From Hampshire to Australia

John Banting was born in Hambledon Hampshire  in 1796.

• He married Martha Preston (nee Lush) on 16th August in Soberton in Hampshire.
• Martha was widowed, with a son, Thomas Preston, who was baptised on 10th June 1820 in Meonstoke.
• John and Martha had a child Mary Ann bp. 1825 in Meonstoke but by the time their second daughter Laura was born, bp. 1825 St Pancras Camden,  the family had moved from Hampshire, to live in the city of London. Another daughter, Martha Ann, was bp.1832 in Holborn and John their son was bp. 1838 in Holborn

In 1841 the family are living in Bedford St, Bedford Row Holborn

• By 1851 the family are still living in Bedford St Holborn.
• John the elder is a builder and Martha a shopkeeper but not long after the census was taken, John the elder died.
• John junior was just 12 years old.
• Presumably Martha continued to be a shop keeper, I think she may have run a dairy and in 1861 census she is visiting her sister at Vale Farm Edmonton.

Her son John however has made his way to America, apparently to visit his half brother, Thomas Preston. He can be found on the 1860 census, living in Clarkstown Rockland New York, working as a carpenter.

Now the story gets a little blurred.

.John somehow made his way to Australia because in 1862, .he marries Catherine Corbett in Bunbury Western Australia. Catherine died as did their two children and in 1864 John marries again to Bridget Coonan. They had many children and John died in 1902 in Bunbury.

Johns mum Martha died at 14 Bedford Row Holborn in 1867, presumably she never saw John again after he left England. I wonder if he ever wrote home?

So from a little village in Hambledon, to the other side of the world, that’s quite an adventure.

Those  Australian Bantings will know the story far better than I, so please feel free to comment or if you have photos that we could put up on the site, that would be great.

Do we know of any other Bantings who emigrated to Australia? I will create a clean GEDCOM for this branch which will be available to all.