John and Ann Tinkler

John and Ann were born, grew up and were married in Durham in the North of England, he in 1836, she in 1840. Ann’s father was a husbandman (a farmer) and later a railway worker. She probably had little or no schooling (She signs Francis Bennett’s death cert in 1877 with “X”). John worked as a Boiler Smith – someone who made or repaired metal boilers (probably ones that were used in steam engines). John’s family had connections in the Durham area that went back many generations. The surname Tinkler probably originated in the area. One version of its origin, a variant of Tinker, is from an occupational name for a mender of pots and pans.   

In the 1861 UK census John Tinkler (25), his wife Ann (20) and their 11 month old baby were living in Haswell, Durham. Haswell rose to fame in the early 1830s with the discovery of coal and the establishment of the world’s first modern coal mine (one having a steel cable down the shaft). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haswell,_County_Durham

Three years later in 1864, then with 3 children (Sarah Jane, Stephen and baby John) they emigrated to Australia from Liverpool (together with his brother Robert Tinkler, 20, Labourer and her sister Sarah Patterson, 21, Domestic servant). They travelled aboard the “Sam Cearns” arriving in Melbourne on the 17th October 1864 and settled in Sebastopol, south of Ballarat. 

 
Sebastopol was so named in 1855 because the blasting of the rock to access the gold-bearing leads under the basalt plateau was said to be like the guns firing during the 11 month siege of Sevastopol in Russia during the Crimean War. It was a separate working class town servicing the rich gold mining fields south of Ballarat.

John worked as a blacksmith. He died 3 years later, at the age of 31 on 4th October 1867 from “Pneumonia nephritis” (from death certificate). 1867 must’ve been a tough time for Ann. Both her husband and baby son (George) died that year, she had three other small children to look after (aged 6, 5, and 3) and she was pregnant with her fifth and last Tinkler child (Francis) who was born in December 1867. She married Francis Bennett the following year. 

Ann had 6 more children with Francis Bennett, four of whom survived. He was a miner and also died youngish (48) in 1877. Ann was again widowed, this time with 8 children (4 Tinklers – oldest 15 and 4 Bennetts – youngest 7 months old). Her 3rd husband was Frederick Plater whom she married in 1880 and had they had 2 more children. Ann lived in Sebastopol for around 40 years from its earliest days. There were occasional references to her in the local paper The Ballarat Star:

 
1878
“Ann Bennett v Ann Doyle, threatening language.
Mr Gaunt appeared for the complainant. The evidence was rather contradictory, and the case seemed to have arisen over a dispute, in which a long handled saucepan played a prominent part. There was also a cross case. The bench considering each party to blame and fined each 10s with 5s costs”

1882
A letter from Mr Plater, offering excuses for non-payment of fines inflicted by the magistrates for the non-attendance at school of his stepson Bennett was read, but the matter having passed beyond the board's jurisdiction no action was taken.

1884
On Saturday night last a couple of young people well known at Sebastopol were united in the holy bonds of matrimony. The affair was upon us suddenly, and for once even the local “correspondents” were taken unawares; but this is not surprising when it is considered that the bride is but 16 years of age. The bridegroom is Mr W. Williams, and the bride is Miss Hannah Bennett, daughter of Mrs Plater. Both have lived at Sebastopol since their childhood.

1891
The next case was in reference to lost money. The finding of a ten pound by two little boys Plater and Jenkins, who handed it to Constable Taylor. After keeping it for some time no claimant appearing, the money was handed by the constable to the parents of the boys, who were, however, required to give a guarantee to refund the amount received by them should a claimant appear. A young man named James Caddy ultimately claimed the money and Constable Taylor had seven pounds refunded to him, but there appearing to be some dissatisfaction as to Caddy being the proper owner, the constable wisely refrained from taking the responsibility of arbitrator upon himself, but summoned all parties to the Police Court to allow the magistrates to decide the ownership. Caddy, in support of his claim, stated the streets he traversed when he imagined he lost the note, and produced an advertisement in a morning’s paper of his loss. Constable Stewart gave evidence of Caddy having reported the loss to him on the date named by Caddy. A statement was made by Mrs Plater that the claimant told her he was not the young man who lost the note, and her evidence was corroborated by her daughter, Mrs Murphy. Caddy produced a certificate of the withdrawal of the money from the bank. The bench ordered the restitution of the money in the possession of the police to Caddy, who will, if he so desires, be enabled to sue the parents for the amounts retained by them.

Around 1900, three of her children: Stephen Tinkler, John Tinkler and James Bennett and their families moved to Western Australia where they worked as miners in Kalgoolie. Ann and Fred Plater remained in Sebastopol where most of Ann’s remaining children still lived. Ann died there in 1904, aged 64, having outlived 5 of her 13 children. After her death, Frederick remarried and lived another 19 years. He also outlived his second wife but was buried with Ann in the Ballarat (new) cemetery when he died. Ann’s surviving 8 children went on to have 38 children between them.