1830-1860

PLACING BETTS

 

1831. Precious metals trading licence issued by Stamp Office of Great Britain (right) to John and William Betts at Charlotte Street, Birmingham, UK.

 

1838. On 1 April 1838, Birmingham received its Charter of Incorporation.  The first Council consisted of a Mayor, sixteen Aldermen, and forty-eight Councillors.  The Aldermen were elected by the Council at its first meeting and included John Betts.

 

1839. My great great aunt, Rebecca Rudder, sister of my great grandmother Annabella Betts (née Rudder),  set sail with her mother, and other members of the family for Sydney, Australia from Portsmouth aboard the 687 ton Clipper Wilmot built in Nova Scotia in 1836.  Like her brother, Enoch, Rebecca kept a diary and I have her handwritten record of the whole journey. It makes fascinating reading and catches the flavour of contemporary Victorian attitudes to long distance travel and life aboard a rather long-distance ferry (she arrived in Sydney on 26 January 1840).  Rebecca had to go with her family where circumstances, rather than her own volition, dictated.

 

Rebecca describes many scenes and events of interest to us today, amongst those observations relating to natural history are some on the Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish (Physalia physalis L.), bioluminescence, tuna (probably Katsuwonus pelamys Kishinouye), a tarantula (I suspect Aphonopelma sp.), a parhelion, a cachalot (sperm whale), and - pace Sir David - albatross pie.  In our 21^st century world of satellite navigation, routine long-haul air travel, information technology and applied environmental science, it is easy to forget how recently, how quickly and how fundamentally our lives have changed.

 

1849. With his interest in gold mining, Enoch Rudder also travelled to California, of which journey he kept a fascinating journal.  He colourfully records notes on the people, the natural history, geology, mining practices, agriculture and much else.  He was in San Francisco at the end of April at the outbreak of the great fire which he describes, “I found the Heart of the City in one mass of Flame. It was a grand and brilliant spectacle even amid the full light of day.  The bustle, confusion & Noise occasioned by the falling of Houses, explosion of Gun Powder, rattling of Waggons [sic] to remove furniture &c &c rendered the scene one of no ordinary interest... So rapid was the progress of the Fire that in about three hours from its commencement it had terminated and not less than 2 Million Dollars Worth of Property [had been] destroyed together with several lives.”