Looking for James DAVIDSON arriving in OZ

[muss]

Hi
    From the New Family Search
  James Davidson died 21 Apr 1851  Calcuuta Bengal India  age 57
 no parents listed

Muss

[muss]

Hi
  from Syd  Gazette 31 may 1822  - ship Medway  James Davidson Esq- Supercargo ( in charge of cargo) 
 
Muss

[cocksie]

Oh my goodness!  Not sure where to start, but will try to reply in consecutive order.  LOOOOONNNNG POST

majm
Have started looking into the constable at Campbelltown.  Interestingly another 3ggf was a Sergeant there in 1846 - so I, at least, have some experience with tracing this area.

I have been into the Sydney Rate assessment books online and found JD (linked back to the JD of Hosking & Hughes  via newspaper articles listing this clerk in relation with this firm and residing in Castlereagh St) listed at 51 Castlereagh Street in 1845, and (now from memory without looking at my notes) somehow connected with this address in 1848.  Have also linked JD clerk of Hosking & Hughes as working at that firm/or related to that firm at least between 1838-1846.

muss!!!!
I like this probate find.  Thank you all for description of what could be in it.  Have a day off work today so guess where I am going to go to next via the internet!  Will report back in on this one.

cocksie

[cocksie]

Original post TOO LONG so doing it in bits:


majm
Your point about the girls coming back in 1856, how they knew their dad was deceased (until recently I assumed he had gone back to Scotland with them, dumped them at his parents, died, grandparents died, girls back to Sydney), the obvious contact with their mum, knowledge of mum's marriage and new surname - all was topic of discussion last night with my father.  A point - James' death was known by girls in 1852 one would assume, given that the informant for the dc of George Davidson (James' father) knew.

[cocksie]

Ann(e) Kelly/Davidson/Jone's dc is complete gobbeldy gook - which is interesting as 1st known daughter, Jessie, is informant.  I will list details of Ann's dc here (my notes in italics):

Date & place of death:  1897 28th October 44 College St Camperdown (doesn't read like that to me but apparently that is what it is, based on newspaper notices)
Name & occupation: Anne Jones, None
Sex & age: Female 80 years
Cause of Death Duration, medical attendant & when he last saw deceased:  Senile Decay Asthemia, not stated, E J Jenkins, 22 October 1897
Name & occupation of father, Name & maiden surname of mother 1.  Kelly, 2. Blacksmith. 3. (stamped) unknown
Informant: Jessie Cocks daughter of deceased 15 Bligh St, Sydney
Particulars of registration:  (can't read name) 2nd November 1897 Newtown
When & where buried; name of undertaker: 1897 29th October Church of England Cemetery Rookwood, Elizabeth Kirby
Name and religion of Mnister & names of witnesses of burial: J W Unwin, Church of England, Minister. W H Kirby, R J Thomas
Where born & how long in the Australasian Colonies of States: At Sea ( - can't find this anywhere), 80 years in NS Wales (puts birth around 1817, first "marriage" around 1835 and second marriage around 1845 - a bit not quite right but reasonably close)
Place of marriage, age, and to whom: (starts to get interesting from now on)
(1 in handwriting) Sydney NSW
1. (2 next to it in handwriting) Sydney NSW

(1 in handwriting) 18 years
2. 28 years

3.
(1 in handwriting) James Davidson
(2 in handwriting) Samuel Jones

Children of marriage (now gets wierder so I will try to type exactly, with underlines, just as written)
Jessie 62 years
living
2 Females deceased
Issue of first marriage
James 50 years
living
1male
2 females deceased
Issue of Second marriage

[cocksie]

Continuing on from Ann dc


The reason why this info is odd:
Issue of first marriage (to Davidson albeit we cannot find this marriage):

A.  Jessie's sister, Mary Jane, was well & truely alive at this time - although apparently they were estranged by this time.  Which is odd as they were very close at least until the early 1890s (Mary Jane married at Jessie's house, MJ's daughter later worked for Jessie's publican husband). - but Jessie does not list her as alive.  Elderly descendents of Mary Jane have stories of the closeness of Jessie & Mary Jane.

B.  We have no idea who Jessie was referring to as the "2 females deceased"  Mary Jane is alive at the time.  Have not found birth of possible 3rd daughter.

Issue of second marriage (Jones)

C.  James is actually son of the Judge Donnithorne (long story, but bc V1841271 25A/1841 DONTHORNE James to James & Ann, listed in the Judge's will after Judge death in 1852 (along with Ann), James also lists dad as Donnithorne in his dc.  Lists his surname as Kelly on mc.  James went by following surnames in his lifetime - Donnithorne, Jones and Kelly, lived with his mother and stepfather Samuel Jones and later took his mother's name Kelly, before also adding the Donnithorne back.  Tended to swap around as suited - also led an "interesting" life.  I have transcription of Judge Donnithorne's will dated May 1852

"..... bequeath an annuity of 20 pounds unto Ann the wife of Samuel Jones of Sydney, labourer, formerly Ann Kelly, spinster, during her life, for her sole and separate use independently and exclusively of her present or any future husbands ... I give and devise all my land and hereditaments situate at Kiama in the said Colony unto the said Ann Jones, her heirs and assigns.  But nevertheless to the uses and upon the trusts following (that is to say) as one undivided moiety of the same hereditaments to the use of her son James (who was baptized at St Philips Church Sydney on or about the 14th day of November 1841 under the name of James the son of James and Ann (Donthorn).."

D.  Known children of Ann & Samuel Jones
William b. 1847 (I do not have bc).   Assumed death - not found conclusively - before 1860 based on non-listing in father's dc 1860
Edmund/Edward b. 1850 (I do not have bc).  d. 1875 dc  Informant sister in law Elizabeth Jones (James Donnithorne/Jones/Kelly's wife),
Isabella Jones b 1854 (I do not have bc), d.1862 (dc Informant:  James Kelly stepbrother)

E.  Totally unconfirmed birth of an Anna Kelley in 1845 to a William and Ann Kelley - from an alleged descendent who is convinced that Anna is child of Ann Kelly & the judge Donnithorne but registered as child of Ann Kelly and another of the Judge's employees (who managed property for the judge down in Kyneton, Victoria).  Tried to get a bc from BDM but inquiries provided the response the information is too damaged to get information off it.  It remains on my list to get (via a transcription agent) when $$$ available.  In support of this theory Judge Donnithorne's will also states
" ... to the use of the said Ann Jones, her heirs and assigns to be held by her .... in favour of her daughter Anna (who was baptized at St Philips Church Sydney aforesaid on or about the 4th of January 1846 under the name of Anna, the daughter of William and Ann Kelly) ....

So you can see that qty's of children listed on Ann's dc do not add up - either Jessie was distraught/confused ...... or I am ....... or her mother's life was just way too confusing to remember.

[cocksie]

And somehow, while cutting and pasting info for reply I have lost the last bit I wrote which went something like:

I think you are all amazing, given the scant and sometimes scatty timeline of information I have posted.  You also now know way more about JD's partner, Ann Kelly, than you probably wanted to know.

Summary of known JD facts and information (just so I don't lose track):
1.  James Davidson b 1800 Laurencekirk Scotland to George & Isabel/Isabella Davidson.  bc
2.  1835 NSW listed as father (clerk) to Jessie Davidson.  Wife listed as Ann Davidson. Abode Sydney
3.  1838 NSW listed as father (clerk) to Mary Jane Davidson.  Wife listed as Ann Kelly.  Abode "Sydney now Port Phillip (Geelong)"
4.  1841 & 1845 Ann Kelly (mother) procreating with Judge Donnithorne
5.  1847 Ann Kelly (mother) marries Samuel Jones and procreates
6.  1851.  Both girls found in 1851 Scotland Census, Mary Jane living with paternal grandparents, Jessie working around the corner.
7.  1855.  Grandpa George dies.  Informant lists George's son, James as deceased in 1852
8.  1856.  Girls lists father James Davidson deceased on their immigration papers.  Also list mother as Ann Jones living in Sydney
9.  1857.  Jessie mc lists father as James Davidson, lawyer(dreaming?)/clerk deceased.
10.  1860  Mary Jane mc lists father & occupation as not known and crossed out
11. 1903. Jessie dc informant (son) lists Jessie's father as James Davidson, General Merchant
12.  1912 Mary Jane dc informant (daughter) lists Mary Jane's father as James Davidson, occupation unknown

[cocksie]

Hi
  from Syd  Gazette 31 may 1822  - ship Medway  James Davidson Esq- Supercargo ( in charge of cargo) 
 
Muss

Muss
I also saw this the other night but did not know what Supercargo meant (put it on my list of things to find out).  You have now answered this.  There are later articles about this JD of the Medway and they are not nice but I have not uncovered the whole story - on my list to unravel

[cocksie]

Hi
  Just to throw in one more . Who is this James Davidson died 21 Apr 1851  Probate 9 Sep 1852  (Archives Investigator NSW State Archives)

This James Davidson of Sydney died April 1851 in Calcutta, India.

There are several advertisments listed in The Empire & SMH for 8th-12th Jan 1852.

Off to check out now.  Thank you merlin

PHEW, think I have managed to respond now to everybody's help from the past 24 hours.
cocksie