Lone child's Grave Deal Island Bass Strait

[minack]

Hi,

Hoping someone can assist with naming of this child. It is a really lonely grave marked Baker - daughter of Reverend Baker died at sea on the Lima 1872 aged 11. This is the only information I have. I am helping the caretaker of Deal Island who has limited internet access (as you would expect) to add a name and some details of this little girl. Apparently the body was offloaded from the ship. Her parents continued on to Australia. I have checked all the usual sites and can find no reference to this. I am sure someone will know who she is?

minack

[Pam Downes]

I'm assuming from your 'searched the usual sites' that you've tried to find a passenger list for the Lima.

Think this might be quite difficult to solve unless you can find a first name for the Reverend.
I checked the 1861 census on FMP for female Bakers, born 1860, and then again for 1861 (bearing in mind that the census was taken on 7th April, so won't include those people born after that date).
Got over 650 hits for both searches, so that's 1300+ people to search to find someone who's father is a vicar.
Haven't tried a simliar search on the 1871.

Pam

[Coromandel]

The inscription says 'Grave of the Rev. Mr. Baker's 11 year old daughter who died on board the emigrant ship "Lima" while near Deal Island on its way from England to New South Wales some years before 1872':

http://
trishandbobislandadventure.blogspot.com/2010/04/d-uring-past-few-days-we-celebrated.html

"some years before 1872" doesn't help much. I have found references to a 'Lima' arriving in 1849 and there was a Samuel Baker on board who could be a candidate for Rev. Baker . . . he is described in the Moreton Bay Courier of 10 November 1849 as 'Mr. Samuel Baker, a highly respected schoolmaster and catechist from the town of Windsor' (from Trove).

Perhaps there's a passenger list for this voyage somewhere?

[Coromandel]

The Sydney Morning Herald of 18 October 1849 announced the arrival the previous day of the Lima barque, 349 tons, from the Downs on 27 June. Among the passengers named in the annnouncement were 'Rev. Mr. Baker (chaplain), Mrs. Baker and family'.

[spison]

The passenger list from the Lima that has been transcribed doesn't show this family. (Search for: Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters). The only cabin passengers were the ELLERBY family. There were 106 unnamed passengers in steerage heading for Moreton Bay. The barque Lima sailed from Whence, London on the 27th June, 1849, and arrived in Port Jackson on the 17th October, 1849. The master was Adam YULE.
(I will look at Queensland arrivals.)
Jane

[spison]

I have looked at Queensland arrivals and they have nothing for this ship. At this stage Queensland was still part of NSW so Moreton Bay records would be listed in State Records NSW therefore the transcriptions on the site mentioned in the above post are what exists.

The name of the wife MAY be Lucy as there are baptism records for three children post-1848 that MAY indicate further children. The baptism record for Mary E (V18493577 34A/1849) or John (V18532031 38A/1853 or? V18522931 38A/1852) may show Samuel's occupation and can be read by accessing the ARK (Archives Record Kit), copies of which are held in major centres in all states of Australia.

Jane

[Coromandel]

It's nearly time for me to head for bed, so I'm glad to see that I can hand the baton on to those who are waking up bright and breezy on the other side of the world. Good morning to you!

I may be barking up the wrong tree with the 1849 sailing: there are other voyages for the 'Lima' and it may just be coincidence that I found a Rev. Baker on the 1849 one. I've been trying, so far without success, to find other mentions of this Rev. Baker, either in England or in Australia. I hope that those who work while I sleep will have better luck.

[Procat]

The copy of the newspaper The Queenslander dated Saturday 13 May 1899 contains a list of the families who were passengers on the Lima voyage of 1849 and makes mention of Rev. Mr Baker, wife and family - unfortunately names of children not stated. Can be searched for here http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper?q= It seems the voyage was one of three organised by Dr Lang.

The Moreton Bay Courier (can be found on same link) dated 13 October 1849 contains an article which reports a speech made by Dr Lang on departure which makes mention of "My friend Mr. Samuel Baker, who has already had much experience in conducting the public ministrations of religion...."

[Hugh Thompson]

Hi Minack, there is a book at the Internet Archives,(address below) "Centenary History of the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales" published in 1899 that mentions a minister who John Lang would have been aquainted with named "William" Baker, on pages 46, 291, 293, 295 and 296, listing in which parishes he preached and they were all over the country, also I have found that the newspapers of the mid 1800's didn't always get names correct, it may be worthwhile keeping this in mind in case you have no luck in your search for a "Samuel" Baker.
Hugh.

http://www.
archive.org/stream/centenaryhistory00came#page/n9/mode/1up

[Hugh Thompson]

The Sydney Morning Herald page two, Thursday 18th Oct 1849 mentions the death of the child from dropsy on "Wednesday last" and was interred on one of the islands of the Kent group, Deal is one of them, so she apparently died or at least was buried on the 10th October 1849.
Hugh.