Introduction
Shade ~ First Generation

	John Henry William SHADE, also known as Henry, was born c 1816 at Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. His signature is on two certificates in 1854 as Henry while naming himself John Henry William Shade. The birth places and marriage place are listed on son Henry's birth certificate. He is identified as being "a German, but speaks English well" in a police document in 1864, see below. His occupation was sea captain, mariner, seafarer. At the inquest into the drowning of the cabin boy on the Colina, see below, it was stated by Henry that he had been at sea since approximately 14 years of age. New Zealand - Marriage He married under the name of Henry Shade, bachelor of Wellington, on 29 April 1844 at the Court House at Wellington, New Zealand, to Harriet DIMENT, spinster of Wellington (see transcript of marriage cert). Harriet was born 1819 at Marshwood Dorset England, the illegitimate ('base born') daughter of Elizabeth Diment, a servant at Marshwood. Marshwood is 3 miles NNW of Whitchurch Canonicorum and comes within that parish. See the transcript of Diment parish information from Whitchurch Canonicorum. Unfortunately the name Diment occurs very frequently in Dorset and there is only one record that definitely applies, being Harriet's baptism on 1 Aug 1819 as "Hariot, base born dau of Elizabeth Diment, abode Marshwood, Servant". Harriet emigrated to New Zealand at some time before April 1844, when her marriage took place. She is not found in the 1841 English census. Tasmania The couple moved from New Zealand to Tasmania by 1845.Their address in 1845 was St John Street, Launceston, and in 1846, Brisbane Street, Launceston. Daughter Harriett was born in 1845 at Launceston and died aged 3 weeks. Daughter Elizabeth was born in 1846 at Launceston; she was one of the 2 children out of 6 to survive childhood. In 1846 he was listed as Steward of Ship at Elizabeth's birth. Melbourne / Geelong - Captain of the MERCURY Daughter Anne was born in Dec 1848, probably at Melbourne; she died aged 14 months in Melbourne. In the book 'Early Shipping in the Port of Geelong', by Jack Loney, available in the State Library of Victoria, see Appendix A, FIRST SMALL SHIPS TO TRADE WITH GEELONG. 1849: EMERGENCY - Captain King. MERCURY - Captain Shade. ANN - Captain Bartlett. ANN AND ELIZABETH - Captain Laing. There are many newspaper references in The Argus between 1848 and 1849 to Henry Shade, the Master of the schooner Mercury, of 26 tons, which journeyed between Melbourne and Geelong. The first one follows. On 14th Nov 1848 there is a newspaper reference: "Shipping Intelligence. CLEARED OUT. November 13. - Mercury, schooner, 26 tons, Henry Shade, master, for Geelong, with sundry British and Colonial free goods." (ref The Argus, Melbourne, 14 Nov 1848, see online index.) Other references to the schooner Mercury under master Henry Shade are 1 Dec 1848 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Nov 30); 26 Dec 1848 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Dec 23, with sundries); 2 Jan 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Dec 27); 5 Jan 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Jan 4 with 123 cases wine, transhipped from Hero, from London, and sundry free goods); 9 Jan 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Jan 8 with 216 bags sugar, and sundry free goods); 16 Jan 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Jan 11); 26 Jan 1849 (departure from Melbourne to Geelong on Jan 24); 2 Feb 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Jan 27 with 240 bags sugar, 10 tons salt); 2 Feb 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Jan 31 with 4 bales sheep skins, 1 bale wool, 137 bags sugar, 52 bags coffee, 3 half chests tea, 1 bag rice); 20 Mar 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Mar 13); 6 Apr 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Apr 1); 6 Apr 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Apr 5 in ballast); 10 Apr 1849 (departure from Geelong to Melbourne on Apr 4); 8 Jun 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Jun 3); 16 July 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Jul 12); 18 Jul 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Jul 17 in ballast); 2 Aug 1849 (departure from Geelong to Melbourne on Jul 31); 3 Aug 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Aug 2 with 30 logs cedar, 209 hides, 15 bags lime); 14 Aug 1849 (departure from Melbourne to Geelong on Aug 13 with 292 bags sugar); 22 Aug 1849 (arrival at Melbourne from Geelong on Aug 21 in ballast); 11 Sep 1849 (departure from Melbourne to Geelong on Sep 10 with one log pine, 50 deals, and sundry free goods). On 15 Sep 1849 there is a newspaper reference: "PORT OF GEELONG. Arrived. Sept 13 - Mercury, schooner, 36 tons, Henry Shade, from Hobart Town. IMPORTS. 49 logs cedar, Hill & Hitchins; 45 deals Samuel Wilson; 3,400 paling, Dunsford & Co." (ref The Argus, Melbourne, 15 Sep 1849, see online index.) [presumably the same trip but incorrect starting point] Other references to the schooner Mercury under master Henry Shade are 18 Sep 1849 (departure from Geelong to Melbourne on 15 Sep); 19 Sep 1849 (departure from Melbourne to Geelong on Sep 18. No passengers. Transhipped ex River Chief - 8 casks butter, 34 hides, Order); 4 Oct 1849 (departure from Melbourne to Geelong on Oct 3. Exports. 1 tierce tobacco, and sundry British and Colonial free goods, order); 6 Oct 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Oct 4); 8 Oct 1849 (arrival at Geelong from Melbourne on Oct 4); 8 Oct 1849 (departure from Geelong to Melbourne on Oct 5). Son Theodore was born in 1850 at Melbourne and was to be the ancestor of Frederick Shade. Son William was born in 1852 at Geelong and died aged 32 days. Melbourne / Geelong - Joint Owner of the the WILLIAM In the book 'Surf Coast Wrecks 1853 - 1940' by Ross Anderson and Anne Cahir, Melbourne 2003, available in the State Library of Victoria, a full description is given of the loss of the schooner named OTWAY in 1862, as follows: "The 33-ton Geelong registered schooner was lost at Lorne during a south-westerly gale which had battered her, finally forcing her ashore where she became a total wreck (Loney, 1979, p.85; Cecil & Carr, 1988)". It is stated in that book that the original name was WILLIAM and that the owners at 1/1853 were "Hy Shade & Hy Gibbins/Melbourne". Melbourne / Geelong - Owner and Master of the COLLINA In the book 'Geelong Customs Register of Ships', available in the State Library of Victoria, the Colina is listed under the names H.Shade & C.Hudson with the description 'W 2 sch 55'; the dates given are 1848 (possibly first date of registration but probably not with these owners), 1853 & 1854. On 1 July 1853, a newspaper reference to Henry reports a drowning of a cabin-boy. "DIED. Drowned, on Tuesday, 29th June, on board the Schooner Collins [error], Henry Shade, master, a boy named William -, who shipped on board at Melbourne as cabin-boy on 13th ult. His parents are supposed to live at Prahran. The body is not yet recovered from the schooner." (Ref The Argus, Melbourne, 1 July 1853, see online index). The inquest held in late July was reported in the Geelong Advertiser, and in the Argus of 1 Aug 1853. Attached is a transcript. The vessel was the COLINA, a schooner; the cabin boy who drowned was named John M'Kenzie; the accident occurred on Jun 28th. The vessel had been loaded at Point Henry (near Geelong) and proceeded to Geelong, and capsized; the cabin boy was below decks and could not be rescued. Henry Shade was the master of the vessel and stated that he had been twenty three years at sea [i.e. from the age of 14] and had been trading for 5 years between Geelong and Melbourne in command of different vessels. A witness stated that he understood this was the first trip of Captain Shade in this vessel as lighter from Point Henry; he had previously the management of the William, a vessel of quite different build. No conclusion is stated for the inquest. In the book 'Wrecks in Port Phillip Bay', by Jack Loney, available in the State Library of Victoria, the accident is summarised as follows. '1853. As the schooner COLINA, H.Shade owner and master, was coming up Port Phillip Bay from Geelong loaded with passengers' luggage and cargo from the Prussian barque VESTA anchored off Port Henry, she was struck by a sudden squall. The topsails were taken in and the helm was put hard down to bring her into the wind. However, the cargo on deck suddenly shifted and the schooner failed to answer her helm, capsizing without warning. The captain, crew of three and a passenger saved themselves in a boat, but a lad of 11 years of age in the forecastle lost his life.' Family in 1854 In April 1854 their son Henry was born at Geelong and the birth certificate lists the parents, and the other children as Elizabeth aged 7, Theodore aged 3 1/2 and Anne and Harriett deceased at that time (William was omitted). See transcripts of Henry's birth and death certificates; he died aged 5 weeks. Last Sighting of Henry and police request for information In August 1854 Henry was said to be master and part owner of a lighter trading in Geelong. He was reported to have been seen about 1855 in Sydney. This information was obtained from the Victoria Police Gazette of November 3, 1864, available in the State Library of Victoria. Presumably his wife had requested help. The full text of the published advertisement is as follows: "INFORMATION is requested respecting Henry Shade, who, about August, 1854, was master and part owner of a lighter trading in Geelong, which he subsequently sold in Williamstown. He was seen about 9 years ago in Sydney. He is likely to be now employed among the shipping in Sydney or New Zealand. He is aged 48 (if now living), about 5 feet 7 inches high, light hair, sandy and grey whiskers, scar from a cut under one eye, a sailor, a German, but speaks English well. - 2nd November, 1864." There has always been a family story that Henry drowned. However it is possible that the drowning of the cabin boy in 1853 became confused in the family history. No Victorian or NSW government death records or Vic inquest records for him have been found. No grave has been found in the Geelong cemeteries. After Henry's disappearance In 1858 in the Geelong Commercial Directory there is an entry for Harriett Shade at O'Farrell Place, Little Ryrie Street, Geelong, with the occupation 'mangling'. (This is on microfiche at the GSV). This suggests that Henry died between 1854 and 1858. In daughter Elizabeth's marriage cert in 1887, the full name of John Henry William Shade is given, with occupation Sea Captain. Harriet died 11 Dec 1899 at Ryrie Street, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Vic reg 13899), buried 12 Dec 1899 at Eastern Cemetery, Geelong (area METO*X***4). Her daughter Elizabeth signed the death cert and gave her address as 47 Ryrie St Geelong (see transcript of death cert). When Theodore died in 1928, the name of his father is correctly given as Henry Shade, Sea Captain, so he was not forgotten.	Marriage Cert Diment parish records COLINA WRECK INQUEST Henry's birth Henry's death Elizabeth's marriage Harriet's death Eastern cemetery, Geelong
	Children:
1.	Harriet SHADE born 1845 at Launceston, Tasmania
2.	Elizabeth SHADE born 1846 at Launceston, Tasmania
3.	Anne SHADE born 1848
4.	Theodore SHADE born 1850 at Melbourne, Victoria
5.	William Henry SHADE born 1852 at Geelong, Victoria
6.	Henry SHADE born 1854 at Geelong, Victoria

Last modified 24 May 2011