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- 1803-1861 (Creation)
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1 microfilm
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Name of creator
Biographical history
Alexander Cheyne (1785-1858), son of John Cheyne of Leith, Scotland, was a captain in the Royal Engineers. In 1834, after retiring from the army he emigrated to Australia and settled first in Western Australia put arrived in Hobart in December 1835 and became Director General of Roads and Bridges and in 1838 Director of Public Works. He was dismissed in 1848 partly owing to the personal animosity of the colonial secretary John Montague. He contracted to supply water to Launceston but suffered from' long delays in payment of bills by the Government. He then became supervisor of Launceston's. swamp draining but was injured and permanently lamed in a coach accident. In 1847 he was appointed director of Hobart Water Works but was dismissed in 1848. In 1852 he became assistant superintendent of road works.' . He was a Presbyterian, superintendent of the Sunday School and a friend of Rev. John Lillie and Dr. Adam Turnbull. for more information see : http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cheyne-alexander-1892
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Microfilm copy of papers relating to the Cheyne and Wilkinson families including:
1 ) Family of John Cheyne, surgeon, Leith (father of Alexander) and his wife, the daughter of Wm. Edmonston
2) Extract from the life of Dr. John Cheyne (1777-1836) physician general to the forces in Ireland and brother of Alexander
3) 'Royal descent of Colonel Humphry Graham' claimant to the earldom of Monteith, and Elizabeth (Farquhar) , his wife.
4) Printed Pedigree of Colonel Humphrey Graham, claimant to the earldom of Monteith, showing the double descent of his descendants from the Douglases.
5) Marriage certificate of Captain William Wilkinson and Elizabeth Cheyne, 1803, witnessed by Alexander Cheyne her brother.
6) Letter from J.D. Thomson, Admiralty, to Dr John Cheyne, Leith, 28 August- ,1805 informing him of the appointment of Captain W. Wilkinson as commander of the 'Nightingale'.
7) Alexander Cheyne's commissions as: 2nd Lieutenant 1 May 1806; 1st Lieutenant 1 July 1806; 2nd Captain Royal Engineers' Corps, 1 May 1811.
8) Letter from Lt. Col. B. Cheyne to William Cheyne (brothers of Alexander) 28 March 1828
9) Letter from Alexander Cheyne to his niece Cecilia Wilkinson, 9 October 1852
10) Copy of will of Alexander Cheyne 22 April 1858
11) Copy of letter from Westbrook and Butler, solicitors, Hobart, to Mrs W.N.D. Sheppard, Dublin, about Cheyne's will, 18 August 1858.
12) Letter from S. W. Westbrook of the late firm of Westbrook and Butler to Mrs Sheppard, Dublin, 15 July 1861
13) Directions to the cook (? in the residence of John Cheyne, Leith) nd.
14) Copies of letters from Captain W. Wilkinson to his brother John from 'Goliath' off mouth of Nile, Egypt, 13 August 1798 and from 'Elephant', Copenhagen, 4 April 1801.
15) Copy of letter from Lord Nelson to Captain W. Wilkinson, from H.M.S 'Victory', 1805.
16) Letters from Captain W. Wilkinson to his wife Elizabeth (nee Cheyne) 21 March 1805, 20 Jan. 10 Oct. 22 Nov. 1814.
17) Letter from T. Wilkinson to Captain W. Wilkinson 28 Dec. 1830.
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Requests for copying or publication should be referred to the Battye Library (C3/2) or to Mrs Graham (C3/3)
Conditions governing reproduction
This material is made available for personal research and study purposes under the University of Tasmania Standard Copyright Licence. For any further use permission should be obtained from the copyright owners. For assistance please contact Special.Collections@utas.edu.au
When reusing this material, please provide the following acknowledgement:
“Courtesy of the UTAS Library Special & Rare Collections - ENTER COLLECTION & REFERENCE NUMBER]”
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microfilm
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Originals in the possession of Mrs C. Graham (descendant) of Launceston, Tasmania
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HE Dec 17