1821info1b for Caleb Crompton - Van Diemens's Land v.B.13

1821 Info 1b: Caleb Crompton
His early life and emigration to Van Diemen's Land

Caleb's birth

Source: Nafferton church records
Caleb Crompton
b.23jul1821
c.17aug1821 Nafferton
by Martha and Richardson Crompton farmer, Nafferton
Curate Thomas Ibbotson

Source: IGI film 919202
Caleb CROMPTON (M)            C: 17 Aug 1821                 Ba: C106381
Father: Richardson CROMPTON   Nafferton, Yorkshire, England  So: 919202
Mother: Martha

Caleb in 1841

The 1841 census of 06 June shows that of Thomas Richardson and Martha's children James 1807, William 1808, Elizabeth 1811, Jane 1819 Crompton/Pears and Caleb 1821 lived in North Newbald. Caleb was recorded as a 'farmer' living with his sister Jane Pears.

The enumerator marked this "house" before Eastgate, suggesting Caleb lived in the left hand white house around The Green, with his sister Jane.

However, it is known that Caleb was in Australia at the time of the census and this may account for Caleb being included as the very last family member, below a farm servant. But Jane's reason remains a mystery.

Right: The Green in North Newbald.

1841 Census Son/Mon 6/7 June 1841
Source:   FHL Film PRO Ref HO107
          Piece 1219 Folio 8 Page 7
Dwelling: Green
Place:    North Newbald, York

Name              Age  Occupation
Abraham Pears     25   Farmer
Jane Pears        20
John Pears        10m
Richard Pears     15   Butcher
Richard Sutherby  11
Hannah Kirby      15   F S
Caleb Crompton    20   Farmer

1821info1b, sheet 2


Above: A composite image of the 1841 census showing Caleb living in North Newbald

1821info1b, sheet 3

Caleb arrives in Van Diemen's Land

The initial Van Diemen's Land land-grants, to the European settlers, by the Government of George IV, favoured the influential and wealthy, who used convict labour to their own advantage. They constructed houses of locally made bricks and sandstone, and established farms on their three hundred and fifty acre grant, comprising much of the best land in the far north west of Tasmania. This land, however, proved unsuitable for sheep as planned, and the Van Diemen‘s Land Company failed. Source: Celebrating 100 years of the Federation of Australia Caleb sailed from London, departing Gravesend on 05 September 1839, on aboard the 372 tons barque "Branken Moor", Captain David Smith master, and arrived in Port Adelaide on 04 February 1840 with 72 other migrants. His onward passage to Van Diemen's Land may have been by the same ship or by a local ferry such as the brig "Henry". Source: Australian shipping records

The initial Van Diemen's Land land-grants, to the European settlers, by the Government of George IV, favoured the influential and wealthy, who used convict labour to their own advantage. They constructed houses of locally made bricks and sandstone, and established farms on their three hundred and fifty acre grant, comprising much of the best land in the far north west of Tasmania. This land, however, proved unsuitable for sheep as planned, and the Van Diemen‘s Land Company failed.

Source: Celebrating 100 years of the Federation of Australia

Caleb sailed from London, departing Gravesend on 05 September 1839, on aboard the 372 tons barque "Branken Moor", Captain David Smith master, and arrived in Port Adelaide on 04 February 1840 with 72 other migrants. His onward passage to Van Diemen's Land may have been by the same ship or by a local ferry such as the brig "Henry".

Source: Australian shipping records

However, 'The Free Arrivals Index' shows:

Immigrants arrived on Board the Ship: Brankenmoor from London via Cork, arrived Launceston 4 April 1843
[Ref:] 831-3
Name: Caleb Crompton
Single
Age: 22
Children:
Trade or Occupation: Shepherd and farm servant
Where born: Yorkshire
Religion: Episcopalian
Education: Read and write
Wages: No engagement
In what capacity engaged on arrival: Farm servant 12/- a week
Name and address of employer: Mr Manning, Evandale
Remarks: Mr George Ta?ai?

Source: Launceston Archives Office

This would tie in with the Brankenmoor's only direct voyage to Launceston whilst allowing Caleb to be on the 1841 UK census.
It is interesting to note that Caleb's given occupation is different from that of 'farmer' in the 1841 UK census. Farmer implies land owner or tenant, similar to his brother William at Bullen's Farm. On this immigration document Caleb's occupation is more inline with his brother James.

"Known passengers who [went] to South Australia under the free emigrants scheme from all the listed vessels [can be located] through their embarkation number." Button Pat, A Free Passage to Paradise?, 1992 SAGHS or GRG 56/68/45. However, Caleb does not appear to be listed in the assisted passengers list so perhaps he paid the £19 steerage fare for a single male, with full provisions.
See: Footnote *1

1821info1b, sheet 4

Launceston Reference Library suggest that the homestead of Spring Dale was along Lake River, south-east of Cressey. However Spring Dale does not appear on modern maps.

Lake River is, and was, only so-called from its origins at the south, to its union with the Macquarie River near Longford - a modest stretch of some thirty-odd miles. The southern reaches of Lake River (at least the first 15 miles) remain to this day, inaccessible by track - there are none. This leaves us with only another 15 odd miles to suppose the location of the farm.
The region formerly know as Lake River was re-christened to Pisa around 1900. Pisa remains as a township though that is a most flattering description of the outpost.
A computer image of a hand drawn survey map, which I believe dates from the 1930s, list many of the farms and homesteads in the area, but sadly, no Spring Dale. There is property/locale known as Spring Bank situated a few miles due west of Longford (on the eastern banks of some spring-fed swamps) and about the same distance north east of Longford, a spot named "The Springs".
It has been suggested that Spring Dale was a police post, but there is no evidence to support this.

An impression of the land first settled by the British is given in by Richard Flannigan.

'When the English first arrived [in Van Diemen's Land] ... the land was fat and full of trees and game. ... When the English first saw plains so thickly speckled with emu and wallaby dung that it looked as though the heavens must have hailed sleek black turds upon this land ... Through the last of the farmland, the boggy marshy, marginal paddocks of the soldier settler whose hopes sagged even more than their post-and-rail fence. The meadows gave way to button-grass plains and scrub, then, ... the world of pencil pine ... forests, wide and open, interspersed with lawns of undamaged moss, the occasional deciduous beech copse.'
Source: Flannigan R, 1994, Death of a River Guide, Grove Press, New York

It is possible that Caleb may have taken over one of the original 350 acre grant of the failed Van Diemen‘s Land Company. The area is currently regarded as prime Tasmanian farmland and it seems that Caleb, according to his letter, turned the sheep grazing land grant into a "successful" 350 acre mixed farm.

Right: The green area on the map shows Lake River's drainage basin and the possible site of Caleb's farm.
Source: Tasmania 1:100 000 Topographical map - South Esk.

Spring Dale map

The following illustrations are sourced: Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts
In: Sketchbook of Tasmanian scenes

Subjects:	Rivers - Tasmania	Mountains - Tasmania, Northeastern
Landscape - Tasmania, Northeastern	Ben Lomond (Tasmania) - History	Lake River (Tasmania) - History

1821info1b, sheet 5

Above: Ben Lomond and the Lake River from Richmond Hill
Creator: Emily Stuart Bowring 1835-ca. 1912 Unsigned and undated. Pencil on paper; 23 x 34cm. Date: c.1856

Lake River, Tasmainia 46Kb-jpg

Above: Lake River Western Tier from Richmond Hill
Creator: Emily Stuart Bowring 1835-ca. 1912 Unsigned and undated. Pencil on paper; 23 x 31cm. Date: c.1856

1821info1b, sheet 6

Caleb's marriage to Frances Lombe

Caleb was married at York Street Baptist Church, Launceston on 14 July 1844 to Frances Louisa Lombe (Fanny).

Right: York Street Baptist Chapel taken in 1995. There was a note attached to the picture saying: "former Baptist Chapel". This is self-evident from the picture.

NOTE: On the certified copy of the marriage certificate Caleb is recorded as Cable and Cabel.

York Street Baptist Chapel, Launceston 46Kb-jpg

Victoria Pioneer Index:
14 Aug 1844 Caleb aged 24 Frances aged 22

No.	When Married and where	Name and Surname	Age	Rank	Signature and Description of Parties	Name of Clergyman	When Registered	Signature of Officiating Minister
184`4` MARRIAGES in the registration district of `LAUNCESTON`
`1054`	`14th August 1844 Baptist Chapel York Street Launceston`	`Caleb Crompton`	`24`	`Farmer`	`Caleb Crompton Bachelor`	`Henry Dowling`	`14th August 1844`	`Henry Dowling`
	`14th August 1844 Baptist Chapel York Street Launceston`	`Frances Louisa Lombe`	`22`	`Spinster`	`Frances Louisa Lombe Spinster`	`Henry Dowling`	`14th August 1844`	`Henry Dowling`
	`Married in the Baptist Chapel, York Street, Launceston according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Congregationalists`
	This marriage was solemnised}`Caleb Crompton` between us } `Frances Louisa Lombe`				In the Presence } `William Lombe` of us } `Mary Ann Robertson`

1821info1b, sheet 7

Life at Spring Dale

For sometime after Caleb's letter to his mother the farm must have been successful as . On 19 July 1848 Caleb sailed to Port Adelaide "exporting" his produce on board the brig 'Henry' (107 tons, AF Farley master) and perhaps again on 4 September 1848, this time exporting 17 bags of oats. These trips suggest that Caleb and his family may have been frequent travellers between Launceston and Adelaide.

The Archives Office of Tasmania records Caleb's journey at POL220/1 p10. Here he is also referred to as a 'free passenger'.

Right: The passenger list of the "Henry" showing Caleb listed on the bottom line. Click here for a 296kb gif image.

Whilst at Spring Dale, Maralena louisa was born in July 1845 and Elizabeth milner in June 1847. Colonial Tasmanian Family Links database references for Caleb and family are:

Caleb            TASP 86940
Frances Louisa   TASP 22394
Maralena Louisa  TASP 57295
Elizabeth Milner TASP 57296
Caleb and Fanny's marriage TASP 86940 and 222394

There are a plethora of accounts and anecdotes that the Lake River region of Caleb's era - particularly during his time there - was a pretty scary place. It seems that there was quite a spate of criminal raids on farms in the area by those who'd been freed from the penal establishments and clearly returned with vigour to their old ways. Typically, this would involve holding the homesteaders hostage for a day or two, stealing food clothing and general supplies, then leaving before the police arrive. While there is not much mention of murder or serious assault, threats were aplenty. So perhaps Caleb's move was precipitated by fears for the safety of his family rather than a failure of the farm?

Footnote #1

Neither the Australian Maritime Museum nor The National Maritime Museum, at Greenwich, has a likeness of the "Branken Moor". The PRO, at Kew, does not hold passenger lists before 1860.

The barque Branken Moor is also recorded as bringing 152 migrants from Cork to Port Phillip Colony, Melbourne, New South Wales on 3 December 1841, under Captain David Smith with the medical supervision of Doctor Large. The bounty for the voyage was £2532 at £48/6/0 for a family ticket, £19 for a single male or female ticket.
Ref: Branken Moor passenger list 1841

The Brankenmoor also berthed in Australia in 1845 with Captain Carr as Master and Griffiths, Borradaile "&" Co as agents.

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version B13 Updated 21 November 2009