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Agnes was born about 1842, on the island of Tristan d'Acunha[1] in the Atlantic Ocean. Her father was an unknown seaman who had deserted from a whaling ship. Because he was unwelcome on the island, the family was isolated and allowed to become destitute. When he committed suicide, by jumping into the sea in 1850, he was buried under the name John Anderson.
The book, 'The Utmost Parts of the Earth' written by Rev William F Taylor, Chaplain to the Island inhabitants records:
- One other man resided here a long time; though never admitted into fellowship by the rest. His story was another sad one. He ran away from a whale-ship, soon after the sick man Taylor had been left here. From the time that whalers first began to call here, it has been a law upon the island, and a most needful one, in every way to be observed, that no runaway should ever be received as a settler. But in spite of this, in opposition to the known wishes of the rest, one of the men persuaded him to remain here, and to tithe as a wife another daughter brought by one of the women from St. Helena. He did so; and a sad, wretched life be led. He was, of course, regarded by the rest as an unlawful intruder; not allowed to trade with ships along with them; but obliged to pick up a living the best way he could, and finding little happiness at home. However, he continued here eleven years, and had several children. But, on Good-Friday morning, 1850, he was missing; and, after a long search, some fragments of his body were found lying upon the beach. He had gone out in the middle of the night, and, perhaps, in a fit of despair, had thrown himself into the sea, where his body was almost entirely devoured by sharks, till some fragments were cast up upon the beach. His worthless partner soon after went away with her children in a whale-ship bound to Hobart Town.
A passing whaling ship, the 'Bengal' rescued Agnes, her mother Catherine, and six siblings and transported them to Tasmania, Australia. They arrived in Hobart 1 Feb 1851.
They were welcomed into Hobart as the 'Lind' family, possibly the name of Lucinda's father but more likely a contrived name to distance the family from a father and husband they were ashamed of. The Harbour Master's report of the arrival of the Bengal January 25/31 of 1851 listing steerage passengers; Mrs C Lind, Miss L Lind, Margaret Lind, Agness Lind, David Lind, James Lind, and John Lind, is the first formal documentation for Agnes and her siblings and represents the 'beginning' of their documented existence. While sister Clara is not listed as a passenger, the total number of steerage passengers is given as 8.
Agnes, her sister Clara and brother James, were admitted to the Queen's Orphan School in Hobart. While Clara was later removed by her elder sister Lucinda, Agnes remained in the orphanage until she married Solom Williams, a seaman born in Demerara, in the West Indies, on 23 Feb 1860. No members of her family were present at the wedding.
Agnes and Solom had one child in Tasmania, before moving to Newcastle, in New South Wales. They had an additional eight children in Newcastle, before she passed away in 1905.
DNA
DNA results are available for a number of Agnes's descendants, including Steve Bicknell, Georgee Browne, Elona Peters, Kevin and Lorraine McGregor and Linda Meadows, amongst others. The shared DNA connections of those descendants confirm Agnes as a Most Recent Common Ancestor.
Sources
- The Utmost Parts of the Earth [1]
- Tasmania, Australia, Passenger Arrivals, 1829-1957 25 Jan 1851 [2]
- Launceston Examiner 8 Feb 1851 [3]
- Queens Orphan School [4]
- Australia Marriage Index, Tasmania 1860 340: Name: Lyn, Agnes, Record Type: Marriages, Gender: Female, Age: 22, Spouse: William, Solom, Gender: Male, Age: 28, Date of marriage: 03 Feb 1860, Registered: Hobart, Registration year: 1860, Record ID: NAME_INDEXES: 862672, Resource: RGD37/1/19 no 340 [5]
- Australia Death Registration, New South Wales:7263/1905 [6]