Historical information

In the words of the donor, Betty Stone, "This pewter plate belonged to Joshua and Susan Chamberlain. They, with their family, arrived in Australia as assisted migrants in January 1855. Our Chamberlain family was among those chosen to participate in a Bounty Scheme and on 24 October 1854 embarked on SS Shand to begin their journey.

A few years later they set up a home on a small farming property in Wangoom, Warrnambool with the possessions they had brought with them from the village of Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, England. Amongst those household possessions was this plate.

During the first half of the nineteenth century, a Bounty scheme was introduced to encourage migrants to Australia to work on properties granted or sold to settlers. Agents in England were engaged to select suitable emigrants; applicants had to be "sober, industrious and of good moral character....and married men over the age of forty-eight were only eligible to receive the bounty if they had five or more children over the age of ten years'. The successful applicant also had to pay one pound sterling for each adult, and ten shillings for each child between the ages of one and fourteen years. This payment covered the cost of a mattress, bolster, blanket, small box, knife and fork, two spoons, metal plate, and drinking mug, all of which became the emigrant's property on arrival in the colony.

The pewter plate, handed down from one generation to the next, was always valued by members of the family as an important artefact. The plate has a mark stamped on the back which is almost indecipherable."

(Reference- Brown Martyn- Australia Bound! The story of West Country connections
1688- 1888 Bradford on Avon Wiltshire Ex Libris Press 1988 p 112.)

(Note: For additional information please refer to Betty Stone’s book “Pioneers and Places - A History of three Warrnambool Pioneering Families” ie. Chamberlain, Dale and Lees Families)

Significance

This item is associated with the families of Chamberlain, Dale and Lees. These families are listed in the "Pioneers' Register" for Warrnambool Township and Shire, 1835-1900, published by A.I.G.S. Warrnambool Branch.
The plate is an example of the goods emigrants brought to Australia under the Bounty Scheme in the 1850s.

Physical description

Pewter plate: metal plate with a wide rim and shallow bowl. The top has a gold-brown colour, underside is grey with a red-brown mark. Made c. 1850. The plate has an Inscription stamped on the back and front.It is part of the 'Chamberlain, Dale and Lees Collection'

Inscriptions & markings

Maker's Mark on back: 'rectangle with rounded corners / T H all within a circle' almost indecipherable.
Mark heavily stamped on front: 'L / T M'