James Pettit

1829 -

• Name	James Pettit
  Birth	Jun 1829	Clarence Western Australia
  Gender	Male
  Person ID	I1174	The Cream Family
  Last Modified	7 May 2012

  
  

  Father	John Bauchem Pettit,   b. 1786, Brighton, Sussex, England d. 19 Jun 1845, Swan River Colony Perth, Western Australia (Age 59 years)
  Mother	Rebecca Long,   b. 27 Feb 1778, Thanet, Kent, England d. 9 Jul 1879, Busselton, , Western Australia (Age 101 years)
  Notes	1920 'OLD TIME MEMORIES Old Time Memories By Hugh Kalyptus Mr. E. C D. Keyser, of South Perth, writing under date of Waterloo Days, says: The copy of Colonel Molloy's photograph, so appropriately published in Waterloo weeks issue of the "Western Mail," with your historic references to the Trafalgar Waterloo veteran's distinguished career, are especially interesting to me, the good old Colonel having performed the marriage ceremony which united my father and mother in the bonds of matrimony. It will interest some of your readers of Old Time Memories to learn that my mother before her marriage, was Miss Catherine Thurkle, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth of that clan. She was a sister of the late Mr. Thomas Thurkle who did such yeoman service as a member of the Busselton Road Board, for so many years. My mother was born near the Perth Cause, way, where the police station now stands, on March 14, 1837; and as above stated, was married by Colonel Molloy, at Fairlawn near Busselton, the residence of the Trafalgar Waterloo hero, on December 29, 1853. My father Charles Donat Keyser, was a native of Philadelphia (U.S.A.), and was. born in 1832. He came to Fremantle, direct from the United States, in 1852. Some of my near relatives were members of the old Pettit family, who were pioneers of the Swan River Settlement my mother's grandmother, Mrs. Rebecca Pettit, having arrived at Fremantle, as did, also my mother's grandfather, John Pettit, during the very early 'thirties. Mrs. Rebecca Pettit was a centenarian, and died at Busselton in 1879, a the age of 101. If you could furnish, the name of the vessel that brought the Pettits to these shores I should feel much obliged. Concerning Mr. Keysers inquiry as to the name of the vessel that brought the Pettit family of the Swan River Settlement, I communicated with Mr. Fairbairn who in the 'seventies' succeeded Mr. Joseph Strelby Harris as Resident Magistrateof Busselton. In his reply,'Mr. Fairbairn' states I regret that I cannot give you the name of the ship in which thc Pettit family came to Australia. I have been told that old Mr. Pettit was married here to a Miss Long, in the very early days, when at the Vasse. I knew Mrs. Pettit, she lived with her, daughter. Mrs. George Cross, and died at the advanced age of 101 years. Mrs. Petites son, Edward, also lived at the Vasse. He was engaged in the coasting trade, and met his death by a fall from the Bunbury jetty. One of the Pettits married a Nairn. [1]
  Family ID	F248	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  1913 'OLDEST WESTRALIAN The cutting is as follows: The writer, having got stranded on of the back roads of Leeor the other evening through a knocked up horse, bethought himself of his genial friend Tom Pettit. On reaching the homestead friend Tom was away, but he was met by his respected father (Mr. James Pettit), who is now 8O years of age, who kindly put the stables at his disposal and found good cheer for man and beast. During the evening over a social pipe the following facts came to light, which must be interesting to all loyal and true Australians. . It seems that the old gentleman's grandfather, who sprang from a good French family, came to England at thc time of the Reformation, and settled in Kent. Mr. John Pettit, the old gentleman's father, was a coastguard on the coast of Kent, and was from there drafted into the British Navy, and fought under Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. After drawing his prize money, he was going down one of the streets of Portsmouth and was met by Thomas Peel (brother to Robert Peel the famous English statesman), who was forming a company to start a settlement on the west coast of Australia, and persuaded him to go with them with his wife and children. After an eventful voyage of over nine months they arrived at their destination. They landed in June 1829. at what is known as Clarence, 12 miles south of Fremantle. WA, the first settlement in that State. Three days after landing our venerable friend James Pettit was born there, and was the second child born in that State. He is well acquainted with the first administrator of that colony, and knew the following gentlemen intimately:-Sir William Strangly. first Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia: Sir William Roe. Surveyor-General ; Judge McKie the first judge; and his memory is still green of his many adventures with the blacks and the other hardships of a new settlement. He took up a station in that colony, but had bad luck with his cattle, they having succumbed to poison weed. He gave it up and has battled throngh life a hardy pioneer, and does not look much the worse for his four score years. He was of a family of 13 sons and four sisters. He is the father of seven sons, six of whom are living, and is the grandfather of 39 sturdy grandchildren, who are 'chips ot the old block.; He has also two great grandchildren. He is now spending a green old age on his son Tom's farm at Leeor South, and takes a delight in the many odd jobs about a farm homestead, and long may he remain with us to do so." Mr Pettit (ur the pressman) is a bit rocky at his history. James Stirling (not Wm. Strangly) was the first Lieutenant-Governor, and J. N- (not William) Roe first surveyor. The first Chairman of Quarter Sessions was W. H. Mackie. The Parmelia arrived in June, and three boats reached Cockburn Sound in August. Mr. Pettits parents must have come in one of these. [2]

  
  

• Sources

  [S2] National Library of Australia. 1920 'OLD TIME MEMORIES.', Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), 24 June, p. 31, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37467335 [S2] National Library of Australia. 1913 'OLDEST WESTRALIAN.', Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), 12 October, p. 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57812981