Samuel Rabjohns(1848-1931) 

Samuel Rabjohns was born on 23 January 1848 in Starcross, Devon, England to his father, Thomas Rabjohns, aged 32 and his mother, Elizabeth Godbeer, aged 36. He married Margaret Ann Marchant in 1865 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England. and had five children. He lived in Exeter St Mary Arches, Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom in 1871 .He then married Sarah Sweetman. He was living in Enfield, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom in 1881. He had four sons and one daughter with Sarah Sweetman. After a long ailment, he died in 1931 at the age of 83, and was buried in Mooloolah, Queensland, Australia.

Samuel and Sarah were Bounty Immigrants. They travelled to Australia, with their large family, on The Duke of Buckingham on 27 May 1885. (It says on his headstone "The Duke of Hampshire" but according to Queensland state records it was actually The Duke of Buckingham http://www.archives.qld.gov.au.. It was the last voyage of the Duke of Buckingham).  Bounty immigrants were paid to come to the colonies. Bounty Immigrants were healthy people with skills or agricultural labourers needed by the colony. According to his eulogy, (published in  Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (Qld. : 1922 - 1954)  Fri 1 May 1931 Page 9 Mr. S. RABJOHNS) he landed in Brisbane, and secured employment at his trade of a plasterer. He later relinquished this to enter the dairying business, which he carried on for about 15 years. About 1900 he sold out in Brisbane and moved to Mooloolah, where be bought (or selected?) land on the road to Glenview, and followed dairying pursuits for many years. 

Sarah Sweetman (1844-1927) 

When Sarah Sweetnam was born on 1 October 1843, in Hailsham, Sussex, England, United Kingdom, her father, Thomas Sweetman, was 26 and her mother, Mary Ann Martin, was (). On her birth register, it says her father was a shoemaker. According to family story, she was born at Herstmonceux Castle while her death notice says she was born at Battle, Sussex. In the 1851 Census her birthplace is identified as Wartling, Sussex.  She was christened at Northampton, Northamptonshire. At the age of 7, she is listed as living with her parents and four siblings in Wartling, Sussex, England, United Kingdom according to the 1851 Census. She married Samuel Rabjohns on December 5, 1876, in St Marylebone, Middlesex, England. In the 1881 Census, she is listed as living in Enfield, Middlesex, England with Samuel. Although she was already 33 when she got married, they had five children together. She died on August 3, 1927, in Mooloolah, Queensland, Australia, at the age of 83. 

References

Christening: "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J756-ZHX : 4 February 2023), Sarah Elizabeth Sweetman, 1843.

1851 Census: "England and Wales, Census, 1851", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGJ2-76F : Fri Mar 08 01:10:27 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas Sweetman and Mary Ann Sweetman, 1851.

*Some sources quote her name as "Sara Spencer Sweetman", however, no primary index (census transcript, the family-tree abstracts I accessed, or the parish/county transcriptions I checked) shows “Spencer” as part of her official given name. The “Spencer” element appears only in some family histories / oral accounts, and has not been found in birth, baptism, census, or marriage index entries available online so far.

Her death notice (clearly full of factual errors such as age at death, place of birth, ship of ):

Obituary

The death occurred on Wednesday at her home in Mooloolah of Mrs. Sarah Rabjohns, an old identity of the district, at the age of 63 years. Deceased was born at Battle, Sussex, England, and arrived in Brisbane on the B.I.P.N. Co.'s Duke of Devonshire in 1883. She lived at Wooloowin until 1900, when she and her husband moved to Mooloolah, where she resided until her death. Besides her husband, Samuel Rabjohns, she leaves two sons and two daughters to mourn their loss: Mrs. A. W. Smith of Brisbane, Mrs. E. Holyoake of Sydney, and Messrs. G.F. Rabjohns of Eudlo and A. S. Rabjohns of Wynnum. The funeral took place on Friday at the Mooloolah-Glenview cemetery, conducted by Rev. J. Finnimore.

Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (Qld. : 1922 - 1954)  Fri 12 Aug 1927 Page 10 Mooloolah.

Whilst Samuel was a tall man, Sarah was very tiny and dark haired.

Their son, Thomas, had a sawmill business, maybe on the family dairy farm, but his life was cut short after a tragic accident in the sawmill where he was cut in half. 

Family Tragedy

Excerpt from Trove; http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/121968745

Shocking Saw Mill Fatality. MAN CUT IN TWO.   SAWMILLER'S TERRIBLE END.   Mooloolah, September 20. A startlingly sudden and distressing fatal accident happened at Mr. T. W.Rabjohn's sawmill, here last night.   Mr. Rabjohn, just about nightfall, was putting a few small pieces through the revolving saw to complete an order.     He stopped the rack to shift a piece of timber when the engineer heard it suddenly start again and was horrified to see Mr. Rabjohn thrown from the saw. He rushed to his assistance but found that he had been killed instantly. How the rack started again no one can tell. The rope was broken, and it is surmised that a piece of timber must have struck the clutch and released it. The police were summoned from Landsborough to the scene of the accident. It is stated that the body was almost cut in two. Mr. Rabjohn was married and leaves a widow and one child.        

Oral History; 

Nanna Rabjohns (Edith) told us that the family believed that the death was no accident.  Shortly after the death Thomas's widow married the engineer who discovered the body.  They, together, inherited the lands and family fortune.

Postscript; 

After publication of this website, a descendent of Thomas Rabjohns, Naosha Chalvatzis, contacted me to let me know of oral history from her side of the family.  With her permission, this is the letter. It seems that the mystery surrounding Thomas's death is no longer a mystery!!

My Grandmother, was Marjorie Joyce Rabjohns, her mother, Minnie Ella Handley, was married to Thomas Rabjohns, the son of Sarah & Samuel Rabjohns.   Unfortunately, Jealousy did reign in the sawmills and a fight broke out with the alcoholic engineer and my Great Grandfather, Thomas,over Minnie, herself.   I never thought she was an overly attractive woman, however, was a hard worker and bore my Grandmother.  Obviously, the engineer, Edward Henry Aldridge, won the prize.  He did in fact, throw Thomas onto the band saw, this was witnessed.  Edward later married Minnie as well as raped my grandmother when she was of child bearing age and she fell pregnant with his child.  It was Aldridges, alcohol and gambling abuse which lost the land and the business eventually.  My Grandmother was married off to Eric Gordon Smith and her child was born in wedlock, albeit, did cause many issues over the years, as it was a well kept secret for some years.  Her son was named Allan Edward Smith (this was also forced to a degree, due to his namesake, things were a lot harder back then than now).  My grandmother bore a further 6 children in her wedded time to Eric, who passed away at a young age in his fifties, at the Southport Post Office.  He spent the large portion of his life as a postal clerk and sadly had a heart attack at work, my Grandfather was a soft, gentle loving man.  He was also my grandmother's cousin.  I guess that was common also at the time?  On my grandfather's side, I believe we are direct lineage to Mary Queen of Scots and on my Great Great Grandmother's side, we are in fact a direct line to the Spencer family, as my (Unsure of how many 'greats' off hand, but Grandmother Sarah Spencer, was lady in waiting to the throne) alongside Queen Victoria.  You no doubt have much of that information, of the migration from England.

Last but no least, Minnie (my great Grandmother) ultimately ended up with very little, after Aldridge passed, her home in Woombye was moved to the privately owned land of the Church of Brethren.  They retained all her worldly possessions and family were not allowed passed the front gate for visitations.  The religion apparently has strict policies, I always felt more cult like than religious.  She passed away at 99 years of age.  I believe the last time I saw her, I was only about 7 or 8 years of age.

Another incident involving Thomas's sawmill

( The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Fri 4 Sep 1914 , Page 11  FIRES.)

A sawmill was totally destroyed by fire last night at Mr. T. W. Rabjohns' property in Kingaroy. The flames were first noticed by a girl living nearby, who immediately gave the alarm, but it was impossible to save the building. Only a few boards were salvaged. The insurance covered only the building, leaving Mr. Rabjohns to face a heavy loss.

Above; Tom Rabjohns Bullock Team at Maleny.  Courtesy of the State Library of Queensland. 

W. Munro is leaning against the wagon. (Description supplied with photograph.)

Above; Samuel and Sarah Rabjohns.  Right;  Sarah's grave, with son, Thomas, who died in tragic sawmill accident.

Above; Grave of Samuel RABJOHNS, born Devonshire Wales UK 1848, migrated Australia 1885 on "Duke of Hampshire" with wife Sarah & 5 children, selected land on Mooloolah River, grazing cattle & established a saw mill, died 1931; Sarah, wife of Samuel RABJOHNS, died 3 Aug 1927 aged 88 years; Thomas William RABJOHNS, son, died 19 Sept 1917 aged 39 years; Mooloolah cemetery, City of Caloundra.  Sarah was born in Hurstmonceoux, Sussex on 1st October 1844.

The Great Depression of 1873–1896 (from Ancestry.com)

Progress made by the United States and Germany in manufacturing and agriculture in 1881, affected many in the United Kingdom, including the Rabjohns family during the Great Depression of 1873 to 1896.

The Journey on The Duke of Buckingham

*Samuel and Sara's gravestone states that they arrived on the Duke of Hampshire. State immigration records state the Duke of Buckingham, and at Sara's eulogy states the Duke of Devonshire. Chat GPT is convinced it was actually the Duke of Devonshire. Who knows?

Bounty immigrants traveling on The Duke of Buckingham

ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

The steamer Boko left Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co.'s wharf at 12:30 AM on Thursday morning to meet the Duke of Buckingham in the Bay. However, the vessel was not sighted at Cape Moreton until after 6 PM, arriving at the anchorage late. The Boko lay off until morning. The Francis Cadell left Brisbane at 6 AM yesterday to bring up the immigrants from the Duke of Buckingham, coming alongside around 8 o'clock.

The Duke of Buckingham (Captain W. Turner) is a fine iron-built screw steamer, 2020 tons, with engines of 270 horsepower, measuring 384 feet long, 38 feet wide, and 28 feet deep. Built in 1880 by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, she belongs to the Ducal line and is currently chartered by the B.I.S.N. Company as a supplementary mailboat. Her accommodation for immigrants is very good, divided into five watertight compartments: single women are placed right aft, followed by married couples, engine-rooms, another group of married couples, and single men.

She carries about 1700 tons of cargo, including 75 tons for Maryborough, and has already delivered significant portions at various locations. The immigrants numbered around 590, totaling 688 souls with the crew. They include many carpenters, blacksmiths, and domestic servants, with generally good health during the voyage, experiencing only one death, that of an infant.

Two female children were born on the voyage. While at Colombo, there was some insubordination among the immigrants, with three men swimming ashore and being left behind. Aside from this incident, the voyage was pleasant.

On December 7, at 10 AM, the Duke of Buckingham left the Royal Albert Docks for Queensland, calling at Plymouth for 591 emigrants. The ship encountered a hazy mist and heavy snow, necessitating an overnight anchor. After reaching Plymouth Sound on December 9, the emigrants embarked. The vessel rolled a bit in the Channel but encountered calm seas in the Bay of Biscay.

On December 11, a storm threatened, causing the ship to roll heavily. By midday, the cooks had to abandon the galley as waves broke over the bows. After some efforts, tea was made available by 5 PM. By the next day, the storm had abated.

They arrived at Port Said on December 23, celebrating Christmas with a tree and toys for children. After staying one night in the canal, they reached Suez the following afternoon. The Red Sea was cool, and the voyage continued pleasantly.

Arriving at Aden on New Year's Eve, some passengers were invited to swim, despite the dangers of sharks. With mail for Queensland on board, they steamed out of the harbor, enjoying a refreshing breeze and tropical showers until reaching Ceylon.

Batavia, the capital of Java, was their next port of call, known for its impressive breakwater. The rest of the voyage was uneventful, and after reaching Thursday Island, they began discharging cargo at various ports.

Family Story about Spencer heritage

There is a story in the family, about Sarah Sweetman, I've been told by a number of relatives. It is said that she was actually the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Sunderland (later the Duke of Marlborough) and that he had her mother married to Sweetman to legitimize the baby. Sweetman was allegedly paid to marry her. It is said that it was common knowledge amongst the older Rabjohns and that Auntie Evelyn used to talk about it in detail. It is said that Sarah and Samuel were paid a large amount every month from the Exchequer which had been put there by the Earl for the provision of his daughter throughout her life, and for the education of her children.  I am told that Samuel used all the money for himself and that my great grandfather, Augustus, was very angry because he had been unable to get what he was due and also was deprived of a proper education. It is said that Samuel used a lot of alcohol. My aunt viewed the details of Sarah's birth and said that the details of her birth are, indeed hazy. She was not actually born at Herstmonceux and the priest actually wrote on the register that there was no way that this child was only one year old when she was finally registered. So presumably she was much older, which would have made her born out of wedlock. 

I do remember that my modest grandmother told me, the night before she died, that her grandmother had a photo of the Earl on her piano and said it was her brother. She said she was a "real lady".  I can't imagine how a woman of this calibre dealt with the harshness of pioneer life in Queensland.

This is an interesting story and further details will emerge in the future. I would appreciate any details and if you have any please notify me on tquestel@gmail.com

Sources

Birth

   Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912

See copy of record attached below.

Immigration to Australia; 

   Queensland State Archives; Registers of Immigrant Ships' Arrivals; Series: Series ID 13086; Roll: M1701

Details of Thomas Rabjohns' will

1918,Queensland, Australia. Will Number: 918/26

74290 Microfilm Number:Z181 File Name: Wills1901-1940

Original URL:

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au...