PETER GEORGE DEWSNAP & GRACE SPEED
My grandmother’s maternal grandparents are Peter George Dewsnap and Grace Speed.
Peter George Dewsnap was born in 1826 , in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. the son of John Joseph Dewsnap (b.1800) and Agnes Watnough (b.1800).
Grace Speed was born on 25 January 1829, in Mansfield Woodhouse, Sheffield, England. She was the daughter of David Speed and Ann Hardstaff.
David Speed (b.1802) was the son of Thomas Speed (b.1770) and Mary Rawson (b.1770).
Ann Hardstaff (1801-1874) was the daughter of William Hardstaff (1754 to 1840) and Grace Nightingale (b. 1773).
It was the Nightingale link that my grandmother was convinced Florence Nightingale was a relative. These were her notes:
“Grace Dewsnap, her mother Grace Speed, and her mother Nightingale (whose brother was Florence Nightingale’s father)”.
Whilst there are Nightingales in our ancestry, and Florence’s relatives did come from the same area in Derbyshire, it has not yet been proved conclusively that they are related.
Peter George Dewsnap married Grace Speed in the Parish Church at Sheffield in 1849. They had 3 children born in England, Agnes (b. 1851). John Joseph (b. 1856), and Anne (b. 1857) before arriving in Australia in 1857.
 |
| Grace Dewsnap (nee Speed) |
Peter George Dewsnap came to Australia to work as a Station Master on the railways.
The family first went to Geelong, where daughter Harriet (b.18.4.1859) was born. They then moved to North Melbourne, and daughter Grace (b. 1861) was born while they were living in a railway tent there. The family later moved to Footscray.
Other siblings were Peter George (b.1864), Albert (b.1866), Henry (b.1870) and Walter (b.1872).
Peter Dewsnap was later a Station Master at Malmsbury when the Bendigo line went through. Later still, he was Station Master at Beechworth Junction when the branch line to Beechworth was laid.
 |
Peter Dewsnap |
The tradition of working on the Railways, continued with their sons. John, the eldest child, was a station master, Walter a signalman, Harry a goods train guard, and Albert a shunter. Albert, at 19, was killed in a shunting accident at Spencer Street just 16 days after starting work for the railways.
 |
| Grandpa Dewsnap |
Peter George Dewsnap died in 1896. Grace Dewsnap died in 1908 in Footscray, Victoria.
