The Migration of William and Elizabeth Sivyer's Descendants

The following is taken from Jillian Lean's book "Woven Through Time A Treasured Heritage" Book Two:

Five of William's children with their families migrated to Australia between 1838 and 1863 and some of the descendants of his son John have also settled in Australia.

First to arrive was

1. Stephen and Mary November 1838 "Maitland"
2. James and Harriet April 1839 "Argyle"
3. Sara and Frederick April 1839 "Argyle"
4. WIlliam and Hanah September 1839 - "Neptune"
5. Elizabeth Sivyer and John Hawkins 1863 - "Spitfire"

In the above we have three family names. They are Sivyer, Goodsell and Hawkins.

The Sivyer siblings were by age William, Stephen, Elizabeth, James and Sarah Ann. The Goodsell siblings by age were Frederick John and Harriet. The Hawkins siblings were Hannah, Sophia and John. 

Jillian Lean in her book provides information to state that John Hawkins and Elizabeth Sivyer's son Jesse Hawkins and his wife Marriane arrived in Australia in August 1858 on "Grand Trianon"

So we have the following direct descendants of William Sivyer and Elizabeth Burt with their husbands or wives emigrating to Australia to start the generations of Australian born Sivyers and their descendants who are are living today.

William Spencer b: 1789

Stephen b: 1794

Elizabeth b: 1798

James b: 1799

Sarah Ann b: 1804

The following is taken from Ron Sivyer's document "The Story of The Family of William and Elizabeth Sivyer Who Emigrated to Australia"

The following Immigration Listings were obtained from the shipping records held in

the Sydney Archives.

SIVIER, William, 42 years in 1839

Male immigrant by the Government. Native of Hawkhinge, Kent, son of William (labourer) of same place and his wife, Elizabeth.

Labourer – 42 years old. Protestant.

Read and write.

By “Neptune” 2 September 1839.

SIVIER, Hannah, 38 years in 1839 Wife of William above

Native of Hawkhurst, Kent, daughter of Jesse (labourer) of same place and his wife, Sarah.

Religion – Protestant

Children: James 14 years, Joseph 12 years, Ellen 8 years.

By “Neptune” 26 September 1839.

Read and write.

SIVYER, Stephen, 19 years unmarried Male Native of Kent Son of Jojet Sivyer (labourer) of same place and Sarah his wife.

Labourer Protestant Ship “Maitland” P39 Vol 9

(see information below re this Stephen)

SIVYER, Stephen, 40 years 1838

Married (wife and child) By the Government Native of Kent (parish Forkes?. Son of William Sivyer (labourer) of same place and Elizabeth his wife.

Labourer Protestant Ship “Maitland” P78 Vol 9

In Colin King’s book, “The Beneden Bowdens” on page 18 he states, “other emigrants from Beneden included among others Mr and Mrs Stephen Sivyer and infant daughter.”

SIVYER, Mary

(she is named Mary in other documents) married female immigrant.

Native of Suffolk parish of Stanton, daughter of Thomas Stanton, labourer and his

wife Elizabeth

Housemaid – 33 years – Protestant

1 child, Mary Ann Sivyer, 10 years old

The only male who apparently is not the son of William and Elizabeth, mentioned above is the 19 year old Stephen. After much research on this person, it has been presumed that he is the son of Francis and Sarah Sivyer, as shown under Baptisms in the Sandhurst Parish Register. He was born on 28 March 1820. It is presumed, from this information, that this 19 year old Stephen was the nephew of the older Sivyers who emigrated to Australia and that “Jojet” was a family or nickname for his father, Francis.

SIVYER, (SIVIER, on shipping records), James

39 years in March 1839. Born 26 November 1799

Married, male immigrant, by the Government

Native of Hawkhurst, Kent, England.

Son of William Sivier, labourer of same place, and Elizabeth his wife, living there.

Religion, Wesleyan. Read and write. Agriculturalist.

Ship “Argyle” arrived Sydney 1 April 1839.

SIVYER, (SIVIER on shipping records), Harriet

36 years in November 1839

Wife of James above and native of Icclesham, Kent, England.

Daughter of John Goodsell, farmer of same place and Mary Goodsell, his wife living there.

Listed as dairymaid

Children – 3 boys and 2 girls

Religion – Wesleyan, reads and writes.

Children’s names are: Elizabeth 16 years, Frederick John 15 years, Stephen 11 years, Harriet 10

years and Spencer 6 years.

Notes taken from I.G.I. D.O. 356, Sussex Microfiche shows that there was an Emily Sivyer born to a James and Harriet Sivyer on 3 December 1826.

A list of these names have been recorded as Sivyer but with the added “or Seivyar”. Emily’s date of birth and her parents’ names show that she could have been another member of the family and possibly that she died before the family migrated to Australia.

Also on the “Argyle” with James and Harriet were John and Sarah Goodsell with their children, arriving in Sydney Cove as free settlers on 1 April 1839. Sarah Goodsell, wife of John Goodsell was a sister to James Sivyer.

James Sivyer’s Death Certificate states that two (2) sons predeceased him. It is presumed that one of these is Stephen as he is not mentioned as being among those living and the other is a Thomas who never came to Australia. His birth is recorded but no burial record has been found.

The Sivyer and Goodsell family who sailed from London on board the "Argyle" were emigrating under the New South Wales colonial government and British government's Bounty Scheme. The agent who was responsible for their shipping was James Marshall.

You can follow the journey of the "Argyle" in the following newspaper articles. 

Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Thursday 21 February 1839, page 2

Ship News.

October.

Entered outwards for loading on the 19th October, the Thomas Harrison, Capt. Smith, for South Australia, and the Argyle, Capt. Gatenby, for Sydney.

Mr. Marshall's next ships after the Orient are the Susan, 572 tons, Capt. Neatby, to leave Plymouth on the 3rd December, and the Argyle, 597 tons, Capt. Gatenby to leave Plymouth on the 10th December.

Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Tuesday 2 April 1839, page 2

Shipping Intelligence.

ARRIVALS.

From Plymouth, yesterday, whence she sailed the 12th December, the barque Argyle, 598 tons, Captain Gatenby, with 289 Emigrants and mer-chandise. Passengers, cabin-Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Saxton, Mr. James Satchell, Mr. Hargrave, Dr. Patterson, R. N. Surgeon Superintendent, and Mrs. Patterson. Agents, W. Walker & Co.

Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), Wednesday 3 April 1839, page 2

SHIP NEWS

The Argyle arrived on Monday last, with two hundred and eighty-nine bounty emigrants. They consist of mechanics, labourers and farming men, all of whom, have arrived in a good state of health. During the voyage, one infant died and two were born. Captain Gatenby reports having spoken the Buckinghamshire, 1400 tons, on the 27th January ,forty-three days out from London, bound to Port Adelaide and Sydney, with emigrants: also the Severn, of London, bound to Madras, with merchandize…..