David Morgan was born circa 1798 to Thomas Morgan (c1775-c1840) and Ann John and died 24 February 1895 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Benevolent Asylum) of old age asthenia. He married Catherine Jones (1806-1841) 31 October 1823 in Coity, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom. He married Ann Unknown (c1810-bef1858) 1850 in Wales, United Kingdom.
Some information from ancestors has David being born or baptised on the 5th April 1800 in St Brides Major, Glamorganshire to parents Thomas and Ann. User:Eramophla has not located a baptism record to confirm this.
David's death certificate names his parents as Thomas and Annie Morgan. There is a baptism of a David Jones on 4th November 1798 in the parish church at Llandyfodwg, Glamorgan, recorded as the illegitimate son of Thomas Morgan and Ann John. I believe this to be our David.
Llantrisant
David was of the parish of Llantrisant and a bachelor when he married Catherine Jones of the parish of Coity, spinster, on the 31st October 1823. Witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Jones (a possible relation to Catherine) and Jenkin Williams. The minister was Henty Phillips.
His occupation was shoe maker, bootmaker and cordwainer.
David and Catherine had 9 children together, born in the towns of Bridgend, Coychurch and Llanwonno. Two of the children (Catherine and Margaret) died in infancy. Catherine died herself when the youngest child was only two years old, on 18th April 1841, aged 35, at Nolton. She was buried in the local Nolton parish church where the two infant girls were buried.
In the 1841 census, David is recorded at Llantirsant, Glamorgan, with sons Thomas, John, David and William listed as colliers, and the remaining children. He was also employed as a collier at this time.
Second marriage
By 1851, David had remarried a woman by the name of Ann (surname currently unknown) who had been born in Coity. They were living with David's son's Joseph and Richard at Coity during the 1851 census.
Death of Evan
Son Evan was killed in a mining accident on the 13th February 1854 at Aberdare, when aged only 20 years of age. He was killed in a coal mine by a fall of rock from the roof. The mine was owned by Werfa, Nixon and Co.
Voyage to Australia
By 1857, David's second wife had died. He and his son David decided to emigrate to Australia on board the ship "Dragoon". The ship departed England from Liverpool and arrived in Victoria on 29/8/1857. David and his son came by unassisted passage.
The voyage of the "Dragoon" was notorious for claims made in the Williamstown Police Court by fellow passengers that the berths for single men and women below decks were not separated. Their claims were heard on the 2nd September 1857 before Lieutenant Pasco, Chairman, and Mr Verdon. The proceedings were reported in The Argus newspaper on 3/9/1857.
The Captain of the ship, G. B. Weston, claimed ignorance of the issue. He was fined the sum of 25 pounds 10 shillings in costs. A ship's mate was also fined 10 pounds.
Of the 340 passengers on board, only 140 made an appearance at the court. It is not known at this time whether David Morgan presented his case. Those that did attend received 3 shillings and 6 pence in costs.
An article that appeared in the Argus newspaper a few days later pointed the blame directly at the immigration officers in Liverpool for not checking the berthing arrangements before the voyage departed. Then, on the 10th September, an article in reply stated that Mr McCulloch of the Legislative assembly had said that the "Dragoon" was not a Government emigrant ship and that there were "consequently no powers to enforce penalties for the irregularities of which proof had been adduced."
Victoria
David's son (David junior) moved inland to the Ballarat area where he took advantage of the Gold Rush occurring at the time. He appears to have had some success, but it is unknown if David senior attempted to find work in the same area that David junior was located. Eventually, six of David's son's and one daughter would all move out to Australia to join them.
Withered arm and poverty
A descendent of David senior had memory of his son David junior having a withered arm. I think this memory is actually of David senior based on an article located in the Portland Guardian newspaper dated 26th November 1863. The article describes an old man named David Morgan being located lying on a blanket in the Botanical Gardens. He was destitute, had nowhere to go and had difficulty finding work due to his age (described as 70+ in the article; David senior would have been 65) and having one hand crippled. He was put in gaol for a month as there was no room at the local Benevolent Asylum. Due to some inconsistent details, it is uncertain at this stage that this our David, but the likelihood is high.
Benevolent Asylum
The David Morgan located in Portland applied for admission to the Portland Benevolent Asylum and was admitted on 28th May 1864, with the reason being recorded as 'old and infirm'. He stated on entry that he had last lived in the Malee Scrub shepherding and was crippled in his right hand. Details he gave that don't match our David however were that he was single, with no children and had spent 24 years in the colony. This David Morgan left the asylum on 27th May 1865 when he thought he was well enough to work again. He returned to the asylum again at some point and left for a second time on 23rd April 1866 of his own accord.
David senior did spend the last few years of his life in the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum, being first admitted in 1890 from the Williamstown area of Victoria where his son David Junior was living. The reason for admission was recorded as 'old and infirm'. It is likely that he was placed in the Ballarat Asylum as he had family living in that area. On this occasion, certain details provided on admission were correct - his arrival in Australia in 1857 and occupation as bootmaker for instance. Others details match his son David junior - stating that he was married (when he was widowed) and had 12 children (when he had 10). If son David junior admitted him to the asylum, it is likely that the person responsible for recording the admission mixed up the details between the two. His religion was recorded as Calvanist. David senior lived in the asylum for the years 1890-1892 and 1894-1895.
Death of son
David senior's absence from the asylum in the year 1893 is likely to be due to the death of his son David junior on 4th November 1893 from cardiac disease. David senior may have returned to Williamstown to spend time with the family for a short period.
Death
He died of old age asthenia at the Benevolent Asylum in the city of Ballarat. He was a labourer at the time and was buried in the Old Cemetery Ballarat, section 2DN number 11 with 5 great grand children. He had outlived six of his own children.
His death certificate recorded his age of death as 95, but if the new baptism information on him is correct, he was 97 years old.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Thomas Morgan (1824-) | |||
| John Morgan (1827-) | |||
| Catherine Morgan (1828-) | |||
| David Morgan (1828-1893) | |||
| William Morgan (1830-1901) | |||
| Mary Morgan (1832-1919) | |||
| Evan Morgan (1834-1854) | |||
| Joseph Morgan (1837-1885) | |||
| Margaret Morgan (1838-) | |||
| Richard Morgan (1839-1892) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death |
| Children of David and Catherine Morgan
| ||
| Thomas | 23/12/1824 Old Castle, Bridgend, Glamorgan |
|
| John | 10/4/1827 Old Castle, Bridgend, Glamorgan |
|
| Catherine | 5/1/1828 Old Castle, Bridgend, Glamorgan |
infancy Glamorgan
|
| David | 5/1/1828 Old Castle, Bridgend, Glamorgan |
4/11/1893 Williamstown, Victoria
|
| William | 8/6/1830 Bridgend, Glamorgan |
22/9/1901 Williamstown, Victoria
|
| Mary | 1832 Glamorgan |
28/11/1919 Clifton Hills, Victoria
|
| Evan | 1834 Coychurch, Glamorgan |
13/2/1854 Aberdare, Glamorgan
|
| Joseph | 15/3/1837 Llanwonno, Glamorgan |
28/8/1885 Prahan, Victoria
|
| Margaret | Jun quarter 1838 Bridgend, Glamorgan |
infancy Glamorgan
|
| Richard | 1839 Llanwonno, Glamorgan |
17/3/1892 Swansea, Glamorgan |
References
Footnotes (including sources)
| ‡ General |
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| Ω Birth |
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| † Baptism |
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| § Remains |
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