Stamboom De Weger/Kuipers » Joseph Popplewell (1799-1872)

Personal data Joseph Popplewell 

• He was born on May 5, 1799 in Methley, Yorkshire, England.
• Profession: stone mason.
• (Fact 1) : 25. Joseph POPPLEWELL was born on 5 May 1799 in Methley, Yorkshire, ENG, was christened on 26 May 1799 in Methley, Yorkshire, ENG, died on 23 Jul 1872 in Sydney, NSW at age 73, and was buried on 24 Jul 1872 in Rookwood Cemetery, NSW. General Notes: Nothing is known of Joseph's life in England, other than the fact he became a stone mason at an early age. This was his occupation on arrival in Australia, and for the remainder of his life. He also apparently married, being described as a "widower" at his 1840 marriage, but his wife did not accompany him to Australia and so presumably had died before 1834. He arrived in Sydney aboard the "Royal Saxon" on February 2nd, 1835. The ship had departed London on September 13th, 1834 and travelled to Liverpool, where it is likely that Joseph boarded. On September 20th, he left English soil forever. Joseph set up his stonemasonary business at 184 Pitt street, somewhere near Brickfield Hill. His main work initially involved making headstones for the nearby Sandhills Cemetery. When this cemetery was cleared to make way for Central Railway Station, many of the headstones were transferred to Bunnerong, where examples of Joseph's craft can still be seen. Joseph married at St. Andrews Scots Church, Sydney on March 26th, 1840. His wife was Mary Anne Moreland, believed to be the widow of James Morland who died in 1839. Joseph and Mary had a very short marriage, before Mary died in 1841. In 1844, Joseph is shown as conducting his business at 184 Pitt St. He is also referenced in the "Maitland Mercury" in 1844, and Jan-June 1846 (see index by R&W Gow). At this stage, he had met Emily Messer, the widow of publican Henry Messer, who bore him twins in 1845. Both died soon after birth. Joseph and Emily then moved to Morpeth, in the Hunter Valley, where they were married on April 20th, 1846. Their first surviving child, son David, was born at West Maitland in 1846, but the family soon returned to Sydney. In the 1851 Sydney Directory Joseph is listed as a mason and sculptor at 63 Pitt-street South. Joseph became the first Mormon convert in NSW (and the second in Australia) when, on December 3rd 1851 he was baptised into the religion. Together with Emily (also converted), their children, and Emily's daughter from her first marriage, they sailed for California and Utah aboard the "Envelope", leaving Sydney on April 6th, 1853. Their stay was brief, Joseph having difficulty in coming to terms with the practice of polygamy. As far as can be ascertained, the family never left California before returning to Sydney aboard the schooner "Jane A Falkenburg" on April 14th, 1856. Emily's daughter (also Emily) did not return, having married in California shortly after arrival, and she remained in California for the remainder of her life. Joseph returned to his career as a stone mason, working on such projects as the Great Hall at Sydney University. Two posed photographs exist of he and his team of workers in front of the partly-completed Great Hall, but unfortunately his face is in deep shadow. In the 1858-59 Sands Directory, he is listed as a mason at 309 Sussex St. In 1861, the Sands Directory shows him as a Stonemason, of Newtown-road, Newtown. By 1863, he had moved to Elizabeth-st, Camperdown, as a Stonecutter. We are not yet clear about the later years in the lives of both Joseph and Emily. It appears they were living apart when Emily died in 1863 at Penrith, where she is buried beneath an imposing headstone erected by "D & E Popplewell". Joseph survived another nine years, before he died at the Sydney Infirmary on July 23rd, 1872. He was buried in the Church of England section of Rookwood cemetery, in an unmarked grave. Noted events in his life were: • Shipping: Arrived Sydney aboard "Royal Saxon", 2 Feb 1835. • Shipping: Departed Sydney (for San Francisco) aboard "Envelope", 6 Apr 1853. • Shipping: Arrived San Francisco aboard "Envelope", 8 Jul 1853. • Shipping: Arrived Sydney (from San Francisco) aboard "Jane A Falkenburg", 14 Apr 1856. • Residence: 309 Sussex St, 1858, Sydney. • Residence: Newtown Road, 1861, Newtown, NSW. • Residence: Elizabeth St, 1863, Camperdown, NSW. Joseph married Mary Anne REID on 26 Mar 1840 in Sydney, NSW. Joseph next married Emily SUTHERLAND on 20 Apr 1846 in Maitland, NSW. Emily was born on 5 May 1816 in London, ENG, died on 14 Jun 1863 in Penrith, NSW at age 47, and was buried on 15 Jun 1863 in St Stephens, Penrith, NSW. Noted events in her life were: • Shipping: Arrived Sydney aboard "Rossendale", 22 Oct 1834. • Shipping: Departed Sydney (for San Francisco) aboard "Envelope", 6 Apr 1853. • Shipping: Arrived San Francisco aboard "Envelope", 8 Jul 1853. • Shipping: Arrived Sydney (from San Francisco) aboard "Jane A Falkenburg", 14 Apr 1856..
• He died on July 23, 1872 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, he was 73 years old.
• A child of Benjamin Popplewell and Esther Hartley

Household of Joseph Popplewell

He is married to Emily Sutherland.

They got married in the year 1846 at Australia, he was 46 years old.

Child(ren):

1. John Joseph Popplewell (alias Massey)  1848-1922 

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Timeline Joseph Popplewell

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