Charles Martin and Francis Prickett
Parents
: William Martin and
Hanna Coalman
Robert and Jane Prickett
Charles Martin (b 1797 Twywell Northamptonshire, m Francis Prickett
1826 Islington Middlesex, d 1878
Castlemaine Vic)
Francis Prickett (b 1800 St Pancras Middlesex, d 1879 Castlemaine)
Charles Henry Martin (b 1827 Islington , m
Elizabeth Hitchcock 1853 Prahan Vic, m Hannah Anderson abt 1884
Ballarat, d 1908 Ballarat Vic)
Hannah Martin
(b
1829
Islington, m Thomas Farr 1849
Camden Town, London,d 1890 St Kilda)
Edwin Farr (b 1858 Ballarat, m Louisa Jane Briant 1884 Presb
Manse Ballarat, d 1943 Northcote)
Winifred Emma Farr (b 1890
Northcote, m Norman Thompson
1918 , d 1994 Preston)
Henry Martin (b 1832 Islington , m Elanor Maw
1853 Collingwood, d 1897 Balwyn Vic)
Louisa Martin (b 1833 Peterborough,
Northhamptonshire , m James Crump 1852 St Pancras, d 1904 Fairfield
Vic)
Charles Henry Martin (Hannah's Brother, above)
An excellent book by Len Martin chronicles his
life. It gives an insight into how big a change it must habe been
for all the Martins. Charles H came from urban Islington, but in
1855 he was teaching at Point Napean in a school with 13 pupils, a
dirt floor, and no Privies. (The inspector's reported plenty of
bushes available for privacy). Charles H was obviously verry well
educated, writing learned articles in the Australian Christian
Pioneer which included reference to the original Greek of various
bible passages. Charles H had a strong religious commitment, which
was also evident in the wider family. He spent his prime working
years in Ballarat. Worth a read even if you are not a Charles H
descendant.
Link
Charles Martin's Will
Glenis
Crocker searched the Victorian Public Records for his will.She
could not find it, but found an application for Probate by his
daughter Louisa Crump, as sole executrix, on 6th of July 1903.
This is nearly 26 years after
his death. She explains in her submission that she only found she
had a problem when she tried to sell Charles' house in Wimble St
Castlemaine. Louisa had apparently just moved to 12 Tremerry St
Abbotsford, after living in Wimble St till then. The will itself
is not available, as Louisa successfully applied to have it
removed from file
Francis Prickett's origins
Death certificate gives no maiden name, but gives her age as 78 on
13 June 1879
Marriage certificate gives maiden name as Prickett (1826 Islington
Middlesex)
LDS only has one christening of Frances Prickett, daughter of Robert
Thomas Prickett and Jane Maria (Saint Botolph Without Aldersgate 26
Apr 1800) - confirmed by an extract of the entry
LDS only has one marriage of Robert Prickett, to Ann Salte
(Tottenham, 4 Jul 1798)
LDS has no death/burial entries for Jane/Ann Prickett, but LDS is
not good at deaths
Robert Thomas Prickett in his will (1805/6) nominates his wife
Sarah and daughter Frances as his only beneficiaries
1851 Census (31 Mar)
St Pancras (38 Goldington North St)
Age
Occupation
Where Born
Charles
MARTIN
Head
52
Master
Butcher
Twibil, NTH
Frances
MARTIN
50
St
Pancras,
MDX
Henry
MARTIN
19
Islington, MDX
Louisa
MARTIN
17
Peterborough, Northhamptonshire
Thomas
FARR
Head
27
Carpenter
Southgate, MDX
Hannah
FARR
21
Islington, MDX
Alice
L
FARR
3
months
St
Pancras,
MDX
(all living in number 38)
Twibill is probably Twywel, NTH
General Notes
Frances' father was an upholsterer who lived at
St Martin's Le Grande in the city of London (information provided by
Frances on a census form conducted on 5th November, 1831). However,
he may also have been a steam boat owner on the Thames, as this is
the information provided by James Crump on the death certificate of
Frances when she died at Castlemaine in 1879. It is possible that
James was wrong in the information that he provided - but it is also
possible that both are correct and that he changed occupations. The
Prickett family appears to have been fairly well off.
Charles father was a farmer.
Louisa was christened in St Mary Magdalene,
Bermondsey. Subsequent Martin children were christened in St Giles
Cripplegate, and in the 1841 census both Crumps and Martins were
living around that area. (In fact, on census night, some of the
Martin children were down the road staying with the Crumps).
Families of James Crump, Charles Martin (Snr),
and Thomas Farr sailed from London in August 1854 on the Aberfoyle,
and arrived in Port Phillip in December 1854. The shipping list
gives passengers as
Charles
Martin aged 54, Joiner
Frances
Martin
53 (his wife)
Thomas
Farr
29 Carpenter
Hannah
Farr
24
James
Crump
24 Carpenter
Louisa
Crump
21
Alice
Farr
3
Sarah A
Farr
2
James H
Crump
1
Charles Farr
2 mo.
We do know that the Crumps went to the goldfield at Castlemaine, and
the Farrs and the Martins went to Ballarat. We believe there are
still Crumps living in the area.
The 1854 party were preceeded to Melbourne by Chales Henry Martin
(the eldest son- see above) in late 1852. Presumably the main party
came out on his recommendation.
The following material is from posters prepared by Glenis
Crocker for a Martin and Farr reunion she organised in Ballarat
Contents
MARTIN AS A SURNAME:
"OUR MARTINS"
EVIDENCE FOR
LINKING CHARLES MARTIN WITH THE TEETON/SPRATTON MARTINS:
EVIDENCE AGAINST THE LINK:
REASONS FOR
KEEPING AN OPEN MIND ON THE LINKS:
EVIDENCE NEEDED
TO PROVE/DISPROVE THE LINK:
FARMYARD AT TWYWELL.
HOMES OF THE
MARTIN FAMILY IN AND AROUND ISLINGTON
CENSUS INFORMATION
30TH MARCH 1851
NON-CONFORMIST
CHAPELS IN LONDON
ISLINGTON TODAY (AUGUST
1977)
COMING TO AUSTRALIA
THE PRICKETTS
CHARLES MARTIN IN
CASTLEMAINE
Transcript of the Will of Robert Thomas Prickett, dated August
1805.
See
Robert
Prickett's page
Transcription of the Will of Charles Richard Prickett dated 16th
January
1808,
See
Charles
Prickett's page
MARTIN AS A SURNAME:
The surname Martin, although very common, is thought to have its
origins from a small group of immigrants to England. They were
predominantly merchants, dealing with every stage of cloth and
leather production from farm to export.
"OUR MARTINS"
The branch of Martins from which we appear to be descended lived in
a group of villages based around Teeton and Spratton in
Northamptonshire. (See map) In
the 1700s Martins were fairly mobile between villages, with families
appearing in a parish register and then no further entries, with the
same family then appearing elsewhere. The surnames Dickins and
Coleman (Coalman) sometimes appeared in association with the surname
Martin, and in some cases they appeared and disappeared from Parish
registers at similar times.
The particular branch from which we come, according to evidence
collected so far, was centred in Teeton. (See information
provided by Helen Millward)
This branch can be traced back to the 1600's, and earlier with the
assistance of a knowledge of Latin.
However, the direct link of these Martins with our Charles Martin
has been made by a process of elimination, which as yet is not
complete, and possibly will never be complete.
EVIDENCE
FOR LINKING CHARLES MARTIN WITH THE TEETON/SPRATTON MARTINS:
Charles Martin's death certificate lists his place of birth as being
Northamptonshire, while the 1851 Census gives the village in which
he was born as Twibil, Northamptonshire. Lists giving all the
Northamptonshire villages and parishes of that time have no village
of this name, the closest sounding name being Twywell. Census
details were written down by the census collector going from house
to house, and so the village was probably written as he heard it,
rather than as it was spelt. His spelling of Farr as Fair
lends support to this theory. (The conclusion that the village
was Twywell was reached independently by two different family
researchers)
Twywell records show only one family of Martin living there in the
relevant period. William Martin from Teeton married Hannah
Coalman at Twywell in 1787. They had six children born in
Twywell, the last of whom, Charles, was christened on 27th
December1797. There are no further Martins in parish records
in Twywell.
EVIDENCE AGAINST THE
LINK:
This baptism makes Charles 1 year older than evidence from the 1851
Census in London, from the shipping records, and from his death
certificate.
His mother on his death certificate was listed as Hannah Pricket,
which was then corrected to Hannah Dickins.
REASONS
FOR KEEPING AN OPEN MIND ON THE LINKS:
* There was only one family of Martins in Twywell at the relevant
time.
* The mother's Christian name was Hannah and she had a son Charles
at about the right time.
* Although Dickins was recorded as Charles' mother's maiden name, it
was only after a correction had already been made, indicating
uncertainty.
* James Crump, who filled in the forms, was about ten years out in
the ages of children listed (including his wife), suggesting some
element of unreliability. Around this time he was retired on
the grounds of ill heath from his job as station master of
Castlemaine.
* Dickins/Dickens of Ravensthorpe were close family friends of the
previous generation of Martins (see Wills), but a search of
Ravensthorpe and adjacent parish and chapel records has not yielded
a Hannah Dickins/ Dickens who lived to adulthood, born between 1750
- 1785, and therefore of an age to be the mother of Charles.
James Crump may have mistaken a known family friend name for
Charles' mother's maiden name, or if Hannah outlived William Martin,
she may have remarried a Dickins/ens.
EVIDENCE
NEEDED TO PROVE/DISPROVE THE LINK:
* A death certificate for one of his brothers or an unmarried sister
giving parent details.
* Elimination over time of other explanations by searching as widely
as possible through adjacent Parish records
* Finding original documents, eg the marriage certificate of Charles
& Frances which may give parent details, or an old Family
Bible. Church parish registers do not give this detail.
FARMYARD AT TWYWELL.
This yard is still known as Martin's Yard, even
though no Martins have lived in the village within memory. The
original farmhouse no longer exists. Note: The slaughterhouse at
Castlemaine, Victoria, was listed in the rate collector's book of
1858 as Martin's Yards
On an account sent by Thomas Farr to Charles
Martin, for carpentry work done at his residence and at the Dana Tt.
School, note the address is 29 Eyre st, which appears to have been
the address of Thomas’ business, in 1871.
HOMES OF
THE MARTIN FAMILY IN AND AROUND ISLINGTON
The Martins, Farrs and Crumps are known to have
lived at a variety of locations in and around Islington.
Census records, and the birth records for the first three children
of Hannah and Thomas Farr (Alice Farr, Sarah Farr, and Charles
Farr,) and for James Harry Crump, the first son of Louisa and James
Crump show that the family was based in the area around Islington
from the time of Charles Martin’s marriage to Frances Prickett..
CENSUS
INFORMATION 30TH MARCH 1851
Charles Martin is listed a being born in Twibil or Twivil,
Northamptonshire. A list of old villages and their Parishes
gives Twywell as the only likely village. Remember that the
scribe for the census had to write down unfamiliar names in many
dialects. He didn’t go too well on Thomas Farr and family
either, who were living in the same house. (Wrote it down as Fair,
which may give some idea of the broad accent.)
NON-CONFORMIST
CHAPELS IN LONDON
The non-conformist chapels were very prolific in
the Islington area. Some of these, such as Park Chapel, were
privately owned. Park Chapel, which at one stage was attended
by the Martins, was owned by Baptist Noel, who was the sixteenth
child and eleventh son of Sir Gerard Noel-Noel. He had begun
training to ‘read for the bar’, but changed his mind and became a
minister in the Church of England. He was very involved with
social issues of the time and in 1848 broke away from the Church of
England to become a Baptist preacher. He was baptised by
immersion in the John St Baptist Chapel, and was its minister there
until his resignation in 1868.
ISLINGTON TODAY
(AUGUST 1977)
NB. Numbers in Upper St are duplicated and have probably changed
since the 1820’s, so 134 Upper Street, the place of birth of Hannah
Martin, could not be positively identified.
COMING TO AUSTRALIA
Charles Martin and Henry Martin sailed to
Victoria in 1852. A letter of Commendation written in England
and held by Charles as an introduction in Victoria was dated late
July 1852. A search of shipping records has not found
conclusive evidence of their ship, the search being made more
difficult by the common names of henry and Charles Martin. It
is uncertain whether they sailed together or independently.
A search of the Shipping Index of unassisted
passengers has yielded the following:
Chas J. Martin on the ship
Ballengiech, (also spelt Ballangeich) arrived Dec
1852. (Checks of shipping showed it arrived 7th Dec 1852
after sailing from Southampton 21st August 1852)
Henry Martin on the ship Ballengiech, arrived Dec 1852.
Henry Martin on this ship, and another Henry Martin on the
Athenian, Feb 1852, were marked on the index "* see passenger
problems folder". This has not yet been followed up.
A search of the passenger lists for the
Ballengeich showed Henry Martin was aged 20 and was English, but a
listing for Charles was not found. A more careful search is
needed. The age of Henry Martin matches.
Another ship, the Isabella, sailed from London on
the 31st July 1852, with only 36 passengers. This is a date
which matches precisely with other family information.
However, no Charles or Henry were on board. Instead, Edward,
Eliza and Mary Martin, English, aged 21, 23 and 21 years
respectively were on board. (Note: Nearly every ship
seemed to have Martins on board, so this is probably of no
significance.)
The migration of the rest of the family was
located far more easily, as they all came out together on the ship
"Aberfoyle" in 1854. The grouping together and the larger
number of names verified that the listing was ours.
The LaTrobe library in Melbourne in its Picture
collection has a photograph and a print of a sailing ship called the
Aberfoyle. Unfortunately it is not "our" ship, as it was
commissioned in the 1880's. Because of name changes to ships,
it is necessary to check with the Loyd's of London shipping
registers to trace name changes, to locate any paintings or
photographs of the Aberfoyle of 1854. This can be done in the
geneology section of the La Trobe Library. The LaTrobe Library
Picture Collection has an extensive range of sailing ships which
plied between England and Australia. These can be accessed
through Internet, so it is still possible we may be able to come up
with a picture of the Aberfoyle, although possibly called by another
name.
THE PRICKETTS
Frances Prickett was the only known child of
Robert Thomas Prickett, Upholsterer. She was baptised in 1800
and her mother's name was recorded as Jane Maria, surname not given.
Robert's Will, written in 1805 and proved in 1806, records his
wife's name as Sarah, but he specifically mentions his daughter
Frances by (name indecipherable). Robert, his brother Richard,
his father and another brother Charles all died within a few years
of each other, leaving only their wives and mother plus
children. (Hope it wasn't the cooking)
Robert died in 1806, Charles died two years later, his Will
recording that Richard had legitimate children and illegitimate
children by Prudence, known as Prudence Prickett. Charles only
had one surviving child, a daughter called Eliza.
Family Wills have not yet been explored fully,
but it appears that the Pricketts as a family were financially
comfortably off. It seems likely that Sarah remarried another
member of the Prickett family, possibly Paul, as their first child
was called Robert. Two Sarah Pricketts married other
Pricketts, but as Parish records have not yet been checked, it isn't
known whether one was a widow.
Some Prickett Wills were very complex, leaving income in perpetuity
to descendants. Pricketts marrying Pricketts may have been a
method of consolidating family finances, as it seems to have
occurred a number of times.
Another Prickett Will, that of John Prickett,
surveyor, relationship to us, if any, is unknown, is very
interesting because it mentions a Frances Prickett, and gives
detailed family relationships. Income from many properties,
farms and investments is left to a variety of children, sisters and
grandchildren, including a Frances Prickett, in perpetuity for their
LEGALLY begotten descendants only. (Perhaps a reaction to Richard's
excesses). It is 17 pages long, specifically excludes
Sons-in-law from using their wife's income to discharge their debts,
and mentions many people and places, two of which overlap with the
Will of Charles Prickett, (Frances' uncle,) suggesting some links
with our family. The writing looks beautiful but is atrocious
to decipher. The reading of the Will would have taken
ages. Sons-in-law would have been a bit upset to sit for hours
through its reading only to find they weren't to touch their wife's
money.
If ever deciphering this Will is finished, and
any links are discovered, the income from any inheritance only has
to be divided about 900 ways, on last count of the family tree.
Our Pricketts lived in London, but other
Pricketts lived in Yorkshire. Wills read to date show that
members of the same family were based in Yorkshire while others were
in London. Prickett, I believe, is a name associated
withYorkshire Milling .
Those Pricketts living in and around London in
the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries appear to have had few
associations with the Non-conformists, but were Church of
England. However, WW2 bombings took their toll of Parish
registers, here and in other parts of England. Some Parish
registers in central London were not released to the Church of
Latter Day Saints for copying, and so are not included in the IGI
index. The Wills, however, give us several Parishes to begin
the search for further links.
CHARLES MARTIN IN
CASTLEMAINE
harles Martin, Master Butcher, lived in or near
Castlemaine at the time of Cuthbert Clarke. The Castlemaine
Rate Records are incomplete in the 1850's and so we have been unable
to identify Charles' precise whereabouts in the late 1850's.
However, in one rate collectors book in the PRO Laverton for the
year 1858, he is recorded as the ratepayer on slaughtering yards,
located at D4, allotments 11,12,13 and 22,23,24, valued at 150
pounds (250?). The survey maps show the location. He only
appears to have been there for one or two years, as the next year
the rate collector had crossed out Martin's Yards and written in
pencil above it the names of the owners as the Rate payers.
Although he and his wife lived in Castlemaine until their deaths, he
does not appear to be listed among the many small butchers in the
Rate books for Castlemaine , which makes me suspect that if he
worked, he continued to run a slaughterhouse.
In London, circumstantial evidence suggests that
he did not work as a retail butcher, but rather in the slaughtering
side. We have no knowledge of his whereabouts prior to the
slaughterhouse, or whether he actually worked the slaughterhouse
from the time of his arrival in Australia in 1854. Five of the six
allotments of the land were allocated to J.Carmichael & R.
Russell in 1857, the other in 1855 to S. Ankrett. J. Bisset is
adjacent to these.
I suspect that he established the slaughterhouse
when the land was still Crown land, and was then forced off with the
allocation of the land to others. The other alternative is
that he was given the task of establishing the slaughterhouse by
Carmichael and Russell in 1857, as there were also butchers by the
name of Russell. Once set up, they then took over the task of
running it. If this was the case, then possibly he would have been
operating similarly in the region prior to this.
Local newspaper reports referred to slaughtering
occurring in the streets of the early goldfields, and blood running
down the gutters. The flies were a great problem, and there
was much concern. The location of Charles Martin's
slaughterhouse today is on the outskirts of Castlemaine, with the
Council Tip being located behind. There have been some houses
built on the area, facing the Maldon Rd, but these are relatively
recent. The area is basically "goldfields bush". Ie, thin
eucalypts, sparse groundcover, shale rock.
Facts Extracted from Glenis Crocker's Database Notes (Possibly
from Helen Millward)
Frances Prickett
Funeral notice monday June 16 in The Mount Alexander Mail
The
Friends
ofn the late Mrsa. FRANCES Martin are respectfully invited to
follow her remains to the Castlemaine Cemetery. The
Funeral will leave the residence of Mr Crump, Wimble-street,
This Day at 2 o'clock.
GROSE & Odgers Undertakers
Charles Martin
Born in Twywell in 1797, the family left there when Charles was
three.
If chas Martin, apprenticed to Peter Howard in Newington is ours, he
was almost adopted as the indentures were to run till he was 21
years old. £10 fee. listed in apprentiship records in PRO Kew.
There is no further information until he marries Frances Prickett in
Islington, but he must have been apprenticed and by the birth of his
children he is a master butcher, resident first at 6 Brunswick
Parade, White Conduit Fields,
Islington, when Charles Henry was born, and then on Upper
Street Islington when Hannah arrived. The residence of the
family when the other two children were born has still to be
checked. In 1841 they may be living at Long Lane, Bermondsey, but
the census records are badly damaged. Bermandsey Parish Records show
the baptism of Charles, Henry & Louisa July 6th 1834, Parents
being Charles and Frances, Charles being a butcher living in Long
Lane. According to the 1851 census Louisa was born at Peterborough.
At the time of the 1851 census Charles and his three younger
children are living at Goldington Street, Somer Town, just west of
the Midland main line. Hannah has married and her husband and
daughter form part of the household. The business in 1846 was
in King Street Somer Town, which address has vanished without trace,
possibly under railway sidings. Charles Henry is living at 33 Lucas
St, Commercial Rd, from which address he applied for teacher
training. In 1852 the two boys emigrate. Henry`s bed in the family
home is taken by Louisa`s future husband. The rest of the family all
followed the boys in1854 on the Aberfoyle to Melbourne, disembarking
at Geelong. They all went as unassisted migrants
By 1859 Charles is running an abbattoir in tents on land probably
leased for the purpose at Castlemaine. The land for which they
paid rates covered 6 allotements. By 1862 the Yards were split
up and various people paid the rates. The Largest payer being
Russell. At the time of his death Charles owned a house plot next
door to the Crumps in Wimble Street Castlemaine.
Frances Martin is recorded as running a shop on the birth
certificate of a later grandchild.
James Crump paid £4 / 2 / 6 for the funeral with coffin &
mourning coach. Charles was buried in a public grave on Tuesday 17th
September. The plot was purchased by James Crump at the time
of Frances death.
Funeral Notice, Tuesday September 17 in the Mount Alexander Mail
The
Friends
of the late Mr CHARLES MARTIN are respectfully invited to follow
his remains to the Castlemaine Cemetery. The funeral will
leave the residence of his son-in-law, Mr Crump, Wimble-street,
This Day, at half-past Two o'clock.
Grose & Odgers, Undertakers
White Conduit House
had been a tea-house in 1811 for many years, with views over the
fields towards Hampstead, and Highgate. It's name derived from
an old stone conduit, erected 1641, built over a head of water that
supplied the Charter House by a leaden pipe. White Conduit House had
neat gardens surrounding a round pond and arbours for sitting in,
bowling green,,dutch-pin grounds. About 1790 the field was
used for cricket by the local gentlemen. The house was spacious,
contained a well toned organ, and also had an ale and table brewery
attached.
John Nelson, the History of Islington.1811
The Cattle Markets
John Perkins obtained in 1836 permission by Act of Parliament to
establishthe Islington Cattle Market, of Essex Road. This was
opposed by the Smithfield butchers, the City and others.
Perkins hoped to collect the cattle heading east, and provided pens
for 40,000 sheep, 7,000 cattle and 1,000 pigs. The site was entered
through an imposing entrance arch through a fourstorey entrance. The
slaughtering operation did not succeed, but the pens were used for
overnight/ or longer containment of livestock enroute to
Smithfield. Perkins lost £100,000. Smithfield was still
overloaded for operations and in 1855 the Metropolitan Cattle
Market, between York Way and the Caledonian Road was opened.
John Richardson, Islington Past.1988
Acknowledgements
Most of the material on the Martins comes from Glenis Crocker, with
help from Robyn Lawther and Helen Millward. Glenis's material
prepared for the Martin reunion she organised has been quoted
directly here. They have traced the family back to the 16th century,
by a lot of detective work on old wills.
Also Len Martin produced an excellent book on Charles Henry
Martin, Hannah Martin's brother
If you have additions or corrections
to this page, please
contact us
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Page last updated - 20 Jul 2007
6 Jul 2010
17 Oct 2012
