William Littlewood - South Australia & New South Wales

*THIS POST IS WRITTEN AS A RESEARCH POST* Written as I make discoveries and ponder how they connect with my William Littlewood.


As part of my University of Tasmania Diploma I am trying hard to keep better records and use better research skills. One of the things we are encouraged to do is to pose questions that we want to answer, date our research and write what we found. 

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29 September 2021

Where did William Littlewood arrive from? 

What I already know via death certificate

◾ Born about 1810 in England.

◾ Arrived Australia around 1841 (year time in Australia) - age around 31.

◾ Age at marriage 34 so marriage to Elizabeth Dungey around 1842/43.

◾ Religion (time of death) Church of England [CoE]

◾ Did not live in any other state prior to arriving in South Australia.

What I discovered:

Digital copies found via Family Search - Australia, South Australia, Adelaide, Admission registers, Adelaide Hospital, later Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1840-1952. **Note** These are now available through Ancestry and much easier to search.

Via hospital records we see in:

◾ 1844, labourer, William Littlewood aged 39. Making his birth year 1805. He is noted as being admitted "by direction of the governance" for treatment of "wound on tibia". 

◾ 1872 (Christmas Day) gives a bit more information on a William living at Meningie, born 1810. Birthplace Norfolk England. We know via birth records of our William's children that he did live in Meningie. He is a married labourer, belongs to the Church of England and paid for his treatment. Unfortunately there is no ship listed for his arrival details, and it says he's been in the colony for 3 years. I tend to think that this is possibly an incorrect entry. Our William would have been in the colony for around 33 years then. He spent 28 days in hospital for an "injury to the head". 

Other possible research:

Who were the other Littlewood's listed on the admission records -George , Edward [CoE] and Emma [Protestant] also listed on hospital record?

Conclusions: William was born around 1810, in Norfolk, England, and arrived in Australia around 1841.

30 September - 1 October 2021
What do we know about convicts called William Littlewood?

There is always a chance that William could have hidden his time as a convict. South Australia did not have convicts but they may have settled there after gaining their freedoms. 

From convictrecords.com we find three William Littlewoods. There is another on Ancestry.com that has birth year 1776 aboard the Waterloo, but searching deeper this appears to be William Littlewood (Atlas).

William [per Royal George] went with Sturt on his Murrumbidgee expedition. Born around 1793. Native Place Staffordshire. Age difference 17 years. Married Bridget Kelly (see separate post to why I don't think this was William's mother in spite of many pages claiming it is the case). Birth year and place different. Major vitals birth and marriage different).

William [per Atlas] Native Place: Norfolk. Born: about 1792 (based on permission to marry records) He would have been young to be our William's father, but not impossible. What excludes him though is he didn't receive Pardon until 1845 meaning he would have still been in NSW in 1843. Also married in 1838 and had sons William (1843) and George (1845) in NSW. Birth year and Australian states different. 

William [per Frances Charlotte] Native Place: Yorkshire Born: Around 1818 (Tasmanian Archives Appropriation List). Conditional Pardon: August 1842, Certificate of Freedom 1843 (Tasmanian Archives Conduct Record. He also is the correct age for William Littlewood who married Mary Norton 2 May 1843, both listed as free (Tasmanian Archives). Birth year is closer, freedom date is close to when he arrive. Our William married Elizabeth Dungey 25 February 1843 (Australian Marriage Index).

Conclusions: It is unlikely any of these are our William Littlewood based on location, age, freedom dates and marriage status.

1 October 2021
Can we find any evidence of William in South Australia before 1843?

In the 1841 South Australian Census there are two entries for William Littlewood. Both males aged between 21-35. (William would fit in this range). The census was completed in around 4 months (except Port Lincon which was completed later) so it is possible that William was recorded twice. He is the only Littlewood recorded. [More information on the 1841 South Australian Census]. Note at this time South Australia was only 5 years old.

William (1) was from Port Adelaide District A. (Family Search 1841 Census, Image 80), William (2) from District B (Family Search 1841 Census, Image 105). It could be imagined he started his year close to the port where he probably first set foot in South Australia and moved further out over a few months. In April 1841 an unclaimed letter (Trove) is waiting for William ... perhaps proof that he did change address. 

Possible Research: William Littlewood Norfolk in the 1830s UK.

Conclusion: It is probable that this is our William Littlewood. He arrived in South Australia between 1836 and 1841. A thorough search of shipping records has not pinpointed when or how William arrived in Adelaide.

2 October 2021

Can we find records for William Littlewood Norfolk in the 1830s via Find My Past?

The following have been found for William Littlewood Norfolk:

[1] William Littlewood [Rollesby and Bairns at East Ruston 1831] Marriage to Ann Elizabeth Alexander. Witness John Littlewood. (A lot of Ancestry trees have our William born at Rollesby but I have yet to see one show how they made the connection)

[2] William Littlewood [Hempstead 1832, 1835, 1836] Farmer at Manor House. [Norfolk Electoral Register] This is between Rollesby and East Ruston.

[3] William Littlewood [South Walsham 1832, 1835, 1836] Freeholder. [Norfolk Electoral Register]

[4] William Littlewood [East Tuddenham 1834]. Widow from Hempstead married Elizabeth Ann Gooch. Connected to William [2] 

[5] William Littlewood [Little Plumstead 1836] Marriage to Elizabeth Baker. Little Plumstead is right next to South Walsham so perhaps a connection to [3]

[6] William Littlewood [Rollesby 1837] Burial. Perhaps connected to [1] Another burial was registered for that year at Flegg, near Rollesby and in 1839 Charles Littlewood at Rollesby. 

[7] William Littlewood [Lodden 1837] Burial. Lodden not particularly close to any of the other places but closest of all is [3]

These colours are to represent a possible connection between the seven records. We know William Littlewood's son was named William so it is possible some of these could be William's father. The next research is to see if perhaps children came from the unions or what happened to the spouses.

Possible research: Search in British newspaper articles for the Norfolk Littlewoods. My Ancestry search using more specific locations.

Conclusion: There were Littlewoods living in Norfolk in the 1830s. They were living in two distinct areas. One North-East of Norwich and another East of Norwich. The two main areas being no more than about 23km (15 miles) from each other.

3 October 2021

**A whole day's research has disappeared from this page which is frustrating and I don't know why. I will summarise what I found before I have forgotten it.** 

What can we find out about the William Littlewoods in the Norfolk Censuses via Ancestry? 

1841 Census

Family One

The family are living in Rollesby (District 7). It is interesting to note that the names Robert & Caroline are Littlewood names still being passed down through our family. This William would have been born in 1811. He is listed as an agricultural labourer.

Family Two

This William is living in South Walsham (District 10). His household includes the Hall family who seem to be living from independent means . There are two servants. He would have been born around 1806. He is listed as a farmer. This William appears to be William [2] above.

Family Three

This William is living in Great Yarmouth (District 11). He would have been born around 1801. It is interesting to note he is a Mariner. Also interesting is he is 7 years younger than Susan. A quick search shows he is William Mitchell Littlewood, sailor, married Susannah Woods in Suffolk 1825. 

Family Four

This family is in Hempstead. Note the wife is Ann. Mary Ann would be about 14 in next census but is not listed there.

1851 Census

Family One

The family are still in Rollesby. We have additional information that Elizbeth Ann was born in Greater Yarmouth. There are 4 more children.

Family Two

William is recorded as single and living at South Walsham. Susannah Hall his border is married (but to who?) and her daughter Susannah is still living with her. 

Family Three

The family are still in the area at Great Yarmouth.

 

Family Four

This William is living in Hempstead. His wife is Elizabeth Ann. This must be Elizabeth Ann Gooch who married William [3]. Mary Ann is absent but in 1861 is listed as Mary Ann Gooch Littlewood

Family Five

This William is living at Little Plumstead (District 4).  It is interesting to note that Ann is a dress maker (Susannah Hall was listed as one). This Ann was born in Burlingham. Little Plumstead is near South Walsham. Via a number of trees she is "Ann Benn" and married William in 1847.

4 October 2021

I had done a lot more research on those families and discovered Family One's Ann Elizabeth was Ann Elizabeth Alexander. People may have added him to their family tree as his age is right, but he did not leave England to go to Australia in the 1840s.

For now I will leave these as I'm not sure they will give me any more information but I can come back later if  think there is a connection. For now they will be to help me try and see if any Williams disappear from Norfolk before the 1841 census. My new question is:

What birth records can we find in Norfolk for William Littlewood between 1805-1820 using Find my Past, Ancestry and Family Search? 

1805 (23 April) Son of Joseph and Lydia (nee Hall) of Rollesby/Bagthorpe.

1813 (born 30 April) William Littlewood son of husband man Covey and Elizabeth (nee Wall) of Plumstead Parva (Little Plumstead). (Covey and Elizabeth are recorded as married 26 April 1813).

1814 (baptised 16 February) William son of  Mary illegitimate (soiled record) spinster of Honing. 

1814 (baptism 29 May) Christopher son of farmer William and Elizabeth (nee Bonefield) of Langely.

 

1817 (baptism 22 December) Leonard William son of Leonard and Mary of Norfolk.

1819 (baptism 30 January) William son of Charlotte Littlewood of Thurlton. 

1819 (baptism 30 May) William Littlewood son of farmer Edward and Elizabeth of Framlingham. (died November aged 9 months).