John Cheyne

     John Cheyne was born, 19 November 1811, in County Antrim, Ireland. His date of birth and parentage was documented in A. Y. Cheyne, The Cheyne Family in Scotland, on page 145.^1,2

The whaling industry in Albany, King Georges Sound, Western Australia, Australia had been established by George Cheyne (2643), born in Edinburgh, on 8th April, 1790, the fourteenth of sixteen children to Dr John Cheyne and Margaret Edmonstone. He reached Fremantle in 1831 on board the Stirling. Two of his brothers, Alexander (2639) and Bruce (2645), and two nephews, John (2652) and George McCartney Cheyne (2651), were also resident there before moving to the eastern colonies.³

John Cheyne married Ann Lavina Forrest 10 May 1833, in Sherington Parish, Buckingham, England.^4,5

John and Annie Cheyne arrived in Albany, King Georges Sound, Western Australia, Australia, 19 June 1834, aboard the James Pattison and became farmers at Oyster Bay. Also aboard was his uncle, Captain Alexander Cheyne (2639).⁶

John Cheyne was listed on the birth record as the father of George Cheyne, about 1835. George Cheyne (14503) may have been the son of John Cheyne (2652) and Ann Lavina Forrest (2666). They were residing in Sydney, Saint James' Parish, New South Wales in 1848. That was the year and place of death for George Cheyne, whose death record did not indicate the identities of his parents.⁷

The family moved with a group of settlers to Glory Harbour, New Zealand, circa 1838. There they purchased an island from the Maoris and unsuccessfully ventured in farming.⁶

After the unsuccessful farming venture they moved to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, arriving aboard the whaler Magnet, 10 March 1839.⁶

An inventory of the estate of Peter Cheyne (once of Lochhead) (7044) as recorded in Aberdeen Sheriff Court Inventories----Reference # SCI/36/22 item 18 reads: "Principal sum in acknowledgement by John Cheyne now in Australia dated _______January, 1840 is 10 pounds and 13 shillings.Interest due thereon at Deceased death at 5% is 2 pounds 7 shillings and 2 pence". That John Cheyne was probably John (2652).

John Cheyne was listed on a birth record as the father of an unknown person , about 1848.⁸

He was the schoolmaster of Saint James College, Sydney, in 1848.⁶

The family moved to Geelong, Victoria, Australia, arriving aboard the Brothers, 7 April 1849. He was ordained a deacon of the Church of England, 23 December 1849, and later, on 15 June 1851, a priest, at Saint James Church, in Melbourne.⁶

A partial transcription of Alexander Romanov-Hughes, Port Phillip Clergy reads: "At Burbank 1851-52. At Castlemaine from 1853. First President of the Castlemaine District Hospital. At Muckleford. Stationed at Sandridge in 1859. Became insolvent and left the ministry circa 1861. His wife died in 1867 at Muckleford, Victoria. He married secondly in 1870 at St Kilda Victoria to Janet Mary Carmichael. Ran a school in Phillip Island in the 1870s".⁶

John Cheyne married Janet Mary Carmichael 1870, in Victoria, Australia. The couple was also married at Saint Kilda Parish, Victoria.^9,10

John Cheyne died 11 December 1880 in South Preston, Victoria, Australia. His death was registered during the year of 1880. He was said to have been 69 years of age at death. His parents were confirmed to have been as recorded herein. He was said to have been born in Antrim.^4,2,6,11

John Cheyne was buried 14 December 1880, at Melbourne General Cemetery, in Carlton, Victoria, Australia..⁶

John Cheyne was listed on a birth record as the father of an unknown person , circa 1890.

The attached notes were provided by Sue Fiffer, in Australia, 17 December 2007.⁶

Forrest Hall Cheyne (19410) may have been a grandson or great-grandson of John Cheyne (2652) and Ann Lavina Forrest (2666).