Edward Blewett (1836-1915)

From the birth notice in The West Briton, 3 December 1836 can be inferred as the date of birth of twins to Gabriel and Ruth Blewett. On Edward Blewett's death certificate his date of birth is given as 4 December 1836. I have gone with Edward's death certificate. The notice in The West Briton also states the twins were sons. Could sons have been a mistake?

An Edward Blewett, aged 18, arrived on the St George in January 1853 (Public Record Office Victoria Unassisted Passenger Lists). The St George was wrecked on arrival off the Heads at Point Nepean in late December 1852. The ship had left Plymouth on 6 August 1852 carrying 240 emigrants. All the emigrants were successfully taken off the foundering ship and landed in Victoria.

If this was Edward Blewett, then there should be a record of his return to England before 1859. An Edward Blewett did return to England on the Blackwall, sailing 1 January 1855 (Public Record Office Victoria Outwards Passenger Lists). However, this Edward was noted as 25 (our Edward would have been 18 or 19). The Blackwall arrived in Plymouth 22 March 1855 (London Daily News, 23 March 1855, p.5, c.4). Longshot.

An Edward Blewett was listed as ratepayer and owner of a property in King William Street Fitzroy in 1858. This Edward Blewett and Gabriel Blewett (unclear whether Gabriel senior or his son) were listed as ratepayers on a property in King William Street Fitzroy for which Edward Blewett was still listed as the owner in 1859. This predates Edward Blewett's apparent arrival in Australia in late 1859, and begs the question, did he arrive in Melbourne before his father and brothers (in 1853, at the age of 16 or 17 - feasible?), and perhaps return to England before the 1859 voyage with his mother and sister. I have no evidence (yet) for this possibility. Or for reasons unknown perhaps the Blewetts in Melbourne registered a house in the name of their absent youngest son/brother. In 1860 and 1861 Gabriel Blewett was listed as the ratepayer and owner of the same property. The 1861 record notes the property's number as 63. It is the same property in all four records for 1858-1861, as the neighbouring property in the same records is owned by John Levy.

Could this Edward Blewett be another related Blewett? Perhaps a brother of the elder Gabriel? Longshot.

Ruth Blewett (62) and her two youngest children, Emma (28) and Edward (22), embarked on the Saldanha from Liverpool as unassisted immigrants. Departure date: 'Anglo-Victorian Shipping', Geelong Advertiser, 7 September 1859, p.2.

The three month voyage was marred by provisions of bad quality, and Edward Blewett (22) laid information in Melbourne with the Government Immigration Agent against the Master on behalf of the passengers. Arrival date: 'Shipping Intelligence', The Argus, 4 October 1859, p.4.

Melbourne to London

Edward Blewett returned from Australia to London in 1864 to take up training at the Pastor's College (later Spurgeon's College). He took up the pastorate at the Westbury Leigh Chapel in 1866 and remained there until around 1870-71. (Edward was still registered to vote in Westbury Leigh in 1872.) Spurgeon's College archives record him as 'without pastorate' from 1872 to 1885.

Joseph Huckle, whom Edward Blewett was visiting on the night of the 1871 census, was a retired farmer. In 1862 he had lent his barn in Willingham for the purposes of a large public meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society ('Town and Country News', Cambridge Independent Press, 14 June 1862, p.5, c.6). He retired from farming the following year (Cambridge Independent Press, 6 June 1863, p.4, c.5).

Within a year of the 1900 census being taken Gertrude Blewett and Howard Blewett married John Garrod and Ada York, lodgers in their parents' household.

Liverpool to Boston, per Ivernia

What was Edward Blewett doing back in England in 1906? There was another Blewett on this voyage, Frances Blewett (likely a mistake for Mrs F H Blewett - her name was Florence Rebecca), 26, wife of Francis Henry Blewett, who was the son of Henry Blewett, of Henry Blewett & Son, wholesale and retail bakers at Union Square, Somerville (Advertisement, Boston Post, 15 October 1914, p.5; 'Somerville', Boston Evening Globe, 3 December 1917, p.4). A coincidence - artefact of alphabetisation of passenger lists - or perhaps they were known to each other. This line of Blewetts, originally from England, ended up in Somerville, Boston, via Ontaria, Canada. I have found no relationship between them yet.

Edward and Elizabeth Blewett were living in the household of their married daughter Gertrude.

Cause of death - acute lobar pneumonia