St Mary's church, now a museum,  behind part of  the river  which has  been enclosed as a pond with beach, see  picture below

William Richmond (1828 Maldon-1856 Victoria) became a master mariner aged 21 at Trinity House London.  As an apprentice he sailed on the "Water Lilly" in  1843 to Turkey from London, carrying "powder"  - gunpowder i presume.  Then Platina 1846 Geelong,  to London, and the  During his apprenticeship he spent his 16th birthday 1846  in Geelong,  Victoria, Australia  just before sailing on the "Platina" for London.  Three times he sailed from on the  Royal Alice in the years 1847-52 from London with pioneers to Adelaide, South Australia then on to Shanghai, China bringing tea and spices from East India back  to London . He was the first mate on the "Royal Alice" which was as small sailing ship and very slow as  these trips took one year.  Finally during the Gold Rushes in Australia he left the ship at Adelaide 1852  and went gold prospecting and got married in Victoria to Eliza Sarah DYER  and had two sons, Henry James Richmond  1854 and William Richmond 1856 before he died at Keilor probably from food poisoning. His mother was  Sarah Richmond, born Burnham-on-Crouch who married James Mason master mariner of Maldon.  Sarah had an aunt  Fanny Richmond  who lived in Maldon and was for many years head housekeeper for Henry Harridance (1794-1859) corn merchant, Alderman, etc. High Street..  Henry Harridance was the father of William Richmond of Maldon. He left a "Richmond Trust" for Henry James for his education.

The house Sarah (Richmond) and "Captain" James Mason lived at during about 1841-64 was  probably the house beside 
"Spirit" shop, with garden in front with the dark picket fence. The Masons rented "lot 1" when it was  sold in 1848  and it had a garden front and back then.
Henry James Richmond  [HJR] aged 9 spent some time here in care of his grandmother, Sarah  in 1863 and no wonder he remembered the Rose and Crown pub!. Sarah would probably have been living at that time  either in Butt Lane or Wantz Road which comes off High street almost opposite Butt lane..

Henry Harridance's  houses were in Market Hill half way down to the river,
the one on High street very close to the All Saint's and St Peters Church at the top of the hill.
Henry Harridance and his brother James Harridance were buried in the  Independant or Cangregational "Chapel"  + between the 2 red arrows.
That is  new  information from a descendant of James Harridance who lives close to Messing and Braintreee  2007.

My great great grandfather William Richmond (1828-1856) went to school at Mr Wyatts in London Road, Maldon, close to the fire station on map above - left edge.  He became a master mariner getting his certificate at the age of 21 at Trinity House London.

Jolly Sailor Pub at the river end of Butt Lane at the Quay,  jetty/warf area- see masts.
 

James Mason was a ship's master and part owner  with Henry Harridance corn miller, of a Thames barge "Beeleigh" .

Very likely this bread shop on High Street was once owned by Henry 's brother Samuel Harridance baker
and this is  about 6 shops up the hill from  Butt Lane. It has a lane beside it which connects
with the back of the property  in Butt lane rented by Capt. James Mason behind the Rose and Crown Public House

This view of High Street is at the highest point. Henry Harridance corn miller, gentleman etc etc,
owned a couple of places along High St.Moot  Hall with its round clock is just visible at left.

The top if Market Hill  I think - it was very steep.and lead down to the bridge over the Blackwater or Chelmer River it seems to change it's name. It is now known that our ancestor , Henry Harridance [1794-1859]   Maldon, was buried in the Independant Chapel [ now Congregational Chapel]  at the top of Market Hill  on the right in this photo.
I walked down here to the Fullbridge - looking to the left for the old WorkHouse occupied by
genealogist who found the Richmond Trust documents in the ERO - who also has Richmonds in his family tree. [ c 1988]

Crossed the River at  the foot of Market Hill and looked back to see a  white swan.

.
Looking East from the Fullbridge towards the Jolly Sailor pub.- wonder if it was ever the Jolly Rodger pub?
Then I walked along  the river along a dirt footpath behing those cars adn eventurally found my way up to the Butt Lane - 
quite a lot of rough undeveloped bushy land here behind the shop  on High  Street up a lot higher.

Looking up towards St Marys church from the lake on the River Blackwater

 

Link to immense list of  research links for Mariners of Merchant  Navy England here
Passengers and ships arriving Port Philip online search  here

Back to Richmond / Harridance Family History Home Page
updated 2006
Page created 14 Jan 1998