Robert Hammond Benzie

Robert Hammond Benzie was born  April 6 1805 in Kent. Died in Dec 15 1858 in Maidstone,
Married Jane Giles she was born abt 1805
died in Sept 26 1849 in Maidstone.
married  July 25 1830 in East Mailling kent.

1. They had 5 children Robert b nov 30 1831 died in June 8 1906, 
2. John William b Oct 11 1833 & died aft 1841, 
3. Simpson b May 1 1834 died Nov 10 1915, 
4. James b April 16 1838, died Sept 10 1882, 
5. George b May 1 1841 & died Feb 18 1866.                                                                    All where born in Maidstone,Kent. 

He married again in Mar 1854 to Amelia Norburn b abt 1823 & died abt Sept 1882 .
Married Abt Mar 1854 in Medway.
They had 3 children

1. Charles b June 1855 died aft 1871, 
2. Thomas Honey b 1858 died June 1914, 
3. Henry b Nov 28 1858 died 1939

found on the internet

In London, at the General Register Office, we searched records of birth and found James BENZIE's name and birthdate - April 16th 1838. We obtained a copy of a birth certificate which stated that his father's name was Robert Hammond BENZIE, described as an Ironmonger, and that he lived in Wiat Street, Maidstone. We found a Wiat (or more properly Wyatt) Street quiet easily and saw some buildings old enough to be the birth place but could not be sure, of course.

The next avenue of enquiry was at the Public records' room. There we consulted directories covering a number of years, commencing 1872. Although several BENZIEs were listed, it was hard to draw many conclusions.

Later, in London again, we were able to sight the will of Robert Hammond BENZIE, father of James BENZIE, who died on 15th December 1858. Effects were under one thousand pounds. he was described as a coal merchant. beneficiaries under the Will were his four sons: the brothers Robert, Simpson, James and George BENZIE.

Robert Hammond Benzie writes:

My father's father was, I believe Robert Hammond. He was I think the first or second generation born after the family left Scotland. He was a merchant in Maidstone and carried all his cargo by barge up the Thames, also as a general carrier. He had in his first marriage four sons. The eldest was of course Robert Hammond and carried on the business after his father. The second marriage produced three sons, one my Father (the youngest) and he was only two weeks old when his father died.

My Father or Henry married a young lady names Louisa Chambers. This young lady's father was a contractor and had a big business in Maidstone.

The Benzies and a son (Sydney Charles) left England in the sailing ship "wave Queen" in 1882 for New Zealand. (The ship was lost with all hands in her next voyage.) In 1884 William was born, myself (Robert Hammond) in 1886 and our two sisters in 1889.

In March 1896 we left New Zealand for Western Australia sailing in the Union Steamships Company's steamer "Waketipu" transshipping at Sydney onto the A.U.S.N. Company "Wahroonga" arriving at Fremantle the first week in April.

This Robert Hammond met a girl names Bertha Evelyn Aberle and married her. Bertha's fathers name was Wilhelm Christian and her Mothers maiden name was Anne Susan Roughton. This couple came out in the same sailing ship and landed in Adelaide marrying there. Mr Aberle left Germany when he was 17 years old living in England until he came to Australia.