The migrant Le Couteurs - Other Le Couteurs
The migrant Le Couteurs:
Other Le Couteurs
This is the last in a series of five articles about the Le Couteur family, and specifically brothers George and Philip Le Couteur, who emigrated separately to Australia in the 19th century. The content comes from a booklet, The Migrant Le Couteurs - from Jersey to Australia written by Lindsay Horner, husband of a Le Couteur descendant, and published by the author before a family gathering at Warnambool, Victoria, in March 1991
John Le Couteur
John was an older brother of George and Philip, born in 1824. He was a sailor, became master of his vessel, making his first voyage as master on the Jersey Lass, sailing from London on 7 October 1847 and arriving in Jersey on 18 October. On 21 November 1828 John Le Couteur and Josue (perhaps his brother Joshua) "arrived in Jersey having come through Lisbon and Southampton on their return from the Cape Verde Islands where they had been exiled since their shipwreck. They arrived in England on 18 November, six months after their misfortune. They were moreover dismasted 12 hours after their departure from these islands and were almost lost on the Island of Madeira 10 days after".
John married Sarah Anderton on 18 June 1855 in Runcon, Cheshire, England. He settled in Runcorn and lived in a largish house overlooking the River Mersey. He appears to have been a very "public" man, with interests in local groups supporting the poor, Christian associations etc, and often giving talks on his voyages and experiences. He was the vessel surveyor for the Dee Shipowners Association, inspecting and valuing ships in Runcorn and other ports around the Northwest of England. His records, written in superb copperplate handwriting, are in a book which was rescued from destruction by his great-grandson Bryan Le Couteur.
In 1859 John was the first man to be made a Mason in the first Masonic Lodge in Runcorn. He was a prominent citizen of the town, and was always in the news - particularly in the 1880s, when he rose to be appointed Captain of the Locks on the River Mersey, which position he held until his death in Liverpool on 11 June 1897.
Elizabeth Le Couteur
Little is known of Elizabeth, Philip and George's only sister and the eldest in the family. She was born in Jersey on 27 January 1822, and is recorded in the 1851 Census as a dressmaker, aged 28, living at Croix de St Nicolas in the Parish of St Peter with her mother, who was aged 57 and an "annuitant" (her husband having died in 1837). Elizabeth married John Renaut in Jersey in 1857, and had one son. She died on 27 January 1859- apparently a short life as this would have made her exactly 37 years old at her death.
Several other (apparently unrelated) Le Couteurs were in Victoria in the 1850s:
Helier Le Couteur
Helier Le Couteur is shown in the 1851 Census as aged 19 and living in the Parish of St Laurence, where he was born. He left Jersey on 4 June 1853 and arrived in Melbourne on 3 October 1853 as an unassisted migrant on the Loyal, a vessel of 222 tons under Captain Daniel Le Geyt. He is described as a mariner, aged 19. In 1866 he married Simona McDonald and had one child, Helier, who was born and died in Carlton in 1871. No records of the deaths of Helier senior or his wife have been found.
G G Le Couteur
He is recorded as sailing from Plymouth on the Historia, a barque of 443 tons. This was under command of Captain Thomas R Mowat, carried 48 adult and 12 juvenile passengers, and arrived in Melbourne on 7 August 1854. The migrant is described as a British subject, single and aged 19.
John Le Couteur
This was a seaman from Guernsey who was found drowned in the Yarra in May 1852. He had been working on the barge Emma which had been plying between Melbourne and Port Philip Bay. At the coroner's inquest, a resident of the City of Melbourne declared that he had "known the deceased for many years", and that he was a "very sober young man". From this it could be inferred that John Le Couteur had lived in Melbourne for some years before his death. Being from Guernsey, however, he may not be closely related to the Jersey Le Couteurs.
Three "strays" who were identified in the 1856 Electoral Roll 33 were :
- John Le Couteur, a carpenter and householder, who lived in Victoria Street, in the South Yarra Electoral Division.
- Edmund Dickson Le Couteur, a clerk working for Myers and Co on a salary of £100 per annum, in the Avoca Division.
- William Le Couteur. He was also a salaried clerk employed by Myers and Co in the Avoca Division.
Other articles
- Part 1 - introduction
- Part 2 - early life and voyage to Australia
- Part 3 - life in Australia
- Part 4 - Philip Le Couteur
Family trees
