Sophia Winton (Lewis) Austen (1814 - 1893)

Born 13 Feb 1814 in Tenterden, Kent, England

Wife of James Burt — married before 1835 (to before 1838) in Kent, England [uncertain]

Wife of Joseph James Austen — married 11 Apr 1838 in Rolvenden, Kent, England

Descendants

Died 31 Jul 1893 at age 79 in Ramornie, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Sophia (Lewis) Austen was born in England.

Sophia Lewis was the Daughter of George Lewis, a Carpenter by trade, and Ann Winton (or Winter).

She was born in Tenterden, Kent and there is a baptism for her recorded for 24 April 1814 at Tenterden.

She apparently married James Burt and had a child James Lewis Burt by him in 1835 (Baptism recorded on 27 Dec 1835 in New Romney, Kent). After his death, she married Joseph Austen in Kent England, just weeks prior to coming to Australia.

Joseph and Sophia could both Read and Write, and were bought out under an assistance scheme by a Mr Marshall. Sophia had no certificate of character (her husband did).

Joseph and Sophia arrived on the "James Pattison" on the 11th of December 1838 with Sophia's young Son (Lewis) then aged 3. The Ship Sailed from Plymouth on the 28th of April 1838.

Joseph was a Carpenter and Sophia was a Housemaid and Needlewoman.On her Immigrant registration her maiden surname is spelled Lewes.

On arrival, they lived in Sydney for some time, including Woolloomooloo (1841) and Surrey Hills (1843)before moving to Koolcan Station (1845) and then to the Clarence River area by 1847.

They lived in and around the Grafton area for the rest of their lives.They owned property at Mary St in Grafton, and Joseph built a house for WB Greaves, the surveyor of the Clarence. This was a large station and small town which owed it's existence to the Austral Meatworks. When the Meatworks closed, the town died.

Both are buried at Ramornie. The Cemetery, on Private Property still owned by the Austens (in the late 1980's)was in very poor condition and badly overgrown.

There are many descendants still living in the Clarence, mainly around OBX Creek and Chambigne. They lived for many years at Ramornie, just outside Grafton.

Burial: 02 August 1893, Ramornie Cemetery NSW.

Sources

• Baptism - "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J7FF-2LY : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Sophy Lewis, 24 Apr 1814; citing Tenterden, Kent, England, reference 15; FHL microfilm 1473771.

• Baptism - "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J7GT-F38 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), James Lewis Burt, 27 Dec 1835; citing New Romney, Kent, England, reference No. 903; FHL microfilm 1835590.

• Immigrant registrations for the ship "James Pattison"

• NRS5316/4_4784/James Pattison_11 Dec 1838/ from the Assisted Immigrants (digital) Shipping Lists on the New South Wales State Archives and Records website at: http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?series=NRS5316&item=4_4784&ship=James%20Pattison

• "Australia, New South Wales, Index to Bounty Immigrants, 1828-1842," database with images, FamilySearch [1] transcribed : 9 March 2018. Sophia Austen in entry for Lewis Austen, 11 Dec 1838; citing Ship James Pattison, volume 6, Western Sydney Records Centre, Kingswood; FHL microfilm 416,870.

• Death - NSW BDM Death index - AUSTEN SOPHIA; 6530/1893; JAMES; SOPHIA; GRAFTON