EDWARD CHENHALLS One of 200 Convicts Transported on “Marquis of Wellington” 1814 Sentenced to 14 years at Kent Assizes Transported to NSW

NAME: EDWARD CHENHALLS AGE: About 50 years (death record 1823 aged 60 years) DIED: 10 April 1823

TRIED: 14 March 1814, Kent Assizes, Chatham-Kent SENTENCE: 14 Years CRIME: Theft of work gear whilst employed at Chatham Dockyard

CRIMINAL REGISTER: Tried at the Lent Assizes in Kent in 1814

SHIP: Marquis of Wellington – departed 1 September 1814, arrived Sydney 27 January 1815, a voyage of 148 days, carrying 200 male convicts (1 death, 1 relanded in England) – Master George Betham, Surgeon Thomas Leighton. Guard commanded by Lieut Nunn. Travelled via Madeira and Rio de Janeiro, where they stayed for 3 weeks.

FAMILY –

PARENTS and SIBLINGS: (From the OPC website and IGI, unconfirmed, possible connection only) – Children of Edward and Rachel Chenhalls – Thomas Chenhalls, baptised 2 September 1750, St Buryan Mary Chenhalls, baptised 6 April 1753, St Just in Alice Chenhalls, baptised 3 August 1757, John Chenhalls, baptised 13 April 1759, St Just in Penwith Edward Chenhalls – daughter – of St Just, baptised at St Buryan 28 March 1761 Edward Chenhalls, baptised 27 February 1761, St Just in Penwith Honor/Honour Chenhalls, baptised 12 February 1763, St Just in Penwith Grace Chenhalls, baptised 5 November 1765, St Just in Penwith Margaret Chenhalls, baptised 9 July 1768, St Just in Penwith, and again 10 Dec 1768

WIFE and CHILDREN: (Information found on the IGI) – Edward Chenhalls – married 1802, Kent-England, to Mary Unknown (patron submission) Edward Chenhalls died 10 April 1823 (Patron Submission on IGI) – NSW BMD Index: Edward Chenhall, died 1823, aged 60 years, Reg. V18235736 2B/1823 (born about 1763? Which matches the family above) Wife: Mary Chenhalls; died 21 June 1823, Sydney-NSW (Coroner) : NSW BMD Index, Mary Chenhall, aged 55 years, Reg V1823890 8/1823) From online family trees, it appears Edward Chenhalls served his sentence and returned to England, and subsequently returned to New South Wales with his wife and three daughters aboard the “Lord Wellington” ** on 20 January 1820, This information is unconfirmed; descendants may have confused the vessel with “Marquis of Wellington” and the family arrived with their convict father. 3 Daughters and a Son:  Elizabeth Chenhalls, baptised 23 February 1800, Chatham-Kent  Anne/Hannah Chenhalls, born July 1802/3, Chatham-Kent, Married in Sydney aged 19 – “Anne Chenhalls, spinster, daughter of Edward Chenhalls of Sydney (Blacksmith), married by Licence, to William Henry Chapman, bachelor, of Sydney (Shipwright)”. Applied 21 January 1823, and married 25 January 1823, by the Rev. W. Cooper. (V1823252 8/1823 and V18233063 3B/1823). Around 1836, William Henry Chapman sold his Sydney interests (mainly boat-building and real estate) and moved to the Macleay River area. (Port Jackson Mailing List Archives). When Ann died in 1889 at Kempsey she claimed for her obit that her parents were among the first free settlers to Australia. This clearly was not true but both she and William Henry went to a lot of trouble to bury their convict past. Wm Henry was a convict also. He came out on "The Pitt" in 1792 and lived with Anne Mash by whom he had 6 children  Honor Chenhalls, born 1804/5, Kent-England – Honor/Honora Chenalls married Samuel Fowler in 1821 at St Phillips Church of England, Sydney-NSW (V1821188 8/1821 and V18212851 3B/1821). Samuel Fowler was born about 1780, and died 24 August 1830, aged 50 years, Sydney-NSW. Samuel was a carpenter who arrived in Sydney aboard the “Commander” on 13 June 1802. He married Honor Chenhalls on 24 December 1821, he was aged 41 years and she was about 17; she died 30 August 1830 in Sydney. Honor was born 1804 in Kent, and arrived in Sydney with her parents and 2 sisters aboard “Lord Wellington” on 20 January 1820. Samuel and Honor had three children – Mary Ann (1821), Harriet (1823) and Elizabeth Henrietta (1825).  William Chenhalls, born 28 July 1806, Chatham-Kent

** The “Lord Wellington” carried female convicts from Ireland and England, departed 27 April 1819 and arrived 27 January 1820; there is no mention of the Chenhalls family in the onboard journal kept by the surgeon, Edward Foord Bromley, MD, Surgeon, Royal Navy

NEW SOUTH WALES STATE ARCHIVES -

Early Probate Records – Edward Chenhalls, Series NRS 13725, Reel 2658, Entry No 209

Coroner’s Inquests – Mary Chenhalls, 21 June 1823, Sydney (p.261-6, reel 2233, series NRS 5602)

NSW BDMs – Edward Chenhall – died 1823 – aged 60 years – Reg. V18235736 2B/1823

DESCRIPTION – Trade: Blacksmith – employed at Chatham Docks in Kent during the Napoleonic Wars Native Place: Cornwall - (shown on the indent for “Marquis of Wellington”)

NEWSPAPER REPORTS –

THE SYDNEY GAZETTE, 8 JANUARY 1824 – GEORGE THE FOURTH, by the Grace of God, of the of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To the next of kin of Edward Chenhalls, late of Sydney, in the Territory of New South Wales, deceased, and to all Christian People. GREETING:- You and each of you are hereby cited and warned, that you be and appear in our Supreme Court of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for the Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, at the Office of the Supreme Court, Bent-street, Sydney, in the Territory aforesaid, on Saturday the Seventeenth Day of January Instant, at 11 o’clock in the Forenoon, and that you and each of you, or for ever renounce the Administration with the Will annexed, of the Goods, Chattels, Rights, Credits, and Effects, of the said Edward Chenhalls, deceased, as is represented to us. Witness, the Honourable Baron Field, Esquire, Judge of our said Supreme Court, at Sydney aforesaid, this Seventh Day of January, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four. BARON FIELD, Judge.

REFERENCES – http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-PT-JACKSON-CONVICTS/2007-08/1188027572 http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2182522 http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-PT-JACKSON-CONVICTS/2005-05/1116913158

Copy of the Will of William Chinhalls, St John in Penwith, dated 10 June 1776, bequeathing his property to his wife Alice, and his children William, Honour (the widow of James Tregear), Margaret (widow of Richard Oats), Grace, Edward and his wife Rachall - Following the will of William Chinhalls, is the will of William Chinhalls dated 22 Sept 1780, husband of Sarah – possibly brother or son of the first William Chenhalls? http://west-penwith.org.uk/probate/cro12.htm

Honora and Samuel Fowler – http://www.easystreetretreat.com.au/australianroyalty/individual.php?pid=I71087&ged=purnellmccord.ged&tab =0

Son-in-law, William Henry Chapman, shipbuilder and cedar cutter, article available in October 1994 issue at the Macleay River Historical Society – http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/pdfs08/heritage-publications-cat-jul08.pdf The Chapman’s property in Macleay was known as “Euroka” (see neighbour’s info) – “It was located on the most Westerly section of a sweeping part circular bend in the Macleay River up stream from East Kempsey and adjoined on the east the 1836 taken-up run of William Henry Chapman, named “Euroka”.” http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jray/grace/index.htm

Notes from his great-great-grandson, John Chapman (email received 30 October 2010) – Edward was born in Cornwall and was a blacksmith by trade. He worked at Chatham dockyard in the period of the Napoleonic Wars. He was convicted of taking work gear home and sent here for 7 years. The family came too. Some family members believe he was "set up" on the charge and there is some evidence to support this. The colony was desperate for qualified tradesmen at the time and, just as they exported a considerable number of women to balance up the sexes earlier, they leant on tradesmen later. I do not have a birth date for Edward but he died in 1823 as did his wife Mary (surname unknown) They had 3 daughters and a son. Elizabeth born 23/02/1800 at Chatham. Kent, Hannah July 1802 at Chatham. She married in Sydney ager 19 then Anne born 1805 she said at Melbourne. She married William Henry Chapman in 1823(a big year for the Chenhalls) then a son William born 28/09/1806 at Chatham. When Ann died in 1889 at Kempsey she claimed for her obit that her parents were among the first free settlers to Australia. This clearly was not true but both she and William Henry went to a lot of trouble to bury their convict past. Wm Henry was a convict also. He came out on "The Pitt" 1792 and lived with Anne Mash by whom he had 6 children

Last Updated: 30 October 2010

Compiled by Trish Symonds