Jane James

Jane James was convicted of robbing her master at the York Quarter Sessions on 17th October 1828. She was sentenced to 7 years and transported on the Lucy Davidson 10 July 1829. She was 34 at that time. In February 1831 at Windsor she was in the service of Archibald Bell (for whom Bells line of Road was named after). She was a cook, aged 37 from York - 5ft 1 and a half with grey eyes, brown hair, ruddy freckled complexion. She was at that time absconded from Archibald Bell. Jane married Thomas Thompson in 1831 at Parramatta NSW Her Certificate of Freedom was granted on 19th October 1835 and states her Native Place as Milbourne, York and her occupation as Cook. It also says she had lost canine teeth in lower jaw of right side of upper.

The following appears to be the most likely story from the documents I have seen, although not all is 100% certain. Jane James seems to have been born on 18 April 1795 and baptised the next day in Great Givendale, East Yorkshire, one of at least nine children born to a William James and Jane. After 1800 the family moved to neighbouring Bishop Wilton and sometime after 1804 to Melbourne, also in East Yorkshire. In about 1821 Jane commenced a relationship in Melbourne with John Corner, a blacksmith born there in 1800. Her convict indent states that at conviction she was single with three children, but with a note added saying said to be married in England. I have found no evidence of a marriage with John Corner, but there is an Elizabeth Jane Corner baptised in York in 1825 to a John & Jane Corner, blacksmith, that could be theirs. In about August 1827 Jane was employed as a cook by Mrs H A Brearey of Bootham, York, who ran a young ladies boarding school. She was discharged from that employment on 3 June 1828. She then went in search of work to a register office for servants run by Mrs Hannah Ward in Grape Lane. Around this time she was employed by Joseph Backhouse, who may have been a tanner by that name from Lawrence Street. In August 1828 Jane fell under suspicion of stealing linen from Joseph Backhouse. Her boxes were searched and items stolen from each of the three places referred to above were found, including items owned by young ladies at Mrs Brearey’s school. Upon hearing of her arrest, John Corner of Melbourne turned in a number of other items that Jane had given him, telling him they had been left by the young ladies and given to her by Mrs Brearey. Jane pleaded guilty to robbing her employers and was sentenced to seven years transportation beyond the seas in October 1828. She arrived in Sydney Cove on 29 November 1829 on the Lucy Davidson and was assigned to Archibald Bell of Windsor. She was recorded as 5 feet ½ inch tall with brown hair and grey eyes who could read and write. In 1830 Jane and ex-convict Thomas Thompson applied to be married, but the application was cancelled. Thomas, transported on the Castle Forbes, was a glass cutter convicted of house breaking in Cork, Ireland, who had become a sawyer while a convict. On 4 May 1831 their first child was born and named Thomas. That year they applied to marry again, and this time there is a note saying permission was refused as Jane was already married. Presumably she eventually convinced the authorities otherwise, as the couple were married at St Johns, Parramatta, on 17 October 1831 by Reverend Samuel Marsden. The couple had a second child in Sydney in 1833, John Charles, before Jane received her Certificate of Freedom in 1835. That Certificate states that she had been assigned to “Wiseman”, possibly the ex-convict Solomon Wiseman who established the Wiseman’s Ferry service. In about 1835 they had another child, James, although it is possible he was born a few years later after they had left Sydney. Sometime between 1835 and 1838 the family moved to the village of Kempsey on the Macleay River where Thomas possibly worked with the red cedar. Kempsey had only been first settled in 1834. Two daughters were born there, Elizabeth Jane in 1838 and Margaret in about 1842. Prior to about 1856 the family moved again to what was then known as the Macquarie River area, now in the Shellharbour region. On 20 December 1862 Jane died of apoplexy at her & Thomas’ home at Yellow Rock Creek, Macquarie River. There was a coronial inquest into her death at which Thomas gave evidence that she had been having fits for many years. Jane has many descendants in at least the States of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.

Jane and Thomas have 5th generation grandchildren in Western Australia.

Convict Index. Jane James, per Lucy Davidson, 1829, Certificate of Freedom, 19 Oct 1835. 35/1167. Wife of Thomas Thompson, per Castle Forbes, 1824, fbs. (as stated on her CF).

INQUESTS. ----------o---------- An inquest was held on Monday, 22nd December, at the house of Thomas Thompson, Yellow Rock, before R. B. Fry, Esq., coroner, and the following jury :- Messrs. Andrew M'Gill, John Raferty, Michael Boylar, Patrick Monday, James Swan, Edward Swan, and Edward Hazleton ; touching the death of Jane Thompson. The following evidence was given :- Thomas Thompson stated : I am a sawyer by trade. I live at the Yellow Rock. The deceased, Jane Thompson, was my wife; she was about sixty-six years of age. On Saturday, the 20th instant, deceased had her breakfast with me, and appeared in her usual health. After breakfast I went to my work. I left deceased in the house with her grandchild, a girl of about five years of age. I returned to the house in about ten minutes. I found my wife lying on the sofa, she was then in a fit. The child was standing beside her at the sofa. She told me that her mammy was sick, and that she was red in the face. The child then said she had a great mind to cooey for me, but did not, as she saw me coming towards the house, I sat down alongside of her, and fixed the pillows under her head. She remained about ten minutes under this fit without speaking to me. When she did speak, she said that she felt very unwell. I gave her some water, which she drank; after doing which she threw up her breakfast, and spoke in a foolish manner to the child. I left her on the sofa. She remained there for about six hours. I left a woman and some man in the house when I went for Mrs. Boylan. Mrs. Harding, who was in the house, wished me to do so. Mrs. Boylan ran from her house before me, and my wife was dead before she got there. Deceased was subject to fits for fourteen years. The last fit she had before the one she died in took place about six weeks since. To a juror: She constantly spoke incoherently after these fits. I saw no froth come from her mouth this, time. I did on other occasions. Caroline Harding stated : I am a married woman. I live with my husband at the Yellow Rock. On Saturday last, the 20th instant, James Thompson, son of the deceased, came for me, saying, there is something the matter with mother, will you come to our place? He went farther on and I came to the deceased's house, and saw Mr. Thompson, he said his woman was very bad in a fit. I went to see her. I thought she was dying. I sat with her a bit, and told them to send for a doctor, they thought there was no need for doing so, and said she was getting better fast, that they had seen her worse. I remained with her about half an hour. She was then breathing hard, and her face looked of a purple color. She died in half an hour after I first saw her. Margaret Boylan stated: I live in the next house, but one, to Thompson's. Mr. Thompson sent for me on Saturday, the 20th instant. I came as fast as I could, in about five minutes, and when I got to the house, Mrs. Thompson was dead. I am acquainted with the Thompsons for fifteen years. I heard that Mrs. Thompson was subject to fits. I never saw her in one of them, but often soon after, when she always apparently unwell. Deceased was of temperate habits. I never knew of any accident to happen to her. She was between sixty and seventy years old. George Henry Hamilton stated: I am a duly qualified medical practitioner. On Monday, the 22nd December, I was summoned by the coroner, to give evidence at an inquest, to be held at the Yellow Rock, on the body of a female, named Thompson. I examined the external surface of the body of the deceased, which was fast approaching to a state of decomposition. From what I have seen, and also the evidence I have heard, and general formation of the body, age, and general habits, I am of opinion that the deceased died of serous apoplexy, accelerated no doubt by exposure to the heat of the sun. To a Juror: I believe that all her previous fits had a tendency to apoplexy, and that no medical aid could have been of any service to her at this time. The jury returned a verdict of death from " Serous Apoplexy." Examiner, (Kiama, NSW), 30 Dec 1862.