Mary Springham was tried at the Old Bailey for feloniously stealing, on the 5 March 1786, two guineas, value 21. 2s. and nine shillings in monies numbered, and an iron japanned snuff box, value 1d being the property of William and Mary Reynolds. Found guilty, Mary received a sentence of 7 years transportation, and was delivered to Lady Penrhyn on 6 January 1787. In Sydney Cove on 15 January 1790 a child William, by convict Mary Springham and William Hambly was baptised.
William Hambly was aged 23 from Truro Cornwall, when he joined as a ship’s carpenter and crew member on Sirius. In Sydney Cove William worked as a carpenter from the end of January 1788 until March 1790 when the Sirius departed for Norfolk Island. Also on the same voyage was Mary Springham and their child William.
William continued working as a carpenter and gardener on the Island, until he decided to stay and become a settler. He was discharged as a Sirius crew member in March 1791. By the April he held a lease of 60 acres. By mid June 1794 Mary and William had three children, and he was selling grain to the government. On 18 June 1796 Mary died, leaving son William and daughter Elizabeth; the other child had previously died. As a first class settler William departed the Island with his children in 1807 on Porpoise for Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania).
William took up land at Gloucester and Risdon Clarence Plains, and in 1810 he married Jane Meech, widow of William Moulton in Hobart. His son William died in April 1817 unmarried, leaving Elizabeth as Mary and William’s only surviving child. William Hambly, age given as 73, died and was buried at Sorrell Tasmania on 22 October 1835.
Honouring their WW1 descendants
3826 (John) Bertie Gill
Private 5th Battalion 12th Reinforcements
Born 9 May 1888 to John and Catherine (Horton) Gill
Occupation Labourer
Enlisted 17 July 1917 aged 24
Next-of-kin father John Gill 60 Blyth Street Brunswick
Embarked Melbourne 23 November 1915 aboard HMAT Ceramic A40
Service in France
Departed England per City of Poona, disembarking Melbourne 15 May 1919 Discharged 6 July 1919: reason demobilisation
11824 Algeron Hambley Duncombe
Private 12th Battalion (4th Reinforcements) – 1 to 8 Reinforcements (December 1914-September 1915) Assigned in 1918 to 4th Machine Gun Battalion
Born 8 December 1894 Portland, Tasmania to George and
Wilhelmina (Webb) Duncombe
Occupation Labourer
Enlisted Claremont Tasmania 6 January 1915 aged 20
Next-of-kin father George Steers Duncombe, Gould’s County Tasmania
Embarked Fremantle Western Australia 19 April 1915 aboard HMAT Argyllshire A8 Service in Gallipoli and France
Returned to Australia per HT Kashmir, disembarking 21 April 1919
Discharged 28 June 1919
Died 9 May 1959
24/1705 Cecil Herbert Kingston
Rifleman New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion
Born 8 November 1885 Sorrell, Tasmania, to Charles and
Mary Jemina (Payne) Kingston
Occupation Labourer
On enlisted next-of-kin father C Kingston, Bream Creek, Tasmania
Embarked 8 January 1916 Wellington, New Zealand aboard either HMNZT Tahiti 38 or HMNZT Warrimoo 39
Service in France
Killed in Action 15 September 1916
Buried Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France
4572 Walter Charles Patterson
Private 14th Reinforcement 12th Battalion
Taken on strength 21 April 1916 to 52nd Battalion
Born 20 September 1893 Esperance, Tasmania to Walter Charles and
Sarah Louisa Maria (Denholm) Patterson
Occupation Engine Driver
Enlisted 1 December 1915 Claremont Camp Tasmania aged 22
Next-of-kin father Walter Charles Patterson, Snake Plains Huon Tasmania
Embarked Melbourne 8 February 1916 aboard HMAT Warilda A69
Killed in Action (France) in the Field 3-4 September 1916
Pte A Ramshaw 3844, No.2 Can. Gen. Hospital – He was a big lump of a fellow of 23 or 24, and came from Tasmania. He was in D.Coy and we were going up a sap leading to our front line at Mouquet Farm and we were being heavily shelled by Fritz all the time. I was only five off him when he was killed outright by a shell which pitched near him. His body was placed on the parapet but I don’t know what became of it afterwards.
Roll of Honour: Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
992 James Pervical Payne
Private 10th Infantry Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion – “A” Company (July 1916)
Born 13 March 1884 Portland, Tasmania to William and Annie Harriet (Bryce) Payne Occupation Farmer
Enlisted Claremont Tasmania 7 March 1916, aged 31
Next-of-kin mother Mrs AH Payne, Weldborough, Tasmania
Embarked 1 July 1916 Hobart Tasmania aboard HMAT Berrima A35
Service in France and Belgium – Gas Poisoning
Returned to Melbourne Victoria 13 February 1918 aboard HS Kanoma
Discharged Melbourne 8 May 1918 – medically unfit Then Steamer to Hobart Tasmania Died 8 August 1941 Launceston Tasmania
962 John Davis Stacey (brother to Robert Ernest, Thomas Albert and William Stacey)
Private 7th Infantry Brigade, 26th Infantry Battalion “C” Company (June 1915)
Born 12 July 1890 Tasman, Tasmania to Robert James and Henrietta (Davis) Stacey Occupation Farmer
Enlisted 12 February 1915 aged 25
Next-of-kin father RJ Stacey, Nubeena, Tasmania
Embarked Brisbane aboard HMAT Aeneas A60
Served in the Gallipoli campaign
Died 28 April 1916 of pneumonia at the 8th Casualty Clearing Station France
Buried Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), France
961 Robert Ernest Stacey (Brother to John Davis, Thomas Albert and William Stacey)
Private 7th Infantry Brigade, 26th Infantry Battalion “C” Company (June 1915) Transferred 28 December 1916 to 26th Battalion from 14th Battalion
Born 4 August 1892 Tasman, Tasmania to Robert James and Henrietta (Davis) Stacey Occupation Farmer
Enlisted Claremont Tasmania 12 February 1915 aged 23
Next-of-kin father RJ Stacey, Nubeena, Tasmania
Embarked Brisbane aboard HMAT Aeneas A60
Service in France
Returned to Australia 30 April 1919 per HT Plassey
Discharged 15 July 1919
736 Thomas Albert Stacey (brother to John Davis, Thomas Albert and William Stacey)
Private 10th Infantry Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion – “C” Company (July 1916)
Born Tasman, Tasmania to Robert James and Henrietta (Davis) Stacey
Occupation Farmer
Enlisted 15 March 1916 aged 22
Next-of-kin father RJ Stacey, Nubeena, Tasmania
Embarked Hobart 1 July 1916 aboard HMAT Berrima A35
Returned to Australia 10 December 1918 per HT Somati
Discharged 27 March 1919
45564 William Stacey (brother to John Davis, Thomas Albert and William Stacey)
Private NZEF Auckland Regiment 2 Battalion
Born 17 January 1886 Emu Bay, Tasmania to Robert James and Henrietta (Davis) Stacey
Occupation Bushman
Next-of-kin on enlistment RJ Stacey, Nubeena, Tasmania
Embarked Wellington, New Zealand 26 April 1917 aboard HMNZT Tofua 83
Killed in Action 11 October 1918 aged 29
Buried Romeries Communal Cemetery
Extension 11.A.6 France