Biography

Charlotte Balfour (1792 - 1825) was born  28 January 1792 in West London to John and Mary Clarke. She became the wife of Colonel William Balfour (1785-1838) of the 40^th Regiment, who was civil and military commandant in Launceston in 1825 and 1826. They arrived in Sydney in January 1825 on the ‘Castle Forbes’ and sailed to Van Diemen’s Land with a special detachment for Port Dalrymple.

Charlotte sadly died on 22^nd August 1825, in childbirth according to one account, aged 33, leaving several young children. This appears to have been one of the earliest burials in the settlement of person of note. Her body was laid to rest in a brick vault just inside the then east end of the Church. Building works in 1938 resulted in the top of the vault being replaced by a concrete slab, re-discovered during the redevelopment of the church building in 2024. A marble tablet was erected in the nearby south ambulatory to mark the passing of this lady.

Charlotte died at the Government Cottage, situated in today’s City Park, near where the cannon stands. Balfour Street would have been named in honour of her husband.

The marble memorial tablet has had two situations. Originally, it was hung on the east wall of the nave facing inwards, but since 1938 it has been hung in the south ambulatory of St. John’s Church. The inscription on the tablet reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLOTTE,
THE WIFE OF LT. COL. BALFOUR OF THE 40TH REGT.,
WHO DIED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, LAUNCESTON
AUGUST 22ND 1825

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