Lightfoot and Burne Families - U.K. to Australia

In 1834 the (British) House of Commons passed an act to allow the new colony of South Australia to be established. The new colony was to be based on the theory of systematic colonization put forward by Edward Wakefield in 1829. The plan would have to provide a careful balance between three things most vital in a new colony - land, labour and capital. It was intended also to make emigration a more certain and respectable enterprise for ordinary British folk and to free Australian colonization from the stain of convictism. The proposals for the new colony emerged through a series of controversial negotiations with the British government. The government generally curbed, though it did not eradicate, the original plan's aspiration toward civil and religious liberties.

Thus it was in 1836 the new colony of South Australia was advertising for people 'of good character, wanting a chance of improving their position in life.'

Life in Cornwall at the time was not easy for the labouring poor(fishermen, farm workers and miners). 'The deeper the mines became the more working conditions worsened, the men having to contend with excessive heat and humidity, insanitary and dangerous surroundings, as well as long hours of strenuous labour. A return home at the end of a tiring 'core' or shift, brought small improvement, for the hundreds of small hovels which mushroomed in the mining districts, were all usually built by the miners themselves and were damp and overcrowded'.

The opportunities being offered in a new developing country must have appealed to James and Elizabeth for they applied for an assisted passage on 13th October 1836. James gave his occupation as miner,their address was St. Day, Parish of Gwennap (2 miles North East of Redruth) and their ages were given as 21 years.

James was born in St Issey in 1816, the second child of a Miner,Francis Gregor and his wife Johanna nee Bazley. Two other children were also born in St Issey, before the family moved to Carharrack in c1821 where a further five children were born. At least two of James' siblings, William and Eliza also came to South Australia.

Elizabeth was born in c1817 in Gwennap, the eldest of six children born to Blacksmith, William Beckerleg and his wife Ann nee Allen. Both Elizabeth's parents had died prior to 1836 and her younger brother and sisters were under the guardianship of their Aunt Mary Henwood.

Although it appeared (from their application for free passage) that James and Elizabeth were married in 1836, they were not actually wed until 10th September, 1837 in the St Day Church just two weeks prior their leaving Cornwall for South Australia.

Approval was granted and they were issued with Embarkation No 777 on the "Royal Admiral", a 3-mast barque of 413 tons under the Master,Captain Grives. There were a total of 208 passengers, 112 of those were (Cornish) Colonisation Commissioners' migrants who boarded at Falmouth, Cornwall. They departed Falmouth on 26th September 1837 and did not call at any other port en route, arriving at Port Adelaide on18th January 1838. The ship's arrival was recorded in the SA Gazette(20th January 1838) where it was reported that the passengers were"well satisfied with the arrangements being more than they could consume".

What their impressions were of the new Colony of South Australia we can only wonder about! The Wakefieldian experiment had begun with the official settlement on 28th December 1836, soon after the arrival of the first colonists at Glenelg and Kangaroo Island.

The early days in the new colony were not easy and by the middle of1838 (Governor) Hindmarsh had been recalled and replace by Governor Gawler whom it was hoped "could bring about greater development.Gawler found that farming was only on a very small scale. Many people were still waiting for the country land surveys to be completed so that farming operations could be commenced. Thus most of the 5000 people in the colony were still living around Adelaide."

Amongst these were James and Elizabeth who were living in Light Square when their first son Francis was born in October 1838. James was employed as a well digger. 'The first houses were not very comfortable- they often had no fireplace, and rain was able to penetrate the roofs of thatch or canval. In the heat of summer, dust and the risk of fire were constant problems and cooking had to be done out of doors.'

By 1840 slate had been found in Willunga by a Mr Loud and soon two quarries were being worked. The newspaper 'Register' on 26 August,1840 reported the 'prospects looked good as the (SA) Company intended roofing their buildings at the New Port with slate providing it could be found practical'. The 'Adelaide Chronicle' also reported that 'at Willunga a township has been laid out, in which there is an inn, a police station, and about a dozen other houses. There were from 50 to60 acres under crop. There is a slate quarry in the district, worked by Mr. Loud at which a dozen families are generally employed. The slate is of excellent quality, and easy access.'

One of these families was most likely James and Elizabeth's and baby Francis because the 1841 Census shows them in District C (which included the Willunga area) where they were also producing some farm vegetables. Also about this time, James' name appears along with Sampson Bastian, Edward Loud, Thomas Williams, Sampson Dawe, Thomas Polkinghorne, Robert Dunstan and Bennet John James as having township blocks in the 'Extended Township of Willunga' (which was a portion of Section 700) on a survey map by PL Snell Chauncey.

By 1842 James, along with partners Thomas Polkinghorne and William Bailey (trading as James Gregor & Co.) had applied for and were granted a lease to operate a Slate Quarry at Willunga. They had responded to a 'public call for tender' and had offered 20 pounds per annum for three years. Their tender had been accepted and they were notified in writing on the 30th September 1842 of their success, as well as their rights and obligations. The Surveyor General issued a survey of the boundaries of the quarry, which became section 1008. The area now is usually referred to as the Martin and Bastian quarry,which was situated on Beltunga Creek in Beltunga Gully.

In 1843 they successful tendered to floor the Police Barracks at Willunga for 6d. a superficial foot. However by 11th January 1844their venture was in difficulties and the government received the following letter from them;

Sir, We find ourselves under the extreme necessity of applying to you concerning the Slate Quarries we find that our having to compete with the constant importation of English Slate as well as with parties who have opened quarries in this immediate nebourhood (sic) who have nothing to pay we cannot possibly pay they (sic) heavy rent of twenty pounds per year for the said quarries we have refrained from making any application before hoping things would alter for we having even distressed our Families to raise they (sic) money we have already paid which has been almost all the cash we have taken since we have rented the said quarries on account of which one of our partners have left us and for this last quarter we have had no work in them we shall best ill willing to pay a small rent proportionate to the times which five pounds per year would be the utmost and as we have expended considerable labour on them we hope you will take our case into you serious consideration and should the times amend or new markets open we should be quite willing to advance accordingly we remain your very humble servants James Gregor & Co

Apparently their letter fell on deaf ears because a month later, on7th February 1844, they advised 'they (were) compelled to abandon their lease'. However, it appears they continued working on the lease because on 27th April 1844, a letter was sent to the Commissioner of Police, requesting the police at Willunga prevent further mining, as it was reported that James Gregor & Co. were still working the mine after voluntary abandoning it and 'were taking away slate in great quantities' and the government, wished to re-let the said quarry.

Their sons William (1842) and John (1843) were born during this time.We also find references to their growing wheat, potatoes and garden vegetables, but by 1845 when their daughter Elizabeth was born, they were residing at Gouger Street, Adelaide. This was their address for the next couple of years until James went to work in the Burra CopperMines when it opened in September 1845. In 1846 James' signature was amongst those on a petition to retain the Police Station at Willunga.

By 1849 when daughter Caroline was born, they had moved to North Kapunda and James was employed in the Kapunda mine. During this time he (with partners) were involved in some speculative buying and selling of land (with mining rights) in and around Kapunda. Another daughter Rosina was born here in 1852.

On 22nd March 1853 James purchased in two lots, part of Section 1553Allen's Creek, leaving the mines to become a farmer. Another daughter Johanna was born in 1855. They continued living and farming at Allen's Creek until Elizabeth's untimely death, on 20th September 1858 while giving births to twins. Catherine only lived for two weeks while James died eight months later. Both babies and Elizabeth were buried in the same grave in the historic section of the Kapunda Cemetery. James was now a widow with children ranging in age from 3 to 20 years.

James was to marry again, four years later on 27th November 1862. His wife, Jane Dunstan (Dunstone) nee Williams was a widow with a ten-year-old son. They were married at her residence in Kapunda. The family continued to live at Allen's Creek and a further two children, Johanna (1863) and James Thomas (1865) were born. James continued farming until the drought years of 1864/65 when he left to find work in the Moonta Mines.

He continued to live in the Moonta area until about 1878 when through failing health; he went to live with his son John at Yorktown. This was where he spent the rest of his life until his death on 13th May1895.

His obituary appeared in the "Observer" (18th May 1895)

"We have to record the death at Yorktown, of another old colonist. He left England on September 25th 1837 and arrived in Adelaide on the"Royal Admiral" in January 1838. After a short stay in the city he joined Mr Polkinghorne in working the Willunga Slate Quarries, later when the Burra copper mines were opened up, he left Willunga to take part in working them. Afterwards he was employed in the Kapunda and Moonta Mines until about 17 years ago; when through failing health he went to reside with his son (Mr John Gregor) of Yorktown.
He was one of the first members of the Independent Order of OddFellows and Manchester Unity and continued a member of that Order until his death which took place early on Monday Morning May 13th. He leaves four sons and four daughters, 51 grandchildren and 18great-grandchildren. Three sons reside in Curramulka, Messrs. F Gregor(JP), William and John Gregor, whilst the fourth son is in Victoria.All are engaged in farming pursuits. The funeral was conducted by the Rev. GE Wheatley in the presence of a large assemblage.

James was buried in the Pink Lake Cemetery, Yorktown. Also buried nearby, are Francis and his wife Christiana (nee Peterson) along with their daughter Mary (Jaehne) and some grandchildren who died in infancy.

The adventurous and optimistic spirit, which enabled James and Elizabeth to leave their homeland, was inherited by many of their descendants. As new areas were opened up for farming, many members of the family left Yorke Peninsula to became pioneer farmers in Victoria and on Eyre Peninsula, while some (including Francis) went to the Goldfields in Western Australia. Today the family has spread all over Australia.

The story completed a full circle, when James and Elizabeth's great-great-great granddaughter Narelle Gregor returned to the United Kingdom, as a modern day 'assisted passenger'. Her passage (airfare)was paid by the UK Government to help fill the shortage of Registered Nurses in their hospitals. What a different between the journey(approx 24 hours) that Narelle made in 1996 compared to that of James and Elizabeth's 1837 voyage, almost 160 years earlier when it took a voyage of four months at sea to complete!