Aaron Adsett
| First name | Aaron |
|---|---|
| Last name | Adsett |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 16/05/1832 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1851 |
| Submitted by | William Adsett |
Story
Aaron Adsett and Mary Maddock.
Aaron Adsett was born 16.5.1832 Ewell, Surrey, England to John Adsett, an agricultural labourer and Ann (nee Kitchenside). The story of the Adsett migration is quite a saga and took place over 27 years between 1851 and 1878 with five family groups arriving in Australia. Both of Aaron\’s parents, his five brothers (John, Moses, Isaac, Aaron, Charles) and three sisters (Mary, Matilda, Emma) migrated to Queensland between 1851and 1878. Three sisters (Ann Amelia, Margaret and Harriet) are thought to have remained in England, and two brothers died in infancy (Edwin, Henry)
Aaron Adsett (19) migrated with his brothers Moses (18) and John (27) and John’s wife Louisa Kitchenside (21) on the sailing ship “Duchess of Northumberland” which arrived at Moreton Bay Colony on 4 February 1851. They were assisted migrants. The voyage took 126 days, a little over four months and they were landed in good health at Brisbane and were lodged in the former military barrack. Tents were erected in the square for the use of the single men. The Surgeon Superintendent, John Ayre praised the immigrants for being ‘respectable, honest, industrious and well-conducted people’.
In 1855, Aaron\’s father, John Adsett (55) and Aaron\’s sisters, Matilda (17) Emma (15) and his brother Charles (12) migrated on board the royal ship ‘Donald McKay’ and, after landing at Melbourne on 6.6.1855, made their way to Moreton Bay, Queensland. Aaron\’s mother who was separated from her husband in 1851, stayed in England living with her daughter Mary who was married to William Rackley. A third group of the family migrated to Australia in 1858 arriving in Moreton Bay on the ‘Alfred’: Aaron\’s brother Isaac (29) and his wife Jane (nee Thompson) (24) and two children: Ann Amelia (2) and Jane Elizabeth (infant). In 1877 Aaron\’s nephew, William Rackley, son of Mary and William Rackley, migrated with his wife Louisa Jane and their three children, Florence (4), Frederick (2), and George H. (1) on board the ‘Woodlark’ with Edwin Rackley, another son of Mary\’s. Finally, in 1878, Aaron\’s sister Mary (57) and her husband William Rackley (60) with Aaron\’s mother, Ann (77) sailed from London on the’ Southesk’ and arrived at Cape Moreton on 1.8.1878. Aaron\’s mother Ann Adsett came to Australia, 23 years after her husband John had emigrated, and 9 years after his death.
When Aaron Adsett arrived in Queensland in 1851, his future bride, Mary Maddock, had already been in Queensland for three years. Mary Maddock, born 11.2.1836 Callington, Cornwall. She was 12 years old when she migrated to Queensland with her Cornish parents Thomas Maddock (40), an agricultural labourer, and Mary Maddock (nee Stephens) (38) on the ‘Artemesia’ on 13.12.1848, having left Plymouth on 15.8.1848. Mary\’s siblings on board were Richard (14), John (10), Elizabeth (7), Thomas (4) and Catherine (1). Three more children were born in Queensland: Tamson 1854, William Henry 1854 and Samuel 1856.
Aaron and Mary were married on 9.9.1854 at St John\’s Church, Brisbane. For a few years after their marriage Aaron and Mary lived at Thorroldtown now Wooloowin, Brisbane. Aaron and his older brother John jointly selected land in the Parish of Enoggera in 1859. In 1866, Aaron purchased more land in the Parish of Kedron. In 1868, Aaron was listed as a drayman living at Sandgate Road, Breakfast Creek. In 1874, Aaron was listed as a squatter of Enoggera, Breakfast Creek. Aaron was a cattle grazier and dealer in wild horses. His land holdings included agriculture and pastoral property in the Parish of Whiteside, Dayboro. After leaving Wooloowin, Aaron and Mary Adsett established their home on their Chermside land.
Aaron and Mary gave birth to 16 children between the years 1855 and 1881: Charles 1855, Lavinia 1856, Eliza 1858, George 1859, Louis 1861, Harry 1863, Edmund 1864, Emma 1866, Arthur 1870, Annie 1872, Amelia 1877, Ernest 1880, Walter 1881. Three children died in childhood: Emma 1865-1865, Annie 1868-1868, Hester 1874-1878
Aaron\’s sister Matilda lived with the family at Chermside for many years after her second husband died around 1899 and prior to her death in 1916. Mary died on 22.5.1918 at Chermside. Aaron died on the 28 November, 1921. Aaron and Mary Adsett are buried at the Lutwyche Cemetery in Brisbane.