ROBERTS William and Elizabeth (nee BOTTRELL)
William born abt 1798 in Devon (according to his death certificate) and Elizabeth born abt 1798 in Camborne, Cornwall.
William dies 1873 and Elizabeth dies 1875, both in Campbells Creek (near Castlemaine), Victoria and both are buried in Campbells Creek.
They married in St Austell, Cornwall, in 1820, he signed with an X. witnesses were James BOTTRALL and John GOLDSWORTHY.
James is Elizabeth's brother and John GOLDWORTHY was probably Elizabeth's brother in law.
William mined in the Cornish area of St Austell
The Duke of Roxburgh left Plymouth, Devon, in 1839.
To see a painting of the ship Duke of Roxburgh
The Roberts appear on the Duke of Roxburgh shipping list as William, 35, miner, wife aged 35, and Mary - 18, Sophia - 16, Elizabeth - 15, Thomas - 11, Priscilla - 5 and Keziah - 2 were all from the Mt Charles area, near St Austell.
For more information on the Duke of Roxburgh visit here
They moved to higher ground upriver, with most of the Cornish contingent gathering around Francis MOLESWORTH's hut. Then on the 2 March 1840 a bigger flood arrived, affecting mainly the banks on which the Cornish had settled. As a result about forty settlers, mainly Cornish folk, built new huts of reeds and flax on a shingle ridge that ran at right angles to the river. They named this Cornish Row. Others returned to the shore. If they moved to Cornish Row then again they would have been set back. On the night of 25th May 1840, the line of cottages burnt down despite the efforts of many settlers to save the huts. 14 cottages were destroyed. No lives were lost. This was closely followed by an earthquake and then on the 30th of May the Hutt overflowed its banks again. Not a good start.
On William (juniors) baptism record of May 1841 in Wellington, he is a laborer.
According to the death certificate he spent 9 years in New Zealand. His death certificate also states he spent 6 months in New South Wales, 2 and a half years in South Australia and 21 years in Victoria.
The family seems to move to Kawau Island, around the time Priscilla marries in 1848. Kawau had a copper mine at the time. Information on Kawau Island. Then William pobably goes ahead to Australia, spending six months somewhere in New South Wales. He then seems to go to Reedy Creek, where Mary and John ESLICK are. His wife and younger children join them, including Priscilla and her husband around 1849. In 1852 they join the rush for gold to Castlemaine, Victoria.
On 28 Feb 1860 William purchased a block of land at Campbells Creek, next to the cemetery. Richard Gray BELL (Priscilla's husband) also paid the deposit although W ROBERTS is recorded to have bought it..
William's death certificate states that he was born in Devon and son of John.
He died at Campbells Creek, Mount Alexander Shire, County Talbot.
His religion stated as Bible Christian for burial.
At time of death children were
Mary - dead
Sophia - 49
Elizabeth - 47
Thomas - 45
Priscilla - 38
Kezia - 35
William - 33
Joseph - 31
Children
Mary ROBERTS marries John ESLICK
Elizabeth ROBERTS marries Joshua GREGORY
Sarah ROBERTS marries Joseph THOMPSON Priscilla ROBERTS marries Richard Grey Bell
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