Peter was born about 1814. Peter is the child of Andrew Mason and Agnes Cunningham. [1][2]
Extract from Largo Parish Register LDS film #1040180 Frame 999 September 17, 1814 "Were born Robt and Peter Webster, twins, sons to Andrew Mason, servant in Balcormo and Agnes Cunningham his spouse and baptized by Mr. Oliphant the 2nd of Oct in presence of the congregation."
Largo Fife Parish Register LDS film # 1040188 frame 1479 November 5th, 1842 Were contracted Peter Mason in this Parish and Margaret Carstairs in the Parish of Cupar who after proclamation without objection were married the 18th (or 15th?) day of the same
Peter and Margaret Mason sailed from Plymouth aboard the "Cheapside" on the 21/5/1848 and reached Port Phillip on the 18/8/1848 as assisted immigrants with children Andrew aged 2 and Susan aged 3 months. This was the fastest voyage to that time. Fare was 14 pounds 8 shillings. 196 passengers. Peter was passenger 121.
Peter and Margaret could read and write and went ashore without leaving their address.
Excerpts from George Rathbone's book "From Wheels to Wings": George was a grandson of Agnes Mason and Peter Hart, "Peter Webster Mason, his wife Margaret and family travelled the gold escort route to Ballarat. There they became friends with William Rathbone and the Martin brothers James, his wife Virtue and their baby son Isaac. Baby Isaac died somewhere along the inhospitable track. Isaac Martin and his wife Jean (nee Cromers).
In the early years, so scarce were women on the goldfields that at the appearance of one, the miners would shout "there's a woman". So the Mason and Martin families were drawn together for comfort and refuge.
None of the friends had any great gold finds, only sufficient to satisfy their needs.
By 1854 a transformation of the whole area which had been vigorously uprooted and searched for gold was now to be the place for a city. Peter Mason and William Rathbone sought work in various projects which within a few years created Ballarat into a famous city.
In 1868, The Mason family and William Rathbone and his wife Elizabeth, met up again at the Methodist Church in the new settlement of "Back Creek" (now called Talbot). Accompanying the Mason's was a young dark haired man, Peter Hart, who had arrived in Australia from Huntingdonshire, England in 1858. Since then he had been a gold miner, mainly at Talbot". Peter Hart married Agnes Mason, daughter of Peter Webster Mason and Margaret Carstairs.
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Peter is 22 degrees from Herbert Adair, 19 degrees from Richard Adams, 27 degrees from Mel Blanc, 26 degrees from Dick Bruna, 30 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 24 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 29 degrees from Sam Edwards, 28 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 32 degrees from Marty Krofft, 27 degrees from Junius Matthews, 25 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 28 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
M > Mason > Peter Webster Mason
Categories: Assisted Scottish Immigrants to Australia | Migrants from Fife to Victoria | Cheapside, Arrived 18 Aug 1848