Person:Sarah Nicholls (2)

Sarah Nicholls was born in 1868 at Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire. She was the daughter of a straw plaiter named Susan Warner and an agricultural labourer named Daniel William Nicholls. Sarah's parents were not married, so her birth was registered as Sarah Warner, but in all other records her maiden name was given as Nicholls (or spelling variants thereof). The 1871 census finds Sarah living with her parents and siblings at Nomansland, a hamlet to the south of Wheathampstead parish.

Sarah's mother died in June 1871, when Sarah was about three years old. Later that year her father married Susan's half-sister, Maria Wright (formerly Hornet), who thus went from being Sarah's aunt to also being her stepmother. Maria already had a daughter called Sarah, who was a year older than this Sarah.

The 1881 census finds Sarah living with her father, stepmother and siblings at Brewhouse Hill in Wheathampstead. Around the same time, Sarah's older brother Jesse was emigrating to Australia. Her brothers Frederick and Alfred would follow over the next couple of years. In 1888, Sarah and her younger brother Arthur followed their older brothers, sailing from London on 22nd December 1888, and arriving at Maryborough in Queensland on 18th February 1889, nearly two months later. Sarah's father and stepmother stayed behind in England.

On 11th October 1890, aged 22, Sarah married a farmer called Zachariah Austin. He had been born in England but had emigrated to Queensland with his parents when he was five years old.

They went on to have eight children together between 1891 and 1907, although one died young. The family appears to have lived at Nikenbah.

Back in England, Sarah's father died in 1901.

In the mid 1930s Sarah and Zachariah retired to Scarness, in the Hervey Bay area on the Queensland coast.

Sarah died on 1st August 1940 at Maryborough, aged 72. It was reported when she died that she had twenty-four grandchildren. Zachariah outlived her by nearly sixteen years.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Sarah WARNER, June Quarter 1868, St Albans Registration District, Volume 3a, page 333, mother's maiden name blank

2. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1376; Folio 51; Page 18, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: No Man's Land, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Daniel Nichols, head, married, male, 37 [1833/4], Ag Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Susan Nichols, wife, married, female, 36 [1834/5], Straw plaiter, b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   William Nichols, son, male, 13 [1857/8], Ag Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Jessie Nichols, son, male, 11 [1859/60], Ag Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Nichols, son, male, 9 [1861/2], Ag Labourer, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Nichols, daughter, female, 7 [1863/4], Straw plaiter, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Alfred Nichols, son, male, 5 [1865/6], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Nichols, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Nichols, son, male, 1m [1871], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

3. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Wheathampstead Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Wheathampstead in the County of Hertford in the Year 1871
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   637	1871 June 25	Sarah	Daniel & Susan	Nickols Warner	Nomansland, Wheathampstead	Laborer	Owen W. Davys, Rector

   Baptised same day as brother Arthur Daniel.

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1429; Folio 48; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Daniel Nichols, head, married, male, 47 [1833/4], Farm labourer, b. Gustard Wood, Hertfordshire
   Maria Nichols, wife, married, female, 48 [1832/3], Straw plaiter, b. Batford Mills, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Nichols, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1861/2], Farm labourer, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1863/4], Straw plaiter, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Nichols, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Clara Nichols, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   George Nichols, son, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], Scholar (2nd family), b. Folly, Hertfordshire

5.   Queensland, Australia. Assisted Immigration 1848-1912 (Queensland Government).

   Dorunda, sailed from London 22 Dec 1888, arrived Maryborough 18 Feb 1889
   Maryborough / Free
   Nicholls, Arthur, 17, F.L. [Farm Labourer?], County Herts / [in a later hand:] Pension Enquiry 9-1-32
   Nicholls, Sarah, 20, D.S. [Domestic Servant], County Herts

6. ↑ Deaths index, in Queensland Government. Queensland Civil Registration.

   Name: Sarah AUSTIN
   d. 1 Aug 1940
   Reg. 1940/C3356
   Father: Daniel NICHOLS
   Mother: Susan WARNER

7. ↑ Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Maryborough, Queensland)
   Page 4, Friday 2 Aug 1940.

   MRS. Z. AUSTIN
   The death occurred yesterday at Maryborough of Mrs. Sarah Austin, aged 72 years and 3 months. The deceased, who was a well-known resident of Scarness was born at Wheathampstead (Herts., England), and came out to Queensland in the sailing ship Dorunda in 1888, landing at Maryborough. For most of her life she lived at Nikenbah, where Mr. Austin was engaged in farming, but for the past ten years had lived a retired life at Scarness. She is survived by her husband, Mr. Zachariah Austin, and a family of five sons, Messrs. Gramp Abel, James, Arthur (Nikenbah), Albert (Pialba) and Edward Austin (monto), and one daughter, Mrs. P. Manskie (Maryborough). There are 24 grand-children. Two daughters predeceased her. Mr. Arthur Nichols, of Maryborough, is a brother. The funeral will take place this afternoon from the Methodist Church, Pialba, after a service commencing at 3 o'clock for the Polson Cemetery.