Henry Thompson Ker

Peter's Great Great Grandfather

Born: 8 Apr 1824

at Finnart, Greenock, Scotland

Died: 23 Aug 1865

at "Broadwater" Busselton, W.A.

Buried: Busselton, W.A.

Married: 31 Oct 1849

at "Pidgeon Grove", Wonnerup, W.A.

to Dorinda Guerin

Dorinda Guerin

Peter's Great Great Grandmother

Born: 21 Jan 1832

at Chatham, England

Died: 1 Mar 1910

at "Alverstoke", Brunswick Junction, W.A.

Buried: Bunbury, W.A.

Married: 31 Oct 1849

at "Pidgeon Grove", Wonnerup, W.A.

to Henry Thompson Ker

Peter's Great Great Grandparents, Henry Thompson Ker and Dorinda (nee Guerin) with two of their children.

Henry was one of a family of fourteen. His father was a junior partner in the firm of Alan Ker & Company, which was involved in shipbuilding at Greenock on the Clyde, in Scotland. They owned a line of ships, trading in timber from Canada. Henry was said to have "strained his heart" as a schoolboy and was sent to Western Australia at the age of nineteen, in the hope that the climate might benefit his health. It is believed that glowing reports of the colony by the Molloy's influenced his parents' decision to send their son to W.A. He arrived in W.A. onboard the 'Shepherd' on 26 October 1843 and went to Captain Molloy, who was the Registrar at the Vasse (Busselton). In 1847 he was one of the party who opened the sandalwood track from Williams to Bunbury. In 1849 he was left to manage 'Fairlawn' for Captain Molloy during his absence in England. In 1850 he was appointed Clerk to Magistrate and Clerk of the Court, and was landing waiter from 1857 to 1862. In 1864 he embarked on a pioneering venture to the Donnelly. Here one misfortune after another befell them. The local natives were hostile, spearing the native stockmen who had come with them from the Vasse. Their house of wattle and daub, with thatched roof, caught fire and burnt to the ground. Most of their possessions were lost, including nearly twelve months provisions and a fully equipped medicine chest. They were forced to live off the bush and their native stockman Doonmal and his wife proved invaluable, showing them how to find and prepare 'bush tucker'. Then their calves were attacked by dingoes and many of the cattle died from some form of poison (possibly Zamia Palm poisoning). Henry's health worsened and the project was eventually abandoned and they returned to live at the Broadwater in Busselton, where Henry died in August 1865 at the age of 41.

Thomas Campbell

Peter's Great Great Grandfather

Born: 1804

at Copenhagen? Denmark

Died: 6 Dec 1872

at Shahabad, India

Married: 1826

at Tranquebar, India

to Helena Maria Elisabeth Fiellerup

Helena Maria Elisabeth Fiellerup

Peter's Great Great Grandmother

Born: 30 May 1810

at Friedricksnagore, Bengal, India

Died: 15 Aug 1863

at Calcutta, India

Married: 1826

at Tranquebar, India

to Thomas Campbell

Peter's Great Great Grandparents, Thomas Campbell and Helena Maria Elisabeth (nee Fiellerup) with their three daughters, Maria Louisa (Peter's great  grandmother, on the right),  Catherine Elizabeth (Kitty), and Louisa Harriet. Thomas and Helena also had nine sons.

(Photo donated by A. Fraser)

According to family legend, Thomas was not the son of John and Elisabeth Campbell, but the son of a Danish prince who had made a morganatic marriage to a lady-in waiting of the Danish Court. The prince at that time was not heir to the throne, when it appeared that he would eventually ascend the throne, his family had the marriage annulled as the lady was not of Royal blood and therefore not a suitable consort. Their child then became illegitimate. The Campbell's were supposedly asked to take the child and he was allowed to assume their family name. While no proof of this story has been found, it is possible that it is true, as it has been passed down through several widely separated branches of the family.

Robert Williams Clifton

Peter's Great  Great Grandfather

Born: 22 May 1817

at London, England

Died: 23 Apr 1897

at "Upton House", Australind, W.A.

Buried: Australind, W.A.

Married: Christina Grant Martin

at London, England

to 20 Oct 1840

Robert is pictured with his dog Bevis

Christina Grant Martin

Peter's Great  Great Grandmother

Born: 25 Dec 1821

at Edinburgh, Scotland

Died: 24 Jan 1909

at "Upton House", Australind, W.A.

Buried: Australind, W.A.

Married: Robert Williams Clifton

at London, England

to 20 Oct 1840

Photo taken in 1893, when Christina was 72