William Belsey & Robert Belsey

**Daryl** · 22-11-2011 02:06 AM

I have been trying to track down my Great Grandfather William Belsey B:1830 in Upchurch Kent (son of Lt. Henry Belsey RN and Mary Elizabeth Cooke). The last I knew of him in England was in 1841 at the Greenwich Royal Hospital School (boarding school for the sons of Navy men). I could not find any 1851/61 Census records, then he turned up in Melbourne in 1868 and married Catherine Mulvin, he was a drover at a property (Rupertswood) north of Melbourne (Sir Rupert Clarke – where “The Ashes” were created) and died of lockjaw in 1878. There is “family talk” that he went to Christchurch NZ as a crew member from England with a brother (Robert maybe) and then came to Melbourne, - but who knows…..another mystery. A family letter suggests that his instruments (???) were held in the Christchurch Museum in New Zealand but checking with Museum revealed no such records
His brother Robert b: 1828 in Acrise Kent England- Records found admitting Robert into the Greenwich Royal Hospital School on the 25th July 1839 so he was probably still there for the 1841 Census as he was not with the family and from there he has disappeared.
We have searched every passenger list to New Zealand from 1841-1868 for the brothers to no avail -
Hope springs eternal

Daryl
Warrawee NSW
Australia

**mrsp2008** · 23-11-2011 09:50 PM

Hi Daryl,

I hate to throw a spanner in the works and it may just be a coincidence, but I have found a Belsey family on the 1841 census, here is the transcription:

Father: Henry Belsey, age 51, profession Navy ? (can't make out next bit)
Mother : Mary, age 45
Children:
Jane, age 24
Sarah, age 20
Mary, age 17
William, age 11
George, age 6
Benjamin, age 2

The family are living in Chilcombe, Winchester. For all of them it states they were not born in Winchester, apart from Benjamin.

Here is the family in 1851

Father: Henry Belsey, age 60, profession Lieutenant RN on half pay, place of birth (POB): Dover, Kent
Mother: Mary E, age 55, POB: Sandwich, Kent
Children:
Jane Sayer Belsey, age 33, POB: Sanwich, Kent
Sarah Friend Belsey, age 30, POB: Womanswold, Kent
Mary E, age 27, POB: Swingfield, Kent
George, age 15, POB: Gillingham, Kent
Benjamin, age 12, POB: Chilcomb, Winchester

I've found the family in 1861 also. Henry has died and interestingly, under profession, Mary has stated she is the 'widow of Commander Henry Belsey'.

I cannot find William on the 1851 census, though! Will keep on looking!

Mrsp

**Daryl** · 23-11-2011 10:16 PM

Hi Mrsp - it is the right family. I have a lot of detail on the family and the issue I am chasing is how William got to Australia between December 1841 when he was at the Greenwich Royal Hospital School and 1868 when he was married in Melbourne Australia to Catherine Mulvin
regards
Daryl

**Daryl** · 24-02-2012 08:40 PM

Success - I have found my GGF William (Sayer) Belsey - After he left the Greenwich Royal Hospital School, he joined the Merchant Navy sailing on the "London" (I think that how it reads) to Australia and was discharged in the port of Geelong near Melbourne Victoria on the 28th July 1851.
20 years of searching, family folk lore "busted" and add bonus I found his two brothers Robert (another mystery) and Thomas both in the MN but did not come to Australia

Regards

Daryl

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