BODDINGTON interests
There is a great variety of interests in which members of the Boddington family have involved themselves. This page will try to collect these, or pointers to them.
The good ship …
The first entry is the history of a ship, the Samuel Boddington. I wonder which Samuel Boddington this ship was named after, and owned by in its early years - if you know please let me know, email.SAMUEL BODDINGTON - 1846-1862
Master: Captain Chapman (1846); Captain J. Hurst (1849-54); Captain Mowat (1855-59); Captain A. Whittaker (1860-61); Captain Robbins (1862)
Rigging: Bark; sheathed in felt and yellow metal in 1845, 1848, 1851, 1853 & 1860
Tonnage: 523 tons using old measurements and 669 tons using new measurements
Construction: 1841 in Whitby, Yorkshire UK
Owners: Boddington (1846-55); F. Bryant (1856-59); Girvin & Co. (1860-62)
Port of registry: London (1846-59); Liverpool (1860-62)
Port of survey: London (1846-61); Liverpool (1862)
Voyages: sailed for Calcutta & Hobart Town (1846); [Adelaide (1849);] Adelaide (1851-53); Australia (1854); India (1857 & 1861); North America (1862).I am indebted to Dave Williams for sending in the following information. This was derived from his family history researches - his great grandfather (9 months old) travelled with his parents, Edwin Clayton & wife, and two year-old brother to Australia in 1849. The journey took 85 days from London to Adelaide. They were in steerage in a wooden sailing ship, the Samuel Boddington.
Report from the South Australian Register, Adelaide: March 27 1850 …
THE "SAMUEL BODDINGTON" FROM ENGLAND
This vessel from Plymouth (31st December [1849]), arrived at the port yesterday, with 150 passengers. There was no death on board, and an increase of one to the population. To us the Captain [J Hurst] (this being his second trip) is not unknown, and we are happy to add that his conduct, as well as that of his officers and that of the ship's Doctor, is spoken of in the highest terms by the passengers. The vessel is also reported to us as in capital order.
We have [London news]papers by this arrival to the 29th December [1849], three days later than yesterday. The only fact we notice in reference to these Colonies is that the Government is determined to make Western Australia a penal settlement, and the next batch of convicts under sentence of transportation was to be sent to Perth.
Wool had continued firm since the close of the public sales, and as little remained in the importers' hands, rather higher prices were expected at the next sales. In English Wool a good business had been transacted.
The Aurora and the Trafalgar had sailed from Plymouth for this port when the Samuel Boddington left.
We shall publish the most interesting items of English News to-morrow.
Passenger list
| Newspaper cuttings
Sheep ranching …
There was a fine family of Boddingtons who established a sheep station in the northern part of Western Australia. Albert Charles 'Alfred' Boddington started this in the 1890's and developed it along with his family of nine children. The stations were Twin Peaks and Jingemarra. His successors remained there until 1978.The history of these two stations is well documented in books about the area:
- Road to Murchison by Marion Nixon & R.F.B. Lefroy, pages 186-189 provide a detailed history of Twin Peaks and the Boddington family complete with map and six historic photographs.
- Yalgoo by Alex Palmer, Lap Industries, Freemantle WA, 1985, pages 144-146 including map describe Jingemarra Station.
- F.F.B. Wittenoom, Pastoral Pioneer & Explorer 1855-1939 by Catherine Cameron, 1979, page 102 contains one mention of Alfred Boddington.
