Family Branch: Australia

The AUSTRALIAN Branch of the family can be traced back for at least seven generations – to the William Pinsent who married Sarah Eales in Plymouth in 1832. We have probably encountered him elsewhere, as I think he is a member of the BRISTOL Branch who married twice and had two families. If I am right, it is the children from his first marriage who took off for Australia and formed the AUSTRALIAN Branch. The children from the second stayed on in England. They moved into the Bristol area and their predecessors and descendants form the BRISTOL Branch.

William and Sarah Eales had a son, Thomas James in 1833. For some reason, he served his apprenticeship with a “baker” in the Channel Islands and married Elizabeth James there in 1856. The two of them took off for Melbourne the following year and they had their first few children while living in Ballarat – a gold-rush town in Victoria State. They later moved to Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne. Thomas James remained a “baker;” however, he must have realized that the City was growing fast and there was money to be made. He purchased land and built houses – which, proved to be a profitable undertaking.

Thomas James Pinsent had several sons and his descendants can still be found living in the Greater Melbourne area. I know very little about those that are still alive; however, their forebears worked in a mix of trades, working-class and clerical jobs and, more recently, entered the professions. Sadly, some of them went through the divorce courts. The family seems to have contributed more than its fair share to the Military during the two world wars (one individual won a Military Cross) and several members have displayed the Australian love of sport (cricket and Australian Rules Football). 

More Information

For a brief look at the Australian family branch, check out the Branch Summary. For the closer look at how they lived, “notable members” (marked with a ““) include full biographies. Family members marked with “” are discussed in their fathers’ biographies.

Notable Members of the Branch

Allan Henry Pinsent, salesman, Melbourne, 1917 – 2002.
Arthur Henry Pinsent, stores comptroller and salesman, Melbourne, 1886 – 1971.
Arthur James Pinsent of Melbourne, 1921 – 2000.
Charles Samuel Pinsent, painter, Melbourne, 1864 – 1930.
Colin George Pinsent, sales manager, Melbourne, Australia, 1949 – 2013.
Harold Charles Appleford Pinsent, soldier and driver, Melbourne, 1894 – 1985.
Joseph Henry Pinsent, carter, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 1863 – 1945.
Norman Arthur Pinsent, tramway and dockside worker, Melbourne, 1914 – xxxx.
Raymond George Pinsent, commercial traveller, Melbourne, 1913 – 1983.
Ronald Francis Pinsent, sales supervisor, Melbourne, 1915 – 1983.
Thomas James Pinsent, baker and property developer, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 1833 – 1915.
Thomas James Pinsent, commercial artist and sign-painter, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 1858 – 1932.
William Pinsent, tailor of Plymouth and Exeter, Devon, 1811 – 1879.
William John Pinsent, boot maker, 1866 – 1905.
William Watts Francis Pinsent, photographer of Sydney, New South Wales, 1900 – 1977.

All Members of the Branch