Samuel Robinson – steps on VDL soil, 9/12/1852 after sailing the high seas, a convict on the Ship ‘Lady Montague’.

26 December 1853 marriage to Mary Dwyer a 23-year-old who had arrived in VDL early 1853 as a ‘free’ to the colony.

1854 William is born and John in 1856.

September 1858  registration of birth for a male child in Georgetown, registered by a Mary Robinson (formerly Devine) unusual comparing the two previous registrations. David was the name given to this child a few months later when Christened.

The following document; Samuel aboard the whaling Barque ‘Sussex’, as stated by Mrs Seal owner of the Sussex

Microfilm in the Hobart History Room, Samuel Robinson signed for the allocated foods whilst on the Sussex.

• half a pound of meat
• 3 and a half pound of tea
• 1 and a half pound of sugar – in addition to the said quantities and supplied to him and chargeable against him as in the case of clothes or money.

The following and last piece of information on Samuel located to date, he was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital REF: (RS28/2 UTAS ARCHIVES) 25 July 1859 and discharged on 15 August 1859 – the account settled by ‘Mrs Seal’.

In trying to work out how find the original article as referenced, the friendly library staff accompanied me to the history room, introducing me to another staff member who suspected it was a UTAS reference (RS=Rare and Special) – I pointed out Joyce Purtscher had catalogued this particular archive as it turned out Joyce was  sitting in the History Room, the young man took me across to meet Joyce, she told me some of the St Mary’s Hospital history;  amazing, the highlight of the trip. Apparently the owners of the whaling ships used to pay the hospital a retainer in return for the care of sick/injured crew returning to port. The hospital was known for its hot baths! Dr Bradford was in charge of St Mary’s during the early days.