Baxter, Benjamin

Benjamin Baxter, 1806-1892

Contents:Profile Biography Research Notes
Roles (R): = Government Office (Paid),   = Government Duties (Unpaid),   = On leave,   = To be determined,   = Squatter/Grazier,   = Private enterprise,   = Parliament/Council,
= British Army,   = Royal Marines,   = British Militia,   = State Militia,   = East India Company Army,   = Royal Navy,   = Other Maritime,
= Education,   = Army Education,   = Navy Education,   = Immigration,   = Emigration,   = Other voyage.
Abbreviations: BB = Blue Book,  CL = Commissioner of Crown Lands,  CP = Chinese Protector,  CPS = Clerk of Petty Sessions,  GC = Gold Commissioner,  GR = Gold Receiver,
GW = Warden of the Gold Fields,  JP = Justice of the Peace (Magistrate),  PM = Police Magistrate,
FN = Footnotes,  PSL = Public Service List  S/S1/S2 = Source,  TBC/TBD = To be confirmed/determined.
Appointments: = Appointed,   = Reappointed (under new legislation),   = Promoted,   = Demoted,   = Redesignated,   = Succeeded,   = Transferred,   = Replaced.
= Position made permanent,   = Paid as (role).
Sources (S): = Blue Book,   = Blue Book derived,   = Government Gazette,   = Government Gazette derived,   = Public Service List,   = Public Service List derived,
= Report,   = Birth/Baptism/Marriage/Death document,   = Birth/Baptism/Marriage/Death extract,   = Cemetery,   = Census,   = Legal,
= Newspaper family notice,   = Newspaper article,   = Book/Magazine,   = Other,   = Unconfirmed,   = Military service record,   = Internet.
Dates:Dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format,  "Ongoing" = Continues into next calendar year,  New date,  Date changed in source,  Date died,  Date to be confirmed.
"Original" is the date the person commenced the role. For example, when first appointed a Police Magistrate, regardless of later re-appointments and re-assignments.
Other Symbols: = External link,   = Army promotion by purchase of commission,   = By exchange.
Unconfirmed:All text in magenta is unconfirmed information.
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Life Events

Born:28 October 1806Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland [01] [02] [03].
Arrived:8 May 1837Sydney, Colony of New South Wales, on the ship Prince George. Departed London, 14 January 1837 [04] [05] [06].
Married:28 December 1840Melbourne, Port Phillip District, Colony of NSW, to Martha Ainscow [1813-1906] [07]
Died:15 May 1892Carrup Carrup, Baxter’s Flat (Baxter), Colony of Victoria [residence], aged 85 years [08] [09].
Buried:17 May 1892Frankston Cemetery, Frankston, Colony of Victoria [Grave: Area 1, Row X, No 0016] [10] [11].

Golden Colony Roles

Victoria:Gold Commissioner:18511852

Benjamin Baxter (c1890) [12]

Career

OriginalGazettedFromToAgeRTitleStateDepartmentDistrictSCommentsFN
1825-02-101825-02-101826-02-1519Ensign, 50th Regiment of FootBritish Army Lieutenant.
1826-02-161826-02-161838-02-1620Lieutenant, 50th Regiment of Foot British ArmyRetired by sale of Commission.[13]
1826-02-101827-03-0420Served in JamaicaBritish Army
1837-03-111838-02-1631Served in AustraliaBritish Army
1838-01-161838-01-051838-0932Clerk to the BenchNSWPoliceBourke County[14]
1838-01-271838-0932PostmasterNSWPost OfficeMelbourne[15]
18381851Squatter
1851-10-301851-10-291852-09-3046Assistant CommissionerVictoriaGold DistrictsGold DistrictsResigned.
18521892-05-15FarmerDied

References

Notes

Notes
01⇑ The National Archives (UK) - War Office WO025-0794 - 50th Regiment. Page 363, Lieutenant Benjamin Baxter [ 27 February 2024].
02⇑ Death of Captain Baxter; Mornington Standard, 19 May 1892, p 3 [Trove, 27 February 2024].
03⇑ Baxter's British Army service record is the only official document I have found with his birth date and place. His 1892 obituary has 1805, which is what most secondary sources repeat. The 1892 obituary has a number of inaccuracies
04⇑ Shipping Intelligence - Arrivals; The Sydney Times, 13 May 1837, p 3 [Trove, 27 February 2024].
05⇑ Ian Hawkins Nicholson; Shipping Arrivals and Departures, Sydney, Volume 2 1826-1840; Roebuck Society, Canberra, 1977; p 168.
06⇑ Arrived with a detachment of the 80th Regiment and male convicts. Some researchers have said that he arrived in the Augusta Jessie in January 1835, but that was his brother, Andrew, who was also a Lieutenant in the 50th Regiment. Andrew was accompanied by his wife, a detachment of the 50th, and male convicts. Benjamin served as a recruitment officer in Sheffield and Athlone, before rejoining his regiment in Australia in 1837.
07⇑ Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria Marriage Index M1840-004316.
08⇑ Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria Death Index D1892-006382.
09⇑ Deaths - Baxter; The Argus (Melbourne), 16 May 1892, p 1 [Trove, 27 February 2024].
10⇑ Correspondence with the Frankston Cemetery 20 April 2023.
11⇑ Funeral Notices - Baxter; The Age (Melbourne), 17 May 1892, p 8 [Trove, 27 February 2024].
12⇑ State Library of Victoria [ 23 October 2024].
13⇑ Promotion originally 1826-04-08, but later backdated.
14⇑ Said to have resigned in September 1838, but his replacement commenced in November 1838.
15⇑ Said to have resigned in September 1838, but his replacement commenced in March 1839.

Further Reading

Updates

2024-10-13Page formatting revised.
2023-12-26Life Events updated and references added.
2022-02-07Military career updated.