| Table of Contents |
Section 1: THE ENGLISH WESTCOUNTRY FARMERS |
| 1. | 18th Century Hemyock Chard Traces
James Chard's ancestry can be traced back to 18th century Hemyock in Devonshire. |
| 2. | The Churchstanton Ancestors
Same county, different parish. James Chard's forebears moved from Hemyock to Churchstanton. |
| 3. | Atkins Odyssey: Cornwall to Devon
James Chard's maternal ancestry can be traced from Cornwall to Devonshire. |
| 4. | Diversification: A Case of Necessity
Harsh times in the early 19th century saw farmers diversify their skills. |
Section 2: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT |
| 5. | Cruel Victorian Justice
Petty criminality in England's Victorian era basically equated to colonial transportation. |
| 6. | Juvenile Imprisonment at Parkhurst
Of all juvenile criminals of the era, those sent to Parkhurst were the luckiest. |
| 7. | At Her Majesty's Pleasure
Around the world to a new country but still at Her Majesty's Pleasure in Tasmania. |
Section 3: PIONEERS OF THE WEST |
| 8. | A Pardon and Flight to Freedom
Freedom finally, and flight to employment opportunities on mainland Australia. |
| 9. | Early Belfast Adventures
Life is tough for an eighteen year old lad in colonial Victoria. |
| 10. | Broadening Horizons to Lady Bay
The road to Warrnambool and the beginnings of a new settlement. |
| 11. | Establishment of New Roots
The vast squatter runs of the first pioneers make way for new Warrnambool parishes. |
| 12. | Warrnambool: We're Off and Running
Warrnambool's heritage, from day one, is intrinsically linked to thoroughbred racing. |
| 13. | The Wilson-Mitchell Legacy
The legacy of two Scottish families. |
| 14. | Devondale, East Framlingham
James Chard and family of East Framlingham. |
| 15. | Children of the Land
Chard children born at Cooramook. |
| 16. | Devondale Progeny
Chard children born at East Framlingham. |
| 17. | James Chard: The Final Chapter
The end of a pioneering generation. |
Section 4: PIONEERING FAMILY CONNECTIONS |
| 18. | The Sommerville Clan
Among the earliest influencers in Warrnambool (Wangoom) and Panmure. |
| 19. | The Blain Clan
The dairy farming Blains of Garvoc. |
| Author’s Note To undertake a microscopic examination of an individual’s place, and role, in history is both challenging and frustrating. Although more recently the internet has provided numerous tools and avenues of research, genealogy remains an inexact science and it is fair to say that all the facts related to the James Chard story cannot be substantiated. Of such endeavours, the widely read novelist Michael Dodds offers the following, “Even those histories that are constructed as tightly as possible around ‘the facts’ still leave room for the sort of speculation about motives and emotions that are such an important component in trying to understand not only what happened, but why something happened.” Like Dodds in his biographies of Winston Churchill, I’m not trying to pretend that all that is written here is ‘the truth’. Some of it is unashamedly fictitious and I have taken all the dramatic liberties required to construct what I hope is an enjoyable read. However, within these constraints I have endeavoured to stay as close as possible to verifiable facts and established events as I understand them. The characters in these pages however ARE real. We, their ancestors, are testament to that fact. |