Charles Hutton senior

According to the 1861 and 1865 England census Charles Hutton was born in Kensington, Middlesex in 1809. I have yet to establish the names of his parents. According to George Hutton in his notes Charles was his great uncle and therefore the uncle of William Forbes Hutton.

In 1838 Charles Hutton is a squatter in Victoria - would have been about 29 years of age. In a number of references he is referred to as Captain Charles Hutton so like many of the family he may have served initially in the military.

The Department of Primary Industries site - Victorian Resources Online -
http://vro.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/Vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/landuse_hist_geog_lscape_costerfield_european
provides information about Charles Hutton and the squatting run, Campaspe Plains. Hutton and his party, plus stock, set out from a location near Goulburn in late January or February 1838 and following Major Mitchel's route taken two years previously arrived at Campaspe Plains in July1838. A house was established and also a couple of out stations.  The size of the original run was estimated to be about 114,900 acres however some of the land was unsuitable for farming due to distance from rivers.  Before long problems arose with the Aborigines on whose land the property was established. In May 1839 after two shepherds were murdered and 700 sheep were taken from the property Charles Hutton led a retaliation party  resulting in the death of up to forty Aborigines. The following month Hutton with a party of mounted police held another raid on Aborigines still on the property with another six dying. An enquiry was held but no charges were laid. Campase Plains Massacre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaspe_Plains_massacre
Charles Hutton sold the property in the early 1840s. The Campaspe Plains Run was subdivided into a number of smaller properties in the 1840s.

(Sydney Herald Saturday 21 November 1840 p4) THE TOWN ALLOTMENTS Advertised in the Gazette, by the Notice dated 13th May, 1840, (with the exception of Lots 89 and 90) have been sold to the undermentioned Parties by Auction, at Melbourne, on 13th August, 1840, and the price affixed to each respectively has been received.
Lot - Town                - Extent A. R. P. - Purchursers      -   £   s  d
79 -   South Geelong -             0   2  0  - Charles Hutton - 140 0 0
[A R P = acres, rods, perches - a rood is a quarter of an acre so Charles Huttton purchased half an acre]
In 1842 in Melbourne he marries Margaret Smith and they have five children Mary, Amy and Alice, Thomas and Charles. For a number of years the family lives at Merri Creek - Mary (b1846) and Amy (b1848) were born there - while Thomas (b1852) was born in Collingwood. Alice (b1850) died in 1851 around one year old. Charles was born in Victoria in 1854. Shortly afterwards - second half of the 1850s - the family returns to England.

Charles Hutton was a JP in the colony. In April 1846 Melbourne was the scene of Orange riots. During the afternoon of the 14th Superintendant La Trobe, the Mayor and five JPs including Captain Charles Hutton rode through the principal streets. (Garryowen p684).

The 1861 England Census has the family living in Bath at Batheaston Villa in Bailbrook Lane. The census lists Charles' profession as' proprietor of land and houses in Victoria, Australia'. Charles and Margaret are living with the four children and Margaret's parents. Five servants are also living in the house. In the 1871 England census they are living at 13 Cavendish Place, Bath. The two boys are listed as living in the house with their parents and their grandmother who is now a widow. They have four servants.

In July 1872 Charles returns to Australia with his wife and his two sons aboard the Somersetshire.

He died in Brighton in 1879.

There is still more research required to fill in the gaps on his early life including his first stay in the colony as well as his later years.