Hannah Hone

     Hannah Hone was born circa 1803.
There is a Hannah Hone baptised on 28 Apr 1805 daughter of Thomas and Phebe Hone at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex which could be our Hannah.
It appears that Thomas Hone is in the Shoreditch Workhouse, St Leonard Shoreditch, Ossulstone (Tower Division) in the 1841 census, age 69 years (ie born c1772), a blacksmith, not born in Middlesex.
There is also a Thomas Hone, age 76 years (ie born c1765), at Mary Street, All Saints Poplar, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, not born in Middlesex.
Thomas and Phebe Gass married on 27 Oct 1798 at Shoreditch St Leonard, and Phebe Hone was buried 24 Dec 1817 at Shoreditch St Leonard age 35 years (Abode: Holywell Lane, St Leonard Shoreditch, Middlesex).^1,2
Hannah Hone married William Brown, son of William Brown and Mary Stone, on 22 July 1821 at St George in the East, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England, witness Isaac Hone.³
The witness Isaac Hone is possibly the father or a brother of Hannah Hone. He has been located in Stepney, Hamlets of Poplar and Blackwall (Borough of Tower Hamlets) in the 1830 and 1832 Land Tax records for London. He was a tenant in a property owned by Geo. Woolford.
(Ancestry.com. London, England, Land Tax Records, 1692-1932 [database on-line]).
Given that their third son was named John Hone Brown, there is also the possibility that Hannah's father was named John Hone. In the 1841 census there is a John Hone, age 69 years (ie born c1772), labourer born Middlesex, living with Thomas Hone age 27 and his wife Sarah E Hone age 25 years, both born Middlesex. They were residing at Mary Street, All Saints Poplar, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex. There is another possible John Hone in the 1841 census living in the Kensington Union Workhouse in College Place, Chelsea, Middlesex, age 65 years (ie born c1776), a bricklayer, not born in Middlesex.^4,5
Hannah Hone and William Brown emigrated in 1833 to Tasmania, Australia, on the ship "Indiana" with children Mary Ann, William, Emma and John. William's brother Thomas and wife Ann with children Ann, Eliza, Amelia, Harriet & Thomas also sailed with them. They arrived in Hobart Town on the 9th of September, 1833. The Indiana was a 4000 ton vessel with two guns. The ship's master was James Webster. There were 14 passengers and 37 in steerage including 30 children. The Indiana then sailed onto Sydney departing 15th of November and arriving 29th of November 1833.⁶
Hobart Town was established as a penal a colony in 1803. General Ralph Darling visited Van Diemen’s Land in 1825 and promptly proclaimed the island independent from New South Wales before declaring himself Lieutenant- Governor. By 1831, the Crown had taken Edward Wakefield’s advice and began charging five shillings per acre for land, ostensibly to raise revenue to fund the arrival of more free settlers under the ‘assisted immigrants’ scheme.
A letter written to the colony is dated 6 Feb 1833 and reads:
Downing Street, 6th Feby 1833
Sir, I am directed by Viscount Goderich to request that you will cause to be paid to Mr J Grant the sum of 20 pounds on account of William Brown, who is proceeding to Van D. Land onboard of the "Indiana". Wm Brown is a Blacksmith aged 38 years, & he will be accompanied by the following family: Wife aged 30 years, Mary Brown aged 15 years, Wm Brown aged 10 years, Emma Brown aged 8 years, & an infant. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Humble Servant, (name indecipherable).
In Tasmania, the first baptisms of William and Hannah's children occur in the parish of Trinity in Buckingham County (their abode is listed as Hobart Town). The old Holy Trinity church is situated on the corner of Campbell street and Brisbane Street, Hobart. Public services ceased being held there in 1845. Before this date it was used both by the public and inmates of the old Hobart Gaol, after this date it was used only as the chapel to the Gaol. The present church (situated in Warwick Street North Hobart), began in 1841 was opened in January 1848, and consecrated in December 1849. Refer "The Anglican Church in Tasmania, A Diocesan History to Mark the Sesquicentenary: 1992", By Geoffrey Stephens.
On 27 November 1837 Hannah Hone and William Brown lived at Hobart Town, Tasmania, Australia.
On 26 July 1840 Hannah Hone and William Brown lived at Hobart Town, Tasmania, Australia.
On 3 October 1842 Hannah Hone and William Brown lived at Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
On 17 January 1844 Hannah Hone and William Brown lived at Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
At some stage William and Hannah moved to Portland Bay (Geelong) before moving to Sydney in 1847. The date is not known, but we do know that William's brother, Thomas Bervin Brown, a wheelwright, moved from Hobart to Geelong c1846 and spent the rest of his life there. William's son John Hone Brown, a wheelwright like Thomas, also remained there and became a farmer, although he did eventually move to Sydney to be with his family.
The following marriage notice appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, 20 April 1872 for Hannah's daughter Elizabeth Phoebe Brown. It is significant in that it implies that Hannah is still alive at that date and living in Walker St, Redfern, Sydney:
RICHARDSON—BROWN—February 29, at the residence of the bride's mother, ''Hedley," Walker-street, Redfern, by the Rev. Samuel Chambers Kent, Mr. John Skottowe Richardson, to Elizabeth Phoebe, third daughter of the late William Brown.⁷
On 20 April 1872 Hannah Hone lived at "Hedley", Walker St, Redfern, Sydney, NSW, Australia.⁷
Hannah Hone died on 10 April 1880 at Old South Head Road, Paddington, NSW, Australia. She died of chronic bronchitis.⁸
Hannah Hone was buried on 12 April 1880 at Necropolis, Sydney, NSW, Australia.⁸
There is a burial at Rookwood for a Hannah Brown on 16 Apr 1880 (AN CC, Grave No 306). However, there was another Hannah Brown who died 15 Apr 1880 and whose death certificate says she was buried 16 April 1880, so it is likely not the correct one.
The following death notice appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on
Tuesday 13 April 1880:
BROWN. —April 10, at the residence of her son, Paddington, Hannah Brown, relict of the late William Brown, in her 77th year.
Also, on Saturday, 17 April 1880:
BROWN.-April 10, at her son's residence, Paddington, Mrs. Hannah Brown, in her 77th year, late of Walker-street, Redfern; mother of Mrs. J. S. Richardson, 39, Clarence-street.^9,10