earlier DOO families

Holmes DOO was born in Cambridge around 1793-4, possibly the son of James and Olive DOO - though I have not confirmed his baptism yet. He married Harriet PORCHER on 2 Dec 1817 at Cambridge St Sepulchre (also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or "The Round Church", see photo, below); [marriage also listed in the IGI under Cambridge Downing Street or Church of Christ Independent]. He was initially a labourer, then for most of his working life he was a college servant (1827 to at least 1851). After his death, he was also described as a 'coal merchant' on his daughter Elizabeth's marriage certificate (1854). His wife Harriet was born circa 1793, possibly the daughter of Frances or Fanny Knowles and William Porcher of Southburgh, Norfolk. She was also listed in the 1841 census as being a college servant. The family lived at Garlick Fair Lane, which by 1834 became known as Park Street, Cambridge (see map, below). According to the censuses of 1841 and 1851, they took in one or two undergraduate lodgers.

Children of Holmes and Harriet DOO:

Rhoda Doo, bapt. 11 Oct 1818 St Sepulchre; m. Frederick REVIS 31/3/1842 Cambridge All Saints.
Harriet Doo, bapt. 2 Jan 1820 St Sepulchre; m. William PETTIT 14/8/1840 at Cambridge All Saints; lived Emmanuel Lane, Cambridge.
Susan Doo, b. 28 Aug 1821, bapt. 14 Oct 1827 St Sepulchre. m. Alfred Hannant MALTBY 30/9/1845, Cambridge All Saints.
William Doo, b. 7 Nov 1822; baptised twice: firstly 10 April 1823 at Cambridge Old Meeting; secondly on 14 Oct 1827 at St Sepulchre; was a victualler at Cambridge; m. Ann STUBBS at St Martin in the Fields 1843; no children. Bur. Davenham, Cheshire, 1882.
Frances Doo, baptised twice: firstly 14 Jun 1824, birthdate given as 24 May 1824, at Cambridge Old Meeting; secondly 14 Oct 1827, birthdate given as 23 May 1824, at St Sepulchre. Witness to sister Susan's marriage in 1845. Recorded in 1851 census as Fanny Doo aged 26, housekeeper to her widowed father Holmes Doo at Park Street. Married Ephraim DRIVER 17 Feb 1852, Cambridge All Saints. Emigrated to Australia 1853, see below. Died 1863.
Elizabeth Doo, b. 22 Sep 1827, bapt. 14 Oct 1827 St Sepulchre and buried 7 Jan 1831 aged 3 at St Sepulchre.
George Doo, b. 5 Nov 1830, bapt. 28 Nov 1830 St Sepulchre and buried 1833 aged 3 at St Sepulchre.
James Doo, b. 21 Feb 1832; bapt. 17 Mar 1833 St Sepulchre; d. 17 Jul 1900. See below.
Elizabeth DOO, b. 27 Nov 1834, bapt. 21 Dec 1834 St Sepulchre, m. Francis SCOTT (1854); d. 1893 Stourbridge, Worcs.
Marianne Doo, bapt. 9 Apr 1837 St Sepulchre (PR). Recorded as Mary Ann Doo aged 4 in 1841 census, and as Marianne Doo aged 14 in 1851 census. Also recorded is the birth of Susan Faunby DOO, dau. of Marianne Doo, father unknown, born 1 Feb 1853 at Convent Garden, Cambridge. Mary Ann Doo emigrated in 1854, see below.

Harriet Doo died aged 57 at Park Street, Cambridge, 8 Dec 1850 (son-in-law William Pettit present at the death).
Holmes Doo died aged 58 on 17 May 1852 (in Thompson's Lane at the home of his son-in-law Ephraim Driver, who was present at the death).

Elizabeth DOO emigrates to Australia

After the death of her parents, 18 year old Elizabeth DOO emigrated to Australia, accompanied by her sister Frances Driver. On 11 March 1853, they sailed from Liverpool on the Childe Harold (see below for more about this vessel), arriving at Port Phillip (Melbourne, Australia) on 9 Jun 1853 before dispersal at Geelong on 16 June. Elizabeth and Frances recorded their religion as Wesleyan. Her occupation was given as 'dressmaker' and her first employment there was with a Mr Murray at nearby Lake Colac, for an initial term of 3 months. On 26 Dec 1854, Elizabeth Doo married Francis SCOTT at Christ Church, Geelong, with brother-in-law Ephraim Driver as a witness.

Frances and her husband Ephraim DRIVER accompanied Elizabeth on the Childe Harold.
Mary Ann Doo sailed from Southampton 4 March 1854, to Melbourne the following year, arriving on the Ontario 22 July 1854. She was recorded on the ship's passenger list as "Miss Mary Doo, age 20 years; to Geelong". She married: [1] John THURSFIELD (at Geelong, 25 Nov 1854), then [2] John SMETHURST (18 Jan 1858). She died 9 Sep 1909 at Nariel, Victoria.
Their brother James Doo also emigrated, and died at Colac (near Geelong) 17 July 1900. Administration of his estate at Cambridge was granted to his niece Emma PETTIT, in 1907.

More about the Childe Harold

The ship Childe Harold appeared to be prone to difficulty. On 28 Dec 1852, it was reported in the Liverpool Mercury that "The ship Childe Harold, from this port to New Orleans, was passed on Saturday morning about 20 miles from the N.W. lightship. She had lost maintopmast, foretopgallantmast, and all her sails were blown to ribbons. The vessel that spoke her, a Belfast steamer, having ascertained that she was not seriously damaged or in want of assistance, proceeded on her way to this port." On 3rd January 1853 it was reported as under tow back to Liverpool after flying a distress signal, abandoning its journey to Mobile. Again, after the Doo family's voyage, Childe Harold arrived at Deal from Sydney on 21 November. A report dated 22 Nov 1853: "DEAL. The Childe Harold is on shore on the North Sandhead. Several boats have gone to her assistance." and on the same page a further report "Ramsgate: 22 November 4.10pm The Childe Harold is now off and proceeding for the river, with much damage, and making a considerable quantity of water." In the context of all that, the Doo family took on a risky journey to start their new lives in Australia. A picture of the vessel, and a transcript of the passenger list for the voyage, can be found on Darry Brady's web page.

NOTE
"Cambridge Old Meeting" was an Independent/Congregational Church.


Bridge Street area of Northern Cambridge, c.1834, showing Park Street and Thompson's Lane
10 - St Clements church
11 - Holy Sepulchre church


Holy Sepulchre church, (known as The Round Church), Cambridge

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My sincerest thanks to:
Mr Alfred George Doo
Darryl Brady
the excellent web site of Cambridgeshire Family History Society,
and also to the kind and hard working staff of Cambridge Library and Cambridgeshire County Records Office.

e-mail: Mark Scott

earlier DOO families

Updated: 30 March 2008