George Jones
| First name | George |
|---|---|
| Last name | Jones |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | c.1799 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1820 |
| Submitted by | Lillian Dillon |
Story
Our earliest ancestor to arrive in Australia appears to be George Jones, born around 1799 in Wiltshire, England. At 19 he was a farmer when he was tried at Wiltshire for a Felony in 4 March 1820. Leaving his mother & father in his native place Calne he was transported for life to Australia as a convict per “JULIANA” arriving in December 1820. His prison record shows more convictions for various misdemeanours during 1834/5. He was granted a Conditional Pardon in 1838 & as a 42 year old farmer married Susan Featherstone November 1841.
Susan Jasper Featherstone was born 1821 in the village of Tavistock, Devon England. At 17 she was tried at the Exeter Quarter Sessions for stealing a shawl & sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia aboard the ‘Platina’ leaving London May 1837 & arriving Hobart Town in Oct. She had several convictions in Australia & her prison record shows her term was twice extended for misconduct, once for 6 mths for selling rum at Browns River 1843 – the total extension being for 24 months.
When she married George Jones in 1841 well before her sentence expired, neither could write & both made their marks. Geo. & Susan had 13 children, presumably the first 5 children died young as a Kingston Police Letterbook noted ‘Susan Jones of Snug applied for compassionate allowance on 5 Jan 1869 showing 8 children only. It stated that the parents have 40 acres from the Government & pay an annual instalment of 5 pounds there were 4 instalments still unpaid. They grow potatoes, wheat, peas, have a cow & 1 heifer. The father has a severe illness, disease of the heart & confined to his bed for 3-4 weeks. They were to receive 1 shilling & 6 pence per week for each child.’ On 21 Jun 1869 the family were reviewed. The answer was “this is a case of real distress”
According to Pioneer Records, Geo. Jones died of “old age” on 20 Sept 1872 aged 78 & Susan took over the running of the “infant farm” near Margate, Kingsborough. A few months after George’s death their daughter Georgina married Frederick Henry Turnbull who was born in Hobart in 1845 to John Turnbull a boatman/farmer & Rebecca Jarvis, the deserted wife of former English soldier Wm. Jarvis.
Susan was a tiny woman, only 4 ft.6 inches tall, but must have been determined. She would have had a hard time running the farm & trying to bring up her remaining children. The oldest son had by 1873 left Tasmania & she had trouble with her youngest, as another Kingston Police record book had an application made “for the admission of William Jones aged 11 to the boys home. Mrs. Susan Jones has 8 children, one son out of the colony, 1 married daughter & 4 single daughters in service at present 2 boys to support, one 13 years old and William. She is in day service at 8 shillings weekly and her board, income 10 pounds per annum, rental of a small farm which she owns. She is a hardworking woman, the boy is getting very unruly for want of control, she is willing to contribute 2 shillings weekly. The boy was not admitted into the boys home.” Maybe this problem was controlled in 1874 when Susan Jones married Thomas John Vestirin a widowed labourer at Brown’s River. Susan & Thos were married for nearly 20 years & Thos was a Cabman when Susan (Featherstone) Jones/’Vistirine’ died in Gordon 1893, aged ’68 years’.
For full family history see http://pandora.nla.gov.au/tep/10421