| Name |
WITTICK, Walter |
| Prefix |
436 |
| Birth |
Abt 1803 |
Walsall, Staffordshire, England  |
| Christening |
1 Oct 1803 |
Walsall, Staffordshire, England |
Address:
Saint Mathews Church, |
| Gender |
Male |
| Education |
Aft 1804 |
| Walter was illiterate. |
| Occupation |
Bef 1822 |
Walsall, Staffordshire, England |
| Nailer/labourer |
- In the early 19c, in the neighborhood of Birmingham alone60,000 people men, women and children - were involved in the hand manufacture of iron nails.
They turned out something like 200 tons of nails, of numerous varieties and levels of quality, every week. Commonly an entire family would work together, confining themselves to a particulare class of nail.
There were about 300 sorts of wrought or forged iron nails alone. Specific names suggested the uses to which they were put - dec, wheelwright, hurdle, mop, etc.
Further divisions such as rose, clasp, clasp, diamond, pearl and sunken described the shape of the nail head; and flat, sharp, spear, needle and referred to their points. The terms fine, bastard and strong described their thickness.
The very finest quality nails were used for horseshoes; each nail required at least 35 blows of the hammer to draw it out fine enough to prevent it from cracking or breaking off in the horse's hoof.
Most nails required at least 25 blows of the hammer to form them. When the shank had been drawn out from the red hot rod to the required length, it was inserted into a heading tool, cut, turned and struck on the anvil. During this process, the
CONC ellows had to be worked several times.
The workers who forged the nails on the anvil were known as Nailors or Naylors. Each could make as many as four nails a minute - that's up to 3,000 a day.
What has happened to the traditional nail maker has happened to many other classes of industrial worker, who have seen their crafts swallowed up by automated processes or superceded by new inventions.
|
| Legal |
14 Mar 1822 |
Stafford, Staffordshire, England |
| Charged with Burglary |
Address:
Lent Asizes |
- • The Charges:-
Walter along with John Wittick, aged 45 and Thomas Rigby, aged 26, were charged with breaking and entering the dwelling - house of of Samuel Bayley, at Wednesbury and stealing wearing apparel and other articles, his property. They appeared befo re The Honorable Sir William Garrow, Knight, One of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer and The Honorable Sir John Richardson, Knight, One of the Justices of His Majesty's Court of Common Pleas. Committed on the 19th of January, by R ev A. B. Haden
Walter Wightwick & Thomas Rigby, Sentenced to Death - Reprieved, transported for life. & John Wittick found not guilty on the charge of burglary.
• The Punishment:-
Walter, with Thomas Rigby and 142 other convicts, who were sentenced to transportation, were loaded aboard the Caladonia and on June 19th 1822 sailed into an unknown future. After a passage of 140 days, on the 6th of November 1822 they arrive d at Hobart / Derwent, Van Diemen's Land . The ships Master was Robert Carns, and Surgeon, Williamson. On his arrival in Hobart Town Walter was described as 5 Feet tall with light brown hair, blue eyes, pockpitted, aged 17, a nailer & labourer , No Gaol report or Hulk report were found, conduct on board reported as orderly. Stated mother in Walsall and father transported.
• Conduct Report:-
Convict number 436 What follows is the report on his conduct during the time he came under the jurisdiction of the penal authority in Van Diemen's Land. May 27 1823 Absent from muster & church on Sunday last - Extra labour one week. May 31. 1 825. J Wrightwick being present last night between 8 & 9 o'clock Dec 1 1828 Suspected of robbing Mr Cauthorne - ??? no proof ?????. June 15 1830 J Wrightwick been found in the Wheat Sheaf Public House last night after hours being generally wel l behaved he is Admonished May 14 1832 T.L. Found drinking at Hoskijsons Public House on Sunday Evening Reported. August 8 1832 Culpably and negligently in his house premises Jas Evans a Felon Complaint Dismissed no Evidence being called. Feb ruary 2 1833 Absent from muster and Church Admonished. Conditional Pardon No 1099 11th Oct 1830. Full Pardon No 713 12th May 1841.
|
| Physical Description |
6 Nov 1822 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
| 5'0" tall, pockpitted, blue eyes, light brown hair. |
| Census |
1826 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
| Census |
1830 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
| Census |
1832 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
| Census |
1836 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
- [HeShe] appeared on the [Desc] [onDate] [inPlace].
|
| Census |
1846 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land |
| Occupation |
Aft 1847 |
Richmond, Colony of Victoria |
| Brick maker |
Address:
Brooks Lane |
- He had a Brick making factory. He was next door to David Mitchell the builder. His property was in Brooks Lane, possibly on corner of Burnley Street
|
| Occupation |
11 May 1870 |
Richmond, Colony of Victoria [1, 2] |
| Brick maker |
| Religion |
11 May 1870 [2] |
| Church of England |
| Residence |
11 May 1870 |
Richmond, Colony of Victoria [1, 2] |
Address:
Burnley Street |
| Death |
11 May 1870 |
Richmond, Colony of Victoria |
| Cause: as a result of a Fall of clay |
Address:
Brooks Lane |
- FATAL ACCIDENT.
An accident, which was attended with fatal results, took place at Richmond, on Wednesday afternoon. A man named Walter Wittick, sixty-one years of age, a brickmaker, was working with his son in a square hole picking clay, when the side of the hole gave way, probably loosened by the late rains, and a mass of clay, weighing about
three tons, fell upon him, burying him completely. The son, who fortunately escaped uninjured, im-mediately called for help, and was heard by a man named James Pacey who was working near the top of the hole, and who gave an alarm. Assistance was quickly on the spot, and in about an hour's time the unfortunate man was got out, but life was extinct. An inquest was held upon the body yesterday by Mr. Candler, when a verdict of accidental death was returned.
Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 14 May 1870, page 4
|
| Inquest |
13 May 1870 |
Richmond, Colony of Victoria |
- INQUESTS.
Mr. Candler held an inquest on Thursday last, at Richmond, on the body of Walter Wittick, aged 61 years. Deceased was a brick maker, and on the previous Wednesday, between 2 and 3 o'clock, he was working in a square hole, picking clay, when suddenly the clay gave way, and fell on top of deceased, burying him completely. Though there was plenty of help, it was about an hour before he was got out, when he was quite dead. A verdict of acci-dental death was returned.
Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 19 May 1870, page 2
|
| Reference Number |
W0129 |
| _COLOR |
11 |
| _UID |
2CF0B9314B1B466C8FFB902B96F44ADE15D2 |
| Burial |
13 May 1870 |
Kew, Colony of Victoria [2] |
Address:
Boroondara General Cemetery, |
- Plot:- Church of England/B/194
THE Friends of the late Mr. WALTER WITTICK are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment, Boroondara Cemetery.
Funeral moving from his late residence, Burnley-street, Richmond, THIS DAY, at 2 o'clock.
JOHN LITTLE, undertaker, 74 Victoria street, Richmond (late Simpson's-road).
Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Friday 13 May 1870, page 8
|
| Person ID |
I386 |
My Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
26 Mar 2026 |
Family  |
CHRISTIAN, Ann, b. Abt 1816, Stepney, Middlesex, England d. 12 Dec 1873, Melbourne, Colony of Victoria (Age 57 years) |
| Marriage |
10 Jun 1833 |
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land [3] |
Address:
St Davids Church |
| Children |
| | 1. WITTICK, Fanny, b. 11 Apr 1834, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land d. 1882, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Age 47 years) |
| | 2. WITTICK, Isabella Maria, b. 18 Jan 1837, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land d. 29 Oct 1860, Hawthorn, Colony of Victoria (Age 23 years) |
| | 3. WITTICK, Charlotte, b. 14 Apr 1840, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land d. 1922 (Age 81 years) |
| | 4. WITTICK, Sarah Anne, b. 17 Feb 1843, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land d. 1907, Kew, Victoria, Australia (Age 63 years) |
| | 5. WITTICK, Rebecca Thirza, b. 3 Aug 1845, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land d. 15 Aug 1910, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia (Age 65 years) |
| | 6. WITTICK, Walter John, b. 7 Mar 1848, Burnley, Colony of Victoria d. 20 Feb 1936, Richmond, Victoria, Australia (Age 87 years) |
| | 7. WITTICK, Elizabeth, b. 1851, Richmond, Colony of Victoria d. 1914, Richmond, Victoria, Australia (Age 63 years) |
| | 8. WITTICK, Mary Catherine, b. Abt 1853, Richmond, Colony of Victoria d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 9. WITTICK, William Thomas, b. 6 Feb 1857, Richmond, Colony of Victoria d. 13 Nov 1939, Sunshine, Victoria, Australia (Age 82 years) |
|
| Family ID |
F127 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
26 Oct 2026 |
Abt 1803 - 1870 (67 years) Has 6 ancestors and more than 100 descendants in this family tree.