Robert Ayton (1840-1886) family line
introduction
Robert Ayton (1840-1886), my great, grandfather, at 22 came to Victoria on the “Solway” and to Tasmania on the “Black Swan” in 1862 with his cousin Edward Ayton aged 23 and cousin Mary Ann AYTON who had married John MITCHELL.
Robert married Maryanne Blackwood LANE in 1868 who bore to him 10 children.
His sudden death in 1886 required an inquest, as he was found dead in Mr Butterfield's paddock, Cressy Rd. - finding of the inquest -the visitation of God.
His obituary stated he was a steady industrious man.
His last child Eda was born and died 1886, the year her father died.
Descendants of William AYTON and Mary WACEY
NB. although my AYTON ancestors married a RUDD, there seems no relation to Australia's past Prime Minister Kevin RUDD who also descended from a few convicts - see
ex-PM Kevin Rudd's ancestry.
also I am not related to descendents of convict Richard George AYTON who can be found
here.
map
Syderstone and Itteringham - the main towns in Norfolk, England where the Tasmanian Ayton's came from.
Introduction:
William AYTON was born in Norfolk, England and married Mary WACEY on 16th May 1775 at South Creake, Docking, Norfolk.
my mother had recorded William's DOB as 1st May 1763 in Norfolk but I cannot find a source for this information and it does not seem to fit with his marital record - thank you Ian Hall for the correction. My mother thought perhaps William Oughton b. 1/5/1763 of West Acre, NFK, son of William and Mary, was this William Ayton - seems unlikely.
Mary WACEY was born 2nd June 1754 in South Creake and died in
Syderstone, Norfolk on 24th Nov. 1797. Her parents were Thos WACEY and Elizabeth CHAMBERS.
There is record of a William Ayton, widower, marrying a Jane Hazell nee FREEZER?, widow, in Syderstone Parish Church on 17th April 1798 and who died shortly after in Nov. 1798, so it could well be that he re-married. (thanks to Lesley Day for the info)
John AYTON (my great, great, great grandfather) was born 10th July 1785 in Syderstone, Norfolk and married Anne BARNES on 16th June 1806
William AYTON (1807-87) (my great, great grandfather) was born, and died in Syderstone, Norfolk, England
Mary WELLS (my great, great, grandmother) was born in Tattersett, Norfolk, England in 1808, married William AYTON there on 15th Feb 1835 and died in Syderstone, Norfolk - presumably 1 month after her husband as there is a burial record of a Mary AYTON April 24th 1887 aged 78yrs immediately following the record of William AYTON on 28th March 1887 in Syderstone.
Convict deportation to Australia in 1837:
my great grandfather's uncle, Edward AYTON was convicted and transported to Australia on the Blenheim. This transportation resulted in the subsequent assisted immigration of his nephews, nieces and two daughters.
Assisted emigration to Australia in 1857:
-
Robert AYTON, son of Thomas and Mary AYTON, and cousin of my great grandfather, came to Australia as part of the assisted immigration scheme in 1857 arriving on the Southern Eagle.
Assisted emigration to Australia in 1862:
Robert AYTON (my great, grandfather) at 22 came to Victoria on the “Solway” and to Tasmania on the “Black Swan” in 1862 with his cousin Edward Ayton aged 23 and cousin Mary Ann AYTON who had married John MITCHELL. Robert married Maryanne Blackwood LANE in 1868 who bore to him 10 children. His sudden death in 1886 required an inquest, as he was found dead in Mr Butterfield's paddock, Cressy Rd. - finding of the inquest -the visitation of God. His obituary stated he was a steady industrious man. His last child Eda was born and died 1886, the year her father died.
Maryanne Blackwood
LANE (my great, grandmother) was born in Wreningham, Norwich, England on 28th Aug. 1843 to parents Robert LANE (1826-1904) and Susan BLACKWOOD (1825-1908). She emigrated to Tasmania with her parents and siblings.
Robert LANE, his wife Susannah and 6 children came to Australia on the “Shomberg” 1855 “Aus in 60 days, with or without God's help”. In a calm at Petersborough, Victoria along the infamous “
shipwreck coast”, it disintegrated on rocks, all had to be rescued. They were taken to Melbourne and to Tasmania on the “Ladybird” early 1856. Robert settled in Longford, where he and Susannah reared 11 children.
Susan
BLACKWOOD was born 1825 in Lower Westwick, Norwich, England and died in Longford, Tasmania. Her parents were James BLACKWOOD (1800-54) of Hethel, Norwich who married Jane RINGWOOD (b. 1796).
Ernest Robert AYTON (my grandfather) was born in Longford, Tasmania where he was apprenticed as a blacksmith to Sir Walter Lee who later visited him at his work in Sunshine, Victoria as a blacksmith for H.V. McKay - the company that invented the Sunshine Harvester and founded the suburb of
Sunshine. 35 years as a blacksmith at H.V.McKay resulted in blindness due to cataracts which impacted much of his later life.
see also my pictorial ancestry tree
Brief descendants of William AYTON and Mary WACEY of Syderstone, Norfolk, England:
Jane AYTON (1/6/1777-1856) d. Norwich, Norfolk
m. Robert CHAMBERS (1771-1851) (perhaps a cousin?)
Ann-Mary CHAMBERS (1797-1877) d. Norfolk
m. Philip Smithey (1773-1860)
Sarah Ann Smithey(1818–1898)
Hannah Smithey(1821–)
William Smithey(1826–1828)
Esther Smithey(1832–1889)
Clarissa Smithey(1834–)
Elizabeth Smithey(1836–1836)
Elizabeth CHAMBERS (1798-)
Cherry CHAMBERS (1800-)
Sarah CHAMBERS(1802-)
Hannah CHAMBERS (1805-)
Cheary AYTON (4/3/1780)
William AYTON (30/3/1783-1864)
John Edward AYTON (10/7/1785-14/4/1860)
birth b. Syderstone d. Morley, Norfolk
m. Anne BARNES (1785-) on 16 June 1806 in Syderstone, Norfolk,
William AYTON (1807-1887) labourer of Docking, Norfolk
m. Mary WELLS (?1809-1887) b. Foulsham, Norfolk
Ann Wells AYTON (1834-38)
Maria AYTON (1835/6-)
m. Thomas SCRIVINER (1847-)
Leonard Thomas SCRIVINER (c1875-)
Charlie William SCRIVINER (c.1878-)
Maria, Thomas and sons were living with her parents William and Mary in Syderstone in 1881
George AYTON (1838-1905)
Robert AYTON (1840-1886) - born in Docking, Norfolk; emigrated to Tasmania in 1862 and worked as a farm labourer and was found dead on the farm, inquest wrote “visitation of God” at age 46. (see
birth certificate)
m. Maryanne Blackwood
LANE (1843-1919) in Longford, Tasmania on 6th Aug. 1868
Hedley William AYTON (1868-1933) a horsebreaker, d. Ulverstone, Tasmania
m. Edith Christina LEE (c1867-1896) in 1893
photo of Edith's grave at Longford Wesleyan Cemetary taken by Peter Cubit, shows she was buried with Hilda LEE (c1877-1901), daughter of Robert LEE and presumably Edith's sister.
Ruby May AYTON (1894-1981) d. Launceston
Robert Leslie AYTON (1895-98) d. Launceston
m. Maria Adaline BILLING in 1899 in Sheffield, Tas. see
here
Elsie Maud AYTON (1899-) b. Sheffield Tas d. Mersey Tas see
here
Arnold Charles AYTON (1900-) - a saddler, b. Longford NOK Father Hedley William AYTON of Ulverstone; Mother Maria AYTON; enlisted for WWI service in Dec 1916 but discharged as made false statement as he was underage dobbed in by his mother. see
here; enlisted for WWII service in Burnie see
here
m. Sylvia May McLaren (1904–1960) in 1924 in Ulverstone Tas
lived in 32 King Edward St Ulverstone Tas
Allen Duncan Ayton(1925–1950)
Joan Ayton
Hedley David (Bruss) Ayton (1902-1968) b&d. Ulverstone
m. Myrtle Ivy Oram (1902–1972) in 1938 in Melb
m. Madge Bower (1900-1981)
Lance Hedley Ayton (1923-2002) b&d Wynyard Tas
Maxwell Ellis Ayton (1924-2001)
Terence Ayton
Iris Margaret Ayton(1904–1977)
m. Ellis Reginald Maney (1905-1987) in 1926
Bruce Ellis Maney(1927–2016)
Bevan George Maney(1938–1938)
Graeme John Maney
Lila Francis Ayton(1908–)
Winnifred Ida Ayton(1910–)
Joshua George AYTON (1870-1945)
Mabel Mary AYTON (1872-1956) d. Launceston, Tasmania, buried with her mother
m. Arthur Leslie STEWART (1869-1912) in 1895 in Vic
Frederick Petty Percy STEWART (1896-1931) b. Richmond Vic d. Melb
Gwennyth STEWART (1898-1978)
Elands Flora STEWART (1902-1972)
Sarie Jean STEWART (1905-1995) buried Tas.
Robert Ernest AYTON (1874-1972) son of Robert, became blind due to blacksmith-induced cataracts in middle age. d. Sunshine, Melbourne, Victoria
-
moved to Victoria in early 1912, renting initially in 14 Wellington St, Flemington before purchasing a house in Albion as he worked as a Blacksmith for H.V. McKay
Clifton Eric AYTON (1904-42)
Roy Ernest AYTON (1906-1906)
W.A. AYTON (1907-1907)
Reginald Allan AYTON (1909-59)
Ralph Henry AYTON (1911-June 1912) died at 14 Wellington St, Flemington aged 11 months from a febrile illness and “heart failure” which his father alleged was due to a vaccine - presumably diphtheria vaccine; buried at the New Melbourne General Cemetery;
Donald Robert AYTON (1914)
Arthur Albert AYTON (1916-83)
-
Elsie Maria AYTON (1876-1942) daughter of Robert, d. Ulverstone, Tasmania
m. William John ANDERSON (1868-1946)
Gwenneth Mary ANDERSON
Effie Isobel ANDERSON
Harold ANDERSON
Reginald Ayton ANDERSON (1900-70)
Margery Jean ANDERSON (1904)
Kenneth Robert ANDERSON (1907-84) boilermaker in Kensington, d. Werribee, Vic.
m. Freda PUGH 1933 in Footscray
Kenneth William ANDERSON (1935-)
Julie Anne ANDERSON (1953-)
Maxwell James ANDERSON (1910-71)
m. Florence Maud BELBIN (1915-1998)
3 children, lived in Burnie, then Kayena, then Launceston
Athol William ANDERSON (1919)
Aileen Dorothy ANDERSON (1920)
Alice Susannah AYTON (1878-1963) d. Launceston, Tasmania
Effie Elizabeth AYTON (1880-1962) d. Launceston, Tasmania
m. James Robert McNAMARA
Mary Elizabeth McNAMARA (1907)
Pearl Elsie McNAMARA (1909)
Walter James McNAMARA (1912)
Eva Lydia Jane AYTON (1882-83)
Ruby Albina AYTON (1883-) ?d. New Zealand
Eda AYTON (1886)
Sarah Ann AYTON (1842) ?
William AYTON (1844-)
John AYTON (1845-) son of William & Mary, see
here
Joshua AYTON (1850-) b. South Creak son of William and Mary
Thomas AYTON (1808/10-1889) son of John and Anne
Edward AYTON (1810/1814-1875) son of John and Anne
a married man of Norfolk, England to wife Sarah, and father of 3 was convicted of being in possession of stolen fleeces of wool and transported to Tasmania in 1837 on the
Blenheim for 7 years.
-
His wife Sarah, married a Henry Brown in England.
His daughter Maria married Thomas Yaxley and emigrated to Australia in 1857-62.
After serving his sentence he set up a coach run from Nile to Deloraine, married Hannah Woolnough, a free settler, had a child, Edward Henry to her, owned the Nile Hotel and a 320 acre block of land at Cressy, and bought or leased Calstock in Sept. 1853, a very desirable property near Deloraine.
-
-
He was buried in Evandale Cemetery near Launceston.
m. Sarah RAM (1810-) in 1831 (see
marriage cert and note that witnesses were his brother Thomas AYTON and his fiancee Mary HAMMOND)
m. Mary Ann HILL nee MOSS (-1856 Tas) in Apr, 1855
here, died 27/3/1856 at Morven
Mary Ann Maria AYTON (13/2/1856-30/8/1856) d. 6mths old (see
here)
m. Hannah WOOLNOUGH / WOOLNER (1814-) in Nov, 1856. Hannah had 3 more husbands (including Henry Thomas MOSS?) but only the one child. see
here
John AYTON (1818-1851) son of John and Anne
Thomas AYTON (28/5/1788)
birth son of William & Mary
Edward AYTON (24/8/1791)
birth
Richard AYTON (29/11/1794-5/1/1795)
Mary AYTON (29/11/1794-28/12/1794)
some photos
Joshua George AYTON (my grandfather's brother)
Robert Ernest AYTON (my paternal grandfather) a blacksmith who worked at the H.V.McKay harvester factory in Sunshine, Melbourne
Elsie Maria AYTON (my grandfather's sister)
Jeffrey Archibald AYTON (my father) with his parents
Robert Ernest AYTON and his wife on their motor bike
Clifton Eric AYTON
Reginald Allan AYTON
Arthur Albert AYTON
Edward Henry AYTON (1857-1919) click here for larger version and here for another photo of him and what appears to be another photo of him in April 1879 courtesy of Belinda Cohen (this photo still needs to be confirmed as Edward) Here is a newspaper article in the Launceston Examiner dated March 27th, 1869 referring to Edwrad snr, Edward Henry and his housemate, Stephen Woolnough who made the news on account of his strange disappearance whilst sleepwalking (a case of somnambulism) - page 1 and page 2 - thanks to Geoff Hamilton for forwarding to me.
debate
*** there is some debate that the Robert AYTON who married Harriett RUDD may not be the son of Thomas AYTON who married Mary Hammond, but the available facts show:
Thomas AYTON's marriage certificate to Mary Haumond in 1833 was witnessed by Edward AYTON and what seems to be Sarah AYTON, and thus could have been Thomas' brother (Edward AYTON who later was convicted) and his wife Sarah RAMM.
marriage certificate of Edward AYTON (1810-1875) and Sarah RAM (1810-) in 1831 (see
marriage cert) was witnessed by his brother Thomas AYTON and his fiancee Mary HAMMOND.
the conflicting information stems from a Thomas AYTON who married Mary HAMMOND and had a son Robert b1837. In the 1881 census of Yorkshire there is a Robert AYTON, his wife and father Thomas living in Sheffield. A Mary Hammond died in 1871 in Syderstone.
If anyone has old photos of any of these people, I would love to see them, just email me.
Relations & highly likely possible relationships:
miscellaneous Aytons
-
the Ayton's of Norfolk, England:
death certificate for Edith Christina AYTON in Tasmania 1896 and a birth for John Charles AYTOUN on 1877
here
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Elizabeth AYTON (1810-) m. John PETCHEY in 1843, at Clarence Plains, Tas. see
here
Elizabeth AYTON m. Charles Henry HORNE in 1884 in Tas. see
here
-
-
Edward AYTON (c1814-) m. Mary Gordon (c1828-) in Jan 30th 1850 in Launceston, Tas. witnessed by Sarah WOLFE
other Aytons of Ulverston, Tasmania
-
AYTON ********** 1915
AYTON (Stillborn) ********** 1924
AYTON Allan M ********** 1925
AYTON Hedley David Bruss ********** 1902-1968 see
here
AYTON Iris Margaret ********** 1905
AYTON John Frances ********** 1918
AYTON Kevin Rex ********** 1924 NOK Sarah AYTON see
here
AYTON Lance Hedley ********** 1923 b. 1923 Wynyard Tas; NOK Madge AYTON; WWII service see
here
AYTON Lila Frances ********** 1908
AYTON Louise Joan ********** 1927
AYTON Winifred Ida ********** 1910
AYTON Maxwell Ellis 1924 NOK Madge AYTON see
here
-
Ayton, Allan Duncan
Ayton, Hedley David Bruss (1902-1968) - see
here - could he be a son of Hedley William AYTON? (see above)
Ayton, Herbert Arthur James b. 1904 Don, Tas; wife of Eunice Emily Amelia STUBBS; WWII service see
here, see burial 1969 in Ulverstone, Tas.
here
Ayton, Maria Adeline
Ayton, Myrtle Ivy
Ayton, Sylvia May - presumably wife of Arnold Charles AYTON (see above - son of Hedley William)
Ayton, Mona Dorothy Emma (1906-1944), m. Henry Thomas PURTON in 1928 in Ulverstone. see
here
Joseph Jeremiah Ayton early settler of Warrandyte
Captain AYTON
commander of the brig
Favourite, in 1814, captured by Americans in the China Seas en route to Sydney from Calcutta with valuable cargo, and put ashore on the west coast of Sumatra - see
here and
here
William AYTON
left Sydney after 1813 on the brig Mary and Sully - is this Captain AYTON? - see
here - this earlier
notice in 1812 when he was on the brig
Favorite would suggest he was.
John AYTON
leaving the NSW colony in 1822 on the
Emerald - see
here
Captain AYTON - whaler in 1828
see 1828
here - captain of the
Neptune, and
here in 1831 - interesting, the apparently associated whaling boat Middleton was captained by a Mills.
Robert Simpson AYTON
convict who obtained Ticket of Leave in Bathurst, NSW in 1828 - see
here, but was in court in 1831 after becoming insolvent - see
here
Denman James AYTON (1850-1929) m. 1876 Louise GOSPER, died Boggabri, NSW
Thomas Herbert AYTON (information supplied by Carol Drayson, ACT) - now was he an emigrant or a descendant of one?
Other Aytons who came to Tasmania in the early 1800’s were:
Richard “George” AYTON (1823-1886), a convict from London who settled in Longford becoming a brewer and farmer.
convicted with another man Richard Sullivan, for stealing a pocket handkerchief at Temple Bar and transported on the “
Surrey” in 1842.
m. Margaret LOWE in 1851 - see
Lowe family for his descendents
William Pooley AYTON (1831-1885) b. London, lived at Hobart and died at his residence in Campbell St, Hobart, aged 54yrs, 9. 10.1885. See
here; Presumably moved to Launceston in c1875 where his wife had 2 more children.
a James Ayton married a Rachel Pooley in England c1836 so may be a connection - see
here
m. Susan Anne CONNOR (c1840-) in 1860 in Hobart
Florence Rose AYTON b. 1860/1861 in Franklin, Tas. - but seems erroneously documented as Massachusetts see
here
m. Thomas Chute ELLIS in 1893 in Tas. see
here
Amy Estelle AYTON (1863-) b. Hobart. see
here
Alfred James AYTON (1861-)
Lillian Jessie AYTON (1869-)
m. Richard Charles FIELD in 1892 in Hobart. see
here
Emily Frances Rebecca AYTON (1870-1886) see
here
Beatrice Isabel AYTON (1872-) see
here
Myra Beverley AYTON (1874-) b. Hobart; see
here
Minna Gertrude AYTON (1876-) b. Launceston
Raymond John AYTON (1881-) b. Launceston, lived in Westbury.
-
William AYTON conducted a business, with varying success in the Huon area – west of Hobart.
Robert Melrose / Melsom AYTON came to Tasmania as a private in the Royal Staff Corps. In 1830 he was Overseer of Launceston Medical Dept. but in Nov. 1835 was executed - see
here
Robert AYTON (c1794-)
convicted of stealing wheat from William Hardy's farm in Wymondham, Norfolk and sentenced to 14yrs transportation in 1834 - see Norfolk Mercury, March 8th, 1834, P3 C3.
conviction record shows:
wife Elizabeth of native place Benwell, one child 6months old, 3 other children?
transported on the Bandaster ship to Tasmania in 1835
Peter AYTON (1782-1849)
from Wayn index cards, Archives Office of Tasmania:
was Chief District constable of New Town 1824/1826 & ? Keeper of government garden.
-
Pound Keeper of New Town 1927
1828 he sent to the Governor a memorial for a grant of land for capturing bushrangers.
1839 was resident near O'Brien's Bridge?
Anne AYTON (1791-1855) d. Hobart. Wife of Peter AYTON. see
here, death notices:
here and
here - resided in New Town
presumably he had a daughter Hannah who took over his publican licence for the
Waggon and Horses, New Town in 1849 on his death - see
here
Rebecca AYTON (1789-1871) b. England, d. Hobart see
here
John AYTON who was born c1826 in Islington, London, operated a prosperous furniture warehouse, d. 8/11/1894 at O'Brien's Bridge (now called Glenorchy), Tasmania. - see
here
m. Eliza Ann REDFORD, m. 9.7.1859
marriage notice in Launceston Examiner 14/7/1859:
AYTON, John, Mr, e/sn of Mr John Ayton of Saxmundham, Suffolk, Eng, & e/nephew of the lt Garnham BLAXALL Esq, formerly merchant of Sydney, NSW to Eliza Ann, e/dt of William REDFORD, Esq, of Mayfield House, New Town, Hobart, Tas, on 9th July by S/L at Chalmers Free Church, by Rev W NICHOLSON
presumably he is the John Ayton living in Liverpool St, Hobart in 1867 - see
here
could he be related to Peter as he died in O'Brien's Bridge where Peter and Ann lived?
Richard AYTON (1801-) m. Julia MAHAR in 1861 in Hobart. see
here
could he be the Richard referred to in this “Rendezvous” theatre piece in 1835? -
here
Mary (c1827-1854) wife of Edward Ayton, living in Canning St, Launceston - Launceston Examiner 7/9/1854 death notice
Howard Douglas AYTON, Ensign in 15th Infantry Regt, suicided 10/6/1856 by cutting his throat at quarters of regt.
Thomas McDonald AYTON b. c1889 Paisley, Scotland enlisted in Aust. service in Melbourne in 1915 see
here. Father James AYTON in Paisley Scotland.
James Ferguson AYTON b. c.1893 Paisley, Scotland enlisted in Aust. service in Melbourne in 1915 see
here. Father James AYTON in 16 Barcly St, Paisley Scotland.
AYTON George Albert born 13 June 1938; Joan Maureen (nee Royal) born 7 April 1939; Susan Joan born 25 April 1957; Wendy Ann born 18 October 1958; Alan George born 29 January 1961; Barry born 24 August 1965; traveled per aircraft departing UK on 13 March 1967 under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme see
here
Miscellaneous web references to Aytons in Australia:
-
NB.
this site seemingly erroneously indicates Thomas' parents as being Thomas (1788-) and not John and Ann, and further they do not have his son Robert as marrying Harriett RUDD.
this photo of a Launceston nurse E. Ayton who worked between 1889-1892 could perhaps have been Emma Caroline AYTON (1864-) or Evelyn Mary AYTON (1870-), or one of the E. Ayton descendants of Richard “George” AYTON.
Sources:
much of the above information and family tree has been discovered by the hard work of my mother over the past 16 years or so which included visits to Tasmania and England searching through historical records.
Charlotte MITCHELL, grand daughter of Hon. Peter Ayton LESLIE - many thanks to her for supplying further information and the photos of Edward Henry AYTON