| John Kelton of Australia | |
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John
Kelton, son of Thomas Kelton and Agnes (Brown), was baptised on January
20, 1810 in Troquair, Scotland. In 1835, he married Catherine Lindsay, daughter
of John Lindsay and Anne (Kerr). Details of the death and funeral of John
Lindsay in the little village of Lochmaben, Dumfrieshire, near the English
border, are movingly depicted in a letter of 1858 to Catherine from a brother.
Of John and Catherine's life in Scotland, we have little information. Family legends handed down by word of mouth tell the story that Catherine was "the daughter of a Lord" who eloped with the gardener. Descendants of Elizabeth told of receiving letters from Scotland with the crests and seals, while Pearl Goyne, who was a descendant of John Lindsay Kelton (1839 - 1910), had a paper written by her mother saying John Kelton worked as a carpenter at Dumphries Castle and Catherine worked as a housemaid or parlourmaid. Dave Kelton told the same story. Catherine had given birth to two children in Scotland -- William and Elizabeth -- who came with them on the voyage across the wide seas to the "Great South Land". The 648 ton ship Orleana set sail under the command of Captain Caneron from Liverpool on October 5, 1838. Its arrival in Adelaide, South Australia, some three months later was noted: "Passengers, amongst others, James Barlow, Jas. R Harrison, H Johnston, Rose T Reid, Robert Dodgson, James Lamb, George Buster, 84 passengers in all." Hidden away on the list of those 84 passengers the name "Kelton" appeared several times, after a list of ship's cargo that includes harrows, ploughshares, brandy, furniture and household effects, seeds, casks of butter and oatmeal and loag sugar. Below the list of "Cabin" passengers, under "steerage" -- the cheapest, most dangerous and most uncomfortable (excluding convicts) way to travel -- the names J Kelton, M Kelton and two more Kelton names with no initials (perhaps the babies born in Scotland), whilst there appears to be a Chas Kelton listed as a member of the ship's crew. John Kelton may well be the "Cabinet Maker" listed by John Brown, Emigration Agent, in his "Classified List of Emigrants sent out by Her Majesty's Colonial Commissioners in the ORLEANA" on January 19, 1839.
Other Information John Kelton Register |
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| ©2002 by Edward F. Kelton. | ||
| New Page on February 28, 1998 | ||