Note: 4th child, John Nicholls, only appears on Judith Engall’s Family Tree (1990) – not on Judith Vampari’s Family Tree (2011).
More information:
The 1841 Census recorded:
Tresco Northward, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall:
Jonas Nicholls, age: 30 years, occupation: shoemaker, born: Cornwall
Rebecca Nicholls, age: 30 years, occupation: shoe-binder, born: Cornwall
John Nicholls, age: 7 years, born: Cornwall
Harriet Nicholls, age: 5 years, born: Cornwall
Jonas Nicholls, age: 3 years, born: Cornwall

The 1851 Census recorded:
Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall:
Jonas Nicholls, head, married, age: 42 years, occupation: boot and shoemaker, born: Tresco
Rebecca Nicholls, wife, married, age: 40 years, born: Tresco
John Nicholls, son, unmarried, age: 16 years, occupation: farm labourer, born: Tresco
Jonas Nicholls, son, aged: 13 years, occupation: scholar, born: Tresco
Rebecca Nicholls, daughter, aged: 5 years, occupation: scholar, born: Tresco
Elizabeth Nicholls, daughter, aged: 1 year, born: Tresco

In 1860 John and Sidelia were married at Boggabri, by Rev Edward Williams.

In 1884, John recalled, in a letter written to his sister Elizabeth Mary and her husband, Thomas Richards (referred to in the letter as ‘brother’), how he left home [England] with Captain Deason in The Gazelle:
BATHURST,
March 30th, 1884.

Dear Sister & Brother,

I write to you these few lines hoping this will find you all in good health as it leaves us all at present. I received your letter from Nan and Harriet conjointly through Rebecca and telling us the sad news of poor dear Mother’s death, and Father also very ill not expecting to hold out much longer. Shortly after, Rebecca got another letter from you informing us that poor dear Father had departed this life. It was a blessing they had some one there to administer a little comfort at the last hour. You must have had some trying times of it so many weeks.

I suppose the old house belongs to the Governor now. I don’t suppose that I shall ever see the old place again now. I have been away so long, 28 years since I left home with Captain Deason in the “gazelle”. My birthday was the 21st March, and Sidelia and Rebecca had their birthdays on the seventeenth of this month. We are still pretty close together in the one month.

I must congratulate both of you and your husband for being so attentive to the dear old people. It was a consolation to them to have someone belonging to them to administer comfort at the last hour.

I have wrote [sic] a letter to Sister Harriet. I am sending them both by this mail.

I had a letter from Rebecca and James last week. They are quite well. They are still living in the old place. I hope to have a letter from you when you get this.

I have not heard from my brother Jonas lately. He is still living in New Zealand in a quiet little cottage.

I think I have told you all the news. Sidelia and the children are all well, and join with me in sending our kind love to you and Thomas and the children.

I remain,

Your affectionate Brother
John Nicholls.
Kepple Street,
BATHURST. N.S. Wales.

The “Captain Deason” referred in John’s letter was his cousin, Richard Scadden Deason. Richard was the master of The Gazelle in 1856 when it operated in the Mediterranean. John was probably a crew member on this ship. No record has been found of John’s arrival in Australia which probably occurred between 1857 and 1860.

At the time of Sidelia’s death in 1912 she was noted as aged 77 years.


Acknowledgements:
• Phill Deason, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England
• Rick Smith, Launceston Tasmania, Australia
• Reg Deason, Dunedin, New Zealand,

References:
Censuses:
• Cornwall On-line Census Project, 2008, 1841 Census – all Scillies, full listing, June 2008 (ref - D_Doc_#206)
• Cornwall On-line Census Project, 2008, 1851 Census – all Scillies, full listing, June 2008 (ref - D_Doc_#207)
Family trees & history:
• Leslie Deason & Phill Deason, c1960–2004, Deason Family Tree (transcribed Greg Campbell, 2004) (ref- D_Doc_#127)
• Rick Smith, 2005, Deason Family Tree (ref - D_Doc_#136)
• Judith Engall, 1990, Nicholls Family Tree (descendants of John Deason (1741-1812) & Elizabeth Nicholls (1746-1825) (ref - D_Doc_#234
• Rick Smith, 2011, Deason Family Tree (ref - D_Doc_#408)
• Judith Vampari, 2011, Glasscock Family Tree, from Ancestry.com (copy not held)
Other information:
• Judith Engall, 1990 & John Nicholls, 1884, Correspondence, Captain Deason of The Gazelle (ref - D_Doc_#233)
B C Stephenson (for Lloyds), 1869, Lloyd’s Captain Register, p 175 (ref - D_Doc_#361)