Hackney 1832-1852
Thomas and Nathaniel Blencowe grew up in what was by todays standards a village evolving in to the a surburb of London. His father William was a shoemakers and lived with other trades people on Cold Bath Lane in the heart of Hacknet. This written about the street in a history of Hackney “Apart from yards, the only offshoots from Church Street north of Hackney brook in 1831 were Coldbath (formerly Buck House) Lane, which ended at the brook, the houses on the south side of the old churchyard, and Bohemia Place, all in the 1820s inhabited by people in trades or crafts. Church Street itself was mainly commercial. So too, south of the brook, were Grove Lane, much of the Grove, Pleasant Place, Jerusalem Square and Place, and Morning Lane. Gentry, professional people, and prosperous merchants lived mainly in the newer houses, notably in Grove Place, the south end of the Grove and King’s Row, and Chatham Place.” Cold Bath Lane Hackney, doesn’t exist today,
One of five siblings there is no evidence that unlike at lot of the Blencowe emigrants he wasn’t in need of anything at home. He was called a House Servant in 1851 census, but, that was likely a role in the shoemaking business. However, along with younger brother Nathaniel, he shared a spirit of adventure and they had nothing to lose in going abroad.
The Voyage
The brothers embarked from Liverpool on the 12 July 1852 and after a period of 95 days arrived in Adelaide, South Australia on 15 October. Newspapers reported “This ship, with 236 passengers, left Plymouth on the 12th July, and arrived yesterday. Two births have occurred during the passage. There appears to have been no disease of any kind on board since leaving England, an exemption which is ascribed in no small degree to the great care now used in fitting up ships for the passenger trade, and the sedulous attentions of the officers appointed by the British Government at the several ports of departure.” It seems from the records the brothers were fare assisted passengers as were all the passengers on The Prince Regent ship. The painting below of Port Adelaide is wonderful and perhaps the brothers saw this in London and were tempted by its beauty into their adventure . See further on, how the painting was used to recruit emigrants. What is definitely the case is that the young men did see promotions for South Australia . Assisted passages were promoted at the time all over the country.
S T Gill was commissioned by local newspaper owner James Allen to paint a series of views of Port Adelaide in watercolour, not sketches. Allen took these watercolours to England and used them to illustrate a series of lectures in 1846, intended to entice immigrants and investment. Others followed as the port developed.
On this 1847 painting I’ve posted, on the left is the large red two-storeyed building which is the warehouse of the South Australian Company, which is located above their McLaren Wharf (named for the manager of the Company). The central light-coloured stone building is the Customs House, located above the Government’s Queen’s Wharf and warehouses. And the third building of note, on the right, is the Port Tavern. The original single-storey Port Tavern was destroyed by fire on 29 January 1847. In Gill’s various versions, we can see the original tavern, construction in progress amid a grid of scaffolding, and the resulting 2 story new tavern. source Frank Leyvraz Facebook
Adelaide 1852
On arriving in Adelaide for the brothers there would have been no doubt that the stories and illustrations of the country they had heard and seen about the opportunities, had not been oversold. However the local newspapers were full of this news.
This news swayed Nathaniel and Thomas and they went about getting a passage to Melbourne immeadiately. The brothers arrived in Melbourne on ship Prince Regent from Adelaide to dig for Gold.on 4 November 1852
Castlemaine Gold Digger 1852
Nathaniel and Thomas travelled to Victoria and they made their way to Castlemaine, where Gold Fever had struck, they likely took part in the frantic rush to a get a gold diggers licence and the ST Gill sketch below shows men queuing to get signed up.
It seems neither brother was succesful and they soon turned around and returned to Adelaide, where Nathaniel took up employment in a grocery business
Adelaide
On his return to Adelaide Thomas, unlike his brother settled for a quieter and less ambitious life, that said, he raised a family steeped in service to the new country of Australia. He met Maria Ferrel a young emigrant woman from Ladock in Cornwall. Maria came to Australia in 1858 at age 23 with her brother William Courtney Ferrel , probably a paid passage althought their father was a businessman owning the a transport service in Ladock. Maria like her brother died just over 40 years and thus Thomas a widower of that age brought up his 5 children and lived another 42 years on his own.
1862 Marriage Thomas John Blencowe to Maria Ferrel 14 Apr 1862 in Adelaide
Tragedy 1871
On the 8th of April 1871, the Death of second child Elizabeth Ferrel at just age 6.
1876 Widower
On the 18th April, at her residence, Cannon-street, Port Adelaide, Maria, ‘ the beloved wife – of Thomas Blencowe, in herthe 41st year of her age. Thomas was to be a widower for the next 33 years raising his children on his own it seems.
Land Title
Thomas had land in Adelaide that was formally recognise in April 1876 using a new Government title act. The land was in central Adelaide and about 1 acre the use of the land isnt stated in the Government gazette announcing the title.
Timeline – Thomas Blencowe at a glance
| Event | Date/Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Thomas Blencowe | |
| Birth Date | 1827 | |
| Birth Place | Clapton Hackney | |
| Census UK 1841 (6 Jun) | 6 Jun 1841, Cold Bath Lane, St John, Hackney, Middlesex | William Blencowe 40 Shoemaker Martha Blencowe 30 William Blencowe 15 Thomas Blencowe 14 Nathaniel Blencowe 8 John Blencowe 6 Mary Blencowe 2 |
| Census UK 1851 (30 Mar) | 30 Mar 1851, 2 Cold Bath Lane, St John at Hackney, Middlesex | Nathaniel Blencowe 18 son Head William Blencowe 54 Head shoemaker Martha Blencowe 48 Wife Thomas Blencowe 24 Son Hse Servant Nathaniel Blencowe 18 Son Clerk Wine Merchant John Blencowe 16 son Daughter Mary A Blencowe 12 George Blencowe 8 son |
| Emigrated | 15 Oct 1852, Adelaide | 15 Oct 1852 Nathaniel 20 and Thomas 24 arrive in Adelaide The Prince Regent departed from Plymouth, England on 12 July 1852 and arrived in Adelaide, South Australia on 15 October 1852, carrying 236 passengers |
| Travel | 4 Nov 1852, Melbourne, Vic | The brothers arrived in Melbourne on ship Prince Regent from Adelaide to dig for Gold. BLENCOE NATHANIEL 20 1852 NOV PRINCE REGENT JAGO WALTER BLENCOE THOS 25 1852 NOV PRINCE REGENT |
| Maria Ferrel arrives in South Australia | 26 Nov 1858, Adelaide | Arrived aboard the ship Confiance from Plymouth departed 4 Aug 1868 It appears that Maria age 23 was an assisted passenger on her own . her brother William Ferrel likely arrived in SA before here |
| Marriage | 4 Apr 1862, Trinity Church Adelaide | To Maria Ferrel |
| Birth of Daughter Elizabeth Ferrel | 8 Jan 1865, | |
| Birth of Son Thomas John | 18 SEP 1866, | |
| Birth of Daughter Catharine Maria | 28 Feb 1870, | |
| Thomas takes trip overseas | 15 May 1873, Semaphore | Thomas Blencowe in the News, 19 May 1873 - advetisement authorising his wife, Maria Blencowe, to pay all debts and receive all moneys that may come due during my absence from the Colonies. |
| Maria's brother dies | 3 Feb 1874, Adelaide | On the 3rd February, at Pirie- street, Adelaide, in the 41st year of his age, William Courtenay, eldest son of Mr. John Ferrel, omnibus proprietor, Ladock, Cornwall, England, and brother of Mrs. T. Blencowe, Port Adelaide. Cornish papers please copy. |
| Birth of Daughter Edith Emma | 2 Jun 1873, | |
| Widower | 18 Apr 1876, Adelaide | The death of wife Maria |
| Exhibited in Intenational Exhibition won an award | 1884, Calcutta Exhibition, India | reported in South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Wed 13 Feb 1884 |
| Death | 6 AUG 1909, Port Adelaide, South Australia | Advertiser Sat 7 Aug 1909 pg 2 THE Friends of the late Mr. THOMAS BLENCOWE are informed that his Remains will be removed from the residence of his Daughter-in-law (Mrs. T. J. Blencowe), Germaine Street, Semaphore, on SUNDAY at 12 o\'clock for internment in the Alberton Cemetery. J.C.Hoddy & Son, Funeral Directors. |
Descendants
Thomas centre with sisters Catherine Maria and Edith
Son Thomas John served in the Navy and was part of the force sent in 1900 force used to put down Boxer Rebellion in China. source news article 1950 News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 – 1954), Saturday 8 July 1950, page 2
7th veteran gunboat man Mr. Thomas John Blencowe, 83, of Germein street, Semaphore, is another surviving member of the crew of HMS Protector, the gunboat which fought in the Chinese Boxer rebellion in 1900. He was chief steward in the man-o’-war. Another former member of the crew, located since Messrs. J. Giles, W. T. Edwards, J. Ledo, R. Lucas, and F. Pearce, all South Australians, sought the names of former shipmates in the Protector, is Mr. J. Barr, 92, of Carlisle street, Ethelton.
Grandchildren that served
First Daughter Mary Ellen and William Shiell had two sons Albert Ernest and Victor Nathaniel that served in WW1
Catharine Maria Blencowe and George Acres had two sons served in WW1 and two in WW2 . Edgar George Acres made the supreme sacrifice for Australia.
Sources
- Daphne Austin genealogist’s Blencowe Database 2026
- State Library of Victoria
- Trove Newspaper Archives
- Ancestry
- Free BMD
- Family Search