Rebecca Elizabeth Bradshaw  (Jillett) was born on Norfolk Island around 1806/7.  She was born and christened as Bradshaw.

                       She was baptised at the same time as her sister Elizabeth at St David s Hobartown on 21st October 1810.

On 27th July 1825 she married William Young, Master Mariner.  He was the son of Samuel Young (1767 to 1827) and Ann Eades. He was born in 1802 at Parramatta.

Rebecca and William are reported to have 12 children.   They lived at North Bruny.  William had a whaling station there at Trumpeter Bay.  He also, later had another station at Adventure Bay as did Charles Dowdell, Susannah's husband.  The name of their home was Sunnysides.

The original homestead eventually fell into disrepair and another place was built on the property.

William Young went as far as New Zealand, Norfolk Island and other islands of the Pacific, looking for whales.  He and Rebecca were quite wealthy people.  They owned quite a number of homes in Hobart and also in the Chanel area.

The listed children are:

Elizabeth Rebecca             Born   4th Nov  1828         died 1873             Married Thomas Metzer.  
 
                                      Their son died at 9 months of age on 2nd December 1851   He is buried with his grandfather.

Sarah Ann                         Born 3rd   Aug. 1830         died 1899              Married William Lindsay
William                             Born 29th June 1832         died 18 Aug 1877.  He was a Master Mariner
                                                                         m      Emma Matilda Lucas.  Her parents also lived on Bruni Island
James                               Born  9th Mar  1834          died 16 April 1846
Eleanor (Ellen) Matilda      Born  18 Jan    1836           died  1883            Married James Gillham
Charlotte Louise                Born 27 Oct     1838          died 4 May 1850
Rosetta Elizabeth               Born                1839             died  1840
Susanna Mary                   Born 29 Aug 1843               died 26 Oct 1924  
                                                 M Thomas Edward Priest on 21 December 1865 and went to New
                                                 Zealand , possibly to  Dunedin.  They had a daughter Lillian

Samuel                              Born 31 Jul 1841             died 1875     M Susannah Lawrence. d 1876
                                            buried Kirksby Lodge Barnes Bay Bruny Island Tas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                            4 children  Lionel, Leonard, Lothar, Ella.   
                                                                                           M again to Florence Pybus.  Her father had land on North Bruny

Emily Elvina                         Born 1 Dec 1844               died 1927                Married William Hurburgh
James Henry                         Born 2 Jul 1847                died 1910                Married  Frances Hurburgh
Thomas Charles                    Born 1849                          died  1923             Became a ship s captain.
                                                 In 1920 he was captain of SS Waldemar  m Elizabeth Fergusson                                                                                                           .

William senior died 28th December 1866 and is buried in the family vault at St David s Park.  Rebecca died 4th February 1879.
She is buried at Cornelian Bay.


In Memorium   WILLIAM YOUNG    Husband of Rebecca Elizabeth Bradshaw Jillett

A RESIDENT OF TASMANIA, FOR FIFTY-TWO YEARS.

Obit December 27th., 1866


A GOOD man in every respect. An able colonist, a farmer who could plough, reap and sow.
A Mariner, that could sail a ship to any part of the world, a whaler, whose exploits are unequalled in the
annals of daring;
a Tasmanian in heart and soul, a loving husband, and a good father; and to sum up all -AN HONEST MAN.
Mark his career, sons of Tasmania, and emulate his enterprise and his virtues.




SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF WILLIAM YOUNG

File of extracts from Archives Office of Tasmania [CUS 38 Register of Colonial Vessels of the Port of
Hobart] (see photocopy)

Archives Office of Tasmania : File LSD 1/115 - List of Whaling Stations
1837 Vol. 92, Folio 28/29 W. Young Schouten Island
1837 Vol.92, Folio 28/29 W. Young Wine Glass Bay
1841 Vol.33, Folio 145 W. Young Adventure Bay
Also, longer-term lease of whaling sites at Cookville, Adventure Bay, Bruny Island (also

Charles Dowdall, once held lease at Cookville - brother-in-law, husband of Susannah)

(note: other grants to William Young -1280 acres X2 at Trumpeter Bay, Bruny Island, also standard 3 acre whaling site De Witt Is.)

Archives Office of Tasmania, File CSO 50/1, Effort on Whaling - Hobart
Total Whales
Year Ships Boats Black Sperm
1832 8 27 195 2
1833 8 25 237
1834 9 34 257 35
1835 7 24 207
18365ships,2brigs, 7schooners,4sloops 16 -54 270 35
1837 ---1838
6 barques, 3 brigs, 5 schooners 15 63 645 8
1839 Iship, 2 barques, 3brigs, 8 schrs 14 55 542 1
1840 2barques, 4 brigs, 8 schnrs 14 71 542 1
1841 16ships? 16 87 465 25
1842 12 67 219 12
1843 8 78 120 88
1844 11 33 1845
25 82 194 40
1846 22 85 245 ?
1847 5 ships, 7 brigs, 3 schooners 15 - 85 37
1848 25 92 99 113
1849 37 136 69 107
1850 36 124 24 110
1851 31 108 45 156
1852 21 73 30 86

see - Lawson, Bluegum Clippers (copy at hand)
see - O May, Whale ships and Whalers out of Hobart Town (copy at hand)
see --Crowther, W.L. 1920, on history of whaling in Tasmanian waters. Papers and Proceedings of the
Royal Society of Tasmania (for 1919), p.130.

Davis, B. 1990. Guide to Bruny Island History. 2nd edition. Bruny Island Historical Society, 1990.
40pp (not a great deal of useful information - see handwritten notes)

Gray, F. Oliver, 1978. Recollections of North Bruny Island. Richard Lord and Partners, Taroona,
Tasmania. 58pp.

[various detailed reminiscences of Young family descendants and their associations with Trumpeter Bay where William Young received two land grants of 1280 acres each. At Trumpeter Bay there was a Young whaling Station. Also, "William Young owned a fleet of sailing ships. He brought a consignment of filters from Norfolk Island, carrying them as ballast in one of his boats. Many of these filters ended up on North Bruny. We have one that came from the old Pybus home at Sacriston". These "filters" were apparently large stone vessels carved out of sandstone at the Norfolk Island quarries and used for carrying water. There is a photograph of one in the book. ]

Pybus, Richard Cobden (compiler) 1988. South Bruny Island-Tasmania. A brief history of its settlement. R.C. & BJ. Pybus, Blackoaans Bay, Tasmania, 256pp.

p.4 "Bay whalers found the shores of Bruny Island, South Bruny in particular, and ideal staging post for their operations. In Adventure Bay, Cloudy (then called Bad) Bay and no doubt at other locations to a lesser extent they set up their camps." - also early sealing.
"Unlike the whaling fleet those engaged in taking seals did not need a land base for their operations but could remain at sea during their visits, using boats to hunt the seals and bringing them back to the ships. John Gray launched the 3 8 t schooner Industry in 1825 (sic) for the whaling firm of Young and Waif ord operating out of Adventure Bay (AOT)".

- small lots (1-3 acres) allocated on the eastern shore at Cookville. Those to obtain such grants were: Captain James Kelly (1829), Thomas Lucas (1829), William Young (1829), Bernard Walford (1829), Charles DowdaU (1830), Thomas Mason (1830) and William Mawle (1831). [Survey Section, Lands Department]
(p.3) Visitor (Geo. A. Robinson) in August 1829 recorded by N. J.B. Plomley in his book

"Friendly Mission": "Here is a large establishment consisting of three firms: Messrs Kelly & Lucas, Messrs Young & Walford and Mr Maycock. The number of men collectively employed were from eighty to ninety in number; and there are two schooners, two sloops and a large number of boats". (p.5) [AOT NP 29/6] "Whaling did not stop at this stage as indicated by the log of the barque Augustus, Captain William Young, on a whaling voyage out of Hobart in 1850:
" Friday 3rd May 1850 made sail and stood in for Adventure Bay "
" Saturday 3rd May - saw two Right whales, lowered the boat and went in chase. The Captain succeded in getting up to them but his boat steerer missed. At sunset the boats returned to the ship ".

(p5/6) on 14 Feb 1839, when a group of 8 escaped convicts from Port Arthur visited Adventure Bay, a statement was later taken from a John Sherberd - headsman in charge of Captain William Young s whaling station at Adventure Bay.

Nicholson, I. H. 1985. Shipping arrivals and departures. Tasmania, Vol.II, 1834 -1842 (Parts I, II, &
HI), and Gazetteer of Tasmanian Shipping 1803 - 1842 (Part IV). Roebuck Society Publication No.33,
212pp.

- "Mary & Elizabeth", arr Hobart Town 12SEP1834, Jas (sic) Young, Master, NZ plundered by Maoris at Admiralty Bay o n 10AUG last by a young chief who had recently spent some months in Hobart Town.
- Young, Jas. Mary & Elizabeth (Master), dep 6 June  34, arr. 12 Sep  34
[There were probably at least two Youngs, masters of vessels, as too it seems there were two vessels named Industry.
- Young, William of Hobart Town, arrivals & (departures)
oTasmanian Lass (joint owner) 25.2.37; Owner 15..4.39 & 21.2.41, wreck**.
oBandicoot (joint owner) - (27.3.39)
oJohn (owner) - 7.3.40

oHighlander (owner) 1.3.37, [not owner according to Register - see below].
oCamilla (master) - (21.2.38); M. 22.7.38; agent & part owner 23.1.39
oVestal master 10.8.41
oBandicoot-owner, 30.12.41, forNZ, sundrys
oFortitude - Young, master (Askin Morrison, owner/agent) 3.2.42, for NZ whaling grounds & whaling stores; arr. HT 31.10.42, (Young) from whaling, with black oil and bone.
oWallaby -Young master, 31.10.42, forNZ, had arrived fromNZ 14.10.42 (L. Bailey, master) from whaling inc. Lord Howe for wood.
- arrivals & (departures) from and to New Zealand,. Vessels connected in some way, owner or master, with William Young 1834 -1842).
- Tasrnanian Lass (8.5.33), 1.4.34.
-Industry 23.9.34, 23.12.34, (8.1.35), 7.4.35, 15.6.36.
- Highlander (note arr. 1.3.1837 above,under W.Young, presumably from elsewhere other than NZ) (2.11.37), 25.10.39, 28.10.41
- Wallaby (23.10.40), 31.10.42 (Note, this arrival (L. Bailey, master), is on the same day as Wm Young arrived from NZ, master of the Fortitude with black oil and bone),
- Fortitude 31.10.42 Wm. Young master, from NZ with black oil and bone
- Bandicoot (30.12.41), 23.3.42
Parsons, Ronald.(comp.). 1980. Tasmanian Ships Registered 1826-1850. Full details of every ship enrolled be the Registrar of British Ships at the ports of Hobart Town and Launceston. Printed and published by Ronald H. Parsons, Magill, SA 5072. (Copy in Genealogical Society of Queensland).
(Dates of financial interest by William Young in parentheses).

[NB: Highlander and Fortitude never owned in whole or in part by William Young, according to register - see notes at end]. W=wooden, m=masts, sch=schooner, bgn=brigantine, etc.

o4/1829 INDUSTRY (1829-1840)
W 1m sloop, 38 1/2 tons. B. 1829 by Mr Grey (sic), the Jetty, Hobart Town. Owners: B.
Walford & Win Young: Jan 1832 Chas McLachlan & Wm Young: April 1840 Wm Chamberlin [last entry Nov 1845 Richard Griffith: register closed with "lost", and not dated]. (Note: there was at least one other Industry, a 2m brig, B 1827 Quebec, registered 14/1835 Hobart, transferred in December 1836 to Launceston).

o 1/1831 TASMANIAN LASS (1830-1846)
W 1m sloop: re-rigged 1840 - 2m sch: 47 1/4 tons: 477" x 15 10" x 9  0 1/2": B. 1830 John Gray, Hobart Town: Owners: Bernard Walford & William Young; 1840 William Young: Register closed 1846. (Wrecked Wine Glass Bay, VDL, early 1841)

o 2/1838 CAMILLA (formerly 48/1831 of Greenock)(1838-1844) W2rnbgn, 261 tons. 96T x25 4" x 157". B. 1827 YarmouthNS. Owners: Charles McLachlan: June 1838 Charles McLachlan & William Young. [Latter maintained 1/2 ownership until vessel lost and register cancelled 1845. Lost at Streakey Bay, SA in 1844].

o7/1833 JOHN (1840-1855)
W 1m ctr, 34 1/3 tons, 41!9" x 14 9" x 6 . B 1833, ; May 1940 William Young; lost as per list of 1855.

o 11/1839 SHAMROCK (April-Nov 1841)
W 1m sloop. 31 tons, 46 6" x 15 0" x 7 5". B. 1832 Macquarie Harbour, VDL, for Government, now sold: April to Nov 1841 William Young: sold to Duncan McPherson.

o 10/1838 WALLABY (1843-1853)
W 3m bq, 284 tons 87 5" x 23 8" x 16 3". B. 1838 Port Arthur, VDL, for the government.
Sold out of service Oct 1838. Owners: , March 1843 Askin Morrison (Hobart) & Arthur Willis (London); March 1843 Askin Morrison (24), William Young (24) & Robert Gardiner (16): April 1848 Askin Morrison (40) William Young (24): cancelled 1853. Ashore, salvaged, renamed "Charlotte" of Samoa. [NB: A log for the Wallaby (1840-42) is to be found in the Tasmanian
State Library, according to Morton in The Whale s Wake.]




o 23/1840 ABEONA (1845-1847)
W 2m bgn, 96 2/3 tons. 62 . ; April 1845 Richard Griffiths (32) William Young (16) & Louis Nathan (16) to Oct 1847.

o 19/1844 ELIZABETH REBECCA (1844-1845)
W 2m brig, 99 tons, 57  x 19  x 10 . B. 1828 Macquarie Harbour, VDL, for the government, Sold Nov 1844. Owners: William Young (32) James Gardiner (16) & Nathan, Moses & Co (16), Lost,
register cancelled 1845.

o2/1845 HARJETTE NATHAN ON31951 (1845-1856)
W 3m bq, 126 tons, 81 7" x 21 3" x 9 3", B. 1844 William Williamson, Hobart Town.
Owners: William Young (32) Charles Gardiner (20) & Nathan, Moses & Co (20); sold My 1856, missing in 1868 on voyage New Zealand - Tasmania.

o 33/1846 AUGUSTUS (formerly 6/1844 of Melbourne)( 1846-1853)
W 3m bq, 138 tons, 78 . B. 1813/14 in Java, rebuilt Calcutta 1838. Owners: (Nov 1846)
William Young (32), Bums, White & Co, transferred to Geelong in 1853.
[ NB: log 1850, Tasmanian State Library.]

o6/1842
PATRJOT (1848-1849)
W 3m ship. 189 tons, 80  x 23  x 13 . B 1826 St. Martins NB, , , August 1848
William Young (32) Burns, White & Co (32): wrecked June 1849 in New Zealand.

o4/1849
LADYEMMA (1849-1854, 1855-1861)
W 3m ship. 230 tons. 91  x 23  x 13 . B. Henry Degraves, Hobart Town. Owners: William Young (32) Burns, White & Co (32); ; 1853 William Young snr (48) & jnr (16); Oct 1854 sold . 1855 to May 1861 Wm Young & partners

o
9/1847 PRYDE(1851)
W 2m brig. 205 tons, B. Quebec 1842. Jan -Feb 1851 William Young.
o36/1848 STRUGGLER (1853)
W 1m sloop. 26 tons, 40 . July 1853 to Aug 1853, William Young jnr & snr: August 1853
Thomas Merzger (sic) & Christopher Bastian, wrecked Wine Glass Bay, Tas, Nov 1855.

o50/1858
TERROR (1856)
W 3m ship, 257 tons, 96 . B. 1840 Cork: Owned Feb 1856 William Young & T.J. McGrath.(wrecked ChathaiħL Islands, NZ, Feb 1859).
[NB: logs, 1848-49 VanDiemen s Land Folk Museum, 1852-53 Mitchell library, Sydney.]

NB:The following ships appear to have never been owned in whole or in part by William Young, though it seems he had some associations with both.

8/1837 HIGHLANDER
B 1819, New Providence. Owners: 1837, Win Morgan Orr & John Lovitt: Oct 1839 W.M. Orr:

18/1841 FORTITUDE
W Ipi ctr, 26.5 tons, 43 . B. William Tuck, Bruni, VDL.
[But see: Nicholson, I. H. 1985. Shipping arrivals and departures. Tasmania,

oFortitude - Young, master (Askin Morrison, owner/agent) 3.2.42, for NZ whaling grounds & whaling stores; arr. HT 31.10.42, (Young) from whaling, with black oil and bone].
[ NB: Log of the Fortitude (1843-47) is to be found in the Tasmanian State Library, according to Morton in The Whale s Wake.]


Note: Askin Morrison had interests in the following vessels:
13/1835 MARIA, 1/1837 EUDORA, 21/1837 ELIZABETH, 13/1838 WALLABY, 2/1840 AGNES & ELIZABETH, II1844 JOANNA, 33/1845 ARIEL, 30/1846 MACQUARRIE, 37/1846 FLYING CfflLDERS.

Copping, R. A narrative of Captain R. Copping of Hobart Town (typescript), W.L. Crowther Library,

State Library of Tasmania, Hobart. - quoted from p.3 in H. A. Morton The Whale s Wake,

"An old Australian whaling captain, reminiscing about his youthful days on the whaleship Tasmanian Lass, said how interesting it was to watch his captain bargaining with Maoris for pigs in the early 1830s. One chief he found amusing:  he would appear to get into [a rage] at some offer from the Captain, and only after if he thought he had got the best he would laugh and shout and tell all the
others.1"

Smith, A.G.E. 1986. Ships employed in the South Sea trade 1775 -1861, compiled from Lloyds List and other contemporary publications. Roebuck Society Publication No. 36. [much useful information on shipping movements and locations.]

Boultbee, J. 1986. Journal of a rambler: the journal fo John Boultbee. ed. June Stark, Auckland:
Oxford University Press. - to be read, especially for descriptions of shore whaling at Bruny Island,

1829.

Begg, A. Charles & Begg, Neil C. 1979. The world of John Boultbee, including an account of sealing in Australia and New Zealand. Whitcoulls, Christchurch, NZ.

o detailed description of bay whaling at Bruny Island 1829
o index - Young, William, sealer, whaler and ship owner
p. 199 "In July [1827] Hokianga was visited by another Grono-built brig, the Industry, under
Captain William Young, which took Kent* as a passenger to Port Jackson, arriving there on 1 September 1827, with a cargo of 16 tons flax, 12 tons potatoes, 3 tons pork and 5 tons of Salt".
(Sydney Gazette 05SEP1827).
o Kent, master of the Elizabeth, on which Boultbee made an extended visit to NZ
[Note: Kangaroo Island, off South Australia, was the principle source of salt in the region according to Eric Guiler].

op.3 00 - reference to a visit from TeRauparaha from Kapiti in 1825-to trade. "Then went for Q. Charlotte s Sound [from Chatham Is.]. Beginning of Feb 26 / Rauparaha came out with canoes locally manned with natives who had come across from Katpiti to war with the South natives. Wanted powder and muskets but give them iron hoop for potatoes. Next day stood for Taranaki close to Sugar Loaves".
T0nnessen, J. N. & Johnsen, A.O. 1982. The history of modern whaling. [Translated from the
Norwegian by R.I. Christophersen]. C. Hurst & Co. London, Australian National University Press,
Canberra, 798pp.

p.220. - precis. Up to the end of the 1820 s- mainly sperm whales- from c. 183 0 right whales played a much greater part - whaling ships anchored up in bays - i.e. "bay whaling" - golden age in 183O s, culminating in 1840, when several hundred vessels are reported to have operated around the coast of NZ and adjacent grounds in the Pacific. The first shore stations were built in Tasmania in 1804 - in 1841 there were 35 stations on this island (VDL) - many others in SW Australia and in NZ. In the course of 10 yrs right whales were hunted to the verge of extinction, their near extermination being cynically undertaken.

Children  Rebecca Jillett & William Young
Captn Lawrence with Samuel Young
 
Early Whaling in Tasmania


Eva Maude Cooper, daughter Joyce Bellamy, daughter Pam Alderson, daughter Wendy (now Martell)       1959
Eva Maude and Alfred James Cooper 
Pam Alderson direct descendent of Rebecca Elizabeth Jillett and William Young
Emilie Jager (nee Brown), Pam's great grandmother left and Pam's Great Aunt Amy Branscombe Wood  date unknown
Pam Alderson.  An original contributor to the Jillett Family Tree
Pam is a direct descendent of Rebecca Elizabeth Jillett.

Thanks to Pam for her assistance with compiling this website.

Pam's photos of her family and older relatives provide a link to the members in the Jillett Family Tree

Return to Elizabeth Jillett
Joyce Cooper and Herbert Bellamy marriage 1937
Eric Lyon, Joan Lyon (nee Cooper) Janet Lyon, 1951
Pam and Peter on their wedding day