The waters sparkle in the summer sun as the boatmen grip the oars indefatigably. From the beach watch a dozen children, bewaring the danger of drowning in the calm waves. The shoreline is dotted with various shells, some new and others bleached by the sun. Were any new cowries washed-up today? Under the rocks hide shore crabs, some as long as 10 centimetres if you include the legs.
For millenniums waves have been coming, holding the fascination of both natives and now settlers of the island. In Tasmania, now in the 1840s, each time a settler views the sea it may bring back memories- some joyful, and others painful. How far away is home? Or is this our new home?
Elizabeth Lucy Howarth was born on May 20, 1837, as the third child of James Howarth and Mary Ann Cadd of Hobart, Tasmania. Both of her parents had arrived in Tasmania as convicts some years earlier. Her mother, Mary Ann Cadd, was born in 1806 in the large town of Sheffield, Yorkshire. Although having the river Sheaf, after which the town (before becoming a city) was named, Sheffield was still far from the sea. Quite a contrast to the town of Hobart!
At times, Elizabeth likely pondered what events led to her family’s settlement in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania).
Yorkshire to Hobart
Elizabeth’s father, James Howarth, had a previous wife and two children left behind in Yorkshire. As a young man he worked as a weaver, but evidently struggled to provide for his family. At the age of 24, he faced his second recorded criminal conviction, this time for allegedly stealing six handkerchiefs. In 1821, he was sentenced to 7 years’ transportation to Australia.
When James Howarth first arrived at Hobart, its population was roughly ten thousand. The local port was already a major link in British supply chains. Hobart received flax and rum, and then restocked the ships with wool, seal skins and whale oil. James Howarth probably recognised this town’s potential to support a thriving community. But would he call it home?
While serving his term, James Howarth gained a poor reputation, being punished several times for actions such as talking during church, arriving drunk when summoned as a witness in court and absconding from his work on more than one occasion. Once, in March 1826, he escaped from his master and went to Kangaroo Point without a pass, but turned himself in to a police constable only two days after he left. His reason for going to Kangaroo Point is not stated.
James Howarth and Mary Ann Cadd
Elizabeth’s mother, Mary Ann Cadd, evidently worked as a domestic servant while in England. She was convicted of stealing £28 and other items from her mistress, and was sentenced to 7 years’ transportation in 1826. Whether or not Elizabeth was ever told about her parents’ pasts and their families in England is uncertain.
James Howarth and Mary Ann Cadd applied to marry in 1829, but the governor responded that Howarth would first have to prove that his earlier wife was deceased. So although Elizabeth was the third child of the union, she was the first to be born after her parents were legally married in 1836. No doubt this could have taken a further toll on the family’s reputation.
Two years after Elizabeth was born, in 1839, her parents had another daughter, whom they named Ruth, likely the namesake of her grandmother. Another two years later, in 1841, their sister Emma was born.
On the 25th of September, 1846, when Elizabeth was nine years old, the family departed from Hobart to settle in Victoria. Perhaps they hoped for a fresh start on the mainland. James Howarth seems to have taken up boot-making as his trade; he had earlier worked as a mason for at least a period of time in 1833.
Family Reputation: What the Experts Say
“At approximately five years of age, children come to be concerned about their reputations” (Engelmann and Rapp, 2018)
Ranging from petty crimes to more serious charges, a criminal conviction casts a stain not only on the reputation of the individual but also on that of their family, including any children. How might a poor reputation affect a child’s wellbeing?
Being a daughter of convicts may have presented no problem for Elizabeth if she associated only with children in the same situation. But most likely she also had regular contact with children who were born to free settlers, whose parents may have looked down on the “convict families.” They may have taught their children to avoid ones like Elizabeth, worried that they might be influenced by their “convict ways.”
Let’s Hear From: Andrea Robson
The following observations reported by Head of School Andrea Robson might not surprise you:
- A poor reputation can damage one’s self-esteem, especially that of a child
- Poor self-esteem (linked to self-confidence) can make finding new friends especially challenging
- If the challenges are prolonged, a child may feel helpless and even conclude that there is nothing they can do about their situation, beginning to believe that they will be treated harshly by others, including superiors, no matter how well they behave
- Believing that they will be punished regardless of how they conduct themselves, the child may not recognise due discipline when administered, and may become confused as to the difference between right and wrong (and of course, this could contribute to increased chances of misconduct)
Whether or not any of the above affected Elizabeth is uncertain. Each individual, and indeed each circumstance, is unique. Even if others did judge Elizabeth based solely on her family’s background, would she have allowed their viewpoints to mold her own? If you are in a similar situation, will you?
Let’s Hear From: Darius Cikanavicius
A poor reputation may also affect a child in another way. Mental Health Coach Darius Cikanavicius explains: “When you are a small child whose whole existence and well-being depends on others, rejection actually equals existential death. And since we are constantly hurt, invalidated, and rejected in many overt and highly subtle ways as children, a lot of us grow up into wounded and self-less adults whose self-perception is skewed or blurry. If we never explore or even recognize this phenomenon, we are doomed to be dependent on other peoples’ opinions, judgments, and perceptions of us.”
Cikanavicius adds: “Many people learn that their fundamental sense of self-esteem and self-worth comes not from within but from others, and so they constantly seek other peoples’ approval or attention.”
A Contributing Factor to Early Marriage?
Where might one look for approval if they feel de-valued by the community as a whole? Often from a friend. At times, some young ones may be inclined to seek marriage as soon as possible- a risky move, needless to say. During the mid-1800s, marriage was especially important to women, who at the time generally relied on their husbands to provide for them.
Possibly for the aforementioned reasons, or quite possibly for different ones altogether, in 1847 Elizabeth’s older sister, Mary Ann, was married at the age of 16. Her husband, Frederick Castle, about 28, had arrived in Australia under a conviction of stealing canary seed from a warehouse in London. A few months after their marriage, Frederick Castle received a conditional pardon, which may testify to his good conduct in the colony.
Times were tough, and Elizabeth likely heard of the hardships that Mary and Frederick were facing. In 1848, the year after their marriage, Frederick was taken to court for not finishing a work contract. He refused to continue building a property owner’s fence when he denied him rations. The magistrate ordered Frederick to finish building the fence. However, as time went on, the property owner became impatient and hired other workers to finish the fence instead. Disappointed, Frederick took the matter back to court, where calm magistrates listened patiently to the complaints of the property owner. The case was dismissed.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth likely worked hard to support her parents and siblings, unless they could somehow afford to send her to school. Education didn’t become free of charge in Victoria until the 1870s. Elizabeth likely stayed at home much of the time to learn the duties of a future housewife.
Married at 13
Like her older sister Mary, Elizabeth married at a young age. At the age of 13, she was wed to a man named John Webb, who was aged 25. He had come from Salisbury, Wiltshire, where both of his parents died before he reached the age of seven. His father had been a hairdresser.
The Rest of Elizabeth’s Story
John Webb worked as a sawyer, a common occupation for the time. Elizabeth gave birth to their first son, also named John, about two years after their marriage. Their son Henry was born in 1854, and their daughter Emma in 1857. So by the time Elizabeth was 20, she was already a mother of three. But not for long.
Tragedy befell the family in 1859 when their eldest son, John, died at the age of only seven. And not too long afterwards, his father passed away, evidently sometime during the 1860s. It is uncertain which death certificate is his, as there are two John Webbs who died around the right time with the right age, but whose families were unknown to the informant. One died in 1863 of cancer at the age of about 38. The other John Webb, a painter by trade, died the following year, in February 1864, of consumption. The term “consumption” often referred to tuberculosis.
Now a widow, Elizabeth’s life was probably much harder. It was common in those days to try to remarry as soon as possible, for a woman was vulnerable without the protection of a husband. In 1869, at the age of 32, Elizabeth remarried to Charles Cooper. They had an additional six children: Hora, Charles, Walter, Ernest, Ada and Percy.
As for Elizabeth’s older sister Mary, she and her husband Frederick Castle also had a large family. It seems that during their lives they were able to climb out of the pit of poverty; by the time of Frederick Castle’s death in 1897, he was a farmer with an estate worth £1,291.
Elizabeth later died in 1919 of senile decay and rheumatic arthritis at the age of 81.
A Conclusion
What we know about Elizabeth is quite basic. Unfortunately, she is no longer alive to recount her own experiences. But her life-story is one of many. Studying the lives of our ancestors helps us to view them as real people, as individuals in unique circumstances— much like you and I.
