Isaac Reece
| Town/City | Noak Bridge |
|---|---|
| First name | Isaac |
| Last name | Reece |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 1804 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1839 |
| Submitted by | Kevin Egglesden |
Story
Isaac REECE was born in Peasmarsh in East Sussex in around 1804 to Isaac REECE, a shoemaker, and his wife Judy REECE. Isaac’s parents died the year after he was born. He gained enough of an education in Peasmarsh to be able to read and write but did not take up a trade, perhaps because of his father’s early death, and as a young man worked as a farm labourer.
Isaac married Frances BARNET in Peasmarsh church on the 28th of June 1828. Frances was also a native of Peasmarsh who worked as a servant and was the daughter of John BARNET, a labourer, and his wife Judy.
Isaac and Frances had four known children, all born in Peasmarsh. These were Isaac born circa 1829, Judy born circa 1831, Edwin born circa 1835 and Henry born in 1836.
In 1838 the Reece family agreed to emigrate to Australia at the expense of the Peasmarsh parish. It is likely that the family were quite poor at the time and considered a burden on the parish finances. Before embarkation the REECE family were all given physical examinations by Dr INCHES to determine whether they were fit enough for the voyage. They were then bought new clothes at a cost £9 11d 6s and shoes at cost of £2 8d 6s.
In October the REECE family were conveyed the 42 miles from Peasmarsh to Gravesend where on the 17th of October they embarked on the Juliana for Sydney.
Sadly Isaac’s wife Judith didn’t survive the journey. There is a harrowing account in the medical journal of the Juliana of her decline as a result of phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) which she finally succumbed to on the 17th of January 1839. She was aged just 30.
The Juliana was wrecked at Green Point, Table Bay, The Cape of Good Hope on the 20th of January 1839 with all hands saved. On the 20th of February 1839 the remainder of the REECE family embarked on the Morayshire bound for Sydney. Isaac’s youngest son Henry died at sea on the 21st of March. Isaac and his three remaining children arrived in Sydney on the 20th of April 1839.
Isaac remarried in 1840 to Ceary A SIMS in Sydney. He died on the 9th of December 1871 in Mudgee, New South Wales.