by Gary. M. Anstey, chief researcher of the Anstey story project.
Many thanks to Julia for her help in constructing this pedigree.
The Majorca, Victoria Anstees of Australia are a sub-branch of the Swanbourne Ansteys of Buckinghamshire. The sub-branch began when Edward Anstee, an Australian Anstey pioneer, born in 1819, married Caroline Rich in August 1838 in Simpson, Buckinghamshire. They lived in Simpson, then Swanbourne, then in 1844 they emigrated to Australia aboard the ‘Dark Pale‘ ship, arriving in Port Phillip on 21 July 1844 (the ‘NSW Assisted Immigrant Passenger List‘ contained the names “ANSTIE, Edward aged 25, Buckinghamshire, Protestant, labourer ANSTIE, Caroline aged 23 ANSTIE, Mary Ann aged 5 ANSTIE, Rebecca aged 3.“)
Edward Anstee and Caroline had children:
- Sarah Anstee (b c1838 Buckinghamshire, died at a young age?)
- Mary Ann Anstee (b 1839 Simpson, married George Richard Marks in 1858 – no children);
- Rebecca Anstee (b 1841 Simpson, baptised in 1842 in Swanbourne, married Luke Bell in 1858 and lived at Brunswick and then Ballarat);
- Anne Anstee (b 1843 Swanbourne, died on 8 May 1844 onboard the ‘Dark Pale‘);
- Edward Anstee (b 1845, Ashbourne, Geelong, Victoria, probably married Elizabeth Ann White in 1873 in Victoria where they had a large family. Edward died in Brighton, Victoria in 1919);
- John Anstee (b 1847 Ashbourne, Geelong, Victoria, married Mary Milburn in 1874 and had numerous children at Timor, Majorca including David Rich Anstee (b 1887 in Majorca, an Anstey Hero);
- Alfred Charles Anstee (b 1848 Geelong, Victoria, died 1902 Elsternwick, Victoria);
- Frances Caroline Anstee (b 1849 Geelong, Victoria, married Stephen Tranter in 1868);
- George Anstee (b 1851 Fyan’s Creek, Majorca, Victoria, married Frances Catherine Hynson in 1855 and lived in Timor, Majorca, having numerous children including Anstey Heroes, Edward Alfred Anstee (1873-1915); Ernest Hynson Anstee (b 1887); Arthur Joseph Anstee (1893-1918); and Ralph Norman Anstee (b 1895). The family later lived at 145 Eastern Road, South Melbourne, Victoria. George died in 1928 in Malvern East, Victoria);
- Ellen Anstee (b c1858, signed an 1891 Women’s Suffrage Petition in Ballaret as Ellen Nicholas of Main Road Majorca “Ellen NICHOLAS (ANSTEE) b ~1858 Geelong, m 1872 Michael NICHOLAS bp Cornwall. Chn: Elizabeth (1876-1881) Maryborough-Craigie, Mary Ellen b 1878 Timor, George Richard R b 1884 Majorca, William b 1886 Majorca, Frances Caroline b 1888 Majorca, Hubert Ernest b 1891 Majorca. Ellen NICHOLAS d 1933 aged 75 Toorak d/o Edward ANSTEE and Caroline (RICH)“. Ellen’s two eldest sons were Alfred Michael Nicolas (1881-1937) and George Richard Rich Nicholas (1884-1960), their biographies can be found in the Australian Dictionary of Biography)
- Richard William Anstee (b 1858 Fyan’s Creek, Majorca, Victoria died an infant);
- Sarah Jane Anstee (b 1859 Fyan’s Creek, Majorca, Victoria, died an infant)
Caroline (Rich) Anstee died in December 1859 and is buried in Geelong Western Public Cemetery with her youngest son Richard William Anstee. In 1869, the ‘Ballarat Star‘ newspaper reported that “three men, named James Ritson, Edward Anstee and [presumably his son] John Anstee of Haddon, were brought before Captain Pasco… on the charge of having stolen a house, the property of Philip Puryer. The prisoners were remanded, but admitted to bail, each in a personal security of twenty pounds.“
Edward Anstee died in 1886 in Majorca, Victoria.
We are actively on the lookout for Majorca Anstee experts alive today who are willing to add their findings and knowledge to this project. We are particularly interested in research regarding Majorca Anstees who fought in World War One, preferably with personal souvenirs such as letters sent by the soldiers or military photos etc.
We are also interested in hearing more about how, when and why Edward Anstee first migrated to Australia from Swanbourne. Anybody who has such expertise and inclination, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com.
We have already uploaded bits of information and documentation about the Majorca Anstees, and continue to upload more all the time (see Project Updates), however it is spread over various segments of the website.
The best way to find said information is to enter ‘Majorca’ in the search box at the bottom of this page and a list of relevant pages will appear.
Anybody who finds any mistakes on this page, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com and we will correct it.
