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Compiled by David Morgan Higgon, Midland Western Australia 2006

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Busselton Family History Society

William with his brother James b. 1811 d.21/05/1885 Perth Invalid Depot W.A. arrived at the Swan River Colony on the Caroline on the 12/10/1829 as indentured servants to Talbot of West Tarring in Suffolk. there is a good chance they were from Suffolk. Martha arrived at the Swan River Colony aboard the Britannia in 1830. After arriving at the Swan River Colony. William, James and a friend  Guy Mapel 1802-1876 were deserted by their boss, who took off for Van Diemens Land. On the beach penniless and alone they decided to gather sandalwood. In 1841 he married Martha and moved several times Perth, Wonnerup and finally settling at Capel where they had  block 37, 45 acres on the Capel River.

The Caroline left St Katherine's Dock in London on June 2 and pulled in near Worthing in Sussex on June 4 to load the rest of her cargo. She finally left England on June 6 arrived in the Swan River Colony on October 12, 1829 after stopping at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on the way. She was reported to have carried 60 adult passengers. One child was born during the voyage and another was buried in Rio.

Thomas Henty's three sons, James, Stephen and John, were being sent ahead to establish a new farming and pastoral life for the family in Western Australia. Prize Spanish merinos had been purchased and a whitesmith, carpenter, shepherds and stockmen were signed on. They were nearly all old employees of the family and came from West Tarring in Suffolk. They signed on to serve Thomas Henty, gentleman, or his agents, as dutiful servants for five years in return for a free passage, £20 a year, fuel and board.

Martha Higgins (Britannia 1830) and  William House:   William arrived in Western Australia on the 12^th Oct 1829 on the ship "Caroline" with his (twin not proven) brother James both 19 years old as indentured servants/labourers to Colonel Lautour and placed in the service of Samuel Neil Talbot, West Tarring Sussex. Lautour went bankrupt in May 1830 so the Houses were discharged from his service in June 1830 by his agent Richard Wells but they continued to work for Talbot until he left the Colony for Tasmania later in 1830.  The House brothers were left penniless.  They found odd jobs around the Swan River Settlement but employers who could pay  cash were hard to find.  They moved down to the Port Leschenault area where they worked as sandalwood and timber cutters and hauled timber to the port. William continued in the timber industry until 1848 then moved down to the Vasse area and commenced farming.

In 1857? William, Martha and 8 children arrived in Capel and settled on Lot 38 (45acs) on the banks of the Capel River, next-door to George Payne's Flour Mill.     In 1858 William purchased the adjoining lot 84 (32acs).  William and George Payne were both used to working with timber.  Following some clearing William built the family house from timber off the block, pit sawn, hand made bricks and shingles.  Around the house and along the riverbank they planted various fruit trees, including a mulberry tree and grape vines, grew wheat, ran pigs and grazed dairy cattle.  Martha made butter to sell in Bunbury.  

In 1858 William's pigs destroyed George Payne's best wheat field, as there were no fences, and relations between the 2 families soured for many years.  The House children may have stopped attending Payne's Mill School.  With a 3.5 mile walk, they were among the first to attend the 1st Capel School which opened in 1864.

Life was never easy for the House family and there always seemed to be too many mouths to feed.  Every now and then William sold off land to meet his debts.  In 1863 he sold a lot of land (solving the problem of his wandering pigs) to George Payne who gave it to his son George Robert Payne.      As opportunity arose William bought up small parcels of land in the district including Loc. 163 on the river and 41 acres in the Nelson District in 1868.

At one stage William had a legal case against him for growing barley and potatoes on land that did not belong to him - a practice most settlers were guilty of at one time or another. 1871-76 William employed 3 TOL men. 

After William's death, Martha stayed on the farm with her children Sarah, Albert 13 years and blind Fred who knew more about running the place than any of them.  Richard 15 years had been working as a teamster in Happy Valley but returned home to help Fred run the farm 

Of the 9 sons and 2 daughters, blind Fred and his brother Richard inherited the old mixed farm on the north bank of Capel River.  With the help of various nephews and nieces they kept the farm running smoothly for many years.  Not long before Richard died, they moved to a tiny wooden shanty on the edge of the old road into Capel.  Fred died there in 1941 at the age of 85.

For more read the Book "Just a horse ride away" a history of Capel and its people. Available from the Shire of Capel.