Augustus Henry Worland of West Ham and Sydney

Augustus Henry Worland (1866 (based on death report, see below) - 1906) was the son of James (born 1842, West Ham) and Margaret (or Mary) Worland (born 1847, Poplar, Middlesex). He should not be confused with Augustus Henry Warland from Melbourne (1860 - 1936)

Augustus Worland's father James is likely the son of another James Worland, born 1821 in West Ham, who appears in the 1871 census with James and Margaret - see below.

The following provides a summary of what is known so far about this family.

1783

Based on the 1851 census (but TBC), the earliest Worland known to be connected with this family is James Worland, born 1783. He appears in the 1851 census living in Middlesex with what appear to be his daughter in law and two of his son's children.

1819 or 1820 - Birth of James Worland

James Worland was born in 1819 or 1820 in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, which would appear to connect him with the other Worland families in that location. James appears to be one of two boys born around the same time:

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  • The son of Joseph Worland, a labourer, and Sarah; he was born on 7 August 1819 and was baptised in Meldreth on 10 October 1819.
  • The son of George Worland, a labourer, and Elizabeth; he was born on 28 June 1820 and baptised in Meldreth on 5 November 1820.

    • 1840

    It seems that James Worland made his way down to London before 1840.

    James Worland (born in 1819 or 1820) may be the man with that name who married Ann Haston in Stepney, London on 28 December 1840. According to the baptism record of his son also named James Worland (see below), he was a ship dealer.

    1841 census

    The 1841 census has only one person named James Worland, born 1820, along with a Jane Worland, born 1821, at Melbourn, Royston and Buntingford, Cambridgeshire. A Joseph Worland, born 1811, was recorded nearby with his wife Mary Worland and two young children.

    Where was James Worland and his new wife Ann?

    1851

    In the 1851 census, we see a James Worland, aged 31 (born 1820 Meldreth, Cambridge) now a labourer in London, as well as the following family group in London/Middlesex:

    *A Christopher Worland from Wimpole, born in 1754 in that location, was transported to Australia around 1803/1804 and then returned to England and married Ann Papworth. They had a daughter named Anne Worland. Christopher died in 1813. Further research is necesary to confirm if there is a connection.

    It would appear that James and Ann Worland had their first three children baptised on the same day, 12 March 1854. Why did they wait so long, in the case of James, 13 years?

    1861

    In the 1861 census, we see the following group in Essex. This grouping needs confirmation from the original census records.

    Coincidentally, an Abbis Worland married in Royston, Hertfordshire (a few miles south of Meldreth) also in 1863. Note that the name Abbis Worland is specific to Meldreth; this person is very likely to be linked with Abbis Worland (1781 - 1839) and may be the same person as Abbis Worland (born about 1834 - 1893) who married Mary Ann Driver in Meldreth on 18 July 1863. (In other words, the two marriages in 1863 refer to the same couple).

    1864

    By the date John Worland (born 1855) was baptised in 1864, his father was recorded as a corn chandler.

    Augustus Henry Worland is likely to be the child with that same name (the only one in the timeframe) born in 1864 in West Ham, Essex. His mother's maiden name was Cockshott. (FindMyPast).

    1871

    James and Margaret Worland appear in the 1871 census in the following family group.

    Other related and possibly Worlands are also present in West Ham in 1871.

    1874 - Death of James Worland (born 1841)

    James Worland, born 1841, died in West Ham in 1874, leaving his young wife Margaret with six children.

    It appears that Margaret Ann Worland (nee Cockshott) may have re-married in 1877 at St Saviour Southwark in London. She married either Ernest Albert Askins or Charles Law. This fact is not certain and does not seem to be supported by the 1881 census details - see below.

    In the 1881 census, Augustus appears in the following group living at 41 Sarah Street, West Ham, London and Essex.

    At some point between 1881 and 1890, Augustus Henry Worland migrated to Australia. This event may be connected with the death of his grandfather James Worland (born 1821) in West Ham in 1888.

    From 1890 - Augustus Henry Worland in Australia

    It is not yet known when Augustus Henry Worland arrived in Australia but it must have been before 1890.

    Augustus Henry Worland married Bridget Higgins in Sydney in 1890 (NSW BDM Ref 1333). Bridget was the daughter of Patrick Michael and Julia Higgins, who was born in 1870 in Ryde, Sydney (NSW BDM Ref 16703). Bridget's siblings were as follows:

    Augustus Worland's relationship (if any) to Worlands noted on this page (NSW) or in Victoria is not yet known. There is no obvious record of his birth in Sydney.

    From 1891 - Children born to Augustus and Bridget Worland

    Augustus and Bridget Worland were the parents of several children:

    1906 - Augustus Henry Worland drowns

    Augustus Henry Worland drowned off Manly beach in 1906 (NSW BD Ref 1990). According to The Daily Telegraph of 12 February 1906, Augustus was fishing off the rocks at Manly with his thirteen year old son [Augustus E], his brother-in-law and several other friends, when he was swept into the surf and drowned. The Evening News (Sydney) ran the following article under the headline 'Swept off the rocks - amateur fishterman's untimely end':

    'The circumstances surrounding the death of a labourer named Augustus Henry Worland, 40, who was swept ofl the rocks at Blue Fish Point, Manly, while fishing on February 11, were inquired into by the City Coroner this morning. Bridget Worland, 85 Glebe-street, Glebe, said she last saw her husband alive on February 10, when he left home at 2 p.m. to go fishing at Manly. Her brother, Michael Higgins, and her son, Augustus, aged 14, went with him. Thomas Alexander Cleary, gingerbeer brewer, living at Westmoreland-street, Glebe, said that on February 11 he met deceased at Blue Fish Point about 10 a.m. After having dinner they started to fish off a rock about 12ft but of the water. Witness saw a big wave coming in and called to deceased 'Look out!' Witness and deceased's son ran. Witness grabbed a rock, looked round for Worland, and saw him just being carried over the edge of the rock by a wave. Then he called to the others, and got fishing lines and threw them to Worland, but he could not be reached by the lines. They could do no more, and after struggling for about 15 minutes he went down, and they did not see him again. Subsequently the police were informed. There was an extra big swell on, and now and again a big wave would come in. Augustus Worland said his father had a small fish. on the line, when a wave came up and splashed his legs. Afterwards he was stooping down attending to his line when the large wave washed him off the rock into the sea. He asked his father to leave the rock, but he would not, saying he could take care of himself. The body was recovered by George White, who lives at Whistler-road. Manly. He found it between two rocks below high-water mark at Blue Fish Point on February 24. A verdict of accidental death was returned.'

    At the time of his death the family lived at 85 Glebe Street, Glebe.

    1919 - Bridget Worland (nee Higgins) marries

    Bridget Worland arried Henry ('Harry') Graham at Canterbury, Sydney, in 1919 (NSW BDM Ref 8856).

    1924 - Death of Bridget Graham (formerly Worland, nee Higgins)

    Bridget Graham died in Redfern, on 20 April 1924 (NSW BDM Ref 5612, parents Patrick and Julia). In memoriam notices were placed in the Sydney Morning Herald on 20 April 1929 by her husband Henry (Harry), her daughter Lill and husband Sid Robinson, and daughter (Elizabeth) Doreen and husband Jim Bereyne.

    Page created 4 March 2023, updated 23 March 2023 Copyright © Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)