Expats: the Brownlow siblings

I'm tracking the details of families in the 1841 England census, with a member born in Australia. This is entry #3.

In this case, there are two separate 1841 census entries that record siblings, all born in Australia and living in England.

First, Richard BROWNLOW appears in the 1841 census attending the school kept by the Baptist Robert Blagden at Southgate in Middlesex (London). The census states that he was 9, a pupil at the school, and born in 'Australia':




Second, three girls residing as 'pupils' at a school in Lambeth, all born in 'Australia': Maria Brownlow aged 14, Elizabeth Brownlow aged 11, and Marianne Brownlow, aged 7.


Who were the four Brownlow children? How did the family come to be in NSW, and what became of them after 1841?


Richard Brownlow senior was born abt 1797 and immigrated with to Hobart (VDL) in 1823. In 1825 in Hobart he married Eliza Magill (both parties had siblings in VDL), and thereafter the couple moved to Sydney.


Richard and Elia appeared in the 1828 census of New South Wales living on Pitt St in Sydney, Richard as a 'wine and spirit merchant'. With them is a daughter, Maria, aged 2.


Richard and Eliza baptized a number of children. Maria was likely born in Tasmania around 1826, and Eliza followed on 13 Dec 1828, baptized in 1829 at St. James' Church in Sydney, with Richard's occupation as 'tavern keeper' on King St. in Sydney (NSW BDM 340/1828 V1828340). Helen Margaret was born 1 Oct 1830, but died aged 16 months in 1832, buried at the Sydney Burial Ground. Richard was baptized in 1832 (NSW 632/1832 V1832632), and Mary Ann (Marianne) in 1834 (NSW BDM 633/1834 V1834633). During this period Richard was noted to be proprietor of a public house called the "Canning Tavern" on King St.

In early 1836 advertisements announced that Richard Brownlow of "House of Brownlow & Co" would be leaving by the Warrior, requesting claims to be settled for payment. This may have been a journey the entire Brownlow family embarked on, and in 1841 all four living children were being educated in the London environs, and Richard snr and Eliza have been in England also as Richard disappears from the newspapers until 1842. In September 1841, Eliza and her four Australian-born children arrived in Sydney on the 'Persian' after an absence of possibly seven years:


In late 1844 Richard announced his retirement as a wine and liquor merchant, and liquidated his stock. He was possibly aware he was unwell, and he died almost exactly a year later in Sydney:

Sentinel, 24 Sep 1845


Richard senior was buried at the Devonshire St Cemetery (and re-interred in 1901 when the cemetery was resumed), and his wife Eliza followed in 1847 (buried and re-interred also). In the intervening year, their eldest daughter Maria died 'of consumption' aged 20 and was interred with her parents.

So in space of two years the Brownlow family had lost both parents and the eldest sister. While this was unfolding, the probate for Richard was slowing being settled, with 1,000 pounds to be bestowed on each child. Richard and Eliza's second daughter, Eliza, married John Robottom on 14 Oct 1847 at St Lawrence's Church in Sydney. The executors accused Robottom, knowing the Eliza was entitled to a large inheritance, of falsifying an affadavit necessary for marriage as Eliza was under 21, and the paper ' Bell's Life in Sydney' took delight on covering the case. Eliza was described as "was placed at a school, and was a person whose intellect was periodically affected." The dispute was resolved, and John and Eliza Robottom had several children. Eliza died at Upper Picton in 1896.

Richard became very well known as a champion rifle-shot, and has an entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brownlow-richard-3089 . Richard married Elizabeth Ann (Bessie) Friend in 1854 ('daughter of the late Mr. R. Friend of Totnes, Devon), and had a large number of children. He was a 'celebrated shot' and won a large number of shooting competitions, and was one of the first to join the Volunteer Rifle Corps in NSW, and appears to have owned significant property that generated income. Whilst competing in Victoria in 1873 he became unwell and on return to Sydney developed typhoid fever, diphtheria and pneumonia and died on 7 December 1873. He was buried at the Anglican cemetery. Numerous obituaries were published, and the Sydney Morning Herald stated that "as a marksman he was second to none". The  Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier included a portrait of Richard Brownlow:

The youngest daughter Marianne (Mary Anne) married John Piper Egan, the son of NSW merchant and politician Daniel Egan (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/egan-daniel-3471) in 1855 at St Mary's Cathedral. The couple appear to have had at least two children before John died aged 32 in 1861. Mary Anne died in 1876 "aged 41" at West Bargo.

It is remarkable that all four children undertook the journey to England and back as youngsters. It may be that a headstone exists for parents Richard and Eliza, along with their daughter Maria and various grandchildren at the Pioneers Park - it would be great to see. It's also excited to see the face of Richard Brownlow (junior) the expat.