Person Page

     Myrtle White married Arthur Herbert Schreck, son of Herman William Schreck and Florence Elizabeth Down. Her married name was Schreck. Myrtle White was born in 1908. She died in 1986.

     Rebecca Barbara White was born circa 1882 at Bream Creek, Sorell, Tasmania, Australia.

     Her married name was Parsons. Rebecca Helen White married Alfred Joseph Parsons. Rebecca Helen White was born in 1872 at Tasmania, Australia.

     Reginald White was born. He married Elizabeth Kemp, daughter of Robert Kemp and Sophia Jane Bennett, in 1879 at Smythesdale, Victoria, Australia. Reginald White died circa 1928.

     Reuben Culmer White was born in 1871 at West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He married Alice Maude Hoare, daughter of Elizabeth Kemp, on 20 December 1899. Reuben Culmer White died in 1924 at South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

     Robert White was born in 1799 at St. Clement's Church, Hastings, Sussex, England. He was christened on 28 April 1799 at St. Clement's Church, Hastings, Sussex, England.

     Rosina White was born on 27 July 1856 at Tasmania, Australia. She died on 17 April 1944 at New South Wales, Australia, at age 87.

     Sarah White was born on 10 July 1826 at South Atlantic Ocean, Tristan D'Acunha. She was born on 10 July 1826 at England. She was baptized on 5 July 1827 at Ore, St Helen, Sussex, England. She died on 16 November 1841 at Van Diemen's Land, Australia, at age 15.

     Her married name was Selden. Sarah White was born in 1787 at All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. She was christened on 13 January 1788 at All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England.

     Somers Oakley White was born on 5 September 1878 at Tasmania, Australia. He died on 2 January 1879 at Tasmania, Australia.

     Stephen White was born on 28 December 1822 at South Atlantic Ocean, Tristan D'Acunha. He married Catherine Daley on 27 February 1875 at Bream Creek, Sorell, Tasmania, Australia. Stephen White died on 3 August 1897 at Kellevie, Tasmania, Australia, at age 74.

     Stephen White Stephen White was an able bodied seaman abroad the "Blenden Hall" a 450 ton ship built in Southampton (UK) in 1811. She was owned and Captained by Alexander Greig. The ship was a purpose-built Indiaman and was charted to the East India Company. The Blenden Hall sailed from Gravesend (Kent) on 6th May 1821 heading towards India with 84 passengers aboard, including Margaret Vass, listed in the passenger list as Peggy, a Portuguese/Indian half-caste of Madras (or Bombay) maid to Mrs Lock, wife of a doctor resident in Bombay. They were returning to India after a holiday in London.
The ship was wrecked on Tristan D'AchunaIn misty conditions on the 22 June 1821 at 10 am the Blenden Hall ran aground on Inaccessible Island which lies approximately 97 km SW of Tristan du Cunha Island. A Lloyd's of London register describes the shipwreck and the fate of the passengers as they survived on the uninhabitable island from 23 July 1821 to 8 November 1821 [1]:

Loss of the Ship Blenden Hall - Extract of a letter from the agents to Lloyd's at Deal and Ramsgate, dated Deal April 19 1822:

The Blenden Hall, captain Greig, from London to Bombay , was totally lost on Inaccessible Island, one of the group of Tristan D'Acunha, inthe South Atlantic Oceaon, on 23rd of July last. The commander, officers, and passengers got safe on shore, but eight of the crew perished. They remained on the island, exposed to the cold and rain, until 8th of November, on which day the carpenter and three or four ofthe crew embarked in the small punt made out of the wreck with surgical instruments which were washed on shore, and reached Tristan D'Acunha, where they procured two whale boats, and brought those that remained on Inaccessible Island away. On the 9th of January, a brig from Brazils put into Tristan D'acunha for water, and took them all away, and on the 18th of January they arrived safe at the Cape the island, they had no food but penguins and their eggs. Out of some bales of cloth washed on shore they made tents; an iron buoy cooking utensil. They were for four days exposed to heavy rains and intense cold before they could procure fire. The ladies and passengers suffered severely, for nothing was saved but the clothes they wore, and the ship went to pieces two hours after she struck The survivors were in terrible condition cold hungry, some naked and without shelter and it is reported that many of the survivors argued, fought, stole and behaved abominably. They managed to eke out a living on wild celery, seals and penguins. An attempt to reach Tristan da Cunha was made by the cook and 5 seaman, they were never heard of again. Later another boat made an attempt and succeeded, and on 10 November 1821, the islanders on Tristan da Cunha rescued them. When the Brig Nerinae arrived at Tristanda Cunha it took away all but seven of the survivors to Cape town. Stephen and Peggy chose to remain and marry. A ships Captain married them in 1821 upon their rescue to subsequently had their first child, Stephen in 1822. Nigel Wace (1996) writes in his history of the Tristan da Cunha:

'Two of the survivors, a young sailor, Stephen White, and a lady's maid, Peggy, joined the small band of Tristan Islanders. There were afew Yankee sealers and a Scots Soldier who had settled there with his family five years before. Stephen signed an agreement with the others that allowed no property, with everybody working for the benefit of the community. He and Peggy left Tristan later and returned to England, but emigrated with their children to Tasmania where their descendants are still living. They may be surprised, or even embarrassed, to hear that Stephen White had joined a communist mini-state on Tristan in 1821, 27 years before such a political notions were formalised in the communist Manifesto.'

Another visitor was the artist Augustus Earles he was stranded on the island for about eight mouths after the boat he was on sailed off with out him. During his enforced stay on the island he painted many pictures. One painting titled 'Governor Glass and Companions' which hangs in the Canberra National Gallery, includes Stephen and Peggy in the painting. Augustus Earles wrote of Stephen in his journals:

'The youngest of our party is named White. There is nothing very particular in his history. He is an excellent specimen of a young English sailor; and has all their characteristic warmth of feeling, and desperate courage, added to a simplicity almost childish. He was always the companion of my rambles whenever he could be spared from his toil, his manner of expressing his admiration of what he saw being highly amusing.' [2]

They remained on Tristan da Cuhna until 1823. They returned to Hastings, Sussex, England for several years, where they had four more children. They were remarried on 5 July 1827 in Hastings after the birth of their second child. They immigrated and arrived in Tasmania on the Rubicon 19 June 1832.

The arrival of the Rubicon was noted in The Courier newspaper on Friday 22nd June 1832:

'Arrived on Monday the 18th inst. the bark Rubicon, 304 tons, Captain T.B.Danials from London 6th February, with general cargo of merechandize. Passengers......Mr. and Mrs. White and 5 children...'.

Also in the paper was an advertisement:

TO LANDED PROPRIETORS, COUNTRY GENTLEMEN AND OTHERS

The undersigned who has just arrived with wife and family from England by the Rubicon, would be happy to engage with any gentleman to manage a farm in the [ ]. He is well qualified with the most approved practices on Agriculture in England, understands sheep, cattle and horses, and can turn his hand generally to anything useful about a farm. His wife is well accounted with management on a dairy.(Apply to by letter post paid) to the undersigned on board the Rubicon. To Capt. Daniel's or the Courier office.

An 1842 census shows Stephen White living in the Spring Bay area. He was living at Prossers Plains in a house owned by Thomas Cruttenden. Margaret White had been buried in Hobart on 3 August 1841. He tried to find his fortune in Ballarat, Victoria and died there 19 March 1854. Children:

1. Stephen 28/12/1822 born Tristan da Cuhna. It is assumed Stephen accompanied his father to Ballarat and married there. He married Catherine Daley, a farmer's daughter, as a widower on 27/02/1875 at Bream Creek. Stephen died of senility and old age on 3/08/1897 at Kellevie. Catherine died 24/07/1899 at Kellervie aged 47. They had seven children:

a. Elam Stephen 16/04/1875

b. John Lester 16/04/1877

c. Hiram Frederick 1879 Sorrel

d. Rebecca Barbara 1880

e. Aaron William 11/10/1882

f. Lavinia Alice May 13/03/1885 Sorrll, m. John Fyfe

g. Allena Astey 21/08/1887

h. Lawrence William.

2. Margaret 20/07/1824 born Hastings, Sussex, England m.Thomas Dawes (ticket of leave) at the Huon in 1852. Margaret was burnt to death 20/01/1865 when her dress caught alight at their campwhile her husband was working on the roads.

3. Sarah 10/07/1826 born Hastings, Sussex, England, died 16/11/1841, Hobart.

4. Ann 24/05/1828 born Hastings, Sussex, England m.CharlesTatnell, on 23/12/1843 at Sorell. Charles Tatnell was a corkcutter. When he died on 14/08/1891, at the age of 81, his real name was revealed as Thomas Richard Tatnell. Ann died 11/10/1893 at Kellevie. They had 15 children:

a. Charles Thomas 1844

b. Mary Ann 1846

c. Laura 1848

d. Edward 1850

e. William 1853

f. Elizabeth 1855, m. Edgar Spaulding 1875

g. Margaret 1857

h. John Richard 1859

i. Jane 24/05/1866, Bream Creek

j. Charlotte Matilda 1868

k. Alice 4/01/1871

l. Sarah Louisa 1873

m. Florence 10/05/1864 Bream Creek

n. Napolean Worley Leslie 1877

o. John Henry 3/08/1861

5. William 22/01/1831 born Hastings, Sussex, England m.Charlotte Murphy, born abt 1837 Scotland, died 20/07/1915, Hobart. William died 23/02/1910, Huon Tasmania. They had nine children.

6. Charlotte Matilda born 31/05/1833 and christened 1/06/1833, Richmond , Tasmania m. John Brogan in 1849 and went to live in Ballarat, Victoria. Charlotte died 7/05/1898 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, at 64 years of age. A coroner's inquest was held regarding Charlotte's death in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7/05/1898. Her body was interred 10/05/1898 in Amherst, Victoria, Australia, Amhurst Cemetery.
John was born in Kings County, Ireland 1823. He was deported from England in County Westmeath, Ireland, 28/02/1842. Sentenced to 7 years transportation for pig stealing.

7. James Henry 14/07/1835, Sorrel, Tasmania.

8. Frances 16/06/1837, m. Joseph Nichols 24/12/1864,died 18/06/1904. They had eight children.

9. Emilia Barbara 18/08/1839, Sorell, Tasmania m. Frederick Lester in 1859. Emelia died 6/10/1910, Huon, Tasmania .

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Stephen met Peggy and They married and had two children on the island before returning to England where they had three more children. The family arrived in Tasmania on the ship 'Rubicon' from England on19 June 1832. Some of the children of this marraige wereery dark skinned, e.g. son Stephen and descendants of this particular marriage still show up now and again as very dark skinned attractive people.One of the daughters 'Anne' married Charles Tatnell, many descendants of this family line are still very dark skinned today.

Following the arrival of the family, they had a further four children, all born and baptised in the Sorell area. Stephen White was also known as Joseph White. He was born on 20 August 1790 at Kent, England. He was christened on 1 March 1795 at St. Clement's Church, Hastings, Sussex, England. He was Able Bodied Seaman abroad the 'Blenden Hall' in 1821 at England. He married Margaret Vass on 5 July 1827 at Ore, Hastings, Sussex, England. Stephen White died on 19 March 1854 at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, at age 63.

     Thomas White was born in 1792 at St. Clement's Church, Hastings, Sussex, England. He was christened on 20 November 1792 at St. Clement's Church, Hastings, Sussex, England.

     Thomas White was born in 1806 at Hastings, Sussex, England. He was christened on 8 October 1806 at All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England.