Merriott Families Genealogy

Back to Pattemore Index Page

Pattemore from Merriott to Australia

1. John Pattemore - Son of John & Mary Pattemore

2. Oliver Pattemore - Son of Edward & Harriet Pattemore

3. Thomas Pattemore - Son of Edward & Harriet Pattemore

4. Able Pattemore - Son of Edward & Harriet Pattemore

1. John Pattemore & Elizabeth Sparks & Family

Information Courtesy of Helen Stillman.

John PATTEMORE, born 1820,  was the fourth of the seven children  of John Pattemore (1777 - 1854) and Mary Elliott (1791 - 1863).   He came to Australia as Officer-in-charge of single women immigrants, on the vessel "Gloriana" arriving July 1855, from Plymouth, England. John's family also came to Australia on this ship, ie Elizabeth (wife), Dinah (dau), John Robert (son). Another son (Aaron)  was born on the voyage to Australia. 
[Records show name as Pattamore; reel numbers 2137 & 2470].

The family settled in the Milton-Ulladulla region of New South Wales. 

1 John Pattemore b: 7 Nov 1820 in Merriott, Somerset, England d: 22 Jul 1907 in Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia Census 1: 1841 20 years; Sandy Hole, Merriott, Somerset. Census 2: 1851 Tranter; Higher Street, Merriott, Somerset, England. Burial: 23 Jul 1907 Sandridge Cemetery, NSW, Australia

.. +Elizabeth Sparks b: 1814 in Yarcombe, Devon, England Baptism: 23 Aug 1814 Yarcombe, Devon, England m: 27 Nov 1847 in All Saints, Merriott, Somerset, England d: 14 Feb 1898 in Milton, New South Wales, Australia Census: 1851 Wife; Higher Street, Merriott, Somerset, England Burial: Sandridge Cemetery, NSW, Australia

..... 2 Dinah Pattemore b: 25 Feb 1848 in Merriott, Somerset, England Baptism: 6 Mar 1848 All Saints, Merriott, Somerset, England d: 17 Jul 1925 in Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia Census: 1851 Higher Street, Merriott, Somerset, England Burial: Sandridge Cemetery, Mollymook, NSW, Australia
......... +Thomas Henry Fitch b: 4 Dec 1841 m: 1866 in Sts Peter & Paul's, Milton, New South Wales, Australia d: 7 Oct 1916 in New South Wales, Australia

..... 2 Aaron Pattemore b: 11 Dec 1851 in Merriott, Somerset, England Baptism: 25 Dec 1851 All Saints, Merriott, Somerset, England d: 14 Aug 1854 in Merriott, Somerset, England Burial: 19 Aug 1854 All Saints Church, Merriott, Somerset, England

..... 2 Unreadable Pattemore b: Bef. 1 Nov 1852 Baptism: 1 Nov 1852 All Saints, Merriott, Somerset, England

..... 2 Aaron Pattemore b: 10 Jul 1855 in on route England to Australia on board "Gloriana" d: 13 Oct 1883 in Scone, New South Wales, Australia Burial: Presbyterian Cemetery, Scone, New South Wales
......... +Evelina Beck b: 1857 in New South Wales, Australia m: 1879 in Milton, New South Wales, Australia

..... 2 Mary Pattemore b: 10 Jun 1857 in Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia d: 1943 in New South Wales, Australia
......... +Paul Taylor m: 10 Nov 1876 in Milton, New South Wales, Australia d: 1916

..... 2 Elizabeth Pattemore b: 25 Apr 1860 in Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia d: 1 Sep 1929 in New South Wales, Australia
......... +John Charles Kachler b: 7 Aug 1846 m: 1 Jan 1885 in Sts Peter & Paul's, Milton, New South Wales, Australia d: 18 Jun 1890

..... *2nd Husband of Elizabeth Pattemore:
......... +Francis Hockens Bettens b: 5 Apr 1849 m: 7 Feb 1893 in Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia d: 1920 in New South Wales, Australia

Back to the Top of the Page

2. Oliver Pattemore 1836 - 1884

Written by his great granddaughter, Patricia McGufficke (Dutton)

OLIVER PATTEMORE was the third son and 4th child born to EDWARD PATTEMORE of Merriott, Somerset, and HARRIET WARRY from the adjoining parish of Hinton St George.   In the "History of Somerset" published in 1791 by Rev. J. Collinson, Merriott is described as "The parish and village of Merriet lie at a small distance northward from Crewkerne and eastward from Hinton St. George, in a pleasant fruitful country.  In the time of Richard I, Nicholas de Meriet lived in the town which derived its name from him."

The parish records of Merriott indicate that PATTEMORES lived in the area for many years, with some records dating back to 1689.  At the time of EDWARD's birth in 1801, there were 188 houses in Merriott inhabited by 195 families (483 males and 534 females of whom the majority worked in agriculture).

EDWARD married HARRIET WARRY, b. 1800, at All Saints Church, Merriott, on 14 May 1829.  Harriett's brother, FREDERIC, was a witness.  Frederic, also from Hinton St George, was married on the same day, and  EDWARD PATTIMORE acted as his witness.  At the time of his marriage, EDWARD was working as a labourer.  However in 1830 he was a gardener, and from 1841 to 1861 the census shows Edward as a market gardener with 26 acres.  In 1851 EDWARD was living at 10 Higher Street, Merriott with his wife and 8 children. 

HARRIETT died on 2 November 1855 and EDWARD married ANN GRINTER, also of Hinton St George, on 20 May 1858.  In 1861, Edward, Ann and three of Edward's children were living at 30 High Street, Merriott. 

OLIVER was 23 years old when he arrived in Melbourne on 27 June 1857 on board the "Algiers".  The 1087 tons vessel, under the command of Captain Morris, had left Liverpool on 27 March 1857 carrying 283 adults.  OLIVER was passenger No. 3404 and his occupation was listed as farmer.  (The 'Algiers' records show Oliver as being Scotch??).  OLIVER's eldest brother, THOMAS b. 1833, had arrived in Sydney as an assisted immigrant on 27 May 1857 and possibly went to stay with his uncle, FRANCIS WARRY, a blacksmith at Emu Plains, who was listed on his shipping records as "a relative living in the colony".  It is not known if OLIVER and THOMAS were re-united, neither is it known if OLIVER visited with his second cousin, JOHN PATTEMORE who arrived in Australia in 1855 and settled on the south coast of NSW at Ulladulla.  It is quite likely that the cousins did get together, as Oliver lived for several years at Nerrigundah located just over 100 miles from Ulladulla.  Unfortunately, little is known of Oliver's life in Australia between his arrival in Melbourne and his life at the mining town of Nerrigundah. 

Gold was first discovered in Australia at Araluen in 1851 causing a mad rush for emigration in 1852 by all classes in the British Isles.  Further discoveries followed, and by tracing OLIVER's movements, it appears that he was one of the many who sought their fortune on the goldfields.

In 1865 OLIVER was living at Nerrigundah on the NSW south coast near Bodalla, the chief town on the Gulph goldfield where gold had been discovered in 1861.   Nerrigundah was situated on Gulph Creek, a tributary of the Tuross River, in a long, narrow valley between the heavily-timbered, steep mountains of the coastal ranges.  A police sergeant and 2 police constables were sent to Nerrigundah in 1861 to control ruffianism among the gold prospectors.  In 1862 police strength was increased to 1 sergeant and 6 police constables as a lot of gold found there was transported to Batemans Bay under police escort.  In 1863 a police lock up was erected and sly grog selling was a big problem.  (A History of the Mid South Coast of NSW, Milton-Ulladulla-Mollymook, Book 34, James McClelland).

On 22 November 1865, OLIVER appeared at the Nerrigundah Court charged with having beaten and assaulted Ah Poi, a miner at Deep Creek.  He pleaded not guilty.  Ah Poi stated he was in Hardy's kitchen on 22 March asking MARY ANN, a girl at Hardy's to pay for some geese sold to her when the defendant struck him seven times in the face with his clenched fist.  "My face was made black and it bled".

Elizabeth Dougherty, under oath said, "I am a servant at Mr Hardys.  I know the defendant and plaintiff....  them both into Hardy's last...  There was a ... between MARY ANN and the plaintiff about geese.  PATTIMORE came into the kitchen as the plaintiff took hold of MARY ANN's dress which he twisted round his arm.  MARY ANN and PATTIMORE asked him to let go and he struck PATTIMORE and PATTIMORE struck him.  I also tried to ... the girl.  PATTIMORE struck two or three times".

Ah Poi replied, "I did stop MARY ANN from going into the kitchen by taking hold of her dress.  I did not have MARY ANN's dress round my arm.  The defendant told me to let the girl go and then he struck me.  The defendant did not try to open his hand.  I did not strike the defendant but I took hold of him".

The case was dismissed on 28 Nov 1865.

OLIVER married  MARY ANN WILSON at Nerrigundah according to the form of the Presbyterian Church on 11 February 1866. Patrick Fitzgerald performed the ceremony, witnesses were Charles Nash and Elizabeth Sparks.  Charles Nash was a witness for Mary Ann when she appeared in Nerrigundah Court on 8 Nov 1864 having charged a woman of abusive language.  An Elizabeth Sparks married Oliver's second cousin, JOHN PATTEMORE, in 1847, the same John Pattemore who settled at Ulladulla.  However, any connection between the two Elizabeths has yet to be found. 

In 1866 Nerrigundah consisted of some 150 rough buildings, including seven hotels, a post office and a Court of Petty Sessions.  There were about 500 people in the town, but hundreds more lived on other fields around Nerrigundah in such settlements as Bombo, Deep Creek, and Tinpot.  These centres made the Gulph field one of the richest in the colony and provided a distinctive kind of gold that many experts regarded as the purest found in the colony.  On the night of 9 April 1866, Thomas Clarke, Patrick Connell and some others shot and killed Constable Miles O'Grady during a holdup at Wallis' Hotel.  One of the bushrangers was also killed.  A posse of local men was formed and a reward of 500 pounds was offered for the capture of Thomas Clarke.  (O'Sullivan, John, 197, "The Bloodiest Bushrangers".  Sydney:  Rigby Ltd.)  One wonders if Oliver was a member of the posse.  The body of Constable O'Grady was buried in the Catholic portion of the Nerrigundah Cemetery next day.  Later the remains were removed to Moruya Cemetery and a marble headstone subscribed for by the police of the southern district of NSW was placed over the grave.  The Government erected a monument in front of Wallis' Hotel at Nerrigundah as a memorial to O'Grady.  The  Clarke gang was eventually hunted down in the Jingera Ranges, their favourite hide-out and Thomas Clarke was hanged at Darlinghurst Gaol and lengthy prison sentences were meted out to the others.

OLIVER appeared again at the Nerrigundah Court on 30 July 1867 charged that he did at Nerrigundah on the 14th of July unlawfully assault and beat his wife, MARY ANNE PATTEMORE, contrary to the Statute.  He pleaded guilty and was fined the sum of five shillings.

Between 1868-69 Nerrigundah was the second most productive field in NSW with approx. 15,000 diggers working along the river during the 4-year rush.  By 1871, the population of Nerrigundah had fallen to 483 persons.

In 1870 OLIVER had moved to another gold area and was registered on the Electoral Roll for Araluen, living in Mudmelong, 2 miles from the township of Araluen. 

OLIVER and MARY ANN moved to Gulgong sometime later in 1870, where gold had been discovered that Easter and their first child, GEORGINA was born.   By this time, OLIVER was working as a butcher and he continued in this trade until his death in 1884.  Their second child, HENRIETTA, was born in Gulgong in 1876.  Henry Lawson, the Australian poet, was born in Gulgong in 1867and lived there until 1890.

With the discovery of rich leads at Canadian in August 1871, and Home Rule in May 1872, gold fever reached its peak and the official estimate of the population of Gulgong and its satellite villages on the field in December, 1872, was 20,000.  As the fame of the Gulgong goldfield spread, there came in an ever swelling stream, men who had followed the cry of "Gold" all round the world. Their calico tents dotted the landscape for miles around while some made homes of the only material available, rough slabs and stringy bark.

Butchers, bakers, drapers, barbers, chemists, doctors, newspapermen and bankers, blacksmiths and builders all came seeking the gold of commerce.  ("Written in Gold, The Story of Gulgong", Eileen Maxwell).

"A butcher whose soul was said to be encased in fat in the boiling-down days suddenly found his line of business one of the best paying in the colony and became 'great in purse'".  (Manning Clark, "A History of Australia IV").  Unfortunately, I don't think this applied to Oliver. 

They erected in record time the rough slab buildings which were the first shops, hotels and theatres of Gulgong, each with its facing of pine boards brought across by bullock dray from Dubbo.  The road from the south passed near by Henry Lawson's home and years later he described the scene as he remembered it.  "There were…. teams with loads of bark and rafters, and tables upside down with bedding and things between the legs, and baskets hanging around and gold cradles, gold dishes, windlasses and picks and shovels, and there were more drays and carts and children and women and goats - some tied behind the carts - and men on horses and men walking.  All the world was shifting as fast as it could."

Living conditions in the Gulgong of those days were poor to say the least.  For men they were bad but for women and children they were appalling.  The lack of water and the crowding of so many people into the area made a mockery of any semblance of hygiene and much sickness and many epidemics occurred.  Still the women made homes for their families in tents or slab and bark huts - many of them bore and raised their children under conditions which most women of today could not even imagine, let alone endure.   ("Written in Gold, The Story of Gulgong", Eileen Maxwell).

For some time the children of the area ran wild but they were presently sent off to the three schools in the area.  A post office opened in August 1870 and a rough hospital was built in 1871.  The telegraph line came through in 1871.  ("Written in Gold, The Story of Gulgong", Eileen Maxwell).

The men were a hard working, level headed body, though the usual band of parasites, cheapjacks and no-goods threatened at times to give the place a bad name.  There were endless card games, two-up schools, rowdy sing songs and crowed bar rooms and billiard saloons, but they were, all in all, a far better behaved crowd than any to be found on most other goldfields. ("Written in Gold, The Story of Gulgong", Eileen Maxwell).

By 1875 mining returns began to taper off and a typhoid epidemic in 1879 caused many people to leave the area.  By 1880 the population of Gulgong had melted away till the town was quite small in comparison with its earlier years.

OLIVER and MARY ANN were still living together when their second daughter HENRIETTA was born in 1876.  However, it is not known if  they were still together in 1881 when their son WILLIAM HENRY  was born in Sydney.  MARY ANN married WILLIAM DUTTON on 8 May 1882, listing herself as a widow, although OLIVER was still living in Gulgong and WILLIAM HENRY was raised believing WILLIAM DUTTON was his father.  It was not until my parents and I researched our family, that we became aware that WILLIAM's surname should have been PATTEMORE.

OLIVER'S father, EDWARD, died in 1877 leaving Fifty Pounds to OLIVER, payable to him by five equal yearly payments of ten pounds, the first of such payments to be made at the expiration of one year from his wife's death.  Unfortunately for OLIVER, his step-mother outlived him by 22 years!

OLIVER died in Gulgong from liver disease on 10 June 1884 after 7 days' illness and was buried the following day by the Church of England minister, Rev. J S Dobson.   OLIVER had been attended by Dr Souter the day prior to his death.  Sarah McGowan gave details on the death certificate.

[For more information about Oliver's parents & siblings, go to:  Edward & Harriet Pattemore]  

Back to the Top of the Page

3. Thomas Pattemore - Son of Edward & Harriet Pattemore

Information courtesy of Pat McGufficke

Thomas arrived in Sydney 27 May 1857. His Uncle Francis Warry was named as a relative already in the colony.  [For more information about his parents & siblings, go to: Edward & Harriet Pattemore

Thomas Pattemore b: Bef. 6 Jan 1833 in Merriott, Somerset, England Baptism: 6 Jan 1833 All Saints, Merriott, Somerset, England d: 27 Mar 1907 in Queensland, Australia Census: 1851 19 years; Higher St, Merriott
......... +Annie Louisa Nightingale m: 18 Mar 1862 in Queensland, Australia d: 13 Oct 1931 in Queensland, Australia
............ Selina Pattemore b: 5 Dec 1862 in Queensland, Australia d: 15 Mar 1866 in Queensland, Australia
............ Dorcas Pattemore b: 24 Jan 1865 in Queensland, Australia d: 21 Nov 1865 in Queensland, Australia
............ Edward Pattemore b: 18 Jan 1867 in Queensland, Australia d: 17 Mar 1892 in Queensland, Australia
............ Francis Pattemore b: Abt. 1870 d: 15 Feb 1911 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Burial: Portion 10, Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland
................ +Mary S Oldfield m: 1892 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
............ Emma Pattemore b: 16 Sep 1871 in Queensland, Australia
............ Elizabeth Caroline Pattemore b: 13 Apr 1874 in Queensland, Australia d: 28 Dec 1876 in Queensland, Australia
............ Oliver Thomas Pattemore b: 28 Aug 1877 in Queensland, Australia d: 28 Nov 1936 in Queensland, Australia
................ +Maud Hixon m: 1 Jul 1910 in Queensland, Australia
............ Annie Louisa Pattemore b: 26 May 1882 in Queensland, Australia
................ +Henry Cranston b 25 Jan 1885 in Queensland, Australia;  m: 4 Aug 1905 in Queensland, Australia

Back to the Top of the Page

4. Abel Pattemore

Abel, son of Edward & Harriet Pattemore, is listed in his father's will as "residing in Australia". If anyone has further information about Abel, please email Sue Osborne

UPDATE:  Further information supplied by Diane Ellisor:

Diane has tracked Abel and his family.  Here are some details:

MARRIAGE:  3 November 1864 at Parish Church, Tintinhull, Somerset, England:
Abel Pattemore, aged 21, Bachelor, Butcher of Merriott (father Edward Pattemore, Gardener)  married Eleanor Hayne, aged 20, of Tintinhull (father James Hayne, Carpenter).  Witnesses:  Richard Haynes and Emma Haynes.

EMIGRATION:  From the South Australian Biographical Index 1836 - 1885:
Arrived 1865 "Burlington".  Is anyone in a position to confirm these details?
Lived on the Portland Estate, Adelaide, South Australia.

CHILDREN:

Further information we have come across (courtesy of Pat McGufficke) is an entry in the Queensland Births, Deaths & Marriages:

Death # 16/001720 PATTEMORE, Arthur James, died 13 April 1916, son of Abel PATTEMORE & Ellen HAINE.     This Arthur James PATTEMORE is previously found in the Queensland Marriage Index, marrying Sarah Martha GLASTONBURY on 20 December 1904 in Queensland.   Although the Queensland Births index goes up to 1919, there is no mention of any children for Arthur & Sarah;  Sarah remarried after Arthur's death.

DEATH of Eleanor Pattemore:   Adelaide 1880.
REMARRIAGE of Abel Pattemore:  1882, Adelaide, to Agnes Lakie.
CHILD:  Percival Charles Pattemore, born 1883, who married Grace Fullarton Simpson in Adelaide in 1914. 
DEATH of Abel Pattemore:  Yatala, South Australia 1885.

Thanks!
Back to the Top of the Page

Move to the Pattemore page  you are interested in:

[ Pre-Merriott Records ] [ 17C & 18C Merriott ] [ Bastardy Examination ] [ Examination of Aaron Pattemore ] [ Pattemore Wills ] [ 19 & 20C Merriott ] [ Pattemore in Censuses ] [ Pattemore in Censuses 2 ] [ To Guernsey ] [ To Australia ] [ To USA & Back ] [ Pattemore to Wales ] [ Edward & Harriet ]

Move to other Surname Pages:

[ Surname Statistics ] [ Christian Names ] [ Butcher ] [ Chant ] [ Cridge ] [ Dawe ] [ Denmead ] [ Dodge ] [ Doutch ] [ Eason ] [ Elswood ] [ England ] [ Farr ] [ French ] [ Gear ] [ Gibbs ] [ Greenham ] [ Hallett ] [ Higgins ] [ Hooper ] [ Hutchings ] [ Lacey ] [ Lawrence ] [ Mitchell ] [ Moucher ] [ Murley ] [ Norton ] [ Osborne ] [ Parker ] [ Pattemore ] [ Paull ] [ Raindell/Rendall ] [ Raison ] [ Rodgers/Rogers ] [ Rousell ] [ Samways ] [ Shutler ] [ Stuckey ] [ Sweet ] [ Templeman ] [ Trask ] [ Warry ] [ Webb ] [ Wills ] [ List of Wills at PCC ]