The Powter Family

The Powter family came from Great Shelford, England.

In July 1845 the railway came to Shelford. Suddenly travel to London and the Midlands, and indeed many other parts of the country, was easy (though not necessarily cheap).

By 1851, you could find adverts such as these in the local newspapers:

Attendance given at the Little Rose Inn, Cambridge, on Thursdays from one to four, for the applications of Farm Labourers and others, to the Australian Colonies, Cape of Good Hope, Canada and America, by Mr Josias Johnson, Barley, Selecting Agent to Her Majesty’s Emigration Commissioners.

Her Majesty’s Emigration Commissioners are prepared to grant to Eligible Emigrants, under modified regulations, passages to the several Australian colonies of ADELAIDE, PORT PHILIP, & SYDNEY. A limited number is also wanted for the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE....

EMIGRATION TO CANADA & THE WESTERN STATES of AMERICA, via Southampton. – The first ship, the “Ava”, of 600 tons, Perrett Webster, commander, carrying an experienced surgeon, will embark her passengers on the 10th of April punctually. Emigrants to the Western States can engage for their passage at one payment, from England to any of the following points:- In Canada to Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Coburgh, Port Hope, Toronto, Hamilton, and Port Stanley: - and in the United States to Oswego, Buffalo, Cleveland, Sandusky, Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukie, Chicago, and Cincinnati, without occasion for any intermediate landing. Passengers will be embarked at Southampton, and be conveyed thither by railway, free of expense...

Imagine reading this and starting to think... Word soon spread in Shelford. On 20 March the Cambridge Chronicle reported:

EMIGRATION – On the 11th inst. a number of emigrants started from Shelford Station to go on board the Phoenician, at the London docks, bound for Australia. About 20 persons had congregated to witness the departure.

On 18th September:

EMIGRATION – a family consisting of 7 persons, viz., father, mother and 5 children, bade adieu to their native place, Gt. Shelford, on the 15th instant – going on the first train to London, on their way to Australia. Others, we hear, are shortly to follow.

Well, this turn of events certainly rocked the boat in Shelford, because on 25th June we read:

THE FARMERS AND LABOURERS – The farmers of this parish and neighbouring villages are already endeavouring to engage their labourers for the ensuing harvest, and they have offered considerably to raise their wages above those given last harvest; this has, in nearly every instance, been refused by the men. It has been very generally anticipated that labourers would be very scarce at the ensuing harvest, in consequence of so many able-bodied men emigrating; and as Ireland is so drained by the emigration mania, we must not expect many labourers from there. The crops have such a prospect of being abundant that we fear the farmers will be short of hands to secure them in due time.

On 11th March the Chronicle further reported that:

Within the last 2 years, upwards of 120 persons have emigrated from this village, Lt Shelford and Stapleford. There is scarcely a ship that is allowed to carry letters from the Australian colonies to this kingdom that is not the bearer of communications from emigrants there, to their relations or friends here; and it is gratifying to state that nearly every letter received is couched in language the most satisfactory. Many of the senders strongly advise their friends to follow them; and some of them have offered to send money, providing parties here could, or the parish would, make up sufficient to pay the outfit and the expenses. Many of our own able-bodied labourers have a severe attack of the emigration fever and are determined if possible to follow their relations for the land of gold.

Source: By kind permission Helen Harwood and www.sites.google.com/site/greatshelfordhistory/home