County Dublin

Natalie, I  too am researching Joseph Flood born c 1763 Dublin Ireland.  No Parish is known, or parents.  His son John Flood born 24 September 1797 in Sydney, Nsw, Australia, died 4 April, 1854 in Longford, Tasmania to Margaret Watson his mother, is our ancestor. They came to Tasmania later on.  I note a reply in message that has  has a John Augustus Flood as father.  I wonder if it is possible to obtain that original image or where I might find it please.  We do have a Augustus Flood as a childs name in the Tasmanian family so could be correct. Thanks for any help.

Hi Boddington, I am also a descendant of John Flood and Margaret Watson.  I have no idea about John Augustus Flood as the father to Joseph.  I cannot find a record of him and Zenobia anywhere. 

Have you ever been able to sort out John Watson?.  I had thought he was from the Ganges but then found a note in the Colonial returns on ancestry that the John Watson from the Ganges had died so back to square one.  The only options I can see are that the John Watson on the Alexander returned to NSW and/or that 'our' John Watson was the convict on the Neptune that escaped and then was found by Shortland and returned to Sydney, or that he was an unidentified soldier or sailor.  I found John Watsons obituary in a local paper on the  NLA newspapers site and it said that he was 'dispatched on the first ship to" Sydney - this suggests the first fleet - or on the Endeavour or???. 

Interested in what you think about this. 

Natalie

 

Hi Natalie, and others interested in this family,

I'm pretty sure that 'our' John WATSON arrived in Sydney in 1791, with the Third Fleet, on board the 'Albermerle'

That's pretty early in the piece but not on the First Fleet! I suspect a little poetic licence was used in telling the family history!

I base this on the 1811 New South Wales and Tasmania Australia Convict Musters1 73110180, where the dates fit with the trial etc.

 I am also a descendant of John Flood and Margaret Watson, through their daughter Mary Ann FLOOD (1821-1871), who married James BRUMBY (1811-1855).

All the best,

Clare
 

Hi Clare, the other thing I found re the Watsons was that Margaret had a sister that I didn't know about. 

When Margaret died in 1869, there was a notice in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 5th October, 1869

saying the following:

On the ..th of September at Longford Tasmania, Margaret wife of the late John Flood, of Sydney, and only sister to the late Mrs Thomas Smidmore, of Sydney, aged 70 yrs. (Trove newspaper site)

Thomas Smidmore married three times and Mary Watson appears to have been his first wife.

This is what I think is the case:

Mary Ann Watson was born to John and Mary Watson in 1798.

Mary married John Galloway, Irish convict on the Baring 1819.  He was a china dealer

They had several children, Caroline/Catherine 1823; Eliza 1826; Mary 1821; Samuel J 1829

According to 'Mandys tree'

John and Mary Galloway had a daughter Margaret born 1821 who married Francis S Stephenson in 1850. 

John Galloway died in 1829, aged 44.

Mary then married Thomas Smidmore in April 1831

This suggests that John Watson was married twice to Mary and then Esther Hacker.

In the Old Sydney Burial Ground list is the following:

I wondered about this but the date does not fit - maybe a transcription error???

Burial

WATSON MARY
1796 Jan11 RST: Soldiers Wife. RM

Interested in what you think about this.

Have you found out where John Watson was while Margaret was in the orphanage?

Regards, Natalie

Hi Natalie

I don't know if my reply got through, as I can't find it now!

In case it didnt, I'll need a little time to process this new info, and promise I'll get back asap!

It's a while since I researched this branch, and it was very early in my research so my records are a little 'fuzzy'!! A good reason to revisit, eh!

Thanks for the info and speak to you soon!

 

Clare