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WERE CAPTAIN JAMES REID, EARLY SQUATTER NEAR MORNINGTON AND ALEXANDER BEATSON BALCOMBE WHO TOOK OVER HIS RUN, RELATED THROUGH MARRIAGE? WHAT BECAME OF CAPTAIN JAMES REID?
After I discovered that several of Balcombe's children were born in Victoria and that his wife's maiden name was Reid, I wondered what had happened to Captain James Reid. I wonder if James was related to Emma's father, Dr David Reid.
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biogr…/balcombe-alexander-beatson-2922
http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/htm/article/73.htm
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72182185
I'm sure that I've seen claims that A.B.Balcombe took over Captain Reid's run in 1843 but it seems certain that this happened in 1846. THE FIRST ARTICLE ABOVE SEEMS TO TAKE AN EACH-WAY BET. Where was he at Schnapper Point in 1843* if not on Reid's run? No land there had been alienated. Was he at Mentone (unlikely because he bought his land in the parish of Moorabbin circa 1853) or a guest of Captain James Reid on his run?
(* "Alexander bought livestock and took his wife to Port Phillip in 1842; they stayed for some time at Merri Creek and in 1843 settled at Schnapper Point, which Balcombe named. In 1846 he took over the run Chen Chen Gurruck, or Tichingorourke, changing the name to The Briars.")
In May 1843, A.B.Balcombe was still at the Merri Creek, little over a month earlier having had trouble with his neighbour.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225010717
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226925447
In March and November 1844, Alexander was a panel member in the Supreme Court so he was presumably still closer to Melbourne than today's Mentone.
In 1845, a Mr and Mrs Balcombe sailed to Sydney on the brig, Christina, arriving on July 20, maybe Alexander and Emma with a tiny bundle, the first of four daughters and two sons to be born in Victoria, to show to Dr. D.Reid and his wife. (An earlier child had been born in New South Wales.)
"The Sydney Morning Herald of September 14, 1842 noted that Mr and Mrs Balcombe and child departed for Port Phillip on the brig Christina. After their arrival in Melbourne Alexander and Emma stayed for some time at Merri Creek. "
EventBirth Event registration number14203 Registration year1845
Personal information
Family nameBALCOMBE Given namesEmma Jane SexFemale Father's nameBALCOMBE Alexander Beatson Mother's nameEmma (Unknown) Place of birthMELBOURNE
The first mention of A.B.Balcombe in connection with a run was in 1846!
EXTRACT FROM:
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/pla…/…/download-report
This pastoral run was taken up in 1840 by the prominent gentleman colonist Captain James Reid, who called it
Checkingurk (or Tichingorook). Georgiana McCrae sketched the property in 1844. In 1846 it was transferred to
Alexander Balcombe, who renamed it The Briars after his family home on St Helena, where Napoleon had been
a guest during his exile.
See Alexander Balcombe's grants (at the south end of the parish of Moorabbin:)
digital.slv.vic.gov.au/dtl_publ…/simpleimages/4/1262934.html
And in the parish of Moorooduc:
digital.slv.vic.gov.au/dtl_publ…/simpleimages/…/1076739.html
WAS THIS ALEXANDER BEATSON BALCOMBE'S BROTHER-IN-LAW? I'd bet my last dollar on it!
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71506448
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/reid-david-4464
SOMEONE (A GREAT SCIENTIST IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) ONCE SAID THAT THE GREATEST THING A HUMAN BEING COULD DO WAS TO WONDER. At the start of this post I did some of this.
I wondered what had happened to Captain James Reid. I wonder if James was related to Emma's father, Dr David Reid.
Excerpt from the David Reid biography.
Their sister Agnes Cruickshank married Sir Francis Murphy and died in Melbourne on 27 January 1906 aged 88; and Emma Juana, born at sea in 1822, married A. B. Balcombe and died in Melbourne on 3 June 1907.
THE SQUATTER'S WIFE.
The writer of Captain James Reid's obituary regretted that more details of his military career were not available. I regret that more information about the captain's family was not provided in the obituary.
Who would guess that this was the death record of Captain Reid's widow?
EventDeath Event registration number4619 Registration year1870
Personal information
Family nameREID Given namesMargaret SexUnknown Father's nameU Mother's name Place of birth Place of death Age49 Spouse's family nameUnknown
EXTRACTS FROM:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/thread.aspx…
Re: MARY FORBES (1801-1884) Scotland, England, Launceston, Geelong (maybe) and New Zealand
divbooks (View posts)
Posted: 23 Sep 2013 09:15AM
Classification: Query
Edited: 23 Sep 2013 09:15AM
Aha! (Source: NZTEC. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Canterbury Provinical District)
"Forbes, Robert A., Contractor, Tai Tapu. Mr. Forbes was born of Scottish parents at Birmingham, England, in 1842. He was educated at the public schools in his native land, and at the age of thirteen, on his father's death, accompanied his mother and sister to Victoria.
In 1856 he removed to Tasmania, where he was apprenticed to the building trade, on the advice of his brother-in-law, the late Captain Reid, Staff-Officer of Imperial Pensioners. (etc.)
Re: MARY FORBES (1801-1884) Scotland, England, Launceston, Geelong (maybe) and New Zealand
divbooks (View posts)
Posted: 23 Sep 2013 09:36AM
Classification: Query
Edited: 23 Sep 2013 09:52AM
Surnames: Forbes, Reid
With the clue regarding Robert's brother-in-law Captain Reid, I found the Tasmanian death notice below, possibly for Margaret Hay Forbes?
The Cornwall Chronicle, Monday 25 April 1870 (Source: TROVE)
"Reid— At Melbourne, suddenly, on the 19th inst., Margaret, relict of the late Captain Reid, aged 49."
Victorian death reg., 1870.
Margaret Reid, aged 49, reg. #4619.
A.
Edited to add: The eldest daughter of Captain James Reid was named Helen Hay Reid.
The Mercury, Hobart. Saturday 27 February 1869 (Source: TROVE)
"MARRIAGES.
COLLINS-REID. -On the 25th February, at Trinity Church, Launceston, by the Rev. Francis Hales, William Anthony Collins, of Launceston, Solicitor, to Helen Hay, eldest daughter of the late Captain James Reid."
Re: MARY FORBES (1801-1884) Scotland, England, Launceston, Geelong (maybe) and New Zealand
divbooks (View posts)
Posted: 23 Sep 2013 10:14AM
Classification: Query
James Reid must have been a fair bit older than Margaret?
Launceston Examiner, Thursday 31 January 1867
"REID. -on Tuesday evening the 29th January, James Reid, formerly Captain H.M.'s 45th Regt, and Governor of the Gaol and Superintendent of Penal Establishment, Launceston, aged 72 years . Colonial papers please copy. The funeral will leave his late residence, Patterson street. on Friday, 1st February at 4 0'CIock.--Richards & Sons, Undertakers."
Obituary, The Cornwall Chronicle, Launceston, Saturday 2 February 1867
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/72182185/3?p...
(Source: TROVE)
CAPTAIN JAMES REID X 2.
James Reid of Mount Martha was definitely a military man. There was another Captain James Reid, Sir John Franklin's ice master.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62712082
I WONDER IF THE TWO CAPTAINS WERE RELATED!
P. 29, A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA, Colin McLear.
"On January 5 1844, Georgiana (McCrae)records a visit by Captain Reid who gave an account of Sir John and Lady Franklin's stay at Tichingarook. This of course was subsequent to Sir John's period as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Dieman's Land and prior to his ill-fated search for the North-West Passage in 1845. "
What a coincidence that both of the military and naval namesakes were intimately associated with Sir John Franklin!
Were they related? Did the visit to Reid's run lead to the ice master's appointment?
If a likeness of the Mount Martha pioneer is ever found, it will be interesting to check the degree of resemblance to the reconstructed face shown in this article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Sailor-went-missing-polar-expe…
Family notices reveal several descendants of the pioneer near Mount Martha, who suggested the Barker, Meyrick duel to resolve the Desailly's Waterhole dispute*.
(*See page 21,
Coastal guide to nature and history 2: Mornington Peninsula's ocean ...
https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0992321727)