Notes for: Ellen Register
Ellen's christian name appears as Ellen or Eleanor and her married name appears as being spelt as Frazier, Fraiser, Frazer and Fraser in various documents and publications. As of the 21 March 2008 I have accepted FRAZER as her correct married surname, this has been confirmed by a descendant who is in possession of a copy of William Frazer's signature. Her maiden surname has been recorded as Redchester and her married surname has been spelt Frazer on her marriage certificate of 1783, as Fraser and Fraiser on her Burial certificate of 1840. These variations could have been due to an individuals interpretation of the spelling in the late 1700's and early 1800's and subsequent authors versions appearing in publications produced on the subject. She also appears as Ellen Morgan in the Census of 1828 for NSW.
Ellen Register was the daughter of Dorothy Simpson and Robert Register of Aldborough in Yorkshire who were married at St Andrews in 1761.
Ellen married William Frazer on 8 November 1783 at St Andrews in Aldborough. William Frazer came from Sheffield and settled in Aldborough when he married Ellen Register in about 1784. The couple had a son, William Frazer. Soon after, the family moved to Manchester. In 1787 the trouble began. Both were transported to Australia as convicts. Ellen left William Jr behind in England (and possibly other children as well. It is highly likely that the children would have been raised in Aldborough).
1787 - Ellen was tried at Manchester in 1787 along with her husband, William Frazer (Fraizer), for stealing. Details of her indictment taken from the Lancashire Record Office, Quarter Sessions Records, Jan 1787:
Ellen and her husband both received similar sentences and arrived in the Colony as part of the convict component of the First Fleet in 1788. She was recorded as being a singlewomen, which if she had taken advantage of her real marital status to claim influence by her husband, she may have been acquitted.
It was only after their request to the Gaoler Higgins, at Lancaster Castle, to be sent to the same place that Higgins on the 5 Apr 1787 sent a letter to Evan Nepean, enclosing a copy of her marriage certificate dated 8 Nov 1783 from Aldborough, Yorks, and reporting their wish to be sent to the same place "as they have been married some years and have had children". The name was spelt "Frazer" in the marriage register.
Ellen was sent direct to the "Prince of Wales" on the 9 Apr 1787, aged 22 years.
7 Jun 1789 - Ellen and William's son, John was baptised in Port Jackson, and was the second white child born in the Colony.
18 Jul 1791 - Their second son Daniel was baptised.
Jun 1791 - Ellen's husband died from heavy drinking and not long after she began co-habitating with William Morgan (of the NSW Corps, who had arrived on the "Neptune" with the Second Fleet).
20 Feb 1794 - (Ellenor Frazer) received her first land grant of twenty acres at Concord.
22 Jul 1794 - She received a further twenty acres.
3 Nov 1798 - Her partner William Morgan charged with illegally withholding some of her pigs, which the court made him return.
It was said at this time that they had separated after living together for seven years, but by 1800 they were back together again as Ellen bore him their second child Lucy, and they were to have more children before finally separating permanently sometime after 1806 when their last child, Richard was born.
William Morgan and Ellen Frazer children were:
Ann Margaret Morgan was born in 1797 and baptised at St Phillips. She married William Wilson.
Lucy Morgan was born in 1800 and baptised at St Phillips, she married John Clegg in 1820 and died in 1825. Her children were raised by her sisters Ann and Sarah.
William Frazer Morgan was born in 1802 and baptised at St Phillips. He married Ann Pymble .
Sarah Frazer Morgan was born in 1804 and baptised at St Johns, Parramatta.
(V1804409 148/1804 FRAZER SARAH father: UNKNOWN mother: ELEANOR).
Sarah married Frederick Meredith Jr and had eleven children as well as raising Ann Clegg. Sarah smoked a clay pipe.
Richard Frazer Morgan was born in 1806 and baptised at St Johns. He married Margaret Murphy.
Ellen died in November 1840 (age recorded as 76) and she is buried as Ellen Fraser in Pioneer Park in Liverpool (behind the Westfield Shopping Centre).
22 Oct 1828 - Her partner William Morgan passed away.
1840 - Ellen continued to live at Concord until she died in 1840, at the time of her death she was seen as being a highly regarded settler. A comment in the publication Concord - A Centenary History noted that Eleanor Fraser was obviously a woman of remarkable resilience and fortitude who well deserves recognition as a pioneer of Concord. She is buried as Ellen Fraser in the Pioneer Park in Liverpool (behind the Westfield Shopping Centre).
Ellen bequested her land at Concord to her two sons William and Richard Frazer Morgan but also requested in her will that Thomas Humphries be provided for. Thomas was an ex-convict who was assigned to her in her early days as a landholder, and remained with her until her death.
20 Nov 1840 - Interred.