My major focus at this point is my Hawkes side of the family. In particular...
MarshRM
My major focus at this point is my Hawkes side of the family. In particular I would like to find out about my English ancestors.
My great great great grandparents were Robert and Sarah Hawkes who came to Adelaide South Australia in 1848 on the barque Gratitude. Robert was born in 1803 and Sarah in 1804. They are recorded in the Adelaide Observer of the time as coming from newcastle Upon Tyne. With them came their 6 children, John Henry Mason, (1827) Elizabeth Anne, (1828) Charles Flaxman,(1833) Robert Joseph, (1836)Jonathon Lea, (1839) and George William (1842). I have located Sarah and Elizabeth Anne, Charles F, Robert Joseph and Jonathon in lodgings at Tynemouth in the 1841 census. I think that I have placed Robert (merchant) and John Henry Mason (apprentice) in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne at that census. The census has Robert Joseph and Jonathon Lea as being born in Northumberland, the rest of the family not so. George William was also born in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Family stories have Robert Hawkes have Robert visiting South Australia in 1836. It is also believed that when he returned in 1948 it was in the employ of Sir George Fife Angas. He was an educated man (Sarah on the other hand I think was illiterate, mark not signature on her will), and fairly soon was in business for himself as a merchant, land broker etc. Hence he may have come to SA in 1836 as one of the SA Companies employees, or not. Family stories also tell that he went to school with George Fife Angas, though neither Angas's age or that of his sons fits with a scenario of Robert being at school with any of them. He was however a non-comformist, and became very active in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in SA throughout his life here. I have not as yet been able to verify Robert,s visit to SA in 1836, or his employ by George Fife Angas.
I wonder if a more likely connection is Charles Flaxman. That they named their son Charles Flaxman Hawkes in 1833 prior to their arrival here, and Charles Flaxman's, he came with the German immigrants in 1837/38, the noncomformist connection and the George Fife Angas connection suggest some kind of relationship. Charles Flaxman was George Fife Angas's Chief Clerk at his London House and his agent in South Australia, initially, until scandal about land purchases strained their relationship. George Fife Angas was born in and lived in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Charles Leslie Hawkes who is in marlin1945 is the grandson of Charles Flaxman Hawkes.
I do not know how to progress from Robert and Sarah to their parents. I have tried a number of searches based on the assumption that Charles F being 3rd child and second son is a Flaxman, and a variety of others around the possibility of the names of the children. Have been abviously unsuccessful. Would be interested in advice as to how to progress or in any out there who might think they are the same family. And any who might want further information I would love to share.
Comments
KableWalker on 2014-12-23 04:36:10Hi MarshRM,
I'm not a family member or connection but I've been intrigued by the Hawkes Family through helping out some other members of the Hawkes Family in South Australia. There seems to be a rumour that Robert Hawkes was involved in the timber trade, even the mahogany trade and this led me to speculate that his marriage and the births of some of his children may have occurred outside England. There is a marriage registered in Warwickshire between a Robert Hawkes and Sarah Peers that may be relevant). It may simply be that he is one of the Irish Hawkes family and could be traced if Irish records exist for him. However, if the mahogany rumour is correct, his origins may be in the USA, either New York or Louisiana where rich timber trades were made. Also, since mahogany was harvested in exotic places such as Belize and the Ivory Coast and involved the slave trade, Robert may have been born in one of these places or in Jamaica. There is a USA Naturalisation for a Robert Joseph Hawkes but I cannot find the date. This could be for Robert born 1802/3/4 or for his grandson of the same name (son of Jonathan).
There was a lot of timber trade with Scandinavia during Robert's working life, so he may have links to the North.
Other Hawkes families, particularly those with financial resources, were born in London. Therefore Robert might have been born there also, where his own father may have been banking or seeking finance for timber trading.
It does not look as though Robert was trading in timber after he came to Adelaide (if he ever was), because his received cargos were small and mundane (see via Shipping News in TROVE digitised newspapers).
If you're still looking for information it might be time to employ a professional genealogist if you have the resources.
Best wishes
Kay (Adelaide, SA)
MarshRM on 2014-12-26 23:11:11Hell Kay. Interesting and thanks. Have got way out of touch. Will refresh and dig out some material. For example the following advertisement by Robert which is in National Library archives
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/453974
I got copies of some of his advertisements in SA also. Will find and work out how to share.
Cheers Ros, currently residing Sydney
hawkespeters on 2015-01-02 06:31:29Hi Ros,
I hope you are well. We have been doing a bit if travelling and what not so the tree took a backseat... But I am finally back doing something to try and break down these brickwalls. I have been on line with a group of volunteers who are all working on their trees called Genealogy - My Ancestors Came To Australia.
Because i can never find anything on the births of Robert, Sarah and the first four children and the marriage .... One if the group Kay, had suggested they may have been born and married in one of UK OR USAs colonies and then "appeared" in newcastle upon Tyne Around the time if 1841 for the census.... I notice that in helping me search she came across your post here.... And replied to you. I am hoping to reconnect with you... Perhaps something in Kays thoughts might trigger a memory with you or any of your tree?
I have ordered a copy of George Willuams birth certificate just in case it has any more details such as birthplace of parents.... Sinces its a few years after Jonathan Leas certificate.
Anyway... Glad to see you are back on the trail also!!
Hope to hear from you... If not here then my email is still as it was, kind regards, Lis