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Orphan Number: 29
Orphan: Edward ALCORN
Mother:ALLCORN, Frances
Father:ALLCORN, George
Mother's ship:
Father's ship:York 2
Age when admitted:6yrs
Date admitted:10 Dec 1834
Date discharged:6 Oct 1836
Institution(s):Queens Orphan School
Discharged to: parents, free
Remarks:
References: SWD28


This orphan has been claimed by: Maree Alcorn

Edward was my GREAT GREAT GREAT grandfather.

George Allcorn was born 1793 in England and married Frances Hilder (born 1797-1798, England). George was from Uckfield in Sussex. George arrived in Tasmania as a convict in 1832, having been sentenced to transportation for 7 years for receiving stolen goods (leather) on 10th December 1831. George was aged 40, a ploughman (agricultural labourer), married to Frances, with 3 children (Maria 1827, Edward 1829 and baby George).
Frances (aka Fanny) arrived in Hobart aboard the barque Janet on 2nd December 1834 with their 3 children (Maria, Edward and George) after a long journey at sea (4.5 months). It is not known how Frances had survived for the past 2 years or how she managed to pay her way to Australia in such difficult circumstances. She must have shown great fortitude and determination. However, within a few days, on Dec 22nd and Dec 10th 1834 respectively, Frances had to admit Maria and Edward to the King's Orphan School. They were reunited with their parents later - Maria 01/07/1835, Edward 06/10/1836. George was assigned to Mr Peevor (most likely J Peevor in the Richmond District) around 1835 and probably served out his sentence, while reunited with Frances and his children. George's ticket of leave was not recorded until 1841.

George and Frances went on the have 3 more children in Australia (Louisa in 1836 who died of influenza in 1839, Frances Honor/Hannah in 1839 and Ann Jane in 1840). In 1841 & 1843, the census shows George and family living west of Hobart as tenants in a stone cottage (c1820) called 'the Pigeon House on Nocklofty', where he was working as a gardener for Dr S Ross.

By 1856, George had acquired 1 acre of land and 2 stone dwellings in Cascade Road in the Electoral District of Queensborough/South Hobart.

George and Frances' son, Edward Allcorn, was born in 1829 in Sussex (baptised Uckfield 07/06/1829) and was 5 years old when he came to Tasmania. He spent 2 years in the Orphan School for reasons unknown but obviously his mother had to endure many hardships while George was a convict.
Edward's occupation was listed as sawyer when he married Susan Gilmore (born in Scotland in 1836) on 4th November 1853 at the Cathedral Church of St David, Hobart. He was aged 24 and she was 17. Edward & Susan, his sister Maria (who was married William Smith, then George Gook in 1880) and their brother George (buried in Korumburra Cemetery 24/10/1906), all moved to Victoria, most likely for the boom associated with the gold-rush. Edward's children are born in central Victorian towns such as in Glenlyon, Loddon, Fryer's town between 1855 and 1877. Edward died of asthma and pneumonia (phthisis pnemondes asthma) on 01/05/1903. At the time, his address was listed as 3 Catherine St., South Melbourne (now Southbank) and he is buried at Melbourne Cemetery (Church of England section - ZS Compartment, I76S close to the entrance - no headstone).

Edward's son, William Ernest Alcorn, was born in Fryer's Town, Victoria in 1857. William married Ann Eliza Ogden on 10/05/1882 at the Woodside Manse (Baptist) in Tylden Victoria. Ann was born Trentham, Vic in 1861. The Ogdens were an old and well-known family in Trentham Victoria.
 

William Alcorn was a sawyer and at some point he & Ann moved to Western Australia as did many Victorian families. They are buried in Collie. Collie is 202km SE of Perth and 50km inland of Bunbury.
 



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 Site last updated June 2021