(This journal was first published in November 2003 and has now been posted online separately as the editorial and three articles. -Editor)
Editorial:
by Peter Sherlock (E.4.1a.6b.5c.1d.2e)
This, the second number of the seventh volume of our Journal, focusses exclusively on the figure of Robert Chapman (1814-1879), member of one of the ‘associated families’ of the Hungerfords. The pattern of his life reflects that of many Hungerfords, including travel from Ireland to Australia, a strong connection to the church leading to ordination as an Anglican priest, and descent from a prominent Anglo-Irish family with links to one of the great figures of medieval England, in this case William of Wykeham.
Our Vice-President, Judith Fitz-Henry, describes the growth of her interest in Chapman, and presents us with the main sources for his life. Surely this story of genealogical pursuits is a familiar one to many of us oh that we might all have an inheritance of names, objects, memories and images as rich as the Chapman family!
The document presented in this journal is the so-called ‘purple silk document’ which was recently presented to St Mary’s church, West Maitland, during the celebrations of the l25th anniversary of the church’s consecration. We are extremely grateful to Ron Hunter for undertaking the painstaking work of transcription and cross-checking, and for providing us with an electronic facsimile for publication.
Our next issue will follow up some other ‘associated families’, including the De Wintons, related to the Hungerfords by virtue of their intermarriage with the Winder family of Lochinvar, New South Wales, and the Knight family, whose ancestor John came to Australia in the service of the Hungerfords in 1828.
Contents:
Researching the Reverend Robert Chapman, by Judith Fitz-Henry;
Robert Chapman (1814-1879), by Judith Fitz-Henry;
The Purple Silk Document, by Ron Hunter.