Historical snippets

Subtitle

Title

Description

Subtitle

TThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is fd0e271f-027c-432f-ba76-641ddb93143b.jpgitle

Description

Subtitle

Title

Description

Subtitle

Title

Description

Ethel M Rylance

Subtitle

Title

Description

Hoe of Simeon fraser & Mary Ann Lovelock, 20 Pond Place, Chelsea
Subtitle

Description

Edmund Fraser, Sunk

Subtitle

Title

Description

Subtitle

Title

Description

Subtitle

Title

escription

James Burnett

Posted 17 Apr 2012 by Napua Doolin

UPDATE TO “BURNETTS FROM
SCOTLAND TO AUSTRALIA”
Sept 2009


James Charles Burnett (1815-1854). Descendant
of Burnetts of Barns (Scotland)
Surveyor. Head of Survey Office, Brisbane.
James Charles Burnett arrived in Sydney with his
parents in December 1829. His father was William
Burnett, born 28 May 1788, who was the son of
James Burnett of Barns in southern Scotland.
William Burnett married Marjory Chalmers Brown
in Edinburgh on 30 October 1813. It has not yet
been determined whether James Charles Burnett
was born in 1815 in Edinburgh or London as his
father who was at one time a Merchant in Brazil
and also worked in London. William Burnett
moved to Australia in 1829 as Colonial Secretary
of the Swan River Settlement
under the
government of Sir Edward Parry and soon moved
to New South Wales where he settled.

William & Marjory had other children – John Alexander
Burnett who became a Merchant in Melbourne and
married Margaret McDonnell (children Charles
John, William, James, Abigail Scott & Lilias),
Marjory Burnett who died young, William Burnett
of Burnetland in Hunter District & Patrick Graham)
William Burnett Snr died in 1858 aged 70.
*****

 Eileen Bailey
Burnett Genealogist


Elizabeth Raiha Keokeo Alexander, 1848-1934

Elizabeth was the daughter of Alexander Alexander the first settler in the Hawkes Bay and Harata Keokeo Charlote Tawhi Hoia, and extremely distinguished family. The photo forms. part of the Macgregor Collection, taken from the book Pakeha Skin Maori Blood pg 12

William Burnett

Nurse Moira

Born on the 28th of october 191 in Greymouth she began her training in 1938. The following article gives an interesting perspective on chidlren’s health..

Emigration & Mutiny!

The Cathcart was an iron clipper ship of 1,387 tons built in 1873. In 1874, she sailed from London with 481 Government immigrants on the 11th June, and from the Downs three days later, making the passage in 70 days 12 hours to the Snares, and arriving at Lyttelton on the 29th August, only 76 days from the Downs to port. The equator was crossed on the 21st day out. On the 28th July she made a run of 304 miles, and the following day 293. The Cathcart was essentially double the size of the Cressy, one of the first 4 ships into Canterbury some 20 years earlier.

On board was Timothy Bradley aged 23 travelling on his own. He was the third GGF of Chris Bradley.

The voyage was notable not just in speed but also that there was a mutiny on board. The following is the relevant newspaper report of her arrival and the mutiny which happened at sea.

Early on Saturday morning, the signal was made that two ships were off the heads from the South, and by-and-by the distinguishing numbers were run up, and they proved to be the Cathcart and St Lawrence from London, both with immigrants on board.
It was nearly 2 p.m. when the s.s. Clyde left the Government wharf with the Health Commissioners, Drs Donald and Rouse, the Immigration Commissioner, Mr March, and the agents and reporters
She proceeded to the Cathcart, which, although the last signalled, was the first to get inside the heads. The passage down the harbour was delightful, there was little range on, merely a nice ripple, and it was a pleasant sight to see the Albion leave the wharf just as we were nearing the ship, and come sweeping down the harbour like lightning, passing our poor little steamer as if it were asleep on the water, and steaming close to the counter of the Cathcart, giving the new arrivals a hearty cheer, to which we may be sure they responded with real good will. There is always a certain dread in approaching a vessel after a long voyage, and when the Clyde got alongside, and we knew that all were well on board, it was a relief to all.
The Health Commissioners having proceeded on board to testify as to the sanitary condition of the ship, we had time to have a good look at her. She is a line iron vessel with painted ports and very square yards, and puts us much in mind of our old friend the Ballochmyle. She looked in splendid trim fore and aft, and is certainly one of the finest vessels in the harbour.
After a short interval the word was passed, and the agents and reporters clambered on board. We found the decks occupied by the new arrivals, who all seemed in excellent health and spirits. On the poop were as nice a lot of those very desirable individuals domestic servants as it has been our lot to witness for some time, nice healthy, cheerful, goodlooking girls, who spoke well of their matron, and whose matron spoke well of them. There were seventy-three of them of all ages, from sixty to eight we should say. All the three nationalities were represented, and we were shown down in the berths, the English, Irish and Scotch corners. They seemed very happy, and one jolly looking girl they called their queen was said to have been the life and soul of the ship. Miss Johnson, the matron, had, however, been ill during a portion of the voyage, and a Mrs Bradshaw, a kind motherly woman had taken her position, and seemed quite to have won the giris’ hearts. Their berths were very clean and well ventilated. During the passage prayers were held night and morning by the matron, and the younger children were instructed in secular matters by Mr McCallum, the schoolmaster, who had gained the respect of his pupils. It is a great pity that there is no provision made for teaching the elder girls during the voyage out, as many of them are woefully ignorant, and although it would not be possible to teach them much at any rate a foundation might be laid.
There was no serious illness, and all spoke of Dr Chapman, the medical officer, as kind and attentive. A few days ago the girls sent a letter to the captain, the doctor, and officers, thanking them for their great kindness to all of them- The other compartments of the ship were also in a highly satisfactory condition, and the people seemed well satisfied with what had been done for them, and thought the country looked pretty, though one poor Irishwoman said to me, ‘ Shure and is it all like that? It breaks my heart to think of climbing them great cold hills; faith they told us it was a rich country, but it don’t look so ;” but she was reconciled to her lot when told of the plains that lay behind. Among the single men there were a large proportion of agricultural laborers, who will be heartily welcomed by our farmers. The Immigration Commissioner seemed well pleased with his look round, and told us that he thought the whole of the compartments were in a very creditable condition, and the class of immigrants exceedingly good, consisting principally of agricultural laborers and domestic servants, the two classes most required in this country.
There were five deaths on board and four births. All that died were little children. There were three sailors in ions aft who had been concerned in a mutiny on the 24th June. It is a good job that the ship possessed a firm captain, or there might have been great trouble on board; as it was his determination seems to have entirely stamped out the seeds of the rebellion.
We append the chief officer’s account of the mutiny, and the report of the voyage. On 24th June, lat. 2043 N, long. 245 W., some of the crew having during the night broke Into the hold, broached cargo, and got drunk, one of them was brought aft and placed in irons, another having attempted to rescue him was also taken in charge; but while securing him, the first prisoner escaped to the forecastle. Captain Crawford and the officers going forward to recapture him, were prevented from doing so by several of the crew, who made use of threatening language. The captain finding that the mutineers would not listen to reason, came aft, and after deliberation with his officers, armed himself and went forward the second time, and finding the doors of the forecastle closed, demanded admission. Previous to this, part of the crew had left the mutineers. Those within refused to open the doors, threatened the captain, and said that they meant shortly to be masters of the ship. Finding argument useless, the door on starboard side of the forecastle was, in spite of much resistance, partly forced open with handspikes, and the captain again warming them, fired three times amongst the mutineers, three of them being wounded; by this means an entrance was effected and the mutiny quelled, the ringleaders and two others being placed in irons.
The following is the report of the passage:—The ship Cathcart, 1387 tons. Captain Crawford, left Gravesend on Thursday, 11th of June, and proceeded in tow to Beachy Head, and made all sail with a light breeze from the north. On Friday, June 12th, the pilot left the ship at eight p.m. when she was going free off Start Point with a moderate breeze from the north -east, and from this we date our passage. On the 14th and 15th made moderate runs of 290 and 200 miles respectively. On the 16th and 17th had light winds from the northward. On the 18th and 19th light winds from the N.W. and beautiful weather. On the 19th the first death occurred, that of an infant five months old. Its decease appeared to cast a gloom over all on board. On the 20th the island of Madeira was sighted and passed about two miles off, and several vessels going in the same direction were sighted and left behind. At three p.m. same day caught the northeast trade winds in latitude 32.9 north and longitude 17.40 west. On the 21st, 22nd and 23rd had moderate trades and fine weather. On the 24th and 25th made runs of 250 and 260 miles. On the 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th moderate trades and fine weather. On the 30th of June came up to the ship Oxford from London to Auckland with emigrants. Went close to her, and had pleasant interchange of good consisting principally of agricultural laborers and domestic servants, the two classes most required in this country.
There were five deaths on board and four births. All that died were little children. There were three sailors in ions aft who had been concerned in a mutiny on the 24th June. It is a good job that the ship possessed a firm captain, or there might have been great trouble on board; as it was his determination seems to have entirely stamped out the seeds of the rebellion.
We append the chief officer’s account of the mutiny, and the report of the voyage. On 24th June, lat. 2043 N, long. 245 W., some of the crew having during the night broke Into the hold, broached cargo, and got drunk, one of them was brought aft and placed in irons, another having attempted to rescue him was also taken in charge; but while securing him, the first prisoner escaped to the forecastle. Captain Crawford and the officers going forward to recapture him, were prevented from doing so by several of the crew, who made use of threatening language. The captain finding that the mutineers would not listen to reason, came aft, and after deliberation with his officers, armed himself and went forward the second time, and finding the doors of the forecastle closed, demanded admission. Previous to this, part of the crew had left the mutineers. Those within refused to open the doors, threatened the captain, and said that they meant shortly to be masters of the ship. Finding argument useless, the door on starboard side of the forecastle was, in spite of much resistance, partly forced open with handspikes, and the captain again warming them, fired three times amongst the mutineers, three of them being wounded; by this means an entrance was effected and the mutiny quelled, the ringleaders and two others being placed in irons.
The following is the report of the passage:—The ship Cathcart, 1387 tons. Captain Crawford, left Gravesend on Thursday, 11th of June, and proceeded in tow to Beachy Head, and made all sail with a light breeze from the north. On Friday, June 12th, the pilot left the ship at eight p.m. when she was going free off Start Point with a moderate breeze from the north -east, and from this we date our passage. On the 14th and 15th made moderate runs of 290 and 200 miles respectively. On the 16th and 17th had light winds from the northward. On the 18th and 19th light winds from the N.W. and beautiful weather. On the 19th the first death occurred, that of an infant five months old. Its decease appeared to cast a gloom over all on board. On the 20th the island of Madeira was sighted and passed about two miles off, and several vessels going in the same direction were sighted and left behind. At three p.m. same day caught the northeast trade winds in latitude 32.9 north and longitude 17.40 west. On the 21st, 22nd and 23rd had moderate trades and fine weather. On the 24th and 25th made runs of 250 and 260 miles. On the 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th moderate trades and fine weather. On the 30th of June came up to the ship Oxford from London to Auckland with emigrants. Went close to her, and had pleasant interchange of good wishes, and then made sail and left her behind. On July 1st and 2nd had light winds from the southward. On July 2nd the last trace of the Oxford faded out astern ; during’ the day had light variable winds and calms. On July 3rd we got the S.E. Trades, in 4.31 north latitude and 20.57 west longitude. On the 4th had moderate winds. Crossed the Equator on the 5th, twenty-one and a half days from the Start. On the 6th made a run of 210 miles, and signalled and passed the ship Renown, from London to Melbourne, 23 days out. On the 7th made a run of 233 miles, and on this day also occurred the second death, that of an infant 9 months old. On the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th, runs were made of 242, 249, 264, and 214 miles respectively. On the 12th. in latitude 23.14 south, longitude 31.40 west, lost the S.E. trade winds. On the 13th and 14th made distances of 141 and 184 miles. On the 13th of July spoke and passed the ship Loch Tay, from Glasgow to Melbourne. 39 days out, in latitude 25.33 south, longitude 30.15 west, On the 14th, 15th, and 16th, made runs of 211, 359, and 248 miles, with moderate south-westerly winds. During the 17th, 18th, and 19th had moderate unsteady winds from the south-west, and on the 20th, 2lst, 22nd, and 23rd, light airs from the southward, with fine clear weather. On the 23rd, in latitude 40.33 south, longitude 2.10 east, spoke the barque Nama, from Callao to Mauritius, 56 days out, all well. On the 24th, 25th, 26th, and 27th had moderate winds from the northward. On the 28th made a run of 304 miles; the third death, that of an infant 6 months old, also occurred on that day. On the 29th a run of 293 miles was made, and the fourth death, that of an infant also six months old, occurred. From that date till August 6th, nothing of any moment occurred, but on that day in latitude 44.47 south longitude 79.3 east, we spoke the ship St Leonards from London to Wellington, On August 10th. had a. very low barometer, viz., 27.70 with the wind from the northward, this was in latitude 46.16 south, and longitude 99.55 east. On the 15th of August the fith death happened, viz., that of an infant eleven months old. From this date to the 33rd of August, on which day we reached the “Snares,” we had steady winds and fine weather. We reached this latitude’ in seventy days and twelve hours from home. From thence to port had light baffling winds veering all round the compass, the time- occupied was five days. On the 26th instant, we spoke the ship Corona, from London to Otago, with emigrants, she was ninety-two days out. We spoke her in latitude 47.59 south, and longitude 169.15 east. Five deaths occurred during the passage and four births. The whole duration of the passage was seventy-six days and twelve hours to port.

  1. ↑ Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2827, 31 August 1874

Cathcart passenger list: Timothy is 6th down

Henry MAUDSLAY[1]

Engineer

Subtitle

Description

Early life

Maudlsay’s father, also named Henry, served as a wheelwright in the Royal Engineers. After being wounded in action he became a storekeeper at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London.There he married a young widow, Margaret Laundy and they had seven children, among which young Henry was the fifth. Henry’s father died in 1780. Henry began filling cartridges at the Arsenal, when he was twelve. After two years, he was transferred to a carpenter’s shop followed by a blacksmith’s forge, where at the age of fifteen he began training as a blacksmith. He seems to have specialised in the lighter, more complex kind of forge work.

Bramah lock

Maudslay got such a good reputation for his skill that Joseph Bramah (the inventor of the hydraulic press) called for his services. Bramah had recently designed and patented an improved type of lock based on the tumbler principle. He was having difficulty in manufacturing the complex lock at an economic price. One of Bramah’s employees recommended Maudslay to him, and so he sent for him. He was surprised to discover that Maudslay was only eighteen, but the latter demonstrated his ability and was employed. He started work at Bramah’s workshop in Denmark Street, St Giles. It was Maudslay who built the lock that was displayed in Bramah’s shop window with a notice offering a reward of 200 guineas to anyone who could pick it. It resisted all efforts for forty-seven years. Maudslay designed and made a set of special tools and machines that allowed the lock to be made at an economic price.

Hydraulic press

Bramah had designed a hydraulic press, but was having problems sealing both the piston and the piston rod where it fitted into the cylinder. The usual method was hemp packing but the pressures were too high for this to work. Maudslay came up with the idea of a leather cup washer, which gave a perfect seal but which offered no resistance to movement when the pressure was released. The new hydraulic press henceforth worked perfectly. Maudslay had made a major contribution to the success of Bramah’s hydraulic press, but received little credit for it.

Slide-rest lathe

At the time when Maudslay began working for Bramah, the typical lathe was worked by a treadle and the workman held the cutting tool against the part being worked on. This did not allow for precision, especially when cutting iron. Maudslay designed a tool-holder into which the cutting tool would be clamped, and which would slide on accurately planed surfaces to allow the cutting tool to move in either direction. This meant that machine components could be turned out over and over so as to match the required measurements to an accuracy never before achieved. Maudslay’s slide-rest lathe revolutionised the production of machine components.

Promotion and marriage

Maudslay had shown himself to be so talented that he was soon made manager of Bramah’s workshop. In 1791 he married Bramah’s housemaid, Sarah Tindel. The couple were to have four sons together. Thomas Henry, the eldest, and Joseph, the youngest, subsequently joined their father in business. William, the second, became a civil engineer, being one of the founders of the Institute of Civil Engineers.

In 1797, after having worked for Bramah for eight years, Maudslay asked for an increase in his wage of only 30s a week. Bramah refused his request. This refusal determined Maudslay to set up business on his own account.

His own business

Maudslay obtained a small shop and smithy in Wells Street, off Oxford Street. In 1800, Maudslay moved to larger premises in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square.

Following earlier work by Samuel Bentham, his first major commission was to build a series of 42 woodworking machines to produce wooden rigging blocks (each ship required thousands) for the Navy under Sir Marc Isambard Brunel. The machines were installed in the purpose-built Portsmouth Block Mills, which still survive, including some of the original machinery. The machines were capable of making 130,000 ships’ blocks a year, needing only ten unskilled men to operate them compared with the 110 skilled workers needed before their installation.This was the first well-known example of specialized machinery, used for machining in an assembly-line type factory.

Screw cutting

He also developed the first industrially practical screw-cutting lathe in 1800, allowing standardisation of screw thread sizes for the first time. This allowed the concept of interchangeability (a idea that was already taking hold) to be practically applied to nuts and bolts. Before this, all nuts and bolts had to be made as matching pairs only. This meant that when machines were disassembled, careful account had to be kept of the matching nuts and bolts ready for when reassembly took place. Maudslay standardized the screw threads used in his workshop and produced sets of taps and dies that would make nuts and bolts consistently to those standards, so that any bolt of the appropriate size would fit any nut of the same size. This was a major advance in workshop technology.

Lathe design

Although Maudslay was not the first person to invent a slide-rest (as many writers have claimed), and may not have been the first inventor to combine a leadscrew, slide-rest, and set of change gears all on one lathe (Jesse Ramsden may have done that in 1775; evidence is scant), he is certainly the person who introduced to the rest of the world the winning three-part combination of leadscrew, slide-rest, and change gears, sparking great advancement in machine tools and in the engineering use of screw threads.

Maudslay invented the first bench micrometer that was capable of measuring to one ten-thousandth of an inch (0.0001 in ≈ 3 µm). He called it the “Lord Chancellor”, as it was used to settle any questions regarding accuracy of workmanship.

By 1810 Maudslay was employing eighty workers and was running out of room at his current premises, so he moved to larger premises in Westminster Road, Lambeth. Maudslay also recruited a promising young Admiralty draughtsman, Joshua Field, who proved to be so talented that Maudslay took him into partnership. The company later became Maudslay, Sons & Field, when Maudslay’s sons became partners.

Marine engines

Maudslay’s Lambeth works began to specialize in the production of marine steam engines. The type of engine he used for ships was a side-lever design, in which a beam was mounted alongside the cylinder. This saved on height in the cramped engine rooms of steamers. His first marine engine was built in 1815, of 17 h.p., and fitted to a Thames steamer called Richmond. In 1823 a Maudslay engine powered the Lightning, the first steam-powered vessel to be commissioned by the Royal Navy. In 1829 a side-lever engine of 400 h.p. was completed for HMS Dee, and was the largest marine engine existing at that time. In 1838, after Maudslay’s death, the Lambeth works supplied a 750 h.p. engine for Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous SS Great Western, the first transatlantic steamship. By 1850 the firm had supplied more than two hundred vessels with steam engines.

Thames Tunnel

In 1825 Marc Isambard Brunel began work on the Thames Tunnel, intended to link Rotherhithe with Wapping. After many difficulties this was successfully completed in 1842, and was the first tunnel under the Thames. The tunnel would not have been possible without the innovative tunneling shield, designed by Marc Brunel and built by Maudslay Sons & Field at their Lambeth works. Maudslay also supplied the steam-driven pumps that were so important in keeping the tunnel workings dry.

At the end of his life Maudslay developed an interest in astronomy and began to construct a telescope. He intended to buy a house in Norwood and build a private observatory there, but he died before he was able to accomplish his plan. In January 1831 he caught a chill while crossing the English Channel. He was ill for four weeks and died on 15 February. He was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalen Woolwich, and his memorial in its Lady Chapel was designed by himself.

Many outstanding engineers trained in his workshop including Richard Roberts, David Napier, Joseph Clement, Sir Joseph Whitworth, James Nasmyth (inventor of the steam hammer), Joshua Field and William Muir.

Henry Maudslay played his part in the development of mechanical engineering, when it was in its infancy, but he was especially pioneering in the development of machine tools to be used in engineering workshops across the world.

Maudslay’s company was one of the most important British engineering manufactories of the nineteenth century, finally closing in 1904.

ozesoldier originally shared this to WINTERBOTHAM Family Tree

25 Jan 2010 story

Also see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Maudslay


[1] Henry was the father in law of Chris’s 4th ggf.