Author: kira0030

For The Sake Of An Agonised Father

kira0030

The story of Isaac Mepstead comes from a tree I’m researching for a customer.

Isaac lived in Hythe, Kent, England and was a fish hawker.  At the age of 19 he stole some lead and iron and was convicted and sentenced on 13 Apr 1846 at the St Augustine’s Quarter Sessions.  There isn’t any more description of what he stole except on one record it says he stole a fixture.

He was in Pentonville and then Millbank prisons before coming to Australia.  His sentence was 1 week and 7 years. His father, Thomas, wrote a letter and petitioned for Isaac’s full pardon or that he at least be able to remain in England but he didn’t fully succeed. 

Thomas wrote, “May I beg the favor most earnestly of your looking into the merits of the petition forwarded you and for the sake of an agonized father attend to the prayer thereof and prevent the youth leaving the country.”

Thomas Mepsted’s letter to Sir George Grey on 11 Aug 1847

Another impassioned plea from Thomas, “to her Most Gracious Majesty the mitigation of the sentence of the said Isaac Mepsted as it may be pleased to be ordered, but particularly requesting in an humble and supplicatory manner that the said Isaac Mepsted may receive some amelioration of his sentence that will temper justice with mercy or that at all events he may be ordered to remain in this country.”
Was this an act or was he genuinely in fear for his son’s life?


Isaac and others aboard the Marion were pardoned as long as they remained in Australia for the term of their sentences.  Many, including Isaac, never returned to England.  The Marion arrived in Port Phillip Bay on 25 Jan 1848.

Isaac went on to marry and have a large family, living and working in both states of Victoria and South Australia.

De-cluttering And Updating My Workspace

kira0030

In February 2020 I posted about working across two windows on my laptop and it was suggested that I get another monitor. At the time it wasn’t possible but I recently got a new table through the trading group I help to run, Adelaide Local Exchange Trading System, so I now have room for two monitors, my printer and a spot for another person to work also.

As well as helping me when I’m researching alone, I’ve been doing some one on one training in genealogy research and this set up is working very well for that too.

I don’t play many games but one that I enjoy called 0AD is great to play on the larger monitor. It’s also good for watching tv or movies, I purposely don’t have a television so I watch a lot of Youtube and Netflix on here.

What is your home office or research nook like? Does it serve multiple purposes?

Aboard The Princess Louise

kira0030

My Buring ancestors came to South Australia aboard the Princess Louise from Hamburg, Germany in 1849. They were part of the Berlin Emigration Society who chartered the ship. Carl Linger, music director, composer and teacher, was also aboard with his wife Minna. Below is an excerpt of a letter home which he wrote. It outlines the journey aboard ship.

We left Hamburg on 23rd March 1849 and were at sea next day. The first few days on board are the worst: you haven’t settled down; you can’t get used to the available space and there is much disorder. The food and other things are strange but all this changes after you have been at sea a while. On 27th March, at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon, my wife happily gave birth to a healthy girl. It was in the North Sea near the Island of Texel, latitude 53 – 50 North and longitude 5 – 4 East of Greenwich, whilst the seas were running high. The small creature was received with three hearty cheers by the passengers and crew, whilst the ship the “Princess Louise ” had to be festively flagged.

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/D+8003/1(L)


Without anything-noteworthy happening, we reached the South American coast on the day before Whit- Sunday, and towards evening, we entered the Harbour of Rio de Janeiro. I shall not embark on a description of the noble beauty and attraction of this spot, otherwise my letter might become many pages in length. Here we, passengers for the most part, left the ship. For ourselves, I rented a rural dwelling on the hills, from where I could overlook the city and the splendid Harbour with its bay. Here we lived for 10 days in the enjoyment of nature and went on short excursions into the hills. Up to now our journey had been rather
slow but from this point on, things moved all the faster and a strong wind carried us quite close to the tip of Africa. The Cape of Good Hope was doubled during a moderate storm. Without untoward occurrences, we sailed past Kangaroo Island and entered Port Adelaide on 7th. August. Ours was an exceptionally long voyage, for which the blame lay partly with the captain’s carelessness and partly with the quarrel between him and the helmsman. Other ships after us often made the journey in 90 days and even in 78 – 82 days from England.

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/D+8003/1(L)

Carl writes in a very matter of fact style, especially about his daughter’s birth. I feel sorry for his wife as she “happily gave birth” on a ship. I haven’t written much about the famous Carl Linger because I’m more interested in his account of the journey from Germany to South Australia. I had no idea that the passengers stayed in Rio for 10 days. It must have been a welcome break from ship board life. My 2x great grandfather, Heinrich Franz Rudolph Buring, and his brothers would have loved the time ashore so that they could run around and play.

What I’m Doing During COVID 19 Isolation

kira0030

I thought I would write a bit about what I’m doing during this isolation time. I am self-isolating at home because I have pre-existing health conditions which put me at risk if I were to contract the Corona Virus.

I love crafts and have several on the go at the moment. I’m crocheting large and colourful pieces to yarn bomb the tree in my front yard. I’ll do another post with pictures when it is finished.

I’m doing some cross stitch along with many others as part of the Stitch and Resist project.

“Through the act of craftivism we hope to
make connections and community
make political statements
make important cultural objects
make a difference
and make change“

I’ve also been doing some traditional wet felt making.

In Progress
Finished Pieces

I’m not sure yet but I may try and make something which incorporates all three of these crafts. If it happens I will post photos.

Facebook, genealogy, my grandchildren and my pets are also keeping me occupied during this time. What are you doing to fill the hours?

Elizabeth Reid

kira0030

Elizabeth Reid (my great grandmother) was born in Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1851. She was one of ten children born to John Reid and Catherine Burnett.

Elizabeth worked as both a seamstress and a dairy maid before marrying William Willison in 1873.

Six children were born to Elizabeth and William before they immigrated to South Australia although two of them didn’t survive. Aboard the Loch Fyne on the trip to Australia another baby was born and died.

Elizabeth and William had fifteen children altogether but only six lived to adulthood. William farmed in several places around Adelaide, South Australia before settling in Para Hills. In his late 60s and early 70s he was on the Munno Para East council for several years.

At Salisbury Primitive Methodist Cemetery, South Australia

Eleanor Isabella Welsh

kira0030

Eleanor was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1857. Her father James Welsh was a Master Mariner and her mother was Ellen Mary Chamberlain. They had five children together.

The family moved back to Adelaide, South Australia, from whence they came, in about 1860. Her father, James died in November of that year.

When Eleanor’s mother Ellen, married John Patton he had six children from his first marriage and then had another six children with Ellen. Thankfully all seventeen children didn’t live together at the same time.

In 1874 Eleanor married George Chapman at the St Saviour Church at Glen Osmond, Adelaide, South Australia.

George and Ella’s (as he called her) life is recorded in George’s diaries which are in the process of being transcribed.

Eleanor is my 2x great grandmother.