Friends of the Orphan Schools

Orphan Number: 5091

Orphan:	David SOLOMON
Mother:	SOLOMON, Ann
Father:	SOLOMON, Isaac
Mother's ship:	Mermaid
Father's ship:
Age when admitted:	10yrs
Date admitted:	5 Jul 1828
Date discharged:	16 Jun 1829
Institutions(s):	Queens Orphan School
Discharged to:
Remarks:
References:	SWD24p46, CSO5/86/1885

You can claim this Orphan here

Wendy Kurz wrote:

David Solomon, a son of the somewhat infamous Ikey and Ann Solomon, was my 3X Great Grandfather. On 7th October1837 he married Sophie Christinia Rayner (daughter of William Rayner and Eliza Rayner) at New Norfolk. They had 10 children, including William Augustus Solomon, b. 1838. David Solomon died 21st August 1860, aged 42, at his residence in Longford (death notice, Hobart Mercury, 21st September, 1860) and is buried in an unmarked grave in the grounds of Christchurch Anglican church, Longford. Two of his young children (who both died in earlier in 1854) are also buried, unmarked, there. In early 2015, with the permission of the Parish, I had a plaque erected in their memory on the memorial wall in the church grounds. After David Solomon died, his widow and all their surviving children, except William Augustus Solomon, moved to South Australia. William Augustus Solomon married Amy Inall on 26 November 1859 and they had 10 children, including Alice Maud Solomon b. 1864. Alice (known as Maud) married Henry (Harry) Francis Maude Latham, b. 1862, in 1883. Maud and Harry were my father's grandparents, and my great grandparents. They moved to Western Australia c1905. Maud died in WA in 1940 and Harry died in WA in 1952.

Ironically, H.F.M Latham's father, William Pennefather Latham, was a master at the Orphan School from 1860 to 1864. He and his wife Ellen, lived at the school and in fact, Harry Latham and his older brother Oliver were both born while they lived there, Oliver in 1860. Their older sister Elizabeth Beauchamp Latham died there, aged 4 years, in 1860 and was buried there. Elizabeth's name is included amongst those of other children who died at the school, on the memorial plaques erected by the Friends of the Orphans School. From newspaper reports of the Orphan School Board meetings, William Pennefather Latham had an often controversial time in his role of head master. He was at least well educated, having a degree from Trinity College Dublin. He left to take up the position of Clerk for the Hamilton Municipal Council where he stayed until he retired. He died at Ouse in 1893.

James Maxwell wrote:

I discovered today that I am a direct descendant of James Bryan Cullen, who was tried for theft of 135 shillings and sixpence, and convicted at the Old Bailey on 16 April 1785. He was transported for 7 years on the Scarborough, part of the First Fleet, and arrived at Port Jackson (Sydney) on 26 January 1788.
James Bryan Cullen (convict on the first fleet) married Elizabeth Bartlett (from county of Dublin, also a convict and transported to Australia arriving 1796) on 25/09/1809. She was 32 years his junior. They had three daughters, of which the eldest, Sophia Bartlett Cullen b 1797 is my ancestor.
Sophia married William Rayner 03/01/1815 in Hobart. They had 8 children, of which the fourth, Sophia Christina Rayner b 29/9/1819 married David Solomon. They had 10 children, the eldest of which was William Augustus Solomon, b 17/7/1838, who is my ancestor.
William married Amy Elizabeth Inall 26/11/1859. They had 11 children, of which the fourth, Amy Madeline Solomon b 15/12/1865 is my ancestor.
Amy married William Mayne Clayton (her second husband), an Irish surgeon who had emigrated to Australia, on 16/7/1890. William and Amy moved to Melbourne in October 1894.
William and Amy had 4 more children (in addition to the two from her first marriage), the eldest from the second set of children being Celestina Madeline Clayton, b 23/4/1892 d 6/12/1956, who was my great grandmother.
Celestina married Cyril George Beckingsale b 5/9/1893 d 4/8/1952 from Castlemaine Victoria in 1916. Their only son was Clayton Wallace Beckingsale b 24/9/1921, my Grandfather.
Clay Beckingsale married Jean Anne Phillips, my grandmother. They had 5 children, 4 girls and a boy. The second of their daughters is Jean Celeste Beckingsale, who married Philip Maxwell. I am the second of their four children.

Notes for DAVID SOLOMON: Transported to Australia on the convict ship "Mermaid" leaving England on the 10th February 1828 and arriving in Van Diemen’s Land on the 27th June 1828 with his Mother (Ann transported and allowed to take her four youngest children) & 3 Siblings, his father Ikey (Isaac) left England on the ship "William Glen Anderson" on the 31st May 1831 and arrived 1st November 1831. David and his siblings, Ann, Sarah and Mark spent time at Queen's Orphan School, Hobart when they arrived in Australia.
David was the third child of Ikey (Isaac) Solomon, mentioned above, who was an English criminal and became an extremely successful receiver of stolen property. He gained fame for his crimes, escape from arrest, and his high-profile recapture and trial. Ikey remains famous as the person upon whom Charles Dickens may have based the character of Fagin in the novel, Oliver Twist. Ikey's life has been the subject of several works, including: The First Fagin by Judith Sackville-O'Donnell. Prince of Fences; The life and crimes of Ikey Solomon by J. J. Tobias. The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay. (This book was made into a four-part TV mini-series). David is a significant character in the last chapters of The Potato Factory.

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Site last updated March 2025