William LEAR From Bitton to Tasmania to the Victorian Goldfields

Further detail and documentation on the life of William LEAR can be found on the following links

By 1823 William LEAR had a Ticket of Leave ( VDL Census 1823). 

In 1825 William married Mary Ann CONNOR a convict sentenced to 7 years transportation as a pickpocket in Leeds UK. (Tas Archives ???) She arrived in Hobart on the Mary on 5 October 1823. Mary CONNOR is mentioned in the book “Notorious Strumpets and other Dangerous Girls” by Tardif.

William LEAR and Mary CONNOR had 6 Children:

• John James born. 20 Dec 1828, Hobart; died. 27 Mar 1899, Tarraville, VIC, AUS.
• William Thomas born. 19 Jul 1830, Hobart ; died. 1870, Gold Fields, Victoria
• Nancy  born. 17 Apr 1832, Hobart, Married ???? 1848 Gold Fields Victoria
• Abraham born. 23 Dec 1833, Hobart; died. 15 Jan 1834, Hobart, TAS
• Isaac  born. 23 Dec 1833, Hobart; died. 03 Nov 1878, Tarraville, VIC,
• Francis Henry born. 10 Feb 1837, Hobart, died. 1907, South Melbourne

When Mary CONNOR died on 25 December 1840 William LEAR married MARY PEARSALL nee HOLMES on 23 July 1842 in Trinity Church, Hobart Town, Tasmania. She was the daughter of THEOPHILUS HOLMES and MARY RICKETTS. She was born 1802 in Chappel House, Chippingnorton,Oxfordshire, England, and died 22 May 1875 in Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia26 (IGI . Batch # M310462 & C020162). Mary was the widow of John PEARSALL who arrived in Tasmania as a free man with his wife Mary and several children in 1935.

William LEAR and Mary HOLMES appear to have had no children but William was the adopted father of several Pearsall children as noted in a number of records in Victorian BDMs.

William LEAR appears to have left Tasmania for Victoria around 1848. This is supported by the marriage of his daughter Nancy in Victoria in 1849. He purchased an interest in a mine at Parkins Reef around 1859 (Maldon Index area of Maldon, Victoria - Lear, William RB488 WB Hse, Parkins Reef). Maldon was an early gold mining area. He died at Eaglhawk Victoria which is now a suburb of Bendigo

William was joined by his brother Samuel LEAR working at the Parkins Mine at Eaglehawk near Bendigo in Victoria. Samuel died while working at the mine on 11 October 1851. More information on Samuel and a copy of the Coroners Report can be found .....here

William LEAR died of old age at Eaglhawk on ??????? A copy of his Death Certificate can be viewed here. Interestingly iit shows his mothers maiden name as FRY. The details were provided by one of Marys children who had been raised by William LEAR. Initially this was thought to be simply inaccurate, but it is now thought to have some validity.

William is buried at Bendigo. Photos of his grave site can be found on this site. Family members have been working towards having a plaque placed on the gravesite in memory of this Australian LEAR family pioneer.