 Samuel
and Caroline Prosser
Samuel Prosser's grandparents were Benjamin and Elizabeth Prosser, and Samuel's father was the John Prosser, a Licenced Victualler and Jane nee Simmons. His parents had mar: 7 Apr 1793 at Saint Luke Old Street, Finsbury, London.
Samuel was the youngest of John and Jane's family: 1. Thomas Prosser Born: 21 Dec 1794 in
Westminster, London
Samuel mar Caroline Chambers Born: 1817 in London Married: Abt. 1838 in Brompton, London Father: Robert Chambers Mother: Charlotte Sayers.
Their children: 1 John Prosser Born: 27 Apr 1839 in
Fulham, Middlesex, London
2 James Prosser Born: 15 Mar 1841 in Parsons Green Lane,
Fulham, Middlesex, London
3 Samuel Prosser Born: 05 Jan 1844 in
Camberwell, London
4 William Robert Prosser Born: 06 Jul 1848 in London
5 Thomas Prosser Born: 05 Nov 1850 in
London
6 Joshua Henry Prosser Born: 26 Dec
1852 in London
7 Caroline Prosser Born: Aug 1855 in London Died: 06
Jul 1860; Bur: St Kilda Cemetery
8 Elizabeth (Bessie) Prosser Born: 07 May 1859 in
Praham, Melbourne, Australia
9 Mary Ann Prosser Born: 06 Jul 1861
in Melbourne Died: 1940 Tokanui
Samuel along with Caroline's father
Robert Chambers decided to immigrate and sailed on the "Hornet" from Southampton on 23 May 1857 and arrived at Melbourne on 2nd September
1857.
The Prosser family lived at 23 Little Bourke
Street, West Melbourne in Prahran, an inner suburb about 5 miles southeast
of Melbourne and was originally surveyed for farm allotments. but this
original intention attracted house construction - larger blocks in the
north and east of the district and smaller blocks to the south, Prahran
and west, Windsor. The resulting distinction between grand residential
(partially superseded by up-market apartments) and workman's cottages
remains. The latter was stimulated by the need to house gold-rush
immigrants. See Melbourne
in the
1850's
Prahran's name evolved from "purraran" understood
to be an aboriginal word for "almost surrounded by water." The proximity
of the Yarra River and swamp to the south-west part (of which Albert Park
Lake is a remnant.) In 1859/60 a railway line was constructed through
Prahran from Melbourne to Brighton. A second line branched westwards from
Windsor to St Kilda, Windsor being the station after Prahran. It would
have been here that 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.
Four denominational schools were opened in the Prahran area between 1852
and 1854 and the younger Prossers may have attended. These photos in
the Prosser photo
album
Things were not happy at home and the four eldest boys
decided to try their luck at gold mining and sailed for NZ on 15th of
August - their father Samuel took his life just over a month
later.
 Chas is James Prosser - ages are not recorded
accurately
Samuel Prosser died
Melbourne 26 September 1862 - cause of death - Suicidal poisoning with
laudanum. Children - John 23; James 21; Samuel 19; William 14; Tom
12; Joshua; Elizabeth. Parents were stated as John Prosser, Publican; and
Jane Prosser nee Cook (this is wrong unless mother Jane remarried after
her husbands death.....) Five years residence in Victoria he married
at age 21 to Caroline at Brompton
 The city coroner held an inquest at the Governor Arthur Hotel, Little
Bourke-street west, on the body of Samuel Prosser -
his death cert states he was a
cab proprieter - witness who identified him was a friend and a fellow cab
driver.
Caroline left for New Zealand and also died young,
after a life devoted to her children. Her burial was at Wellington on 28th Jul 1874 Bolton St Cemetery (plot unknown as
graves were moved for motorway)
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