William Champion (1801 - 1871)

Born 12 Sep 1801 in Dursley, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Maria (Man) Champion — married 23 Mar 1822 in St. Stephen, Bristol, Gloucester, England

Descendants

Died 25 Sep 1871 at age 70 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

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Presenter of the Presentation cup: The Champion cup c. 1850
Cooley was the Owner of the successful, horse Swordsman, . . and Photo Links . .

Provenance
The Champion cup was awarded at the inaugural New Norfolk races in 1850 to Thomas Todd Cooley. It passed through the Cooley family to W E Fuller, the maternal grandfather of the donor R Ian Morse.

Biography

William Champion was a convict after the Third Fleet.

An article by Lou Daniels "William Champion, the Master Bellringer" states that "on 2 April 1823 when William Champion was convicted at Gloucester for receiving stolen goods and sentenced to 14 years transportation. William came from a good family with relatives in Cam and Dursley."

He was transported on the Asia II, which left the Downs on 9 August 1823 and arrived Hobart on 19 January 1824^[1], ^[2]

"He submitted a memorial to the Lieutenant Governor, Sir George Arthur, on 18 January 1832 seeking a Conditional Pardon.1 and this was granted on 30 March 1833, 2 Number 469, and a Free Pardon was granted on 7 April 1837"

After his pardon he became a hat maker but his fame is for his bellringing.

1826 William’s wife Maria and daughter Esther arrived from England, and in 1834 Peter and Hester Champion, his parents, and his younger sisters Mahala and Thirza, emigrated to Hobart

1850 History. The Champion cup was presented to the Race Fund by Mr W Champion, described by the Hobart Town Courier as a ‘licensed victualler, Jolly Hatter’s Inn, Melville Street’. Valued at 25 pounds, with an additional five-pound sweepstake, the prize attracted a competitive field and a large crowd. . . more . .

He died at his home 3 Burnett Street on 25 September 1871, from congestion of the brain and asthma, aged 70, and was buried in St Andrew’s Cemetery, on Wednesday 27 September.^[3], ^[4]

Two children—Esther, born in England and William junior born in Hobart.
Young William married Helen Wiseman but died in March 1853, three days before the death of his only child.
Esther married Frederick William Lewis in 1839 and following his death in 1852 married William Johnston. She became mother of ten children.

Sources

1. ↑ Convict Records [1]
2. ↑ LINC Tasmania: Convict Records [2]
3. ↑ The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) Tue 26 Sep 1871 Page 1 Family Notices [3]
4. ↑ Death Certificate [4]

• The Wotton Branch Bellringers have an artcile about "the story of William Champion: the master bellring" from an article originally published in The Tasmanian Family History Society Inc. in their Journal Vol 19, No. 3, December 1998.
• Headstone image [5]
• Convict Record: http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/champion/william/113039

• findagrave.com