Mystery of the Month / December 1997

Mystery of the Month - December 1997

Nicholas Wells b: Cir 1796 and Mary Hammond b: Cir 1802
of Kirton Fen, Fosdyke Fen & Boston, Lincolnshire
and Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Nicholas Wells was born Cir 1796 in Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire and died 06 Aug 1871 in Flat, Taradale, Victoria, Australia. He m: 24 Apr 1823 Mary Hammond (b: Cir 1804 Sutterdon, Lincolnshire dau of James Hammond and Mary Small; d: 22 Aug 1854 at sea).

The children of Nicholas and Mary Wells were:
NameSexBorn/ChristenedLocation
James Hammond M18 Jan 1824Kirten Fen, Lincolnshire, England
NicholasM 04 Feb 1825Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire, England
John RichardMCir 1826Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire, England
Joseph JohnM 04 Dec 1828Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire, England
WilliamM 18 May 1829Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire, England
Mary "Polly" WadsleyF 22 May 1831Kirton Fen, Lincolnshire, England
HenryM 13 Jan 1834Fosdyke Fen, Lincolnshire, England
Sarah AnnF 23 Jan 1836Fosdyke Fen, Lincolnshire, England
Betsey "Bessie"F 29 Aug 1838Fosdyke Fen, Lincolnshire, England
FannyF 06 Jun 1841Fosdyke Fen, Lincolnshire, England
CharlesM 05 Sep 1847Boston, Lincolnshire, England
In October of 1852 James Hammond Wells, Nicholas Wells and Henry Wells arrived at Port Phillip, Australia aboard the "Holyrood" to join the gold rush at Fryers Creek.

In 1854 the remainder of the family decided to emigrate to Australia. They sold all their belongings by auction and moved to Boston to await a ship. On 27 May 1854 they boarded the ship "Bloomer" and spent the next 93 days at sea to reach Melbourne. Mary (Hammond) Wells died at sea 4 days short of their destination.

In 1838 Elizabeth Wells b: Cir 1787 was buried in a private grave by her husband Phillip Wells (b: Cir 1791) on their property in Holland Fen also known as Fosdyke Fen. The 1841 census for Holland Fen shows:

Phillip Wells 50 Farmer
Jane Wells 20
Jane Leland 60 Female Servant
Mary Odling 15 Female Servant

According to the Bishop's Transcripts for the area Elizabeth Leland and Phillip Wells were married in Fosdyke Fen 30 Nov 1809.

Living immediately next door to (or possibly in the same dwelling of) Phillip Wells in 1841 was the family of Nicholas Wells and Mary Hammond.

Also buried in the Holland Fen Church Yard are:
John Gash Wells b: Cir 1815; d: 18 Sep 1883
Joseph Wells b: Cir 1772; d: 15 Apr 1860
Sunna Wells, wife of Joseph Wells b: Cir 1757; d: 04 Feb 1835
Bridget Wells d: 20 Nov 1861

The Mystery of the Month is:

  1. Who were the parents of Nicholas Wells in England?
  2. What was the relationship between Phillip Wells and Nicholas Wells?
  3. Who are the other Wells buried in Holland Fen Churchyard and what relation, if any, are they to Phillip and Nicholas Wells?
  4. Are there any descendants of Phillip Wells or other members of this family currently in England?

If you have any information on this family please send an e-mail to:

Wells Family Research Association
[email protected]

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