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George Harbroe
George, born 18th Aug 1816 at "Elm Tree House" in High Street Ripley Surrey, the son of Edward Harbroe III and Elizabeth (nee Harden)
George's siblings were Elizabeth born 1806 married John Daws died 1873, Edward IV born 1808 Surgeon unmarried died 1881 at New Norfolk Tasmania then George and Anne born 1818 married Dr John Coverdale in 1838.
George escorted his sister Anne and Julia Speak Coverdale to Hobart before Anne's marriage to Coverdale in 1838. George arrived VDL on "Emu" Dec 1838
George Harbroe apparently decided to remain in Hobart Town, and not being a professional man or a tradesman, accepted the position o a Clerk in the Convict Department on June 21, 1841. At this period the Convict Department was quite an important one, owing to Van Diemens Land, being proclaimed a convict settlement. In 1848 he was in receipt of a salary of £l20 per annum, but by 1852 his salary had been increased to £165 probably a very good salary in these days.
Records show that George Harbroe married Rebecca Kerr on October 31, 1844, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. J. Lillie at St. Andrews (now Scotts’) Church, Hobart Town. The witnesses to the ceremony were J. Featherstone and Elizabeth Featherstone of the Registrars Department. Obviously, the wedding was a very quiet one. The interesting thing about the marriage is, not the ceremony itself, but that he married an ex convict. Of course at the time, it must be remembered, there were very few eligible young women in Hobart Town who were not convicts of ex convicts, owing to the place being a penal settlement. And therefore a fellow couldn’t be choosy, especially if he was inclined towards love! As I told you in my story of the Fisher family, from the middle of the Eighteenth to the middle of the Nineteenth century, the English courts operated savagely against ordinary people. So overcrowded became the jails that prisoners were transported to New South Wales and Norfolk Island, but now this was changed, and transportation was mostly to Van Demiens Land.
George Harbroe bought "Woodlands" about 1860 when it had one storey and John Louis added a second storey a few years after his father’s death
In January 1848 George Harbroe was 32 years of age, and was living in a brick house in Warwick Street, Hobart Town, which he rented from Mr. J. Symonds. Both George and Rebecca were active members of the Church of England, although this may not have meant much, because at this time, everyone was an active member of a church. On August 2, 1845, the first child, Elizabeth Louise was born, then Catherine Anne born 1848 died in youth; George born 1851 died in youth; George Henry born 1853 [Link]; Rebecca born 1855 (twice married no issue) and John Louis born at "Woodlands" Newtown April 1860.
On October 17, 1850, George Harbroe wrote to the Surveyor General asking that a fence be put around the quarry at the Mt. Wellington end of Warwick Street, but why he wanted this is not known because he was now residing in his own residence in Landsdown Crescent. How long he lived in Landsdown Crescent is again not known, but in 1867, according to McPhails National Dictionary of Tasmania, he was living at New Town.
It is understood that “Woodlands”, New Town was the one time home of Benjamin Berthow who according to the Hobart Town Courier of March 31, 1854, died at his residence near New Town on March 30, 1854.
George Harbroe may have bought the home about 1860. Because, on December 22, 1863, when his eldest daughter Elizabeth Louise (your great grandmother) married your great grandfather Mr. Alfred George Fisher a son of Mr. John Fisher of Wellington Grange, Cascade Road, Hobart Town. The “Mercury” of December 24th and 28th quoted Mr. George Harbroe as living at New Town.
George died on 6th July 1881 aged 64 years.
source Robert G Gregory 1967 letter to his nephew
Paul Bathurst Edwards ISBN O 646 19028 8
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