by Ann Stevens
(originally published in "IBIS LINKS"-June 1988)
When my G-G Grandfather was Baptised in England in 1818,his name was shown in the Register as William Batby Hutchinson,but on the few occasions that Iv'e seen his full name written since then,it has always been William Batley Hutchinson.He was the son of The Reverend James Hutchinson and his wife Sarah (nee RADCLIFFE) who lived in Duke Street,Chelmsford,Essex,England.
The Rev.James Hutchinson was Baptised on 27th March 1780, in Kingston-on-Hull in Yorkshire, which is usually just referred to as Hull. He matriculated from Cambridge University in 1799,achieving his B.A. in 1802 and his M.A. in 1823. He became curate of Brienson, St. Andrew-in-the Grove, and Clerk in Orders of Halifax Church in Yorkshire in 1805. He became Headmaster of Chelmsford Grammar School in 1828 and was still holding this post when he died at the age of 73 in 1853.He was also Chaplain at the local gaol for many years and Chaplain at the Grammar School too.According to his funeral notice :-"seldom has there been an old inhabitant carried to the grave amidst marks of sorrow and esteem".The Grammar School closed after his death in April,1853 and did not re-open again until January,1856.
Very little is known about William's early life in Chelmsford,or that of his brothers and sisters:-James 1809-?;John 1811;Anna Maria 1812; James 1813 (later the Rev James); Sarah 1814;Mary Ann 1820; Henry Parker 1823 and Margaret Jane 1825.
In 1838 William B.HUTCHINSON married Louisa Harriet BULLER BRAZIER at St Georges in Hanover Square,London.At the time William was 20 and his bride was either 14 or 15.Louisa was born in Honfleur,France,but I believe her father was English,being the illegitimate son of Admiral Sir Edward BULLER of Trenant Park,Cornwall,and her mother,Harriett ASHER,was the daughter of a Polish Count and Countess who had fled Poland during one of the many wars in that area. I have not been able to prove any of this as yet and as it all happened so long ago,I doubt if I ever will.
According to the book "AN AUSTRALIAN TELLS ENGLAND" which was written in about 1935 by Bertha E. Phelps (nee SAMPSON) who is a descendent of this family;Louisa married without her parents knowledge or consent.The following is quoted from this book: "The lady's maid was brushing Louisa's long black ringlets in preparation for her return to boarding school,when she noticed a small cord around her neck."Mademoiselle,what is this? she demanded, giving the cord a pull.Out into view came a bright new wedding ring,and with less than usual ceremony,the maid went off to tell her mistress of her discovery." As Civil Registration had only started in England the previous year,Louisa would not have had to produce her Birth Certificate when she was married and it is quite easy for some girls to apply make-up etc. to make themselves look older than they actually are! The details in the register are as follows:-
William Batley HUTCHINSON,full age,Batchelor,
Surgeon of Chelmsford,Essex
married
Louisa Harriett BULLER BRAZIER,full age,spinster,
of Green Park Hotel.
By License,before W.H.Dickinson,curate.
Both of them signed and the witnesses were William James LUCAS and Sarah Julia DRAKESFORD.His father was given as James HUTCHINSON,Clergyman while her father was given as Edward BULLER BRAZIER, Post Captain.
When she was an infant, Louisa had been betrothed to someone, who was by then,a captain in India,and it was because of this betrothal that they wished for a quiet wedding, so that nothing could part them. William was reputed to have passed his examinations as a doctor at the time of his wedding and it and it was decided that Louisa would not go back to boarding school, but that the couple would go to Australia and start a new life. William was supposed to have saved his fare out by coming as a ship's surgeon, but l have not been able to prove this as yet. ln fact, the only shipping record that l can find between their marriage in April 1838 and the birth of their first child in February 1840, is a Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson who left England on the "Royal Saxon" on 20th November, 1838, arriving in Sydney on 31st March 1839, but there is not enough infomation to know whether this was them or not!
The 1841 Census of N.S.W. shows William and Louisa with their baby son that died later that year, living in a rented house in Hanboun Street, Wollongong, but they did not appear to stay in any one place for very long. Another point of interest is that according to the infomation given at the birth of each child, William appeared to change his occupation very regularly and seemed to be very versatile, lending his hand to all types of work.
I shall give the names of his children, together with their place and year of birth; the married names of the girls were known and the father's occupation at the time. (from certificates).
William Edward 1840-41 Appin,(schoolmaster); Gertrude Ella Sarah Buller 1842 Appin,(PORTER),(Postmaster and Schoolmaster); Harriet Buller 1843 Kiora, (SAMPSON),(surgeon); John James Buller 1845 Kiora, (surgeon); Mary Louisa Buller 1847 Macdonald River (schoolmaster); Henry Buller 1849 Singleton, (Teacher); Anna Maria Buller 1853-63 Avisford, ( Trooper in Gold Police); Emily Hely 1855 "Havilah Station" (near Mudgee), (SAMPSON), (Farm Ovenseer); Fanny Porter 1857 Wollar Farm (near Mudgee),- (1. DAWSON 2.SANDS), (Sheep Ovenseer); Edward James Buller 1859 DUBBO; Unnamed Child born and died in 1861 at Mudgee.
As well as the jobs shown on the certificates,William was also reputed to have held many more positions,some of which I have listed below,but I have not had time to check up on most of them as yet:-Land Commissioner in Newcastle c.1844;Commissioner for crown lands in Singleton and also starting the Singleton Grammar School;Commissioner for Goldfields at Turon and Louisa Creek; Manager of "Havilah Station";Editor and partner in "The Western Post"in Mudgee.At the time of his death in 1861,he was the proprietor of the Mudgee Newspaper which was the opposition to "The Western Post",so I'm not sure if Bertha's book gave the wrong newspaper,or if he changed papers somewhere along the line.He apparently used his power as an Editor and exposed the wrongs to which Station Employees were subjected,and because of this "many threatened the Editor,who,quite undaunted,published more articles of the same kind,from data supplied by working-class and other admirers.At last,though no names were mentioned,a certain squatter felt himself to be the subject of attack and began a libel action.This caused a good deal of worry,for law is very expensive and money was scarce.William then had a stroke which ended his troubles but left Louisa with at least four young children to support.On William's Death Certificate,it gives the cause of death as 'Epilepsy of one day'which was most likely brought on by the libel suit which is very well documented. If in fact he was an epileptic,this could account for some of his erratic brilliance,as most of the time his writings in the paper were very good and then suddenly he would say something that was 'right off beat' which made you feel that there had to be a reason.
After William died in 1861,Harriett went to live with one of her children in Gulgong where she died in 1873. I would like to eventually trace all the descendents of this family.So far I am in touch with descendents on the PORTER and SAMPSON lines,while I myself am descended from Fanny.That is all the female lines covered which are usually the hardest as Anna Maria died in 1863 and although I can't find any record of her death,I believe that Mary Louisa died as an infant or young child. This means that the three lines on which I know hardly anything are those of John James Buller,born 28th September,1845;Henry Buller,born 12th April,1849 and Edward James Buller born 27th March, 1859.If there are any descendents of these three brothers,or any of the other children,I would appreciate it if they would please contact me at;
29 GREY STREET,GRIFFITH, NSW. 2680.
(02) 69643508