My search for more information about the Frederick Adolphus Grant, who was a native of Van Diemen’s Land, and had married Ellen Gorman, yielded a document from The Liverpool Asylum for the Infirm and Destitute. This document was very important as it supplied several new details. On admission Frederick Adolphus Grant stated that he was born on 28th December 1837 and that his mother was Mary Peters. He also gave the names of several of his children.

I was unable to locate any Tasmanian birth records for a Frederick Adolphus Grant, but there was a record of a Frederick Adolphus Holt. This record cites a birth date that matches the birth date 28/12/37 that was given by Frederick Grant at his hospital admission. The baptism record for Frederick Adolphus Holt dated 28/1/38 states that his parents are William and Mary Holt. The marriage record for this couple states that Mary’s maiden name was Mary Ann Peters. 

For whatever reason, Frederick Adolphus Holt had assumed the name Frederick Adolphus Grant by the time he married Ellen Gorman.

Mary Ann Peters married William Holt in Tasmania on 19 June 1832. They had three children:

 a son Frederick Adolphus, born on December 28, 1837; 

a daughter Sophia Matilda, born on March 5, 1840 (she died the following year); 

and a son Randolph Henry, born on November 26, 1841.