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Caroline Prosser nee Chambers 

Caroline's father was Robert Carlos Chambers. He was bapt: 9 Dec 1785 at St Giles, Cripplegate, London, England and her grandparents were: Cornelius Chambers (1762 - bur 25 Jul 1813 Clerkenwell,London) and grandmother Melicent Broadhurst (1762-1802) - they had mar: 2 Dec 1782 at St Leonards, Shoreditch. Robert's brothers and sisters were also bapt at St Giles Cripplegate: Elizabeth Carlos (Bapt 19 Oct 1783); Mellicent Carlos (bapt 6 Nov 1796); Benjamin Carlos (bapt 26 Jun 1799); Thomas Cornelius (bapt 23 Mar 1794)

 
Robert Chambers married Charlotte Sayers on the 20 Jul 1812 in Greyfriars, Newgate, London. Charlotte was b: 1796 in St Savio, Surrey, England and d: abt Dec 1854 St Giles, London - her parents were  Robert Sayers b 1770;  and mother  Mary Forster b 1776)  Robert and Charlotte's children were:

1 Charles Chambers b: in London

2 Margaret Chambers b: 10 Apr 1814 in London

3 Mary Ann Chambers b: 21 May 1816 in London

4 Caroline Chambers b: 1817 in London d: 26 Jul 1874 in Wellington Bur: 28 Jul 1874 Bolton St Cemetery (plot unknown) Mar: Abt. 1838 in Brompton, London to Samuel Prosser b: Abt. 1816 in Essex, East Hampshire d: 26 Sep 1862 in Melbourne, Victoria Bur: 27 Sep 1862 St Kilda Cemetery, Melbourne

5 James Robert Chambers b: 20 Apr 1818 in London d: 27 Jul 1896 in South Yarra, Victoria Mar: 19 May 1851 in Melbourne, Australia to Elizabeth Walker b: 1835 in Port Sorrell, Tasmania  d: 1901 in South Yarrow, Victoria, Australia

6 Sarah Chambers b: 1819 in London

7 Catherine Chambers b: 01 Sep 1820 in London

8 Edward Chambers b: 19 Jan 1825 in London d: Mar 1903 in Porirua

9 Robert Chambers b: 23 Apr 1827 in London, Middlesex d: 27 Sep 1888 in Birmingham, England Mar: 26 Mar 1868 in Register Office, Leicester to Emma Grosvenor b: 19 May 1831 d: 1872 in Leicester, England

Robert remarried on Mar: 30 Aug 1875 in Birmingham, England to Priscilla Grosvenor

10 Elizabeth Chambers b: 1831 d: 23 Feb 1868 in Wellington Burial: 25 Feb 1868 Bolton Street Cemetery, Wellington Mar: Dec 1851 to Richard Weller b: 31 Oct 1831 in Fulham, Middlesex d: 11 Jun 1863 in Melbourne

1841 Census: Fulham, England: Samuel and Caroline Prosser are living at Parsons Green Lane; Samuel Prosser 24, green grocer, Caroline 20; John aged 2; Registration District: Kensington Sub-district: Fulham Civil Parish: Fulham County: Middlesex
 
The 1851 Census:  Living at 97 White St, Finsbury District; Samuel aged 34, Brewer's servant born Essex, East Hampshire; Caroline 30 b. Fulham; John 11 errand boy b Parsons Lane; James 9 Parsons Lane; Samuel 7 Parsons Lane; William 2, White St, St Luke; Thomas 4 months, White St.  
 
The family decided to immigrate and boarded the "Hornet" leaving from Southampton on 23 May 1857. Listed among it passengers  are: Samuel Prosser aged 40, labourer from Surrey (C of E) can read and write; Caroline (38) read only; William (9); Thomas (6) Joshua (4) Caroline (infant) Listed as single persons (ie 14 to 45) are Lewis Prosser, laborer from Surrey (16) (this is a transcription error for James - comparing age/birth) and Samuel (13) labourer Surrey. Eldest son John had immigrated to Melbourne the previous year on the ship "Arthur the Great".
On board also were Caroline's father Robert, her brother Edward, sister Charlotte Charlotte who travelled as "Mrs Chambers" with her children Charlotte 6 and James 3. They arrived at Melbourne 2nd September 1857.
<Burke Street, Melbourne
 
The Prosser family made their home at 23 Little Bourke Street, West Melbourne in Prahran, an inner suburb about 5 miles southeast of Melbourne and six months later:
Melbourne Argus May 1 1858: Death: On the 30th ult., at the residence of his son, New Bridge Hotel, Gardiner's Rd.  Robert Chambers aged 73 (he was buried at St Kilda Cemetery, Melbourne)
 
Samuel worked first as a green-grocer and was, at the time of death, a cab-driver. Samuel would have plied his trade transporting passengers to and from the train to their home and destination. He started a line of mail coaches to Malvern Hills along with his  elder sons. Two more children were born into the family - Elizabeth in May 1859 and Mary Ann July 1861. Daughter Caroline was not quite five years of age when she died in July 1860. Life was hard. Samuel became a hard drinker, and for years was drunk every day which resulted in constant quarrels about money. The four oldest boys John, James William and Samuel, tired of abuse could see no future for them although keeping the business running. They left Melbourne on 15th September 1862 for the Otago gold fields to join their uncle Edward Chambers there. On the 26th their father was dead from from a poisonous dose of laudanum, taken by himself while in a state of intoxication. (the verdict of the court.)
 
There followed the horrors of the inquest, the publicity as Caroline wasforced to expose her life with an alcoholic to a court and she packed her few pssessions and left in March 1863 using her maiden name Chambers. She sailed to Otago on the "William Jackson" with her children and her sister Charlotte and her two children (she also reverted to her Chambers name)

The ship William Jackson, was reported as being off the Port, arrived on Saturday evening, she brings a considerable amount of general cargo, and 368 pnssengers, the majority of whom proceeded to town immediately on arrival. The passage was protracted by the necessity of going round Tasmania in consequence of a gale of wind from the eastward, and besides detentions through calms, she was delayed two days on the Otago coast by light and contrary weather.

Yet to be completed......
 
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