A carriage similar to ones built by the Kearsleys of Ripon, Yorkshire
George Kearsley & his brothers Robert, William & James collaborated to manufacture some of the finest horse drawn carriages in the mid-1800s.
George Kearsley & his brothers Robert, William & James collaborated to manufacture some of the finest horse drawn carriages in the mid-1800s.
15th June 1842 - Gravesend, Kent
Dear Mother
I got to Shooters Hill yesterday afternoon with the dear children and left them this morning Wednesday and arrived at Gravesend where I find the ship leaves tomorrow morning. My fellow passenger seems a very nice sort of fellow and I make no doubt we shall be very comfortable together. Tell Bill I hope that before many years are over our heads that we shall see each other in a new land but he is not to think of coming whatever opportunity may present itself until he has a letter from me. I must again bid you farewell but it is to be hoped not forever also Bill & Betty when you may see her.
Remaining Your Affectionate Son, Jas Kearsley
(Ship) George Fyfe- Cap’t (George) Pyke- (Brokers) Bickers Phillips & Tiplady
James Kearsley was born in 1815 in Southwark, Surrey, England of parents James Kearsley and Ann Hialmsley. A journalist and printer by trade James left Gravesend, Kent for New Zealand on 16 June 1842. The letter above was written to his mother as he set out on the George Fyfe, the first ship to carry the curious and adventurous to New Zealand. They arrived in Nelson, on the 12th of Dec 1842. A partial journal of his experience exists and a typed transcription can be found on his individual data page.
We don’t know why James left his homeland and family to move to New Zealand. Most of the NZ settlers were of British origin but other Europeans hoped to establish a colony there as well. The Nanto Bordelaise Company of France tried to generate interest but were unsuccessful as were pockets of Germans. Two-thirds of the early settlers came from the south of England, Kent & Sussex, and others from the London area where recruiting agents were specifically looking for mechanics & farm laborers. For them independence and land ownership were the appeal. 1/5 of the recruits from the New Zealand Company were paying cabin passengers as was James and many were professionals (such as doctors) and retired military officers. One or two other established Kearsley lines exist in NZ and research is ongoing to learn more about them.
James married Mary Jane Bradey in 1849 in Wellington, New Zealand and they had 2 sons James Francis & George Frederick Kearsley. Their descendants live there still and provided us with much of the information included here.
"Family historians generally research their ancestors as far back as possible, collecting names and information on everyone related to them. A one-name study is rather different. It concentrates on those with a single surname, even if they are not related. Researchers often start by following a single line of their own family, but move on to collecting information on people with that surname, past and present, anywhere in the world."
This study contains more than 4400 Kearsleys & Kersleys, their variants and a few offshoots and is intended to be a framework on which to build a more comprehensive history of the Kearsley surname. We welcome your suggestions, help with filling in missing information or adding detail to those already included -also we appreciate the correction of any mistakes you might find. Furthermore, we are committed to respecting your right to privacy and to that end have attempted to redact all information concerning living family members from online viewing. The upper left corner of the site contains a link to the descendants of Jonathan Kearsley, who left his family in Scotland and came to America ca. 1738, settling in Pennsylvania where he married and had a large family. We know nothing of his ancestors, only his descendants, and it is one of the focuses of this study to discover this early lineage. The search boxes on the right will access all other Kearsleys & their families. Note: The search box at the bottom right is non-functioning but cannot be removed. Please check back with us often as the site is updated regularly. Contact Us: Kearsley@one-name.org
11 October 2022
The hilt of the sword bears the French inscription which translated means “Draw me not without reason, Sheath me not without honor". His sword remains in the family after being passed on to his son Jonathan who used it as a walking stick. More pictures. (Click here)
The scabbard having been lost Captain Kearsley converted the sword into a sword-cane, substituting a portion of the antler of a deer of his own killing. He presented it to his son who was a veteran of Lundy's Lane, Stony Creek, Cryslers Field/Farm and Fort Erie, where he lost his leg.