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William Poultney (1850–?)

William Poultney (1850- ), the fifth child and only son of William Poultney and Margaret Robertson was born on 27 June 1850 at Hamilton, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). Following the deaths of his father (1854) and mother (1855) he was placed in the Queen's Orphan School at Hobart on 28 March 1858. He was discharged from the school on 19 September 1859 to live with his sister Mary Ann Griffiths. Readmitted to the school on 20 August 1860 he was discharged/apprenticed to William Smith on 3 February 1863. He absconded from Smith's home, stealing 7 shillings, on 14 September 1866. He was described as being 16 years old, 5 feet 2 inches (157.5 cm) tall, with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair, full features and a stout build.

By 1879 he was making a land claim in Hamilton, Tasmania, with his half brother Henry Poultney (1833-1898), the son of his father's first wife Charlotte Holland.

Original Publication

Additional Resources

  • land claim, Mercury (Hobart), 30 October 1879, p 4, column 1

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Citation details

'Poultney, William (1850–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/poultney-william-31809/text39272, accessed 30 September 2023.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

27 June, 1850
Hamilton, Tasmania, Australia

Cultural Heritage

Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.

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