Ann (Ellis) Bland (1827 - 1867)

Born 7 Jul 1827 in Calstock, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Joseph Bland — married 18 Aug 1848 in Jerrys Plains, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 28 Aug 1867 at age 40 in Jerrys Plains, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Born 7 JUL 1827. Calstock, Cornwall. England.

Died 28 AUG 1867. jerry's Plains NSW Australia. Cause: turbuculosis.

Note: Notes for Ann Ellis: After living quietly at or near Travistock town in England, Thomas Ellis. and his family in late 1836 made the momentous decision to emigrate to the. fifty year old British colony of New South Wales, Australia. At that time the. colony was crying out for young, skilled, healthy immigrants to supply its. labour and management requirements. As a result of this pressure the. authorities in 1835 initiated the N.S.W. Bounty Emigration Scheme to. subsidize their passage to the colony. In February 1837 John Marshall,. Australian Emigration agent advertised the sailing of the 453 ton, fully rigged. and recently repaired emigrant sailing ship, the "City of Edinburgh" in first. class order and with poop deck, from London on 30th. April 1837. Births on this ship were secured by the Ellis family's sponsor, William. Bowman and Thomas Ellis and his family set sail from Plymouth on 17th. May 1837 and arrived safely at Sydney, N.S.W. on 31st. August 1837. Ann was 10 years old when she arrived in Sydney, N.S.W. from England. with her father, mother, a brother and two sisters, The Ellis family were then. taken by their sponsor George Bowman to his property "Archerfield" on the. Hawkesbury River at Richmond. Ann's father, Thomas then commenced. duties as manager of the property where he remained for the next 13 years. Ann Ellis, at the age of 19, had a son Joseph born on 30 October 1846. Nothing is known of events leading to her pregnancy. Ann remained living with her parents for almost two years. Joseph was. destined to be raised by his grandparents, because on 16 August 1848, Ann,. now 21, was married to Joseph Bland, 36 years of age. Following their. marriage the couple left to make their home at "Commealla" near Cassilis. N.S.W, leaving Ann's two year old son Joseph with her parents. The Bland-. Ellis marriage was an intriguing one. No doubt Bland made the Ellis family's. acquantance while passing through the district. Considering that at 36 he was. almost twice Ann's age, was an ex-convict with limited prospects in an area. desperately short of marriageable females at a time when the constricting. moral standards of Victorianism had not yet taken hold, Bland must have had. some very outstanding qualities unless some other now unknown factors. played a part. Ann herself had turned 21 the previous month so entered the. contract of her own accord and with the support of her family. The fact that. she was to use Ellis as a second name for most of her children portrayed. continuing family affection. (Source from Ian Ellis' book "The Ellis of. Chaddlehanger"). Ann and Joseph lived at "Commealla" for nine years, where four of their. seven children were born. They then returned to Jerrys Plains until Ann's. death in 1867 due to tuberculosis. 2

Sources

• NSW BDM,s marriage reg.no. 499/1848