Family Story

Samuel Caporn / Anne Caporn Nee Eustace

Citation by Jenny and Robert Caporn

Samuel was born at Tingewick on the 25th April 1794. He was christened on 29th April 1794 and married Ann Vaughan Eustace.

They had nine children;
Sarah Eustace     born in 1820
Catherine             born in 1821
Elizabeth              born in 1822
Frederick              born in 1826
William                 born in 1828
Henry                    born in Perth Scotland 1830
Edward                 born in Perth Scotland 1833
James Goode       born in Perth Scotland 1835
Louisa                   born in Thame / Long Crendon 1837
Cecilia                   born at Point Walter 1843

William died of consumption in Fremantle in 1851 at an age of 23.

As well as the children named above some records show that they had another five children that did not survive. Those five children were;

John                      born in 1836
Agnus                   born in 1839
Francis Goode    born in 1841
Richard                born in 1842
Ann                       born in 1842

Brief comment about the surviving children (Details about Frederick and Mary Anne are on page 4 of this document).

Sarah Eustace
Sarah married David Jones
Her second marriage was to William Owston
Sarah died on 8th Jan 1881

Catherine
Catherine married Thomas Tapping
Her second marriage was to Thomas Briggs
Catherine died on 24th July 1879

Elizabeth
Elizabeth Married William Lawrance

Frederick
Frederick married Mary Anne Clulow

William
Never married

Henry
Henry married Amilia Schmidts
Henry died 19th Sept 1912

Edward
Edward married Sarah Endersby
Edward died on 30th April 1908

James Goode

Louisa
Louisa married Alexander Thomas
Louisa died 27th March 1910

Cecilia
Cecilia married Claudius La Mott
Second marriage to Frederick Nicholay.
Cecilia died on 26th Feb 1902

Why did Samual and Ann decide to immigrate?

John Schoals may have been a direct influencing factor on Samual and Ann in arriving at their decision to leave England. Who was this John Schoals? John was from Dublin and was well educated and qualified as a Barrister. He arrived at the Swan River settlement in August 1838 on the sailing ship the “Shepherd”. During 1840 he became familiar with the needs of the colonies rural community having been engaged by the Perth Agricultural Society to carry out a survey. He sailed for England in March 1840 on the “Planter” representing the Perth Agricultural Society and on his arrival in England advertised in the newspapers urging immigration.
His offer on behalf of the Perth Agricultural Society was for assisted passage with an undertaking by Schoals to locate jobs in the new colony for the immigrants.
At that time the colony was only 13 years old. His offer to the immigrants was for the passage costs of about 18 pounds to be paid by him and recovered from the immigrant when the immigrant found work.

The following letter was from the Colonial Land Administration Office 9 Park Street Westminster… “The Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners being in possession of authority from the Secretary of State, to expend in supplying Western Australia with useful labour, the sum of four thousand five hundred pounds appropriated for that purpose, from colonial funds. The Commissioners will pay half of the passage money, the rest paid when safely landed. Two children between the ages of seven and fourteen and three between the age of one and seven to be reckoned as one adult and paid accordingly, children under the age of one year are not to be paid for”.

The fare for an adult passage was fourteen pounds eighteen shillings. Deposit payable was one pound.

In 1842 Samuel and Ann who were now at an age of 48 and 41 respectively had nine children of various ages, which made the fares amount to a significant sum. The ages of their children in 1842 were;
Sarah aged 21
Elizabeth aged 19
Frederick aged 16
William aged 14
Henry aged 12
Edward aged 10
James aged 7
John aged 6
Louisa aged 4

So the total cost for Samuel and Ann to pay for the passage of their family on the Simon Taylor was one hundred and eleven pounds fifteen shillings, unless of course Samuel was able to ‘negotiate with the captain or agent.

John Schoals returned to the colony on the “Ganges” in October 1841 with some immigrants.
So in the later part of 1840 Schoales was advertising the merits of the Swan River settlement.

At that time Samuel and Ann were living in Thame or Long Crendon and being rural towns close to London they would have heard or read about John Schoals description of the new colony.
In 1840 Samuel and Ann who were now at an age of 46 and 39 respectively had nine children of various ages;
Sarah aged 19
Elizabeth aged 17
Frederick aged 14
William aged 12
Henry aged 10
Edward aged 8
James aged 5
John aged 4
Louisa aged 2

The records show that Samuel and Ann christened a baby girl at Long Crendon on 4th April 1841. The infant was named Francis Goode and she was born on the 15th February 1841. As the baby did not disembark with the family on their voyage to their new home on the other side of the world the child must have died.

The ships (Simon Taylor) record shows that Ann gave birth to a child they named Richard, but as he did not arrive with the family it is assumed that he died on the voyage. Later they had another daughter Ann who was born before Cecilia. Cecilia was born at Point Walter on 14th November 1843.

Perhaps Samuel and Ann could see that in 1840 they had a combination of a family growing up, extreme poverty in England, sickness in their community and the loss of their daughter was enough to make their decision easier. John Schoals visit to London may have the catalysts to make Samuel and Ann think hard about the future if they were to remain in England against the prospects of a new life in a new colony. John Schoales would have been well pleased with
Samuel and Ann’s background and skills. He would have recognised them as excellent immigrants.

Frederick and Mary Ann (nee Clulow) Caporn

Frederick was born in Perthshire Scotland in 1826. He married Mary Ann Clulow on 25th May 1850 at Saint George’s church in Perth.

They had ten children

Henry
William Alexander
Agnus
Olive
Sarah Ann
Harriet Pulo
Frederick Samuel
Daniel Plant
Laura Hannah
Alfred Horace

Mary Ann’s Family and Background
Mary Ann parents were Henry and Olive Clulow (nee Plant) who arrived at Swan River settlement on the sailing ship “Minstrel” on 20 January 1830. Olive was born in 1800 (or 1802) and Henry was born in 1798. (Probably in Staffordshire)

They arrived with their four children:

Elizabeth b 17th April 1823 in Leek*. d 17th February 1887. She was buried at East Perth.

James b1824 or 19 October 1823 in Leek*. d 19th February 1850 at the age of 27.

Mary Ann b 12th February 1826 in St. Alkmund, Derby*. d1889.

Thomas b 1st June 1828 in St Werburgh, Derby*. d 1841 at the age of 16 (from Death Certificate).

(*Source WWW freepages.genealogy.rootrsweb.com/~clulow/)

When they arrived at the Swan River settlement Elizabeth was only 7 years of age,
James was 6
Mary Ann was 3
Thomas was 2.

To undertake such a long voyage with four children less than seven years of age would have taken spirit and courage. No doubt they had many challenges during the voyage and on their arrival.

What is known of Henry Clulow?

Henry Clulow was apprenticed on 16th September 1806 as a wheelwright and carpenter in Staffordshire (at the age of eight) in the town of Stoke upon Trent. The apprenticeship was to Mr John Hassall (Halsall) and the apprenticeship term was for a period of seven years. At the time Henry’s address was Coldhouse in the parish of Stoke Upon Trent. The apprenticeship document is an interesting document as it compelled Henry not to …”commit fornication nor contract matrimony during the apprenticeship term, he shall not play at cards, dice, tables …………he shall not haunt taverns or playhouses nor absent himself from his said masters service day or night unlawfully, but in all things as a faithful apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said master and all his, during the said term…”.

Henry died in 1833 at an age of 36, leaving Olive and four very young children.
At that time:
Elizabeth was only 10 years of age,
James was 9
Mary Ann was 7
Thomas was 5

What happened to the children?

Elizabeth married James Dyer in May 1841. They had three children although two died at a young age. Henry James was born in 1843 and died at the age of 5 on 23rd March 1848. John was born in February 1845 and died 10 months later on 28th January 1846. James Clulow Dyer was born 1858 and died in London on 13th May 1890. James Dyer had arrived at Swan River Settlement with his parents on the Drummore on 4th February 1831. He was born at Maddington Wilts. (UK) in 1819. James was one of the witnesses at Mary Ann and Frederick Caporn’s wedding. James was employed as a whaler. Later he with Henry Grey became a manager of the proposed Swan River Steam Boat Company. In 1843 they had a committee meeting at his home. In 1845 he was a ferryman. In that same year he and Elizabeth with a child left for England on the Unicorn. In 1850 he became a director for the Geraldine mining company. (Source Dictionary of western Australians vol 1. By Rica Erickson). In 1865 James was one candidate, elected from 11 other candidates to represent West Ward for the Perth Council. He was re-elected to the same ward in 1869. Elizabeth died on 17th February 1887 and was buried at East Perth.

James married Mary Ann Friend in 1847. They had two children. (Sarah and Mary) (Check may be incorrect spelling and could be Maryaine) James joined the whaling enterprise at Fremantle and was employed as a crewman between 1846 and 1850. He also ran a ferry service in off-season periods. James died of inflammation in Perth in February 1850 at the age of 27 leaving Mary Ann with Sarah aged about two and Mary who was not born till the June of 1850. (Source Dictionary of Western Australians vol 1. By Rica Erickson). Mary Ann’s mother Francis Friend had lost her husband Frederick (through drowning To be checked) in 1831. Francis Friend remarried Richard Barndon in September 1831 and they had four children Thomas born in March 1834 (died January 1835), Eliza born May 1836, Richard born October 1838, and James born in July 1841. Richard and Francis had an inn on Guildford Road called the “Brewers Arms”. (Source Dictionary of Western Australians vol 1. By Rica Erickson).

Mary Ann married Frederick Caporn on 25th May 1850. They had ten children (Details of their life refer to the Caporn Book). Mary Ann died on 9th August 1889. Her grave is in the East Perth cemetery on the west side of the chapel.

Thomas died on 22nd November 1841 at the age of 16 as a result of a fall from a horse on the Perth to Guildford Road.

What of Olive Clulow?

Following the death of Henry Clulow in 1833, Olive remarried on16thNovember 1841 to Mr William Holmes (b1795 d1850). William Holmes was a stonemason who came to the Swan River Settlement on the sailing ship “Atwick”. The “Atwick” arrived at Swan River Settlement on 19th October 1829.

William and Olive had two children;
Edward (b1846)
Henry (b1847 d1847 of thrush).

In 1841 Henry Laroche employed William Holmes at a pay rate of three pounds per week cash whilst working in the water at the foot of Mill Street, Perth. There was a dispute about payment, which ended up in the matter going to court as Laroche claimed breach of contract. William Holmes lost the case and was ordered back to work. William Holmes was not enjoying good health he had severe chilblains, respiratory, circulation difficulties and suffered migraine headaches. He was also financially burdened. (Reference People of Perth by Stanage.) In 1841 the family comprised of the four children Elizabeth, who was 18 years of age, James was 17, Mary Ann was 15. Thomas however, died in 1841 at the age of 16.

At the time the family lived in a hut a short distance from Mill Street. (William Lawrance and his wife Elizabeth (nee Caporn) lived in the same area after they were married on 6th November 1847.)

After Henry Clulow died in 1833, the family must have experienced hard times indeed.
Olive Died of consumption (cert 2379) on 17th January 1864 at the age of 64. She was buried at East Perth.

After the family’s arrival in August 1842, Samuel and Ann would have been keen to get settled and to generate some income. It must have been in the late 1840s that the four boys Frederick, James, Henry and Edward obtained a four oared ships gig and commenced a regular service for cargo and passengers between Fremantle and Perth Samuel and Ann had obtained a lease of the Tavern at Point Walter so the Swan River meant more to them than the average citizen

In 1847 Frederick and his brother tried to blast a passage at the mouth of the Swan River
In 1848 at the age of 22, Frederick was employed as a whale boat puller trading on the Swan River from Perth to Guildford. Two years later he married Mary Ann on 25th May 1850
In 1857 Frederick awarded a contract to repair beacons on the Swan River for 15 pounds.
It was in 1861 that Frederick purchased a bakers shop in Hay Street Perth.
In 1864 Frederick Henry and Alexander Thomas signed on the Perseverance to sail to Camden Harbour. The Captain was Captain Owston. The Perseverance was a schooner that sailed to Port Gregory and Champion Bay often

In 1875 the Lawrence’s constructed the Enchantress for Randall Knight and Co (George Randall and Stephen Knight). The vessel was launched on 1st November 1875.
The newspaper “West Australian Times reported “…The new steamer Enchantress built by the owners Randall Knight and Co of this city, under the superintendence of Mr Lawrence made a trial trip yesterday afternoon. Although not in first class working order she made one-fourth the distance to Fremantle in 16 minutes. When she has been worked into proper trim the speed will no doubt increase, so that from Perth to Fremantle will be done in something like an hour.” (Reference From Oar to Diesel on the Swan).

The vessel was launched on 1st November In June the same year it was sold to Mr G. Shenton and Mr. R King. In September 1857 she was sold to Mark Dyett. He owned the vessel for 6 years until 1864. In 1864 Walter Padbury brought out George Randles share. The Enchantress had a primary role to tow barges out to the waiting ships in Gages roads. The Enchantress was broken up on 19th April 1888. (Reference From Oar to Diesel on the Swan).

The Lady Stirling was constructed in part by James Lawson Smith who became so ill and was affected by the hot summers in the colony that had to return to England. The Lady Stirling was launched in June 1836. The vessels role was to convey passengers between Perth and Fremantle a trip that took two hours.

Records reveal that Captain Daniel Scott who owned lot 12 Cliff Street, was the first captain of the “Lady Stirling” in 1836 and the second vessel of the same name between 1857 and 1870. Captain Scott was Chair of the Fremantle Town Trust in 1848. (He was also Harbour Master in 1830 and received payment of 100 pounds per year) Samuel was appointed clerk to the Town Trust for the years 1865 to his death in 1869 He was secretary to the Mechanics Institute 1866 and 1867

It is possible that Capt Scott had a big influence on the Caporn family by his connections to the Town Trust, the shipping industry and the property in Cliff Street where Samuel and Anne lived. There is no record of Samuel and Anne’s home address.

On the 4th May 1859 a price cutting war for passengers was started between the two vessels Friends and the Lady Stirling. The Friends carried freight at 7 shillings a ton compared with 10 shillings a ton on the Lady Stirling and fares were 1/6 and 2/0. (Reference From Oar to Diesel on the Swan). The captain of Friends was William Tapping who was an apprentice to James Caporn. Between 1866 and 1877 William Green was listed as Captain of the Lady Stirling.

One of the most memorable incidents of Frederick’s life was the occasion of him conveying Alfred the Duke of Edinburgh on several trips to and from Perth. He was awarded a certificate signed by Alfred, which stated:
“ I hereby certify that Frederick Caporn has taken charge as pilot of the steam launch of this ship and has taken her several times, from the ship and across the bar, and up the river to Perth in safety.
Dated on board HMS Galatea off Fremantle 6 th February 1869”