Saturday 8 January 2011

another David Sievwright

I was contacted yesterday by a Sievwright researcher from Australia asking about David Sievwright who he thought was his ancestor. I could see immediately he wasn't since it was the David Sievwright who went to New Zealand.
The only info he had was the notion that David Sievwright was Scottish, he had a wife Lilly Auld and their children Lilly, Jane and Charles born 1865, 1867 and 1868 respectively.
I found the birth of Jane with mother's name Lillias.
Then I found the marriage in 1863 which also gave a date of birth for Lillias of 18 AUG 1834. Wondering if she too was from Scotland I had a look on the IGI and yes indeed she was born in New Monkland to Lillias Russell and William Auld.
I did parent searches on the IGI for more children of David Sievwright and Lillias Auld and found younger children William, David, Margaret and Elizabeth.
Following Scottish naming patterns, the first child, a daughter, was named Lillias after Lillias Auld's mother Lilias Russell, the next daughter Jane should be mother of David and the first son Charles should be David's father,second son William after Lillias's father.
So we are looking for a David Sievwright son of Charles and Jean. Yes there is one born 1829 in Marykirk, Kincardineshire to Charles Sivewright and Jean Duthie.
Meanwhile in Australia the researcher has come up with a David Sievwright transported to Western Australia (where he is) in 1856 on the William Hammond. Lots of information on the convicts on this site
The ship sailed from Plymouth in January 1856 with 250 prisoners. They landed at Fremantle, Western Australia 86 days later.
David Sievwright was tried and sentenced to 10 years for robbery at Aberdeen on 14 April 1853. he was 23 at the time of the trial which fits perfectly with the birth I found. He was unmarried with no children. His occupation was gardener. There is also a physical description, round face, light brown hair, hazel eyes, pock marked face, deep scar near left eye and anchors and blue marks on both arms. Fantastic!
Meanwhile back to his family in Scotland. I couldn't find them in the census but tried again using a wildcard S*vright and they turned up on ancestry site in 1841 under Suvewright and in Aberdeen which ties in with the trial: Charles and Jean, William, David age 10 a combmaker, Jean, Margaret, Andrew & Elizabeth. In 1851 it's just David 21 still a comb maker and sister Margaret. Combmaker doesn't tie in with gardener but, apart from this, I think it fits.
Unfortunately I can't tie them in with my Sievwrights but they were from Aberdeenshire too so there is probably an older connection.

5 comments:

  1. Received today from Lesley in Australia

    David and Lillias Sievewright are the great-grandparents of my father, William James Nancarrow, who is now 96.

    His mother is Ivy Ridley
    Her mother is Margaret Sievewright
    Her mother is Lillias Sievewright

    Cheers
    Lesley Dewar

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  2. Thanks to Lesley for this information:
    PRIVATE PUBLICATIONS : Bootenal and Beyond, by Noel SIVEWRIGHT was launched in Geraldton in May. The book tells stories of the AULD, BUNTER, SIEVEWRIGHT and other families in the Mid-West of WA. A chapter is also devoted to the life of a convict and his court case in Scotland when young David SIEVEWRIGHT was sentenced to be transported to WA for 10 years for stealing. On his release David began a new life as a farmer in Bootenal at the north end of the Greenough Flats. The book has 218 pages with illustrations and photographs. Cost: $36.50 (inclusive). Contact: Noel Sivewright, 50 Willeton Road, Karrinyup 6018. Tel: (08) 9447
    8002. mailro:nsivewright@bigpond.com.au

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  3. HI Kay.
    I have also found some other info on Trove and Convict records

    One David Sievwright (alias Christopher Wakefield) was granted a Ticket of Leave on or about 10 January, 1840.
    On or about 4 October 1847, David Sievewright - who was transported on the ship "Strathfieldsay" on 22 July 1931 and who landed in Van Diemen's Land on 15 November 1831, was granted a pardon - on condition he did not return to England. His original sentence seems to have been life, not ten years.

    I agree with you that the David Sievewright fits in by date and location, etc, with my great-great grandfather. I will be seeing Noel Sivewright very soon, Thanks for all this great info.

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  4. Hi Kay
    I have signed up with University of Tasmania to study and research my convict past and other ancestors. Using your notes I have found a lot of stuff about the Sievwright family which wasn't on line back in 2014. I have other stuff to add.
    There are quite a few links in my post on my facebook page. I will post the link here, for you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here is the link to my Facebook post.
    https://www.facebook.com/lesley.dewar/posts/10209058969017311

    ReplyDelete