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Benedictum Venzeur / Vangeur
Also known as 'Van Zo' or 'Van Joe', Benedictum was born in Madagascar but moved to Mauritius where he worked as a house servant (it has been suggested that Benedictum might have been sent to Mauritius as a slave). According to official records Benedictum's surname was Vangeur.
Sentenced to ten years imprisonment after receiving a stolen waistcoat, he was transported to Australia along with fourteen other people on 3 July 1839. As he himself very bitterly said, when speaking of his sentence:
I was 'lagged' out here to be branded as a convict because I accepted, from one whom I thought a friend, a gift of a waistcoat!
Benedictum was 35 years old at the time.
Benedictum was sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) but was only there a couple of months before being taken to Sydney aboard the "Layton". After 35 days he was one of fourteen prisoners, all 'coloured men' (as they were then called) who were sent to Moreton Bay on board The John, between February and April 1840.
After landing in Brisbane, Van Zo and nine of the other prisoners were sent to Limestone (now Ipswich) where they were placed in the charge of George Thorn, the overseer of convicts. Benedictum was employed curing tobacco on the Plough Station.
In 1855, Benedictum married Marian Cowlay who was from Calcutta in India. She was one of a group of people brought from India to Australia by Gordon Sandeman in 1848 to work as labourers on his station on the Burnett. Before marrying Benedict she used to go around the streets selling Calcutta lollies which she carried on a tray on her head.
When Ipswich was opened to what is commonly known as "free settlement" and the convict period ended, Van Zo went on to be a shepherd and fencer for Messrs. Ferreter and W. Uhr at Belle Vue Station. Before a bridge was built joining Ipswich Central to North Ipswich, the Vanzeur's ran a ferry across the Bremer River. After a bridge was built they started farming on the banks of the Bremer River. His market garden, said to be in the vicinity of Waghorn Street, provided vegetables to the town, and was later sold to Arthur McGrory Snr, during the late 1950s. When the Venzeur's were older they lived in a cottage at Brassall.
Vanzeur was a member of the Ipswich Catholic community and donated £1/10/0 to the construction of the Ipswich Catholic Church in 1858.
DEATH OF BENEDICT VAN JEURE
Many of our readers will regret to learn of the demise of Mr. Van Jeure, a coloured resident of Ipswich for the last fifty-seven years, at the ripe age of eight-four years. His death took place in the Ipswich Hospital on the 2nd instant, paralysis being the cause. Mr. Van Jeure was born in 1813 on the Isle of France, and left there for Tasmania in 1839, but was afterwards transferred to Moreton Bay, arriving at the Limestone Settlement in May, 1840. He has lived in the West Moreton district ever since, following the occupations of shepherd, ferryman, fisherman, and gardener. Van Jeure was a genial old fellow, and spoke the French language very well. He is the last of a number of coloured people who came to Australia from the Isle of France.
Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, Saturday 9th October 1897, p.4
Queensland Births, Deaths, and Marriages has a death registration for Benedict Vanzeur dated to 2nd October 1897 (registration details: 1897/C/2115). His father's name is listed as Basil Vanzeur.
Marian/Marion/Mary/Maron
Newspaper articles refer to her as Marion Cowley or Marian Cawley and note that her fellow countrymen from India knew her as Bibi Fattie. George Sanderson, proprietor of Barondowie on the Burnett, had sent to the East Indies for 50 male and female "coolies" (a pejorative term for low-wage and indentured labourers, usually from India or China) to work on his station as shepherds and domestics. Marion, who had been born in Calcutta, was one of these labourers. After leaving Barondowie, Marion worked as a ayah (nursemaid or nanny) before arriving in Ipswich.
Queensland Births, Deaths, and Marriages record a marriage registration between a Benedict Vauzur and Mary Cowley taking place on 29th January 1855 (registration details: 1854/BMA/568).
She died at the age of 76 at Hungry Flat, Brassall on 3rd January 1896. Her name on the online Death registration (Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages) is Maron Vanzeur. The Ipswich Cemetery Burial records also state her name as Maron Vanzeur, and records that she died at the age of 80 on 3rd January 1896 and was buried on 4th January 1896 in the Roman Catholic B Section.
Her death certificate records that Benedict was the informant, that she had been married twice before and that there were no children from her marriage to Benedict (it is not known if she had children from her previous marriages).
References (offline)Gone, but not forgotten: Ipswich by Leisha Muir
Ipswich Library
HIST 994.32 MUIRReferences (online)The Convicts from MauritiusBenedict Vengeur - Harry Gentle Research CentreElectoral List, The Moreton Bay Courier, 1 Mar 1856 p2The Chain gang in the days of Captain Logan, The Telegraph, 4 Feb 1939 p18Veterans of Limestone. A Well Known Couple, by Red Gum, Queensland Times, Thursday 15 August 1895, p.2Inquest - Jessie Agnes ConroyDeath of Benedict Van Jeure, Queensland Times, Saturday 9 October 1897, p.4Death of Bibi Fattie - Marion VanzeureUnclaimed letters, 1863, Queensland Times, 23 Jun 1863 p3Murder of W. Uhr, Queensland Times, 18 May 1925 p10First Local Marriage, Queensland Times, 15 Jan 1953 p4Early Ipswich, Queensland Times, Monday 18 May 1925, p.10Glimpses of Early Ipswich, by Red Gum, Queensland Times, Thursday 25 March 1920, p.3Provincial Pickings, The Telegraph, Tuesday 21 January 1896, p.6Catholic Church, The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser, Tuesday 2 November 1858, p.2Old Identities: Mr Hugh Campbell Sen, Queensland Times, Saturday 8 August 1914, p.10Glimpses of Early Ipswich, by Red Gum, Monday 2 August 1920, p.7Early Ipswich, by Red Gum, Queensland Times, Monday 4 May 1925, p.6Glimpses of Early Ipswich, by Red Gum, Queensland Times, Thursday 31 October 1901, p.11Early Ipswich, Red Gum, Queensland Times, Monday 27 April 1925, p.3Glimpses of Early Ipswich, by Red Gum, Queensland Times, Thursday 19 February 1920, p.6
Particular marks, or scars: scar under right eye, ears pierced, lips thick, nose broad, cross and several marks of boils on lower right arm, cross and other illegible mark of boils on lower, long scar back of right thumb.Date of Death2 October 1897Age at Death84 yearsPlace of DeathIpswich, QueenslandDate of Burial4 October 1897Place of BurialIpswich General CemeteryPlace of Memorial Roman Catholic BReference for Life Events (online)Discover Ever After - Ipswich CemeteryList of 15 Male Convicts by the ship Layton, Cuddy, Master
Ploughed Station
Ipswich
Hungry Flats / Brassall