The Maria
Massacre
The tragic story
of Thomas & Kitty Daniel nee Vingoe
Kitty Vingoe was baptised in the parish of Madron in Cornwall on the 24th of July 1806 the sixth child of William and Constance Rodda of Boswarva. In 1825 she married Thomas Hoskin Daniel of Sancreed and went to live in St Buryan. Over the next seven year she gave birth to five children.
Constance Almira DANIEL: bt 22 May 1825 : St Buryan
John Vingoe DANIEL : bt 25 Mar 1829 : St Buryan
Mary Vingoe DANIEL : bt 1 Jul 1831 : St Buryan
Lavinia
DANIEL : bt 4 Dec 1832 : St Buryan
William Thomas DANIEL : bt 21 Nov 1836 : St Buryan
Thomas, her husband made his living as a basket maker and skilled men such as him were being offered a new life for their families in Australia with free passage so in 1839 Kitty and Thomas decided to leave Cornwall and emigrate to Australia. For some unknown reason they only took four of their children with them. The youngest daughter Lavinia who was born on the 4th Dec 1832, is recorded on the 1841 census living with her grandparents William & Constance Vingoe at Boswarva in Madron.
Kitty and her family sailed for Australia onboard the sailing vessel “Asia” and arrived in Adelaide in July 1839. They settled in Long Plains on the Yorke Peninsular but during the next year all the children died in the various epidemics that swept through the Township.
After the death of thier last child Kitty and Thomas decided to leave Long Plains and once to make a new start in Tasmania. The couple were sailing to Hobart, Tasmania [ Van Diemans Land ] when they were shipwrecked and met a tragic end sometime in June of 1840.
Go here to read a full report using your back button to return to this page.
Go here to hear a broadcast about the tragedy. click on the word "Real" above the article.
Katherine Argoll VINGOE b. 24th July 1806 : Madron died . June 1840 : Geelong, S. AUS.
.......................................+ Thomas Hoskin DANIEL bt 9 Jan 1790 Sancreed - died June 1840 : Geelong S. AUS.
.....................................................................................[ parents Mathew DANIEL & Mary VICTOR m 9 Jan 1790 Sancreed.]
.........................................married 28th Feb. 1825 : Madron.
Ten years after these events Kitty's sister Sarah and her family made the decision to also leave Cornwall for Australia but their story was to be totally different.
Sarah VINGOE : b Jan & bt 24 Mar 1805 : Madron
................................................................... died. 25th Oct. 1893: Parkside, Adelaide, S. AUS.
........................................+ John DAVEY b.24 Jun 1798 - died. 14th Dec 1868 : Gawler River, S. AUS.
........................................... ..............................[ Parents James DAVEY & Alice WILLIAMS m 3Nov 1792 St Just]
... .......................................... married 23rd Oct 1827 : Madron :Emigrated to S.Aus.1848 on the "Trafalgar" Arr. 17 Jane 1849
