Australia Bound

What fashion did my Mary follow? Image depicts fashions from the early 1880s Only snippets of information are known about my Mary, my maternal 1 x great grandmother. Known facts are:- Mary, having travelled 'Free', departed on the Scottish Knight from London on 20 December, 1877 arriving on Thursday 9 April 1878 at Keppel Bay, Rockhampton in Queensland.  She was single, a servant and 19 years old.  It must have been exciting to spend Christmas on board the ship. The newspaper article has been taken from Trove.nla.gov.au Daily Northern Argus (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1896), Friday 12 April 1878, page 2 Scottish Knight arrival at Keppel Bay "The passengers were of reasonable condition and a highly respectable body of people who will be a great acquisition to this part of the colony".  Scottish Knight 875 Ton Iron Barque built in 1876 nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137298128/view Call-PIC/11436 LOC Drawer Store PIC/11436 She married James Nelson in Rockhampton in 1884 at age 27

Writing about my great grandmother, Ada Martha Vöelkel was always going to be a challenge as she left a very tiny foot print for me to follow.  I do know that she was born on 25 January 1875 in Langenbielau in Silesia in Germany to Reinhold Vöelkel and Christiana Pietsch.  According to the record, the birth occurred "in the evening at half twelve o'clock has born a child female sex and which has received the forenames Ada Martha" FHL Number 1191998. Langenbielau, Germany 1898 Langenbielau is now known as Bielawa in Lower Silesia, Poland.  This was renamed when the border changed after the end of WW2. When Ada was two years old, the family immigrated to Rockhampton, Queensland from Hamburg on the ship "Fritz Reuter" arriving on 4 October, 1877 and casting anchor at Keppel Bay near Rockhampton.  Ada came with both her parents, Reinhold Vöelkel aged 42 and Christiana Pietsch aged 41, Herrman aged 9 and Alwine aged 3.  From family stories, Reinhold Vöelkel had been

Flag of Norway and Map showing Kragerø and Gjerstad Ole Jensen 1813-1873 and Else Olsdatter 1814-unknown Ole Jensen (2xgreat grandfather) was born about 1813 in Monen, Gjerstad, Aust-Agder, Norway.  In 1835 he married Else Olsdatter (2xgreat grandmother) who was born in 1814 at Holte, Gjerstad.  Together they lived on the farm Kvenhusbraten (Skreme) in Gjerstad . In 1844 Ole Jensen (Monen) bought the farm Hagane in Gjerstad in 1844.  He owned the farm for seven years until 1851 when he had to leave the farm.  Their first child, Gunhild Olsdatter was born in 1836 on this farm called Hagane in Gjerstad.  On the 11th August 1855 the family moved to Smedsbukta in Kragero, Telemark, Norway.  At the time of Gunhild Olsdatter's wedding, who was their daughter, Ole Jensen was known as Ole Jensen (Hagane).   Gunhild Olsdatter married Christen Hermansen on 13th April 1871.  Another daughter, Ingeborg Olsdatter was born 1839 in Gjerstad and married Thor Thorbjornsen.   Gunhild Olsdatter 1836-

For a Scottish lass with her first husband, Peter Duncan and their children, Isabella, Catherine and Esther, the climate change must have been a great shock.   The ship  "Oban Bay"   built in 1876 of 1108 tons,  arrived into Townsville on 19 July, 1883 having left Glasgow on 20 March, 1883.  The weather was at least winter in the southern hemisphere although, it is never cool in Townsville.   Catherine's sister, Mary Ann Meston had migrated ahead of her on the "Scottish Lassie"arriving in March 1883 and also arriving into Townsville.  Peter Duncan was a stone mason possibly giving him little prospects of getting a job in his field here.  Stone was not a medium widely used in Queensland for house building but mainly in large commercial buildings.  Peter's death which at this point in time has not been found possibly occurred in New South Wales but it is assumed it was sometime after 1889. Old Tenaments in Glasgow, Scotland The birth of Catherine Simpson Mesto