Joseph Sewell born in Essex transported to N.S.W.

[bushpoet]

I would like to be able to link Joseph Sewell to a family in Essex and the information below may be of assistance in doing so. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Merv Webster
www.users.tpg.com.au/thegrey

JOSEPH SEWELL

BIRTH DETAILS: *

Name.............................................. ..................… Joseph Sewell
Date.............................................. ....................… 16th November 1808
Place............................................. ...................…. Chelmsford, Essex, England
***............................................... ....................…. Male

Parents
Father
Name.............................................. ....................… Edward Sewell
Profession........................................ .................…. Labourer
Age............................................... ......................… 45 years

Previous Issue………………………………….. Mary Ann 11, Thomas 10, Elizabeth 5, James 2, Deceased Daniel Edward.
Mother
Name.............................................. ....................… Frances Lark
Age............................................... ......................… 33 years
Birthplace........................................ ....................... Chelmsford , Essex, England

* Details taken from various documents.

1808 - Born in Essex England

Joseph’s father, Edward Sewell, was born around 1763 and his mother Frances Lark was born in 1775. They were married on the 19th September 1796. Their first child was a daughter named Mary Ann, who was born on the 3rd February 1797. The second child was named Thomas Sewell and he was born on the 28th November 1798. The third child was named Daniel Edward who was born on the 11th December 1801, but died on the 30th May 1802. The fourth child was named Elizabeth and she was born on the 21st September 1803. The fifth child was named James and he was born on the 9th of May 1906. By referring to the records in the Parish Registers at St Mary The Virgin in Chelmsford, Essex, Joseph Sewell was born on the 16th November 1808 and later baptized on the 21st May 1809 with his brother James. Joseph would lose his mother, Frances, when he was around twelve years of age, as she was buried on the 26th December 1820 and then his father Edward would pass away when he was twenty-one years of age and was buried on the 10th April 1829.

1832 - Tried, Chelmsford, England

It would appear that after both his parents deaths Joseph managed to fall foul of the law and appeared before the courts on two occasions. The second, being on the 3rd of January 1832, when he was tried in Chelmsford aged twenty-four, for the offence of stealing a turkey. His trade was shown as a Ploughman, Reaps, Sows and Milks. He was single and a Protestant and could read and write. Having the prior conviction of three months, this saw him receive the penalty of 14 years, to be served in the Colony of New South Wales.

His description was described as five feet six and three quarter inches, dark sallow complexion, brown hair with Hazel and small eyes. He had the distinguishing features of a thick nose and a Heart with two sails, J.S. Man, M.S. Anchor, 1832 on lower letter arm, blue ring on left middle finger and a scar on the back of left thumb.

1832 - Arrival in New South Wales

The 'Lady Harewood' left Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on the 15th of March 1832 and arrived in the Colony of New South Wales on the 5th of August 1832. The Master was Richard W Stonehouse and the Surgeon was John Inch. The General Return of Convicts in New South Wales of 1837 shows that Joseph was aged 30 years and assigned to a P.J. Fredericks.

1838 - Ticket of Leave

Records show that Joseph Sewell received a Ticket of Leave in 1838.

1840 - Marriage in Newcastle

By 1840, and now 31 years, though his marriage banns records it as 33 years, it appears Joseph Sewell was working in the Newcastle District as a ticket of leave holder when he married a young female convict by the name of Jean/Jane Whittle, aged 18 years of age.

Jean/Jane had come from Glasgow in Scotland and had been a Child's Maid when she was tried in the Glasgow Court of Justiciary on the 10th of January 1839. Her offence was house breaking and because she had three prior convictions of 30 days, 60 days, and 60 days, she was sentenced to 10 years, to be served in the colony of New South Wales.

She was then 17 years of age, could read and write, single and a Protestant. She was five feet, two and one quarter inches, dark, ruddy and freckled with brown hair and eyes and a scar on the outer corner of her left eyebrow. She was transported on the ship ‘'Mary Anne’ which left Woolwhich on the 18th of July, 1839 and arrived in new South Wales on the 10th of November, 1839.

Their marriage was solemnized in the Parish of Christ Church, Newcastle, in the County of Northumberland on the 3rd May 1840 and officiated by C. Pleydell N. Wilton, M.A., Church of England, and Chaplain. The witnesses were Francis and Mary Ann Walker of Newcastle. In New South Wales the consent of the Governor was required for the marriage of all convicts still under sentence.

Assigned convicts had to have the consent of the person to whom they were assigned, in order to marry. Convicts had to have the Governor’s permission in order to marry. The convict indents were then checked to verify the person’s marital status and those recorded, as married on arrival in the Colony could not remarry unless conclusive proof could be provided of the subsequent death of their spouse.

Christ Church had its beginning in 1804 when, among Lieutenant Menzies' instructions from Governor King was one saying, "You are to cause the prayers of the Church of England to be read with all due solemnity every Sunday." This instruction was faithfully obeyed by the Military. Legend has it that, by 1812, there was a slab hut available to house the people during the reading of the prayers and that it was on the site of the present Cathedral.

The first church was erected in 1817 "by Order of Governor Macquarie". There was no resident clergyman and the church was one of the Government buildings. In August 1818 at a service conducted by The Rev'd William Cowper of St Phillip's Church, Sydney, Governor Macquarie himself named the little convict built church Christ Church. With considerable alteration and constant repair, the building survived to become our first Cathedral. By Letters Patent of 25th June 1847, Dr William Tyrrell became the First Bishop of Newcastle.

1842 – Birth of 1st Child

The 1841 Census shows Joseph Sewell living at the Swamps area on the Western side of town and on the 17th July 1842 Joseph and Jane’s first child, a boy, was born at Hexham. They would name him Joseph after his father.

1844 – Birth of 2nd Child and Death of Joseph Snr.

On the 2nd June 1844 Joseph and Jane would have their second son at Hexham and they would name him Henry. Some five months after the birth of Henry, the Saturday edition of the Maitland Mercury dated November 30th 1844, page 2, under, Inquests, stated that Joseph and a Mr Edmond Hayes had both gone into Newcastle, each driving a bullock dray, and remained there for some hours before heading home around six o’clock in the evening. Both men were very drunk with liquor and barely out of town, when Mr Hayes stopped at a Blacksmith’s shop to get a barrow, while Joseph went on. Mr Hayes followed in a few minutes, but in the meantime Joseph had been run over by his own dray either by having fallen from it or attempting to get on it, his hand being very much scraped.

Mr Hayes and a person named Ralph Thornton came up to the body of Joseph lying across the road, unable to speak, but still alive. Joseph was put onto the dray, and Mr Latham, near whose house it happened, called out to look at him. Mr Latham instantly sent for Doctor Bowker, who promptly attended, but Joseph was dead when he arrived. An inquest into the death by Mr Parker of Newcastle found that Joseph Sewell came by his death by falling from a dray, which passed over his body, when in a state of intoxication and was unable to take care of himself. The Coroner’s report was reported on in the Maitland Mercury some six days after Joseph’s death on the 23rd November 1844.

Number D1844/887/Vol.29
NameAbodeAgeQuality of Profession Joseph SewellKemp’s Farm34 years [Actually 36 years]Ticket of Leave Holder
When diedWhen buried 23rd November, 184425th November, 1844
Where ceremony performed In the Parish of Christ Church, Newcastle, in the County of Northumberland.
By Whom the ceremony performed R. T. Bolton, Offg. Minr.

3RD GENERATION

2.1. Richard Henry Sewell married Louisa Julia Griffin (nee Cox)
2.2. William Wallace Sewell married Sarah Elizabeth Cook
2.3. Herbert George Sewell married Died 1919
2.4. Edward Sewell married Catherine Isabella Marquard
2.5. Thomas Sewell married Jessie O'Callaghan
2.6. Henry Sewell married Died 5 months


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