Sixth Generation

6. Simon Gribble m. Sophia Kittelty, Ballarat West 24 Dec 1861

   Simon, copper miner mining smith, blacksmith, shopkeeper (boots etc) b. circa 1833 Ventonraze (Illogan), bapt: 20 Aug 1833, d. Northcote Australia 1914. From the 1851 UK Census one can read under the Illogan Churchtown entry for William Gribble (copper miner) and Mary (wife - keeps house) among the seven listed children an entry for "Simon, copper miner mining smith, age 19". In 1854 Simon features on the manifest for the sailing ship James McHenry which delivered him to the state of Victoria Australia in Dec 1854. This vessel is interesting in it's own right. It was at the time huge at just under 2,000 tons. Furthermore the records show that it only made one trip to Australia - that voyage which conveyed safely my 3rd great grandfather Simon. As at February 2003 I am still searching for additional information concerning this vessel. The vessel's name may represent a clue. Fort McHenry (of the Revolutionary War against Britain) near Baltimore was named after the Irish American surgeon then politician James McHenry who became Secretary of War in 1796. It seems therefore the vessel might have been an American clipper. Whatever by 1854 it was probably nearing the end of it's useful life.

   Family lore has it that Simon arrived at Ballarat the day after the massacre of miners by government troops at the Eureka Stockade. Another close shave for us as descendants? The register entry for his Ballarat marriage in December 1861 states the wedding at West Ballarat was conducted according to the rites of the Wesyleyan Church, witnessed by William Kittelty (father of the bride who also gave consent for the underage marriage) and Joseph Gribble.

   Simon's subsequent life appears to have been a journey of advancement in the face of frequent obstacles. The history penned by one of the Melbourne descendants of his son William Gribble mentions a trip to New Zealand and a near fatal trip to South Africa which was aborted at Albany in Western Australia. It seems these journeys were undertaken with a view to seeking out better opportunity than that which was being encountered in Australia. The often tragic deaths of young and not so young children over two decades culminating in the untimely death of his wife and daughter in the 1890s at Northcote suggests circumstances were for many years trying. Family lore has it there was after the death of his wife a housekeeper cum stepmother of sorts but no record of marriage or additional offspring has been found by this author.

   Sophia b. Melbourne 28 Feb 1843 (daughter of William Kittelty (bootmaker) and Eliza Burgess), married at the age of 16 years. Died of typhoid(?) at Northcote Australia 5 May 1891. The historical records list for her a number of births and deaths under one year of age of young children at Victorian mining towns as Daylesford, Clunes, and Ballarat. And then to bury two toddlers within days at Portland Victoria in 1884! From this distance in time all I can say is that life in those days could at it's worst be brutal.

Children:

1. William b. Daylesford 26 Jan 1865, d. Daylesford 26 Jan 1865
2. Simon b. Ballarat 3 May 1866, d. Clunes circa 1866
3. William b. Ballarat 17 Aug 1868, m. Edith Cornish, d. Melbourne circa 1947
4. Mary Rose (aka Rita) b. Sandhurst (Bendigo) 24 Jan 1871, m Ted Blair, d. Melbourne 27 Sep 1928
5. Eliza Burges b. Sandhurst(Bendigo) 15 Dec 1871, d. Northcote 5 Apr 1887
6. Simon b. Sandhurst (Bendigo) 15 Oct 1875, d. Ballarat circa ?
7. (7) Charles Henry b. Portland (Australia) 9 Jul 1877, m. Kate Hutton, Lawlers WA 1900, d. Kellerberrin WA 30 Sep 1921
8. John Thomas b. Portland (Australia) 28 Nov 1880, d. Portland circa 1884
9. Sophia b. Portland (Australia) 1 Feb 1882, d. Portland circa 1884
10. Lily May b. Northcote 21 Aug 1885, m. Gerald (Bob) Robert Lyon, Western Australia ?, d. 1974

Return to the fifth generation. Continue on to the seventh generation.