Kitty (Weymouth) Sprigg (1825 - 1904)

Born 3 Jun 1825 in Malborough, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of John Wogan Sprigg — married 15 Apr 1855 in Clarendon, South Australia

Descendants

Died 15 Feb 1904 at age 78 in Morphett Vale, South Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: M Roberts [send private message]

Biography

Kitty (Weymouth) Sprigg was born in Devon, England.

Kitty (Weymouth) Sprigg came free to the Colony of South Australia (1836-1900)

Kitty Weymouth was born on 3 Jun 1825, in the seaside parish of Malborough, in the Kingsbridge district of Devon, England. She was baptized in Malborough parish on 19 Jun 1825. Her parents were John Weymouth, a stonemason from Salcombe, in the parish of Malborough, and his wife, Mary Ann Pitts. Some of Kitty's siblings are known to have been baptized in the Salcombe Chapel, and it seems likely that was where her baptism was also performed. Kitty occasionally used the name Catherine Weymouth, or Kate, however she was formally christened as Kitty Weymouth. ^[1][2][3]

The Weymouth family appear to have left Salcombe when Kitty was a small child, perhaps living in London for a short time, before settling at Honeybourne Court, in the Landport district, on the island of Portsea, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, around 1830.

In 1838, when Kitty was 13 years of age, her family moved again. Leaving England behind them, on 11 Jun 1838 they boarded the passenger ship Pestonjee Bomanjee at Plymouth, and set sail for the newly established British Colony of South Australia. Sailing as assisted migrants, their four-month voyage passed via Teneriffe and Rio, and arrived at Holdfast Bay (Glenelg) in South Australia on 12 Oct 1838. The Pestonjee Bomanjee was too big to enter the river port, so her passengers and cargo were unloaded by boat over the beach. The next morning the passengers had a seven mile walk through the scorching heat to reach the primitive township of Adelaide, which at that early time consisted of little more than a jumble of huts made of mud or reeds, and tents. The estimated population of the entire colony of South Australia at the end of 1838 was 6,000 people. This had increased to 15,500 by the end of 1840. Also sailing aboard the Pestonjee Bomanjee were the new Colonial Governor, Col. George Gawer, who was traveling with his family to take up his new posting, and passengers James Hawker, who wrote a very detailed account of that voyage, and William Reed who wrote a diary describing the voyage and his first impressions of their arrival at Holdfast Bay and Adelaide. These first-hand accounts provide a unique insight into the exciting adventure this voyage must have been for Kitty and her family. ^[4]

After their arrival, the Weymouth family lived for a time at Hindmarsh, a small township to the northeast of Adelaide, and later in the town of Adelaide itself. The 1841 and 1842 Directories of South Australia indicate that her father was working as a bricklayer and residing on Gouger Street, in Adelaide. The 1841 census also records their family in Gouger Street, with two males and three females in the household. ^[5][6][7]

Around 1842, they bought land at Coromandel Valley, in the hills east of Adelaide, and their father built a house for his family there. He opened a quarry, where he made bricks, and built a number of other homes and buildings in the area. John became well known as a highly skilled stonemason, and many examples of his work can still be seen standing around Coromandel Valley and nearby Clarendon.

Kitty soon found work as a maid for Mrs Frances Sprigg, at the Sprigg homestead of 'Glenville', near Clarendon. She was around 17 years of age at that time. She lived with the Sprigg family for a number of years, and had several children during this time. The first three, born between 1843 and 1846, were fathered by the Sprigg's eldest son, Thomas Sprigg, who was the 26 year-old heir of 'Glenville'. Between 1848 and 1854, she also produced four more children who were fathered by the next eldest son, John Sprigg, who is believed to have been partly crippled, and kept his own home nearby. The exact circumstances of John Sprigg and Kitty's early relationship is not known, however they were married at his home on 15 Apr 1855, and afterwards they had many more children together. Thomas Sprigg was also married shortly afterwards, to another woman, Mary Purefay, who is believed to have been from a wealthy family. Kitty usually referred to herself as Catherine Sprigg when registering her children during this period. ^[8][9]

Around 1867, John and Kitty appear to have taken up a farm near Morphett Vale, a few miles south of Adelaide, and west of the Caromandel Valley. This was probably land already owned and developed by the Sprigg family, and was possibly previously occupied by some of John's brothers. When Mrs Sprigg died in 1874, she made a special provision in her will to ensure that her son John had his home protected.

John Sprigg died on 6 Apr 1885, at the age of 67, at Morphett Vale. ^[10]

Shortly after, on 21 Jul 1885, Kitty seems to have purchased land on the Yorke Peninsula, although it is unclear whether she ever lived there herself. She may have bought the land on behalf of one of her children, who were farming in the area. It was bought in the name of "Kate Sprigg", and comprised Section 240, in the Hundred of Tiparra, near Maitland. She paid £1280/6/- for the 434 acre block, which was a very high price compared to other similar blocks in the area. ^[11]

Kitty was living at Morphett Vale at the time of her death, on 15 Feb 1904. She died at the age of 78. She was buried as Kate Sprigg, on 17 Feb 1904, along with her husband John, in the Church of Scotland Cemetery at Morphett Vale. ^{[12][13][14][15]}

Sources

1. ↑ Thomas, 1990, South Australians 1836-1885
2. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (FamilySearch.org)
3. ↑ FindaGrave.com
4. ↑ The Pestonjee Bomanjee 1838 (SLSA)
5. ↑ South Australian Almanack and General Directory for 1841, p.147
6. ↑ South Australian Almanack and General Directory for 1842, p.148
7. ↑ Returns of Census, 1841 (Ancestry.com)
8. ↑ Thomas, 1990, South Australians 1836-1885
9. ↑ Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 (Ancestry.com)
10. ↑ Thomas, 1990, South Australians 1836-1885
11. ↑ South Australian Government Gazette (AustLII.edu.au), 1885, Vol.2, p.561
12. ↑ Thomas, 1990, South Australians 1836-1885
13. ↑ Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985 (Ancestry.com)
14. ↑ Graves Register, Church of Scotland Cemetery, Morphett Vale, South Australia
15. ↑ FindaGrave.com

• Thomas, Jan, South Australians 1836-1885, South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society (SAGHS), 1990.

• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7S3-87Q : 4 February 2023), Kitty Weymouth, 1825.

• The Pestonjee Bomanjee 1838, Bound For South Australia Collections, State Library of South Australia (SLSA), 2017.

• Allen, James, Bennett, J. F, Cotter, Thomas Young and Robert Thomas & Co., South Australian Almanack and General Directory for 1841, Adelaide: Robert Thomas & Co, 1841, (Web. 23 October 2023), p.147

• Allen, James, Bennett, J. F, Cotter, Thomas Young and Robert Thomas & Co., South Australian Almanack and General Directory for 1842, Adelaide: Robert Thomas & Co, 1842, (Web. 23 October 2023), p.148

• Returns of Census, 1841
  State Records of South Australia; Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Returns of Census Compiled in January 1841; Series Number: GRG24_13
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 62319 #992 (accessed 22 October 2023)
  John Weymouth on Gouger Street.

• Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950
  South Australia-Marriages 1842-1916; Page number: 567; Volume Number: 22
  Ancestry Record 1780 #5451127 (accessed 22 October 2023)
  Kitty Weymouth marriage to John Whogan Sprigg on 15 Apr 1855 at Res of John Whogan Sprigg Nr Clarendon, South Australia.

• South Australian Government Gazette (AustLII.edu.au), 1885, Vol.2, p.561

• Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985
  South Australia-Deaths 1842-1915; Page number: 128; Volume Number: 300
  Ancestry Record 1779 #5821580 (accessed 22 October 2023)
  Kate Sprigg death 15 Feb 1904 (age 78), child (wife) of John Wogen Sprigg, in Morphett Vale, South Australia.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/246175327/catherine-sprigg: accessed 22 October 2023), memorial page for Catherine “(Kitty)(Kate)” Weymouth Sprigg (3 Jun 1825–15 Feb 1904), Find a Grave Memorial ID 246175327, citing Morphett Vale Scotch Cemetery, Morphett Vale, Onkaparinga City, South Australia, Australia; Maintained by Trevcat (contributor 49836940).

• Graves Register, Church of Scotland Cemetery, Morphett Vale, South Australia, Kate Sprigg (aged 78).