Many of these days do not feel the anxiousness of sending our children to war and wondering if we will ever see them again. There are still people in our Armies being deployed to war zones, and sadly there are a few who do not come home, but at times there have been thousands sent off, and many did not come home or came home damaged in many ways.
It was a different world then, a much simpler world but the fears would have been the same. But imagine waiting day after day to hear word of a love one. A letter saying they are safe or a letter from the war department giving news you do not want to hear or even start to imagine.

My great great grandmother Mary Ann Hackett was born in Hampshire, England in July 1836. Her mother, Harriet Butler, had originally married John Kearshall in 1831, a soldier serving for Canada. He had joined the military at just 17 years of age. I have not been able to trace him but assume he was killed as Harriet then married an ex-soldier in January 1836.

Henry Hackett had served in the 35th Royle Scotts Regiment of Infantry. The Royle Regiment of Foot. He joined in March of 1815 and was marked as under age. He served in the West indies and also the  Mediterranean. He was discharged in 1834 where it is said he was a bad soldier and continually in hospital. He had a chronic liver complaint. Henry died 18 March 1842 in the Workhouse, just four months after his daughter Elizabeth  Hannah was born. (There does not appear to be further records for Elizabeth).

Harriet then went on to marry William Hales, another soldier who served on the Britannia, was on the "Benbow" in Syria and "Hyacinth" where he received the China Medal. He then retired as a Greenwich Pensioner. He too was a widower. They had children Charles, who seems to have died as a baby and Charlotte. Charlotte married George Adnams. They had thirteen children, after Charlotte died, George remarried and had another 5 children. His father was also a Greenwich Pensioner.

George Adnam's mother was also a Butler born in Hampshire and it is possible that her and Harriet  were cousins.  Also Mary Ann Hackett married James Walkeden and his mother was also Butler. All 3 of these Butler ladies were born in Alverstoke, Hampshire.

Mary Ann grew up amongst ex soldiers and no doubt heard stories surrounding them. She came to Australia, met James Walkeden who had come to meet the ship. It is not known if he came to meet Mary Ann however we do know his nephew was on the same ship.

James had come to Australia as a sailor but left to find his fortune in gold, as many men did. We have not been able to locate a marriage for James and Mary Ann but according to children's birth certificates they married two days after Mary Ann landed in Melbourne.

They then left for the "Ovens" Stanley, Victoria where their first child, Harriet, was born. After that they travelled south and ended up at Fiery Creek, Great Western and finally Stawell. There were six children born in all, however Ada, the last child was registered at birth but nothing on her since, we assume she died very shortly after birth.