This page contains random bits of research, along with various notes for further research.
Libraries Tasmania
52 year old “free” widower John Pattern married Jane Brown on 15 September 1847 at Launceston. It may (or may not!) be this John Pattern (son of Michael and Mary) born Upwell, Norfolk, who was formerly a convict.
In reference to the convict John Pattern, LT archives has this 1827 correspondence which was a plea for his family to join him in Tasmania. A response to the letter makes it clear that it was definitely the John Pattern who was transported in 1826 and that there was no immediate objection to his family joining him.
North Lynn Norfolk [..?] 1827
Sir
I am requested by Elizth Pattern (whose husband she informs me is in your service) to say, that she is very desirous to join him with her family, if it can be so arranged. There are six fine healthy children, this is to say — a boy 15 years of age, do. 13, do. 10, do. 8, and two girls, one 8, and the other 2 years old.
Elizth Pattern is clearly in the reason[?] of good character, about 40 years of age, and has conducted herself very properly since her husband has left her — she is well acquainted with the management of a dairy.
Based on the ages given in the letter (wife Elizabeth born c1887, sons born c1812/1814/1817/1819, daughters born c1819/1825), can we pinpoint the convict John in the UK archives and definitively link him to our family or rule him out? One of the main issues is that there are no obvious baptismal records for any children of a John & Elizabeth Pattern (and variant surname spellings) in Norfolk or adjoining counties in that period.
The “Conduct Registers of Male Convicts” entry for John is tricky to read but there’s a mention of “old offender” and “wife and children of West Lynn Norfolk”.
This document links John to Upwell, which certainly matches our John!
72 year old gardener William Pattern (born c1799) died of “senility” on 1 May 1871 at Launceston. Was he a former convict or had he emigrated? No obvious match to our family tree though and perhaps he’s the “William Patten” mentioned elsewhere in the LT archives, e.g. arrived 26 August 1828 aboard the Caroline.