John Walmsley

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Robin Sharkey on 4th August 2020

Passenger List of "William Jardine" arriving Sydney 22 September 1849: Four Walmsley children, listed as travelling as single males, unaccompanied by a parent. All had parents John and Nancy, all Cof E for religion. 1. Thomas Walmsley age 23, butcher, Native of Oldham, Lancashire, Cannot read or write. 2. Aaron Wammsley, age 18, shipwright. Can R&W. Native of Liverpool. 3. Moses Walmsley, age 18, labourer. Can R&W. Native of Liverpool. 4.James Walmsley, 16, labourer. Cannot read or write. Native of Liverpool "Relatives in the Colony: Father John Walmsley per ship [unnamed] 1838. Tried at Liverpool Living at Moreton Bay and working on his own account as a sawyer." The sons all joined their father at Brisbane, where some became very well known, and reasonably successful.

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Robin Sharkey on 4th August 2020

BRITISH FAMILY John Walmsley was born about 1795 (based on hulk and convict ship indent records). If he had 10 years in the army he was probably there from about the ages of 14-24, and would have left his regiment by 1820. * His first child, Giles, was baptised on 18 October 1820 at Blackburn Cathedral (English parish registers), parents John & Nancy Walmsley. * Next child Thomas. He may be the Thomas baptised on 1 April 1821 at St Mary's, Oldham. Parents John & "Nanny" of Redton Nook, John was a hatter. However, in the 1841 Census Thomas was said to be 15, a butcher's apprentice. His wife was Nancy, nee Holt. They eventually married in 1825. MARRIAGE: 3 April 1825, Church of Manchester, Co Lancaster. Both made their marks (unable to write). Children following after marriage: * MARY, BORN ABOUT 1828 (aged 13 in 1841 Census), * TWINS: MOSES and AARON baptised 8 November 1830 at St Peter's Liverpool, parents John & Ann, of Greenland Street, sawyer. Aged 10 in 1841 Census. * JAMES aged 8 in 1841 Census * WILLIAM aged 2 in 1841 Census. Born 1838 (to turn 3) or 1839 after his father was gaoled. In the 1841 Census, wife Nancy, aged 36, was a weaver. The family all lived in Greenland St, Liverpool. In 1842, when John had got his ticket of leave, he applied for his whole family to come to Australia under a re-unifaction scheme paid for at the expense of government. However, at the time, no families had been brought out since 1838, and the scheme was not reinstituted until 1849. APPLICATION for WIFE and FAMILY to COME TO AUSTRALIA. Per Colonial Secretary Office, Sydney, dated 1 October 1842: Applicant: John Walmsley, per Parkfield Wife’s maiden name: Nancy HOLT, Lancashire, Engl. No. of children applied for: SIX: Giles, Thomas, Mary, Moses, Aaron & James. Residence of wife: No 18 Greenland St, Liverpool. To whom [wife is] known: Clergyman Of St Peter’s Church, Liverpool; Mr Dunsworth (timber merchant) Lime St; Mr Rigby, (timber merchant) Haymarket ST, Liverpool. Mr Morrison, Cambridge Street; Mr Ellison, Park Lane, St James’s St, Liverpool In 1849, some of his family finally arrived, on the immigrant ship 'William Jardine'. However his wife did not come. Neither did eldest son, Giles, because Giles went to gaol in 1846, sentenced to ten years in gaol at the Liverpool Borough Sessions 20 July 1846. His crime was "stealing a fixture before being convicted of felony." (English Criminal records). He had two cpo-accused - James Boardman aged 22, and, John Ward aged 19 – all same charge. Daughter Mary did not come because she was by then married to James Wilkinson, a flatman, son of Edmund Wilkinson, also a flatman. AT the time of her marriage she was still living in Greenland St. __________________________________

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Robin Sharkey on 4th August 2020

John Walmsley (44) was a sawyer in Liverpool (UK) who was convicted in December 1838, together with another sawyer named James Welsby (30), of throwing "vitriol" — sulphuric acid — over two other men, who were also sawyers, with intent to burn them, and having burnt them. Both were badly injured and one, Fairell (Farrell?), was badly damaged in the throat and eye. A recent statute had made this very act a felony, with at least 15 years transportation, for casting or throwing upon any person any corrosive fluid, with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or disable any person or do some other grievous bodily harm AND (as a result) a person IS burned, maimed, disfigured or receives a grievous bodily harm (set out in Liverpool Mercury, Friday, December 7, 1838 p.8). The reason for their cruelty was not because the two victims were working at "under wages" as was first reported, but because they had not got a large job as they had expected. Mr John Lewis, a timber merchant, had bought a large amount of timber and laid it down at a friend's timber yard to be sawed there. Walmsley and Welsby were sawyers at this other yard. Expecting to be given the job, they "were highly indignant" when Lewis removed the timber to his own yard to be cut up by his own sawyers, the two injured men named Fairell (perhaps Farrell) and Donelly. (Liverpool Mercury, Friday, December 7, 1838 p.8). One newspaper reported the incident as being triggered by an "infraction of trades rules" (Liverpool Mercury, 4 Dec 1838). Their crime was not for combining, as recorded on the convict transport's Indent, but directly the throwing of the acid with intent to injure, and actually causing injury. Both Walmsley and Welsby were first taken to "Fortitude" hulk at Chatham. Walmsley was here recorded as having seven children, and being a sawyer, but also having had ten years in the 18th Regiment. (18th regiment records not checked for this). It also said his connexions were "respectable" - i.e he did not hang about with criminals among his friends or family. From the hulk he was sent on 8 May 1839 to NSW on the "Parkfield". His mate Welsby was sent to NSW over 2 months later, on 26 July 1839 on "Barossa" (UK Convict Prison Hulks, National Archives HO 9). INDENT of "Parkfield', sailed 12/05/1839, arrived 1/9/1839. John Walmsley, Ship of arrival: Parkfield, at Sydney; 1 Sep 1839; Aged: 44 years Education: None; Religion: Protestant; Marriage Status: Married, Male Children: 7, Female Children: 1; Total children: 8, Born at Lancashire; Employment: Top sawyer; Trial Crime: Combination; Tried at Lancaster Liverpool QS, 4 Dec 1838; Trial Sentence: 15 y; Previous convictions: None; Height 5’ 6”; Complexion: Fair ruddy & freckled; Hair: Light red mixed with grey; Eyes: Chestnut; Marks or Scars: Lost canine teeth in upper jaw. Arms freckled. Scar inside He may have been sent to Moreton Bay (now called Brisbane) on arrival. Certainly he was already there when he was granted a: Ticket of Leave in 1842, with the right to stay in the Moreton Bay area and work on his own account. Conditional Pardon 50/237 dated 9 April 1850. He remained at Brisbane until he died in 1856, having got most of his family out from Liverpool as well. __________________________________

6

Bron Larner on 11th May 2017

He is mentioned as buying a wife with a horse: www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/seminars/JanRichardson_QldsFemaleConvicts.pdf

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D Wong on 2nd February 2014

1842: TOL Moreton Bay 3/4/1825: Married Nancy Holt in Manchester. Twin sons Moses and Aaron arrived in emigrated to Australia. Moses married Mary Ann Pitt in Ipswich on 9/3/1855. QLD BDM has John aged 68 when he died in 1856, which would make his birth year 1788 but then dates are not always accurate.

4

J on 1st February 2014

Manned the signal station on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane