Associated events

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Probate 8 September 1870
Ratepayer mystery 1858
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.
Arrival mystery about January 1853
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.
Immigration 21 November 1854
At one hundred and twenty four days at sea, the Bloomer’s voyage was a very long one for the time. Of the eleven ships which arrived in Portland in western Victoria in 1854, it was the slowest. The quickest, the Edward Johnson, arrived a few months before the Bloomer in September 1854, and took only 78 days. John and Elizabeth's infant daughter's birth was registered in the Collingwood/Richmond district on 20 April 1855 by Elizabeth, and states she was born at sea on 24 November 1854 on the Bloomer ‘on her voyage from Liverpool’. Perhaps Elizabeth couldn’t remember the date (the Bloomer had arrived by the 21st).
Disappearance 20 November 1865
I have tried many avenues and failed to definitively identify John Morgan after this date. In April 1866, a J Morgan, 41, left for New Zealand ports. The ship, the Gothenburg, sailed via Hokitika and Grey Mouth to Nelson, in New Zealand’s South Island. There were gold rushes to nearby Okarita and Bruce Bay around this time. It could so easily have been John Morgan. His age, the date and circumstances feel right. I can imagine him thinking – wishing – there must be more to life, as yet another child (whose paternity he probably questioned) was about to squall its way into existence. Working on that assumption I identified a possible candidate in New Zealand, John Morgan, 50 (which may have been an approximation) who died 17 November 1878 at the Dunedin Asylum of ‘senile decay’. His death certificate bore the bare minimum of identity details and it has not been possible to confirm this as John.
Partner about 1865
Elizabeth Morgan claimed on their daughter Fanny's birth certificate to have married William Staines in Collingwood 28 November 1865. No record of this marriage was registered.
Birth 24 November 1854
Death 16 February 1856
Cause of death - teething, dysentry and convulsions
Birth 30 November 1856
Birth 7 March 1859

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