William Adamson (abt. 1814 - 1863)

Born about 1814 in United Kingdom [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Osborne) Adamson — married 10 Oct 1854 in Putiki, Wanganui, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 14 Jan 1863 at about age 49 in Wanganui, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Algis Cepulis [send private message] and Sonya Mudgway [send private message]

William Adamson migrated from Great Britain to New Zealand.

Biography

He was born about 1814 in England or Scotland, United Kingdom.

William Adamson married on 10 Oct 1854 in Wanganui, New Zealand to Mary Osborne or Osbourne. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

He died on 14 Jan 1863 in Wanganui, New Zealand. ^{[4] [5]}

1843 Diary

Rev. Richard Taylor arrived at Wanganui on 30 April 1843 and completed a census of the population the same year. In his diary dated 1842/43, on page 42/43, he listed married, batchelors, spinsters, widows, widowers.

William Adamson was listed as a batchelor and next to his name was written the note "Has seen the Moa". There was no mention of Mary or the child Emily.

This diary records that on 22 May 1844 William Adamson accompanied him on a trip up the Wanganui River to Pipiriki in order to finish the floor of the church. William was dissatisfied with his payment of 30 pigs (by the local natives) and complained to the Bishop about it. He received another four pounds as final settlement.

William told Richard Taylor that he was once shipwrecked on the Kueguelen islands. Tracing this shipwreck, the 1832 Tasmanian newspapers gave a detailed account of the "Betsey and Sophia" shipwreck ...

1830/Jun/06 "Betsey and Sophia" left London, England for a sealing expedition to the southern ocean.

After the ship was wrecked, 14 of the crew built a sloop "Liberty" from the wreck and sailed it to Tasmania.

1832/Feb/14 - "Liberty" arrived in Hobart, Tasmania and William spent 13 months on the Kueguelen Islands.

1832/Feb - "Liberty sold" and Crew received 10 pounds each.

1832/Mar - William signed on to the whaler "Hetty" at Hobart, Tasmania.

1832/Oct - William signed on to the whaler "Lindsey" at Hobart, Tasmania.

1834/Apr/05 - William signed on to the whaler "Tamar" at Hobart, Tasmania.

1836/Sep - William signed on to the whaler "Australian" at Cloudy Bay, New Zealand

1837/May - William deserted the whaler "Australian" at Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

After that no records have been found of William in New Zealand for the next 6 years. He may have worked ashore at one of the whaling stations or he may have returned to England.

In 1843 William shows up again in Wanganui, New Zealand.

Sources

1. ↑ New Zealand, Marriage Index 1840-1950 on ancestry.com
2. ↑ Marriage Certificate copy held by A. Cepulis
3. ↑ "Hale Family Tree" by arhale1 on ancestry.com
4. ↑ Death Certificate copy held by A. Cepulis
5. ↑ Probate Records 1843-1998 citing New Zealand Archives; Wellington Court 1862-1863 P154/62-P172/63

• "Wreck of the Betsey and Sophia on Iles Kerguelen" by Ann Savours

• Hobart Papers, Shipping News

• Family Tree on FamilySearch.org contributed by various users; for William Adamson

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=0&pid=112