474 La Trobe Street

From Union Memorial Presbyterian Church (Curzon Street) Jubilee History 1854-1904. Members of the choir include Mary Reid, daughter of George and Margaret Reid of Latrobe Street, West Melbourne.

source: North Melbourne Library

George Reid and Margaret Bichan family.

The 1849 shipping record for the Lord George Bentinck, shows it was a barque of 592 tons commanded by Edward D. Edgell. It departed Gravesend, England, 17 Dec 1848 carrying 243 emigrants, all in steerage and she arrived 15 weeks later, in Port Phillip Bay on the 1^st of April 1849, with passengers disembarking at Williamstown.

The ship carried mainly agricultural and servant workers from England and Scotland. It included 173 adults, 32 children over the age of 7 and 38 children under the age of 7. During the voyage, there were 4 births and 5 deaths onboard. (3 infants, 1 man who fell overboard and a woman who died onboard the ship whilst in Port Phillip Bay prior to them docking.

George Reid and his wife Mary were two of its passengers. The ships record stated their ages were 28 and 24 years, respectively with George’s occupation shown as a laborer.

George Reid was born in 1821 in the north of Scotland while his wife Margaret was born in 1825. The ships record stated their native place was Dennis, Orkney Islands, Scotland. They were Presbyterians and both could read and write. The record also showed the name of William King of Moonee Ponds who was George’s assigned employer, at the wage rate of 28 pounds per year.

George was the son of George Reid and Margaret Johnston according to records given by the family on his death certificate, while Margaret was the daughter of George Bicharr or Bichan and Ann Matches.

According to the 1841 Scottish census, twenty-year-old George Reid was living at Netherstove, Orkney Island and worked for Edward and Jane Rich as an agricultural laborer.

George and Margaret married sometime between 1841 and 1849 because she is listed as his wife on the shipping arrival record for 1849.

Margaret Reid gave birth to their first child called Francis Henry Reid in 1852. Then William was born in 1854 followed by Mary Ann in 1855, Robert in 1858 and finally Jane in 1861, whilst they lived at 474 Latrobe Street, West Melbourne.

In 1883 George and Margaret’s daughter, Mary Ann was married at the residence of the bride’s parents to William Innes Mitchell, the eldest son of George Mitchell of Liardet-street, Sandridge.

The following year George’s wife Margaret died at the age of 60 and was interred at Carlton Cemetery.

The death notice in 1897 for George Reid in the Argus newspaper stated that George Reid had been a resident of Latrobe Street for 46 years.

Information sourced from Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria, Trove, Council Rate Book records and the State Library of Victoria.