My Family Tree

England, Sussex, Parish Registers
Name: Levi
Event Type: Christening
Event Date: 28 Nov 1814
Event Place: Framfield, Framfield, Sussex, England
Gender: Male
Father's Name: Thomas Chatfield
Mother's Name: Frances Chatfield
GS Film number: 001886241
Digital Folder Number: 004427563
Image Number: 00370
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Entry from Framfield St Thomas a Becket of Canterbury 1538 - 1895
First names Levi CHATFIELD
Sex s
Baptism Date 28-Nov 1814
Father first names Thomas CHATFIELD
Mother first names Frances CHATFIELD
Occupation farmer
c. by Rev John Thompson.
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Find A Grave Memorial# 125066105
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Lived in area called Blackboys, Framfield, Sussex where he was a farm labourer.

Framfield is a large parish and village a mile and a half east of Uckfield. Framfield is in the East Grinstead division of Sussex, in the hundred of Loxfield Dorset, rape of Pevensey, rural deanery of Uckfield, archdeaconry of Lewes and diocese of Chichester. Within Framfield is the hamlet of Blackboys. Framfield is 44 miles south of London.

Applied for free passage 18 Mar 1839 to emigrate to Colony of South Australia through agent J Elliott. Recorded immigration was 477 persons.
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CHATFIELD Levi, wife Ann, John, (Eli), Ruth Ann arrived 24/25 Aug 1839 on 'Somersetshire' from London. Embarkation No. 2560. Travelled with four others from Framfield.
Family listed as:
Levi, 25, Farm Labourer Applic. 4324 Embark. 2560.
Ann 24 wife of Levi, and 2 children Applic. 4324 Embark. 2560.
Ann daughter of Levi Applic. 4324 Embark. 2560. (Ruth Ann)
John, son of Levi Applic. 4324 Embark. 2560.
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Description of Thebarton in the early days: www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/t/t3.htm#thebarton

Census 1841 Adelaide SA listed at Thebarton.

The family lived in George Street, Thebarton as daughter Mary was born there. Thebarton had boundaries of what is now Daw Street on the west and the now James Congdon Drive on the east. Albert Street and Admella Street the north south roads did not exist at the time.
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South Australian (Adelaide, SA : Friday 14 February 1845)
Levi CHATFIELD, Thebarton, signed petition against sending convict felons from any prison or penitentiary in the British dominions to the province of South Australia.

South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : Saturday 5 January 1850)
Mr L. CHATFIELD, of Thebarton, has been a participator in the accidents of the turf, in consequence of a fall from his horse, yesterday evening. He was soon after attended by Doctors Mayo and Smith, who found him labouring under dislocation of the hip-joint, with a few other accompaniments to such accidents. Having sufficiently tested the elasticity of the surrounding muscles under the effects of extension and counter-extension, the migratory member found its only alternative was a retreat to the old quarters, which it accomplished in safety, to the gratification of the patient.

South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : Thursday 7 March 1850)
DECLARATION OF CONFIDENCE IN MR JOHN STEPHENS. (Signatory) (Request not to allow convicts to be transported to South Australia. In fact SA transported some convicts to New South Wales)
Z. (L) CHATFIELD, carrier, Thebarton.

The Register (Adelaide, SA : Wednesday 7 December 1927)
Mr. Levi CHATFIELD, of Thebarton. In the early days (of the colony) Mr. CHATFIELD, sen., (He had a son Eli who drowned down a well in 1847. Several reports in error called him Levi) was employed by the late Mr. Gabriel Bennett, and brought many fat cattle to the Adelaide market from as far north as the River Darling.

Died as result of a being run over by his dray carrying coal. Obituary in 'The Register' 11 Jul 1853.
S. Australia death records show b3 p4. Place of death not recorded but on road from Port Adelaide between two public houses. Six children alive at death exc. Harriet Jane born after. (Eli/Levi, Ruth Ann, Amos, Owen, George and Mary Ann. All others had died.)

"Fatal Accident - A deplorable and fatal accident occurred on Friday evening last, near Thebarton. Mr. Levi CHATFIELD, dray-owner, of that township, was returning from the Port with a heavy load of coal (3tons 2cwt it is said) soon after 5 o'clock when in passing along the road between the Butcher's Arms and McCarron's Inn, the attention of the deceased was suddenly directed by a lad to a drunken man who had fallen across the road, and his humane efforts to save a fellow creature from destruction proved fatal to himself ; for the leading horse becoming restive, Mr. Chatfield fell and a wheel of the heavily laden dray passed over his body. He was immediately taken to his own residence and Dr. Bayer's attendance was speedily procured, but the very serious nature of the injuries sustained were such as almost to preclude the possibility of recovery. The sufferer retained his mental faculties to the last, and expired at about 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, leaving a widow and six children to bewail their irreparable loss. We understand that the Coroner will hold an inquest this morning, and an advertisement in another column informs us that the funeral will take place in the afternoon"

Results of Inquest - "The late Fatal Accident at Thebarton. Yesterday morning the Coroner attended at Thebarton to enquire into the death of Mr. Levi Chatfield who was killed by falling under his dray on Friday evening last as stated in yesterdays Register. Mr Stevenson was satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances, but that death had been occasioned by pure accident, and accordingly declined holding an inquest. The funeral took place in the afternoon, as arranged by the N. G. and brothers of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, M.U., who, to the number of 50, and in appropriate costume, left the Adelaide Lodge at 2 o'clock, and went in procession to the residence of their late brother at Thebarton. There a large funeral cortege awaited their arrival, and the final procession to the cemetery at Hindmarsh was joined by numerous friends of the family, resident in Hindmarsh, Thebarton and places adjacent, the N.G. and Secretary of Albert Lodge, North Adelaide, and other respectable citizens, on horseback or in their vehicles. After the funeral service an appropriate address was delivered, in conformity with the usages of the Order." He was buried in Allot. 76, as was Harriet 22 years later.

Listed in "Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885".

In the Register Paper, Adelaide:
Mon 11 Jul 1853
On Saturday evening last (9 Jul 1853) at Thebarton, in consequence of the lamentable accident described in another column, Mr Levi Chatfield of that township. The funeral is advertised to take place this afternoon.

EMAIL
Chatfields in Adelaide Sth Australia
From: Judy Thain <judyt31@bigpond.com.au>
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 10:32
I have just stumbled upon your Chatfield in Sussex page, and note that you were in Adelaide recently. What a pity I didn't know then. I am a great granddaughter of Ruth Ann Chatfield - married Hugh McDonald. I have many details of the family of Levi and Harriet CHATFIELD, and have noticed some of the information does not agree. An uncle (now deceased) did much research and found the father of Frances, Thomas, John, Sarah, Edward, Henry, Elizabeth, Anne, George and Levi was Thomas CHATFIELD, illegitimate son of Ann CHATFIELD, who was the daughter of Thomas & Susanna Chatfield. I have noticed many other discrepancies, and now am getting confused. A relation in Adelaide has Ruth Ann's birth certificate, and the house she bought in 1908 is still in the family. Many of my father's family remember their grandmother well - she became blind from cataracts, but knew each of her grandchildren by touch without hearing them speak.

and

The headstone for Ruth & Eli has been in the cemetery since she died in 1930. Some graves are being re-used, so the stone was removed & anyone from the family could have it, but I don't feel the need. Eli was buried in allot. 75, with Ruth in the same grave. The other photo is actually the grave of my grandparents, Margaret May and John Chatfield McDonald, in Bute. They lived next door to us in that small country town.I guess the wording is a bit ambiguous. JC was the second youngest of Hugh & Ruth Ann McDonald.
Harriet's maiden name was Tickner. An aunt had Ruth's birth cert.- Levi Chatfield Agricultural labourer, Sub district- Framfield, District - Uckfield, County - Sussex. Ruth born 6th October 1838. Signed with the mark of Harriet Chatfield. I haven't heard of them being in Kent.
From the SA Register Fri 20 April 1860 - "Married : On the 17th April, by special licence, at Trinity Church, by the very Reverend Dean Farrell, Mr Thomas Kelsey to Harriet, relict of the late Levi CHATFIELD, both of Thebarton"
Then, from the Register again -"Harriet Jean Kelsey - Aged 62 years, buried 4 March 1875. Thebarton Cemetery - Allotment No 76" -This is the same grave as Levi.
For your info.- from the SA Register Saturday November 1847 "Another of those frightful accidents (which have been of such frequent occurrence in this colony) happened in the neighbourhood of Islington last week. A boy named Eli CHATFIELD, who was tending a flock of sheep in that vicinity, unfortunately walked into one of those imminently dangerous nuisances, an uncovered well, and before assistance could be procured,the poor lad was drowned. How many more lives are to be sacrificed before the Legislature will adopt some stringent measures against this crying evil?"
(from the application for emigration, he was born 1834- in 1847 he would have been only 13)
I have 2 reports of the death of Levi. I'll send them in another email cos I have no idea how long these things can be - praps you can tell me. I'm not too good on a computer but learning.

Regards Judy Thain (nee McDonald)

Records not imported into INDI (individual) Gramps ID I2011:

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