Samuel Hickmott

Parish Chest records indicate that Samuel worked for a T Prickett of Lamberhurst for one year from Michaelmas 1812 for a retainer of one shilling per week at the time Lamberhurst comprised around 280 families and 1200 people. He then lived and worked as a labourer in the adjacent village of Pembury in Kent. During this time Samuel met a local girl and married her in nearby Stapehurst on the 25th Jan 1819( the record of marriage states that Samuel and Harriet were both of this parish, The marriage was witnessed by an Edward Hickmott(probably Samuel's brother) and Francis Bewsley.

The couple continued to live at Pembury after their marriage and had three children Edward baptised 4th Feb 1821, James 5th Jan 1823 and Henry 30th July 1825. Harriett died sometime after Henry's birth and Samuel married another Pembury girl Eliza Tester on the 26th Jan 1829. Eliza also died while giving birth to their first child William and was buried at Pembury on the 14th August 1830 she was onl 22 years old. It was thought that the infant William either died as well or was taken by Eliza's family.

After Eliza's death, Samuel went back to Lamberhurst where the Parish Chest records show that be placed his three boys into the local Poor House on two separate occasions. first over Christmas 1833 and again between July 1834 and April 1835. These times may have coincided with gaol sentences he and his older brother Thomas Hickmott, served during this time for vagrancy and neglecting their families. Also present in the Poor House were a number of other members of the Hickmott clan including Jane Hickmott the wife of Thomas and her five children.In spite of the families financial circumstances it is likely that Henry and his brothers and cousins recieved a basic education.

After being granted some money by the trustee Samuel removed his boys and went to live in Tunbridge Wells(in a cottage atWindmill Field where a brick maker James Goldsmith and his wife and daughter lived.)

On 28th March 1837 Samuel and Thomas were convicted in Absentia for stealing three lambs from a property of Thomas Ash.

The two brother together with a number of other convicted criminals, were marched probably in chains, from Maidstone to the coastal town of Sheerness where they waited in goal for the next available convict ship this was to be Asia 1. This ship departed from Sheerness on 27th April 1840 with 276 prisoners for Australia the voyage took 101 days and docked at the port of Hobart 6th August 1840. Samuel was put into local prison barracks for a probationery period that was initially 15 months but was extended to 3rd January 1842 after he was found guilty of misconduct( for which he also served three days in solitary confinement) On the 14th November 1845, he was sent to work for a David Jamieson Esquire at Hamilton in central Tasmania. After receiving his ticket of leave on 12th June 1845, he began working for a James Turnbull at New Norfolk just north of Hobart, while there he married a Susan Pickup in the St Mathews Church of England 3rd January 1848.

Samuel recieved a conditional pardon on the 22nd August 1848 and his certificate of freedom on the 9th January 1850.

It seems that he and Susan left Tasmania soon after and sailed to Adelaide where they joined up with Samuel's youngest son Henry and his family who were living at Mount Barker. Susan Hickmott died of a serious effusion on the brain at Ingelwood in Victoria 1st July 1861 and was buried at the Inglewood Cemetery on the same day.On her death certificate records that she was 61 years old, had been born in Manchester, England, her father was a Solicitor whose surname was Barland and that Samuel was the informant. It also shows that she had been in the colony for 14 months, suggesting that they moved from South Australia to Victoria in around May 1860(some three years after Henry and his family moved there.

It is not known as yet where Samuel went after Susan's daeth or what happened to him. There is no record of him dying in Victoria( or elsewhere in Australia for that matter) so it is possible that he may have once again emigrated or that he just disappeared. Samuels brother Thomas died of Influenza accentuated by old age at the Warrnambool Hospital 23rd August 1871. he was 77 years old was born in Kent England had been 15 years in Victoria and 17 years in Tasmania and was not married. He was buried at the Warrnambool cemetery 26th August 1871.