My Direct Ancestors

from Liverpool to Australia

Back to the present - my Rickarby ancestor arrived in Victoria, Australia in the 1850s - George Francis Hartley Hyslop RICKARBY, born 1832 Liverpool, Lancashire. Like his father he had a building background and in Victoria found work as a surveyor and schoolmaster, his primary career, both in public and private schools.

He married another teacher, Catherine Theresa WATERS at Castlemaine in 1858. Kate was born in Dublin to Michael Waters and Ellen Walsh in 1836.

George and Kate had nine children:

• Annie, married Patrick Millane, five children,
• Mary, a dressmaker, never married.
• Arthur, a builder and mine manager, never married
• Fred, a barrister, married Isabella Young of Christmas Hills Vic, four children
• Gerald, a builder, married Margaret Tuohy and Alice Williams, both wives died young, Alice in childbirth, only surviving child, George Hartley RICKARBY.
• Agnes (Minnie) a housekeeper for the family
• Catherine, (died in infancy)
• Edith, a nursing Sister of Charity
• Ethel, a teaching Sister of Mercy

Arthur, Fred and Gerald went to the WA gold rush and lived in the Kalgoorlie area for some years - as did some of the Young in-laws of Fred. Fred set up as a barrister in Kalgoorlie was a member of the first town council. Arthur and Gerald were both building and mining.

Our migrant George's parents were John Rickerby (christened in Manchester 1803, d 1869) a builder and Ellen McCartney (born Ireland 1809, d Liverpool 1890)

John Rickerby's parents were Robert Rickerby and Catherine Hartley or Heartley.

Robert was born about 1775, but not sure where - died before 1841.
Catherine born abt 1776 in Lancashire and died 1849, Liverpool.

• The Scottish Connection

  Dumfries to Liverpool

Robert’s father was John Richarby (a joiner) and mother Jean - Is this the Jean/Jane who is over 90 in 1841 – b 1746 and died 1847? The census reports her born in Scotland. Was her name Hyslop? Possibly her son John was also born in Scotland.

Her death cert says she died in 1847 aged 101, widow of John Rickerby, farmer. Anthony Organ was the informant. (her ganddaughter's husband)

This John Richarby was possibly born about 1745 in Kirkpatrick Fleming, Dumfries to Jonathan Rickerbie who was probably born about 1694 in Dumfries.

This family connects back in Scotland to the other RICKARBY family of Liverpool. They were a family of merchants, from Dumfries, particularly tea, but one was mentioned as James Rickarby of Jamaica, so they probably traded a wide range of goods. At the time, Liverpool was the great port on the west coast of England, trading with the world, perhaps the busiest port in England. Migrants flowed in from Ireland and all parts of Britain to work or to take the next step to America or Australia.

The merchant family established a branch in Mobile Alabama and their comings and goings between Liverpool and USA are well documented. One of the sons married and remained in America - George Duncan RICKARBY.

Carlisle to Dumfries

The move to Dumfries from Carlisle is just a quick step across the border, as many settled in the Gretna Green area on the border. Piers De Tilliol was Sheriff of Dumfries in the 1400s, so no doubt established his people in the area. The Rickarbys appear to have been well recorded in Dumfries at least back into the 1600s.

1066 - William the Conqueror

France to Carlisle

One of his knights was Humphrey de Tilliol (from Tilleul in France) and it was one of his grandsons, known as Richard the  Rider (or Richard the Knight) who was given land near Carlisle. The Tilliols built Scaleby castle, which stayed in that direct family for many generations and then passed to the family of one of the daughters, when the male line became extinct.

The land was known as Richard’s bye or  Richard's farm or Richard's land and became Richardbye and eventually Rickarby. There are landmarks around Carlisle, where the name Rickarby is still present.

Richard's son or grandson Adam is supposedly the ancestor of all Rickarbys.