1841 Census for Australia

[Colin Parkinson]

I need help & guidance regarding the 1841 census for Australia. Thomas Naylor Lucas was an American at Cambridge University. He married a Cambridge Agricultural Farmers daughter, Sarah Parkinson, in 1838. Thomas & Sarah arrived at Port Phillip on the "Mary Eliza" on 24 February 1840 from London.

On a NSW online website I have found them on the 1841 census living at Burfield Cottage in Port Phillip District. The website has very limited information, can anyone tell me if the actual census for 1841 is readily available and would it show Thomas's occupation?
Thomas & Sarah were not in Australia long, by 1847 he had returned to Peterhouse, Cambridge University, where he obtained his B.A. in 1847. Are there shipping records from Australia saying when Thomas & Sarah returned? Or did any directories exist in the early 1840's showing what Thomas's occupation may have been?

By 1851 Thomas Naylor Lucas was a Curate at Melchbourne in Bedfordshire and by the mid-1850's he appears in Episcopal Clergy lists in South Carolina. Thomas became a Minister in early 1869 at the Holy Cross Church Stateburg South Carolina. Sarah died in South Carolina in 1884, Thomas died in 1886, both buried at the Holy Cross Church.
Quite unusually Thomas & Sarah appear in census for Australia, England and the USA. I don't believe they ever had any children.

Any help in throwing light on their time in NSW February 1840 to mid-1840's would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Colin Parkinson
Ashurst, near Southampton, England

[ChristineR]

I think, not really sure, that there is a book in my local library that contains the 1841 listing for Port Phillip - I will have a look when I am there tomorrow.

ChristineR

[Lenore]

Hi Colin,

You may need the clarification that while the Port Phillip District in those days was indeed in the Colony of New South Wales, these days it is known as Melbourne, and is in Victoria. Our early records are in NSW State Archives. An expert NSW researcher can correct me on this, but I have a feeling that the NSW Archives put out a genealogy "kit" consisting of microfilm/fiche of early shipping records. It is conceivable that there is a kit accessible to you somewhere in England - say the Society of Genealogists, or the British Library, or somewhere. If you hunt round the NSW website and get the proper name of it, your local librarian ought be be able to work out the nearest location.

Early shipping records might tell you what occupation Lucas followed, and how they were "disposed" when they left the ship - but it will depend on whether they paid for their own ticket or not. Assisted immigrants had more information recorded about them.

If you do a Google on "Port Phillip District" you should find some links pages, one of which I see has Thomas Lucas listed on it, in Kerr's Almanac of 1841.

Best wishes,

Lenore

[ChristineR]

I think, not really sure, that there is a book in my local library that contains the 1841 listing for Port Phillip - I will have a look when I am there tomorrow.

ChristineR

The book I was thinking of covers extensive records for Melbourne, 1836-1839 - sorry to get your hopes up! I needed the next volume.

C

[Colin Parkinson]

Christine,
Appreciate you looking, as you say next volume needed.
Many thanks
Colin

[ChristineR]

It turns out that those volumes only deal with the records up until 1840, but I have found another book in the library catalogue that goes to 1851, also specific to Port Phillip historical records - which should give a run down on the census.

I have placed a reservation on the book, but it has to come from another town. It is Sunday now, it might be delivered next Friday to my local library.

As you would have seen from the census index, there was another Thomas Lucas here in 1841. He was married and had a lot of kids spanning the time that your fellow was in Victoria. By the way, our BDM index for Victoria index does not contain any birth or burial records for any children to your Thomas during their stay.

ChristineR

[Colin Parkinson]

Hi Christine,
Thanks for your continued help, I look forward to what the book just might say.
Returning to the 1841 census, when I do a Google search for "1841 census NSW" it takes me to a searchable index. Thomas Naylor Lucas appears against two references. The Burfield Cottage entry signed by Sarah Lucas must be the residential home, would the County Bourke entry be a business address?
The 2 enteries are as follows:-
Thomas Naylor Lucas, Burfield Cottage, District of Port Phillip, item 4/1244a, page 229, reel 2509, signed by Sarah Lucas.
Thomas Naylor Lucas, Town Melbourne, County Bourke, District of Port Phillip, item X949, page 111, reel 2222.
Lucas was an educated man, may have been in business, a teacher or perhaps the church. Certainly by 1847 he completed his BA at Cambridge University, ordained? and a Curate at Melchbourne Bedfordshire by 1851.
Again many thanks for your help, I am keen to fill the gap of knowledge for Thomas & SArah for their short time in Australia.
Regards
Colin

[ChristineR]

I think that there must have been the two residences as you say, with one being the place of business for Thomas. It is so handy that he used his middle name, and that it was noted that Sarah signed one census.

It does sound like perhaps Burfield Cottage was out of the township area of Melbourne. I think that was the normal way of living for the more well-to-do, it was a bit rough and ready in town, so a nice home in the country was built. From what I have read, it was a very unpleasant journey into town too, the roads were not yet made to any great standard out of town, and perhaps Thomas stayed on the job during the week. The residence could have been part of his work package to entice him there.

In 1836 Port Phillip was officially taken over by the NSW government - it had been illegally settled by pioneers since the year before.

The figures in the book give the population of Port Phillip at the end of 1838 as 3511 persons - I believe that was exclusive of Military and Government Gangs. By the end of 1839 it was almost 5000 persons - with only 550 of those being females.

Government documents show that at least four attempts were made to start private schools in 1838, two for boys and two for girls. Apparently these failed except one girl's school who had 6-15 students.

Returns show that in 1839 the total number of scholars attending school was 250 - 140 boys and 110 girls.
Parish of St James, Melbourne - Mr Abbott - 30 males, 20 females
Church of Scotland - Mr Campbell - 70 males, 49 females
Church of Rome - 20 male, 21 females
Independent - 20 males, 20 females

There was a Rev T B Naylor at St James Church in 1837 according to the baptism records. For the first few years all the denominations shared the same church building completed in early 1837.

Just a bit of background info to bring you up to date to 1840.

cheers
ChristineR

[Lenore]

There was a Rev T B Naylor at St James Church in 1837 according to the baptism records. For the first few years all the denominations shared the same church building completed in early 1837.

cheers
ChristineR

Good find, Christine, one can't help feeling there might be some connection between The Rev T B Naylor and Thomas Naylor Lucas. A search on Google Books actually turns up a useful obituary for Rev Thomas Beagley Naylor - which doesn't mention a sojourn in Melbourne, but what the heck would the Gentleman's Magazine have known anyway? He was in the right neck of the woods to have spent a few months at least in Melbourne dipping babies in basins of water.

Best wishes,

Lenore

[Colin Parkinson]

I think Thomas Naylor Lucas was only 24 when he arrived in 1840 and I can not see a connection with the Rev T B Naylor. In the case of Lucas he was born (a twin) in South Carolina his father had introduced rice milling into the USA. One of Lucas senior business partners was a Naylor and I assume this is where Thomas's middle name came from.
I am intrigued as to what Thomas's occupation was during his short time in Australia (about 5 years?). I am only guessing that when he returned to Cambridge University he obtained his BA in 1847 (Theology?) and then joined the church and eventuslly he and Sarah returned to Thomas's home to South Carolina where he became an Episcopal Minister.
Thank you for the insight into Melbourne in the late 1830's/early 1840's, fascinating.
The 2 census enteries for 1841 may well suggest a residential and business address, it now seems a search in the census may be fruitfull.
Regards
Colin