Bothwell Families

These pages offer a glimpse into the lives of the Bothwell families. You’ll find family trees and historical events specific to the area. While not exhaustive, the information will continue to be updated as research progresses. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material presented.

William Reid (1789-1873)
Margaret Aldridge ( -1834)

William Reid, born about 1789 in Gloucestershire, England, married Margaret Aldridge on 23 August 1819 at Old Sodbury. In April 1823, William was convicted of sheep stealing and sentenced to transportation for life, departing England aboard the Asia in August 1823 and arriving in Hobart in January 1824. Margaret and their two eldest daughters later joined him in Van Diemen’s Land about 1825, and the family settled in the Bothwell district, where William was employed as a servant and later resided at Dennistoun and Norwood. Between 1827 and 1833, William and Margaret had several children baptised at Bothwell, though the family’s early years were marked by hardship. Margaret died at Green Ponds in May 1834, after which several of the younger children were admitted to the Queen’s Orphanage. William remained in the Bothwell area, experiencing further convictions before receiving his Ticket of Leave in 1842 and a Conditional Pardon in 1846. He lived out his later years at Bothwell and died there on 23 April 1873, aged 84, and was buried in the public cemetery. Their children included Sarah Ann (1820), Jane (1821), Mary Ann (1827), Matilda (1828), John (1829), Eliza (1831), and William (1833), with several daughters marrying and raising families in the Bothwell district.

William Reid.

b: abt 1789, Gloucestershire, England; d: 23 Apr 1873, Bothwell, Tasmania; bur: aft 23 Apr 1873, Public Cemetery, Bothwell, Tasmania.

Spouse - Margaret Aldridge.

b: abt 1788, place unknown; m: 23 Aug 1819, Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England; d: May 1834, Green Ponds, Tasmania; bur: 29 May 1834, Green Ponds, Tasmania.

Children of William Reid and Margaret Aldridge:

  1. Sarah Ann Reid - b: abt 1819, Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England; d: 23 Dec 1870, Bothwell, Tasmania.

  2. Jane Reid - b: abt 1821, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England; d: 24 Apr 1898, Hobart, Tasmania.

  3. Mary Ann Reid - b: 8 Mar 1827, Bothwell, Tasmania; d: 5 Sep 1915, Queenstown, Tasmania.

  4. Matilda Reid - b: 12 Mar 1828, Bothwell, Tasmania; d: 9 Jun 1892, Taranna, Tasmania.

  5. John Reid - b: abt 1829, Tasmania; bap: 26 Nov 1829, Bothwell, Tasmania; d: 27 Dec 1829, Bothwell, Tasmania; bur: 29 Dec 1829, Public Cemetery, Bothwell, Tasmania.

  6. Eliza Reid - b: abt 1831, Tasmania; d: 20 Aug 1858, Bothwell, Tasmania.

  7. William Reid - b: abt 1833, Tasmania (36); bap: 25 Jul 1833, Bothwell, Tasmania.