Hannah Anderson
Bones in the Belfry home page

Hannah's Story

    She was born in 1839 in Weardale in the Parish of Stanhope, County Durham. Her parents were Joseph and Margaret Featherstone. Her farther:was a lead ore miner, and her mother's maiden name: Harrison..In 1857 she sailed with her husband for Australia. Hannah was 17 and her husband Emerson 21. Emerson was a lead miner, Hannah left her parents, and at least two younger sisters and a young brother behind.  Also on the royal Charter was another Weardale family the Harrisons, John Harrison was also a lead miner, quite possibly related to Hannah's mother. It looks as if there were problems getting work in the mines at Weardale. All passengers on the Royal Chater were unassisted immigrants
     When Hannah arrived in Australia, they went to Ballarat, where she gave birth to a son Henry in August 1857, a month after arrival in Australia. Sadly Emerson died in April 1858.  Probably 1n 1859 Hannah married William Anderson, and gave birth to her second son (John) in Ballarat in 1860. Two more boys followed in Ballarat (Joseph 1862 and Alexander 1864). In 1864 William Anderson died in Ballarat, leaving Hannah a widow for the second time, with four children.
    Times must have been hard, but we know nothing more till Hannah marries Charles Martin in Ballarat on Christmas day 1883. As Charles was carrying a heavy workload teaching in Casterton, can we speculate that some of Charles many friends in Ballarat dabbled in matchmaking? In 1888 Charles retired, and the couple went on a ten month trip to England, though we do not know where they went. I would like to think Hannah got to see her family while there. Hannah outlived a third husband, as Charles died in 1908, and Hannah died in 1910, aged 70. As Charles was well off, it is good to think that Hannah spent the last third of her life in comfort and security, after what must have been terribly difficult years in the diggings earlier.

General Comments

    Weardale and Stanhope entries in Wikipedia are well worth a visit. Climate is bracing, so if you must come to Australia, Ballarat is a good choice

Detailed Information

1835 Emerson Featherstone born in Stanhope, Durham, England  

                                                                                                                                                               Source         

23 Dec 1839 Hannah Featherstone born in Weardale, County of Durham, England

                                                                                                                                                                Source        

1841 English Census Entry for Hannah Featherstone

County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred Darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
House : Sunderland (?)
Joseph Featherstone            30       Born in County        Farmer
Ann Featherstone                25      
Mary Featherstone                4       Born in County
Hannah Featherstone             3       Born in County
George Featherstone             1        Born in County                                                                                   Source
Note: This Entry is not her. This family appear again in 1851, but the real family is now in the census

1841 English Census Entries for Emerson Featherstone

County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred Darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
House : Burnhope
Joseph Featherstone            50       born in the county        Lead Miner
Jane Featherstone                40       born in the county
John Featherstone               15       born in the county        Lead Miner
Joseph Featherstone            14       born in the county
Thomas Featherstone          12       born in the county
Ralph Featherstone             10        born in the county
Margaret Featherstone         8        born in the county
Emerson Featherstone          6       born in the county
William Featherstone            4       born in the county
Frances Featherstone           2       born in the county                                                                            Source Page 1                    Source Page 2
Note there were 48 entries on this census page, of which 19 were Featherstones

County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Middle Rigg
Harry Featherstone            45       born in the county            Lead Miner
John Featherstone              20       born in the county            Lead Miner
Ralph Featherstone            15       born in the county             Farmer?
Joseph Featherstone           11       born in the county
William Featherstone            9       born in the county
Emerson Featherstone          6       born in the county
Margaret Lee                     25       not born in the county        Servant?
Note there were 48 entries on this census page, of which 10 were Featherstones                                   Source
See comments after the 1851 Census data for Featherstone

1851 English Census Entry for Hannah Featherstone

County Durham  Civil Parishn Stanhope, Hundred darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Stanhope Burn   (? Barn)
Joseph Featherstone            42       Born in County        Farmer
Ann Featherstone                34      
Hannah Featherstone           14       Born in County                                                                                 Image 
Note: This Entry is not her. The real family is below

County Durham  Civil Parishn Stanhope, Hundred darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Middle Rigg
Joseph Featherstone            38       Stanhope Durham       Lead Ore Miner
Margaret Featherstone         34       Stanhope Durham
Hannah Featherstone           11       Stanhope Durham         
Margaret Featherstone          8        Stanhope Durham
Joseph Featherstone             5         Stanhope Durham        Scholar
Isabella Featherstone            2         Stanhope Durham        Scholar
Joseph Harrison                    1         Stanhope Durham         Nephew                                                       Image
Note there is no one here who could be Collin (8 years older than Hannah)
Joseph and Margaret are still there in 1861 at Middle Rigg, without Hannah, which checks out

1851 English Census Entry for Emerson Featherstone

County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred Darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
House : Burnhope
Joseph Featherstone           63     Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Joseph Featherstone           25     Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Thomas Featherstone         23      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Margaret Featherstone       18      Stanhope Durham
Emerson Featherstone        16      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
William Featherstone          14      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Jane Featherstone                9      Stanhope Durham      Scholar
Note there were 20 entries on this census page, of which 4 were Featherstones                                       Image


County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred Darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Middle Rigg
John Featherstone             32      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Jane Featherstone              27      Stanhope Durham 
Mary Featherstone              6      Stanhope Durham 
Henry Featherstone             3      Stanhope Durham 
Sarah Featherstone             1      Stanhope Durham 
Joseph Featherstone          21      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
William Featherstone          19      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Emerson Featherstone        15      Stanhope Durham      Lead Miner
Ester Peart                         20     Stanhope Durham       General Servant                             Images    Page 1      Page 2
Note there were 40 entries on this census page, of which 16 were Featherstones
Attempts to find either of these households in 1861 failed, as did attempts to find Emerson.
So we do not have a definite family for Emerson, though the second family appear closer neighbours to Hannah

1851 Census Entry for The Harrison Family on the Royal Charter(below)

County Durham  Civil Parish Stanhope, Hundred Darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Island House
John Harrison               33           Stanhope Durham    Lead Miner
Sarah Harrison             46           Stanhope Durham    Wife
John Harrison                9            Stanhope Durham     Scholar
Thomas Harrison           5            Stanhope Durham     Scholar
Joseph Harrison            3            Stanhope Durham
Frances Harrison           1            Stanhope Durham                                                                                        Image

Apr-June 1857 Hannah and Emerson Marry in Weardale                                                                                Image

19 July 1857 Royal Charter Arrives in Melbourne

Leaving Liverpool in May
488 passengers, Unassisted. Among the passengers are
                                            Age
Featherstone, Collin                25
Featherstone, Emerson            21
Featherstone, Hannah              17

Harrison, Sarah                        51
Harrison, John                          39
Harrison, Joseph                      23
Harrison, Hannah                     21
Harrison, John Jnr                    15
Harrison, Thomas                     11
Harrison, Joseph                       9
Harrison, Francis                       7                                                                
    Note the passengers were listed in alphabetical order. So the three Featherstones are not necessarily a group.                 Source Data
    The Harrison family came from Weardale also (see Census above). Joseph and Hannah are not in the census record. This could be because they had left home in 1851 (very likely), or because the shipping records I saw do not indicate who was together, just list names in alphabetical order. The shipping manifest may be more helpful if anyone cares.
    The Harrisons are of interest because that is Hannah's mother's maiden name. Ie they are possible rellies
    I have been unable to find anything in Australia or England about Collin Featherstone                                                               

28 Aug 1857 son Henry Featherstone born in Ballarat

Ancestry has his father as Emerson Featherstone                                                                                 Source

Alan Kitching's tree on Genes reunited has Henry Featherstone marrying Margaret Stevenson in 1882

Henry died in Heidelberg in 1942                                                                                                        Source

25 Apr 1858 Emerson Featherstone dies in Ballarat        

                                                                                                                                                          Source

1859 The Royal Charter was wrecked

I wonder if Hannah heard of its fate.                                                                                                   Link

1859 (probable year) Marries William Anderson

                                                                                                                                                        Source

1860 son John Anderson born in Ballarat

                                                                                                                                                       Source

1861 English Census Entry for Hannah Featherstone's family

County Durham  Civil Parishn Stanhope, Hundred darlington, Registration District Weardale, Sub registration District St Johns
Middle Rigg
Joseph Featherston            48       Stanhope Durham       Lead Miner
Margaret Featherston         44       Stanhope Durham      
Margaret Featherston         18       Stanhope Durham
Joseph Featherston             15       Stanhope Durham       
Isabella Featherston            12       Stanhope Durham       
Hannah Featherston              3       Stanhope Durham                          Image Page 1         Image Page 2     (The family went over the bottom of page)
This Hannah is labelled daughter in the 1861 Census (above) , but in 1871 she is labelled Granddaughter, which makes more sense.        Image
This Hannah was born a year or so after our Hannah left.

1862 son Joseph Down Anderson born in Ballarat

                                                                                                                                                      Source

1864 son Alexander Anderson born in Ballarat

                                                                                                                                                      Source

1864 Husband William Anderson dies

                                                                                                                                                      Source

25 December 1883 Married to Charles Martin in Ballarat

Previous Husband (Anderson) died 1864
Birthplace Weardale, County of Durham, England
Parents Joseph and Margaret Featherstone. Farther: miner. Mother's maiden name: Harrison.                                                Source Data

1888 Hannah went with Charles to England on a trip of about 10 months

29 July 1908 Charles died, aged 80, in Ballarat

    See Len Martin's Book on Charles Martin

21 October 1910 Hannah died, aged 70, in Ballarat

    See Len Martin's Book on Charles Martin

Acknowlegements:

Helen Millward's tree on Ancestry supplies the Featherston informationse, Other material has come from Len Martin's book
 
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