Robert Russel Paton (1830-c.1860) Descendants to Australia

Robert Russel, son of Robert & Matilda (Russell) Patton, was the brother to William Patton (1828-1909) who emigrated to Australia.

Little is known of what happened to Robert, albeit that he married Hannah Cairncross Johnston in Edinburgh on the 9th January 1860. Hannah was the daughter to George & Christina Johnston from Birsay in the Orkney Islands.

On the 26th June 1860 their son Ebenezer Johnston Paton was born.

In 1861 both Hannah and Ebenezer are living in the Sailor’s Home in Birsay, Orkney Islands. Was Robert a sailor and still alive at this time?

Hannah was working as a seamstress in Birsay in 1861.

20 years later, in 1881, both Hannah & Ebenezer were living at 9 Common Stair, St.George, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.

3 years later, on the 4th October 1884, Hannah Paton and her 24 year old son Ebenezer embarked for Australia onboard the vessel “PORT PHILLIP”.

They arrived in Hobart on the 30th November 1884.

In 1888 in Emu Bay, Burnie, Tasmania Hannah Paton remarried to Cillstopher (Christopher?) Heinerick.

By 1890 Ebenezer owned a shop in Burnie where it was reported that a theft occurred at his shop in 1890.

On the 17th June 1891 Ebenezer married 19 year old Ellen Hannah Lapham, daughter of  John & Hannah Lapham from Emu Bay, Burnie, Tasmania.

By the 1st of September 1892 Ebenezer and Ellen welcomed their daughter Hannah Ellen into the world.  Sadly within 4 days on the 5th November, Ellen passed away, leaving Ebenezer with a young daughter to raise.  Ellen was only 20 years of age.

Ebenezer’s mother, Hannah, passed away on the 22nd February 1895 in Emu Bay, Burnie, Tasmania.

In 1896 he was living in Beltana, Monmouth, Hobart.

In December 1900 Ebenezer sailed from Hobart to Sydney onboard the “TAMBO”.

On the 12th July 1904 Ebenezer remarries to Mary Belinda Sproule in Glebe, New South Wales.  Mary is a Tasmanian girl from Snug River, Kingston, Tasmania and is 24 years of age at the time of their marriage.

On the 19th of November 1902, Ebenezer is listed as being “registered” with the New South Wales Department of Fisheries, where it is noted that he gives his age as being 4 years younger than he actually was, at this time he was 42 however he offered his “modified” age as 38.

In 1913 he was living at Nelson’s Bay, Durham in New South Wales.  It would appear that Ebenezer lived in this area through until his death on the 26th of March, 1929.