John BLACKMORE

  General Notes:

Burrington registers list for 8 Feb 1824, John, son of William and Ann Blackmore of Town. Father was a schoolmaster (same as for brother William and confirming info on brother's marriage certificate)
- by inspecting other entries that state "Town" and comparing with the 1841 census, it appears this meant the centre of the village, rather than Town Bridge

Marriages Mar 1849 Barnstaple 10 45
Blackmore John
Handford Alice
Hanford Alice

Marriage Certificate - identical to the entry in parish register
1849 February 6 at The Parish Church, Fremington
John Blackmore, of full age, Bachelor, Laborer, Fremington. father William Blackmore, Schoolmaster
Alice Hanford, under age, Spinster, Servant, Fremington. father William Hanford, Laborer
both signed - Alice as Handford
Witnesses Grace B Blackmore (sister) and William Blackmore (brother or father)

1841 census
HO107/242/6 F5 P5 John Blackmore, 15, Ag Servant in Bideford (Stone Farm)
HO/107/243/2 F9 P13 John Blackmore, 13, M.S. in Frithelstock (Stone) - possible as parents in Weare Gifford
HO/107/250/4 F7 P8 John Blackmore, 18, MS, in Ashreigney - also possible as family originated here
-His age was 17+ in June 1841 and so the Ashreigney entry is most likely (he was with the Short family)


John and Alice emigrated to Australia in 1851, according to letters from John Symons (son of Grace Baker Blackmore) to his grand daughter Audrey and to Helena Butterfield, his niece. The letters were dated 13 Oct 1950.
Unfortunately only the first page of these letters exist and so the full story isn't known.
Text of the relevant section :
I wonder if you are interested in family history. You may probably know what I am gong to tell you. You have no doubt read the novel Lorna Doone, a romance of Exmoore, written by Richard Dodderidge Blackmore. Blackmore is a well known Devonshire name. I daresay your father has told you , probably long ago, that your great grandmother's maiden name was Grace Baker Blackmore and that her father was a schoolmaster in Bideford. She had two brothers, William and John. William was a railway contractor in South America and also in Ceylon. He had three sons, the second, George Frederick Blackmore A.M.I.C.E. was a consulting engineer for the London County Council for many years. John her younger brother migrated to Australia in the great gold rush in the year 1851. Ballarat became the centre of the gold fields and John eventually owned a gold mine to which he gave the name "Lorna Doone". My dear sister Lizzie used to tell me a long time ago that she used to correspond with John's sons and showed me a photo of one of them.
(Lizzie is Elizabeth Ann Symons)
- In fact John emigrated in 1849, 2 years before the discovery of gold at Bathurst (NSW).
- There was a mine called Lorna Doone in the South of NSW near the border with Victoria, about 450 miles from Maldon. It was mined by people from Victoria in the 1860s

On NSW web site for "assisted immigration arriving at Port Phillip"
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/immigration_and_shipping_indexes_4645.asp
BLACKMORE John and Alice
Vessel : Courier
Year : 1849
Reel : 2144
Record item : 4/4816, p.358
Note - Port Phillip is the harbour upon which Melbourne is built.
The detail entry states : John & Alice BLACKMORE arrived at Port Phillip on 11 Sept, 1849, aboard the "Courier". Records showed John to be a labourer ("wife" for Alice). Both were from Devonshire and of the Anglican faith. John could read & write but Alice could only read.

Also found on Victoria PRO site (you can obtain the whole passenger list for a ship also) http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=24
Surname, Forname, Age, Month, Year, Ship, Book, Page
BLACKMORE ALICE 20 SEP 1849 COURIER 4A 154
BLACKMORE JOHN 25 SEP 1849 COURIER 4A 154

On http://www.cust.idl.com.au/pt39/emnsw1.html listing immigrant ships
Courier, 1060 tons; charter party departed 22 5 49; emb (326)

From "Shipping Arrivals and Departures Victorian Ports" by Marten Syme
......
Courier, 1060t, Master G. Melling, Sailed from Plymouth 7 June 1849, arr.
Melbourne 11 Sep 1849 carrying 325 / 281 immigrants, slates and salt.
Departed between 2 and 5 Oct 1849 for Bombay.

So in 1849 John married in February, left the UK for Australia in June, arrived in Australia (Melbourne) in September and his father died in December. Quite an eventful year!

By about 1854-1856 he had settled in Maldon, where gold had been discovered in 1853

There are references to a mine called "Lorna Doone" in the report at http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au/publications/mining-report/pubs/mining-report.pdf
This is probably a coincidence of name as it is hundreds of miles away.

births, deaths & marriages from Digger - Federation Index.
Victoria 1889-1901
Surname: BLACKMORE
Given Names: Jno
Event: D
Sex:
Spouse Surname/Father: Blackmore Wm
Spouse Gvn Names/Mother: Ann UNKNOWN
Age: 73
Age Code:
Birth Place:
Death Place: Maldon
Year: 1900
Reg. Number: 13577
(he was actually 76)

Death certificate - downloaded from Victoria State Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. Items in parentheses are my own comments
No. - 1264
When and where died - 18^th December 1900, North Maldon, Shire of Maldon, County of Talbot
Name and Profession - John Blackmore, Miner
Sex and Age - Male 73 years (True age was 76)
Cause, Duration, Medical attendant and when last seen - Bronchitis, Asthma, Heart Failure, 5 years, D^r A J Farr, 17^th December 1900
Parents names and profession - William Blackmore unknown, Ann Blackmore M.N. unknown (M.N. is Maiden name)
Informant - J A Blackmore, Son, North Maldon (this is John Alexander)
Registrar, date and place - Thomson B Davidson, 18^th December 1900, Maldon
When and Where Buried and undertaker - 19^th December 1900, Maldon Cemetery, H W Craub
Name of Minister and Witness - Rev Lewis J Rowlands, Wesleyan, J F Davis
Where born and how long in Australia - Devonshire England, 50 years in Victoria
Marriage Where, what age and to whom - Fremington Devonshire England, 23 years, Alice Handford
Children's names and ages -
William 49 years
Charles 46 years
Richard 43 years
John Alexander 41 years
James 39 years
Nicholas 36 years
Maria 33 years
Alice 31 years
Edwin 27 years

Maldon News--November 23 1897 - "Wedding Bells"
Last night in the Temperance Hall, there occurred one of those very pleasing functions, which we always feel glad to chronicle, namely, the union by means of tha marriage service of two persons, who swear to abide by each other for better or worse. On this occasion the service throughout was of a distinctionally enthusiastic and sociable one, when Mr. John Rowlands of South Maldon and Miss Jane Blackmore, daughter of Mr. Blackmore , of Peg- Leg, Maldon, were bound by the bounds of holy matrimony, in the presence of Capts. Parker, Freeman, and Aslin and Lieut. Page ,Allan and Mrs. Parker,and also Major Vince to whom the duties of officiating officer were entrusted.
The bride was dressed in an appropriate and very pretty regulation uniform, trimmed with blue cashmere draped in creme silk,and indeed looked charming, as also did Lieut. Alice Allan,[bridesmaid] who was dressed in navy blue uniform,draped in pale blue liberty silk. Mr. Blackmore was present to give away his happy daughter, and Mr. G. Jones ,acted in the capacity of best man.
This article continues on ,mentions" on behalf of Maldon Corps"---

From source : summary of ratepayers
In 1865 John had a Slab Hut in Sailors Gully (probably later called North
Maldon) as well as land and buildings at Walmer and 2 allotments in high
Street Maldon.
Also daughter Alice Jane went to the local primary school, but no record of the others. John's address at the time was Sailors Gully.


Tarrengower Times Wed Dec 19^th 1900
Mr John Blackmore an old and esteemed colonist expired at an early hour on Tuesday at the advanced age of 73 years.
Deceased was born in Devonshire England in 1827 and came to Victoria in the year 1849. After arriving in the colony Mr. Blackmore like the majority of early colonists visited the leading goldfields and eventually settled in Maldon over 46 years ago.
During his long residence in Maldon he has followed the occupation of miner, and opened up the union and other important lines of reef with great success. He was also a plucky speculator and expended large sums in mining claims in and around our town.
Though never taking a prominent part in public matters, deceased was an active supporter of any movement created to improve Maldon and district.

By his kind and Jocular manner deceased won the lasting esteem of all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance, and the announcement of his death caused regret to a wide circle of friends.
The immediate cause of death was Bronchitis and Heart Failure.

Deceased who was a member of the Forresters and OddFellows lodges leaves a family of 2 daughters and 7 sons to mourn their loss.
The funeral cortege is timed to move from his late residence to the local cemetery at 4pm today.

Within http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/pages/pdfs/MaldonMiningDivision3.pdf
There is the reference to John Blackmore
25 March 1859. The Union Company. This company for "go-a-headism" eclipses any other yet started on
Tarrengower. It was only inaugurated on February 1st, and the works have been pushed so rapidly that the boilers are ready set in their foundation, the dam finished, tram roads made, several tons ready for crushing, and the foundations for the machine is now being dug. The reef is divided into several sections, each with a foreman and number of workers. The first and second are now being worked, Mr James Reid being "Boss" of the first, and Mr. John Blackmore of the second. The pump shaft is now down, and most substantially timbered for 130 feet. It is 8 1/2 feet long, by 4 1/2 feet wide in the clear. In this shaft alone 15 pitmen are employed, and two blacksmiths; the total number of employees at present are 40.⁶
The reference is 6 Tarrengower Times, 25 March 1859, p. 2

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Labourer, 6 Feb 1849, Fremington, Devon, England.

• Emigration: Left UK, 7 Jun 1849, Plymouth, Devon, England. From "Shipping Arrivals and Departures Victorian Ports" by Marten Syme
......
Courier, 1060t, Master G. Melling, Sailed from Plymouth 7 June 1849, arr.
Melbourne 11 Sep 1849 carrying 325 / 281 immigrants, slates and salt.
Departed between 2 and 5 Oct 1849 for Bombay.

The ship Courier 1061 tons sailed from Plymouth on the 7th June, with 388
immigrants, Captain Melling, Dr Bowden - Surgeon/Superintendant
Hope that helps

• Immigration: Arrived in Australia, 11 Sep 1849, Port Phillip, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. From "Shipping Arrivals and Departures Victorian Ports" by Marten Syme
......
Courier, 1060t, Master G. Melling, Sailed from Plymouth 7 June 1849, arr.
Melbourne 11 Sep 1849 carrying 325 / 281 immigrants, slates and salt.
Departed between 2 and 5 Oct 1849 for Bombay.

John married Alice HANDFORD, daughter of William HANDFORD and Jane PARKIN, on 6 Feb 1849 in Fremington, Devon, England.^{1 2} (Alice HANDFORD was born circa 1829 in Bishops Tawton, Devon, England, baptised on 27 Sep 1829 in Bishops Tawton, Devon, England,⁵ died on 9 Apr 1893 in Maldon, Victoria, Australia ⁶ and was buried on 11 Apr 1893 in Maldon, Victoria, Australia ⁷.)