up on the instructions and direction of Coronel William Light until the 'BUFFALO' and the rest of the official fleet had passed by. Proclamation of the colony was on 28 December 1836 at Glenelg. They set sail on 6th Jan 1837, arriving at Holdfast Bay on 12 Jan 1837 with 156 passengers (124 adults and 32 children). The 'COROMANDEL' was the first migrant ship to arrive in South Australia after proclamation of the province. These emigrants were all under twenty six years of age, principally labourers and some mechanics and a few Lincolnshire shepherds. Of the one hundred and fifty-six passengers, all with the exception of one survived the voyage. Two couples were married onboard after 9 days at sea. John and Nancy were travelling with their son John Avery WATTS, who was 8 months old when they departed. An unlikely cargo transported by the 'COROMANDEL' on this voyage was Adelaide's first bank and ten thousand pounds in notes. The entire plant of the bank, together with a framed banking house, iron chests and so forth, were on board. In March (1837) the bank commenced operations.
There was another family from Bethnal Green on the 'COROMANDEL', the HORSELL family and some years after their arrival, both families were living nearby, the WATTS family at Dawesley and the HORSEL family at Callington. John and Nancy's fifth child, Mary Ann, married Robert James HORSELL some years later.
Early Days of the colony
The early settlers camped in tents and wooden huts in the sand dunes at Holdfast Bay (now Glenelg) and then moved to the banks of the River Torrens, opposite to where the Newmarket Hotel now stands. The earliest months were plagued by severe housing and food shortages. The first building material was wood from lands around the River Torrens. The Adelaide Aboriginal tribe, the Kaurna, earned income from selling timber. The use of timber was quickly made illegal but persisted covertly into the 1840s. Legal timber cutting as an early industry was done in wooded areas beyond the city, particularly the Adelaide Hills. Many early homes were built of timber or had roofs of shingles, but the Building Act 1858 outlawed this due to fire hazards fires and termite damage. Limestone was one of the first main materials used for building.
The early settlers camped in tents and wooden huts in the sand dunes at Holdfast Bay (now Glenelg) and then moved to the banks of the River Torrens, opposite to where the Newmarket Hotel now stands. The earliest months were plagued by severe housing and food shortages. The first building material was wood from lands around the River Torrens. The Adelaide Aboriginal tribe, the Kaurna, earned income from selling timber. The use of timber was quickly made illegal but persisted covertly into the 1840s. Legal timber cutting as an early industry was done in wooded areas beyond the city, particularly the Adelaide Hills. Many early homes were built of timber or had roofs of shingles, but the Building Act 1858 outlawed this due to fire hazards fires and termite damage. Limestone was one of the first main materials used for building.
John's Working Life
John was employed as a tailor, and lived on the banks of the Torrens River where the Entertainment Centre, Adam Street Hindmarsh now stands. By 1839 he had become a full time brickmaker, one of the first in the colony and is credited with helping produce bricks for the 'mud chapel', a Congregational Chapel built in 1838 at Hindmarsh (even though they were Methodists). John and Nancy had 10 more children at Hindmarsh. By 1854, John's name was listed in the Adelaide Almanac as a brickmaker of Port Road, Hindmarh. They lived at No.1 Adam Street. In 1857, the family moved to the Nairne district, and it is thought that the family lived for a while at Bythorne, a subdivision of Nairne. They may also have lived in a two roomed cottage on Section 1977 in the Hundred of Kanmantoo, which, until surveyed in 1859, was known as waste land (a small kiln with Watts bricks was on this site in the clay banks of a creek running nearby). For most of their life their residence was Dawesley. They had three more chilren at Nairne (Dawesley), bringing the total to 14. It was reported that John started making bricks at Scott Creek in 1858, mostly fire-bricks for the smelters of the Kanmantoo mines and clinker bricks for general building. There were several locations in the surrounding area where John made bricks, but the Watts Brickyard continued in the Watts family until 1985. For more information on the Watts brickyard, click here.
John was employed as a tailor, and lived on the banks of the Torrens River where the Entertainment Centre, Adam Street Hindmarsh now stands. By 1839 he had become a full time brickmaker, one of the first in the colony and is credited with helping produce bricks for the 'mud chapel', a Congregational Chapel built in 1838 at Hindmarsh (even though they were Methodists). John and Nancy had 10 more children at Hindmarsh. By 1854, John's name was listed in the Adelaide Almanac as a brickmaker of Port Road, Hindmarh. They lived at No.1 Adam Street. In 1857, the family moved to the Nairne district, and it is thought that the family lived for a while at Bythorne, a subdivision of Nairne. They may also have lived in a two roomed cottage on Section 1977 in the Hundred of Kanmantoo, which, until surveyed in 1859, was known as waste land (a small kiln with Watts bricks was on this site in the clay banks of a creek running nearby). For most of their life their residence was Dawesley. They had three more chilren at Nairne (Dawesley), bringing the total to 14. It was reported that John started making bricks at Scott Creek in 1858, mostly fire-bricks for the smelters of the Kanmantoo mines and clinker bricks for general building. There were several locations in the surrounding area where John made bricks, but the Watts Brickyard continued in the Watts family until 1985. For more information on the Watts brickyard, click here.
Children of John WATTS & Nancy AVERY
Webmaster's Note: I will add more details to this family tree later.
1. John Avery WATTS b. 14 Mar 1836, Bethnal Green, England, m. Mary KENNY
2. Joseph WATTS b. 1 Apr 1838, Hindmarsh, m. Amelia HORSELL
3. Sarah Lydia WATTS b. 1 Sep 1840, Hindmarsh, m. Elias DAVIES
4. Luke Theophilus WATTS b. 23 Aug 1842, Hindmarsh, m. Louisa CHAPMAN
5. Mary Ann WATTS b. 3 Aug 1844, Hindmarsh, m. Robert HORSELL
6. Martha WATTS 7 Sept 1846, Hindmarsh, m. George HARRIS
7. William WATTS b. 22 May 1848, Hindmarsh, m. Annie ALCOCK
8. Alfred WATTS b. 20 Feb 1850, Hindmarsh, m.1 Caroline ROKASKY, m.2 Elizabeth Sarah SPENCE (nee SIDDALL)
9. Ann Simpson WATTS b. 6 Dec 1851, Hindmarsh, m. Alfred HAINES
10. Jane Clara WATTS b. 2 Nov 1853, Hindmarsh, m. Arthur WICKS
11. Henry James WATTS b. 9 Jul 1856, Hindmarsh, m. Elizabeth CROSSMAN [CHILDS family Connection]
12. Ebenezer Arthur (Charles) WATTS b. 14 May 1858, Nairne, m. Isabella CROSSMAN
13. Ellen Maria WATTS b. 20 Dec 1860, Nairne, m. John WILLIAMS
14. Louisa Lucretia WATTS b. 22 Nov 1862, Nairne, m. James COPPIN
Webmaster's Note: I will add more details to this family tree later.
1. John Avery WATTS b. 14 Mar 1836, Bethnal Green, England, m. Mary KENNY
2. Joseph WATTS b. 1 Apr 1838, Hindmarsh, m. Amelia HORSELL
3. Sarah Lydia WATTS b. 1 Sep 1840, Hindmarsh, m. Elias DAVIES
4. Luke Theophilus WATTS b. 23 Aug 1842, Hindmarsh, m. Louisa CHAPMAN
5. Mary Ann WATTS b. 3 Aug 1844, Hindmarsh, m. Robert HORSELL
6. Martha WATTS 7 Sept 1846, Hindmarsh, m. George HARRIS
7. William WATTS b. 22 May 1848, Hindmarsh, m. Annie ALCOCK
8. Alfred WATTS b. 20 Feb 1850, Hindmarsh, m.1 Caroline ROKASKY, m.2 Elizabeth Sarah SPENCE (nee SIDDALL)
9. Ann Simpson WATTS b. 6 Dec 1851, Hindmarsh, m. Alfred HAINES
10. Jane Clara WATTS b. 2 Nov 1853, Hindmarsh, m. Arthur WICKS
11. Henry James WATTS b. 9 Jul 1856, Hindmarsh, m. Elizabeth CROSSMAN [CHILDS family Connection]
12. Ebenezer Arthur (Charles) WATTS b. 14 May 1858, Nairne, m. Isabella CROSSMAN
13. Ellen Maria WATTS b. 20 Dec 1860, Nairne, m. John WILLIAMS
14. Louisa Lucretia WATTS b. 22 Nov 1862, Nairne, m. James COPPIN