In former blogs, I have blogged about the emigration of various branches of our Bell Family to United States, Canada, and Australia. This emigration story spanned nearly a century and was virtually global in range.
The 1830’s were a terrible time period for our Bell ancestors in Kent, England. Many families who faced with starvation or the newly erected Workhouses, saw emigration as their only opportunity and salvation. However, they didn’t have the means to emigrate.
Fortunately, through various avenues several immigration schemes were being put forward by colonial governments particularly in Australia. Several of our Bell family took advantage of these schemes to emigrate.
George Bell (b1806) the second son and child of John and Mary Bell (nee Kemp) of Mereworth, Kent married Jane Hunt on 25 December 1827. They had a number of children all born at Mereworth; Jane (b1828), John (b 1830), Mary (b1832), George (b 1834) and Ann (b1837).
By 1837 this family had to rely on parish assistance to survive. The alternative was to go into the Malling Workhouse.
They wished to emigrate to New South Wales with other family members, but unfortunately, they could not satisfy some of the conditions for a free passage. Their children were too young for employment when they arrived. However, no such restrictions were proposed by the South Australia (Land) Company who were paying free passages for emigrants to come out to the newly formed free colony of South Australia.
George Bell was the right age and calling for a free passage, but the company was not prepared to pay the passage of his wife and children. The Mereworth Parish Overseers came to the family’s assistance and paid their passage. They also paid all the other costs of emigrating.
“1838 – An Account of Moneys Spent by me for the parish of Mereworth to assist in clothing and other expenses attending so many poor families who were emigrating from this parish to New South Wales”
Pd the Emigration Committee for passage for five children belonging
To George Bell £15.00
Pd Mr. Carr a bill for list shoes etc for G Bell 13. 4
Pd Mrs. Browning a bill ditto 14. 6
Pd Mr. Viner a bill for G Bell £2. 12. 6¾
Pd Mr. G Morphew a bill for tools for George Bell 18. 7
Pd Mr. Farrant for ditto £2. 16. 2
Pd J & T Dutt a bill ditto 9. 6
Pd Mr. Hy Shirley a bill for tin for G Bill 4. 10
Pd Mrs. Capan for allowance for G Bell and family at T(own) Malling 1. 10
Pd Mr. Samuel Glover bill for Bell £2. 17. 6
Gave George Bell and family to receive at landing in South Australia £3. 10. 0
Gave the man to pay for breakfast for himself and George Bell, his wife and
family on rode (road) to Deptford £1. 1. 0
Pd Mr. George Harryman a bill for meate (meat)for Mrs. Bell 2. 6
Pd Mr. Wolf a bill as part for Mereworth going to Deptford with emigrants 14. 0
Pd Mr. Durrell a bill at Meeting of South Australia Company 6. 0
Pd Mrs. C Goodwin a bill for George Bell £5. 16. 6
Pd Mr. Hards a bill for Mrs. Bell 11. 3
Paid for George Bells bed and bedding £4. 10. 0
This gives us a very detailed account of the costs involved in emigrating
Clothes and shoes, as well as the necessary tin lined trunk for the clothes to keep them dry on the voyage. Tools for George Bell to bring out with him to use in his employment.
The bed and bedding for the voyage and the family’s settlement in Australia. For the family to stay overnight at Malling and their transport to Deptford. From there the emigrants were taken to Gravesend to embark on the emigrant ship.
Image from https://www.google.com.au believed to be Barque Falls of Clyde now preserved as a museum ship in Hawaii. Retrieved 15 July 2017
A Barque has three or more masts with square sails on the foremast and fore and aft sails on the after mast. Generally in the range of 250-700 ton capacity.
George and Jane Bell and family embarked on the Resource, a barque of 417 tons built in Calcutta in 1804. It was owned by Mr. T Ward of London. The ship left London about 15 September (1838) under Captain Boyle and arrived in Port Adelaide on 23 January 1839. On board were more than 140 immigrants, many poor farming families from Kent and other places in England.
Shipping…
JAN. 23.—Barque Resource, Capt. Boyle, from
London, 7th October, with 140 emigrants and passengers.
Trove: Southern Australian (Adelaide, SA: 1838 – 1844) Wednesday 30 January 1839 p 2 Article From <http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?l-state=South+Australia&l-decade=183&l-month=1&l-year=1839&q=%27Resource%22>
South Australian Shipping…
Resource, from London, Captain Boyle, arrived 23 January, with one hundred and forty-three emigrants, six adults and fourteen children died during the voyage.
Trove: The Sydney Herald (NSW: 1831 – 1842) Wednesday 6 February 1839 p 2 Article From <http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=%22Resource%22&l-decade=183&l-year=1839&l-state=New+South+Wales&l-month=2&s=0>
Nola Mackey - Family History 