Poulden Family

Child of John Poulden is:

+      2                 i.    Ann² Poulden, born 1773 in England; died 05 Feb 1835 in Sydney, New South Wales.

 Generation No. 2

       2.  Ann² Poulden (John¹) was born 1773 in England, and died 05 Feb 1835 in Sydney, New South Wales. 

She married (1) Bellchambers (Source: Kay Gassan) 1794 in England.   

She married (2) Antoine L'Andre 07 Feb 1801 in Parramatta, New South Wales (Source: Kay

Gassan).  He was born 1771 in Nantes, France (Source: Kay Gassan), and died Aug 1811 in Sydney, New South Wales. 

She married (3) Benjamin Cook (Source:  Anne McColl) 1799 in England.  He was born 1768 in

Surrey, England, and died 05 Jun 1800 in AT SEA onboard "Royal Admiral". 

She married (4) John (Francis) Harris 03 Jun 1813 in Sydney, New South Wales (Source: Kay

Gassan).  He was born 1771, and died 24 Jan 1838 in Sydney, New South Wales.

Headtsone of Ann Poulden - with thanks from Rex & Yvonne Toomey

Note: Ann Poulden arrived in Australia as a FREE Passenger aboard the ship "Lady Juliana",

which has been described as a "floating brothel". She must have been sent out to be with her

father as she was only 16 years old, and he was here as a member of the Royal Navy Marines.

Ann possibly returned with her father to England when he went back in 1792 and in 1794 she

married a fellow named Bellchambers when she was 20 years old. It is not known whether

Bellchambers was ever in Australia, but he apparently died young, for in 1798 she married

Benjamin Cook, who had arrived in Australia as a Marine of the First Fleet. Benjamin cook

was a Drummer in the Marines when he and Ann decided to come to australia on the Royal

Admiral in 1800. Ann was pregnant and after Benjamin Cook died during the voyage, she

gave birth to their son, William Cook, while the vessel was still at sea 26 Nov 1800. On board

this vessel was Antoine L'Andre, a Frenchman, who had been captured and was a prisoner of war.

He was sent to Australia as he said that he knew how to make wine. Ann married Antoine in

1801 in Sydney and they had four children. Antoine died from a centipede bite and Ann and

then married John Harris, a landowner, in 183 at the age of 39 years. They had two children.

Prior to her death Ann went completely deaf. A gutsy pioneer, she is buried in Christ

Church Cemetery Castlereagh in the same grave as her grnaddaughter Ann Jane Harris. The

inscription reads "Sacred to the memory of Ann Harris who departed this life February 5th

1835 aged 61 years.' "No further seek her merits to disclose, or drain her frailties from their

dreaded abode, there they alike in trembling hope repose, The bosom of her Father and her God."
... Kay Gassan
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To my knowledge the Poulden, Bellchamber part has not been substantiated by any documents also the Benjamin Cook convict (1800) being the drum major of the first fleet (1788) is also tied in with family folk lore but no one can really prove it.  The source for the Poulden, Bellchamber part came from an article written by Peter G Christian  - "The Lander's Vine" published in "Timespan" June, 1985 -but he can't say where he originally got the information. 

While I think it is a great "story" and I've included it in my family history I have had to put it under "Family Folk Lore" until some further evidence is found.

Ann herself said in the 1828 census that she came out on the Lady Juliana as a free settler but there is no record of what her name was. 

.... Robina Newton [rpnewton@optusnet.com.au] 2005

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