James Shepherd B:1807 Yorkshire, England

[kiterunner]

From Trove newspaper archive (a free site):

Sydney Morning Herald, Wed 6 Feb 1856
Windsor
February 4 - Inquests. - On Sunday, the 27th ult, an inquest was held before the coroner for the district and a jury, at a hut on the Blacktown Road, on the body of a female named Phoebe Sheppard. The following evidence was adduced: John Dunn deposed that the person with whom the deceased lived called on him on the Friday evening previous, and said she was unwell; he went to the hut and found her unable to speak; her man, on witness' recommendation, went for a doctor, but whilst he was away the woman died. The person with whom deceased lived deposed that ever since a week before Christmas she had been drinking hard, and on Friday morning she complained of being ill; he came to Windsor to procure some necessities for her, and on his return found her unable to speak; whilst he was gone for a doctor, she died. Dr Day made a post mortem examination of the body, but found no marks of violence sufficient to cause death; he was professionally acquainted with deceased, and from what he had seen and known of her, he believed that death had resulted from the effects of excessive intemperance. Verdict accordingly.

[Smooth]

Well, Crickey! That has thrown a spanner in the works. Looking like he is not my James Shepherd (maybe/likely?).

All I had to start this investigation is that my 2x Great Grandmother was named Ann Clara Shepherd or Clara Ann Shepherd and I know she had 4 illegitimate children and as far as anyone knows didn't marry. It was "supposed" by many that she was Clara Ann Greentree but this isn't so, as Clara Ann Greentree married James Ayre in Tamworth, NSW where she had many children and died in Tamworth. This led me to Ann Shepherd and her parents James and Caroline who married in Windsor, NSW and were known to Thomas and Catherine Greentree. Where Thomas is brother to Clara Ann Greentree.

My 2x Great Grandmother named her only girl Caroline which at a guess is perhaps after her mother (Caroline Greentree who married James Shepherd)

So far I have Ann Shepherd's 1859 birth certificate.

It states about James Shepherd.
Occupation: Splitter
Age: 40 years
Birth Place: Yorkshire, England

Information supplied by Wife and signed with her mark X.

Based on that 1859-40 years = 1819

Next I have James & Caroline's 1856 marriage certificate.

James Shepherd
Occupation: Splitter
Conjugal Staus: -
Birth Place: -
(Great help!)

Then his 1866 death certificate (transcription).
James Shepherd
Occupation: Splitter
Age: 51
Where born: England
Father: NOT KNOWN PARENTS
Information supplied by Caroline Shepherd (Wife) and signed with her mark X.

1866-51 years = 1815 (4 years out from Ann's birth certificate).

All this led me to thinking "maybe" James Shepherd was a convict?
So I dug about and found the only one that was known to live in Windsor was the one who arrived upon the convict ship (Hive) in 1834. Being born in 1807 only added 8 years to his age (depending on were you take the date).

1834 + 14 years = 1848 then married in Windsor 1856. Looked at the fact he was not to leave the Windsor area on his 1940 ticket of leave. They married in Pitt Town (near Windsor) that didn't have a very large population. Anyway, you can see were I was heading. But now it looks like I'm perhaps on the wrong track with this James Shepherd.

I'm not sure how the illiterate are in keeping dates and age. I have trouble remembering how old I am sometimes!
I originally was searching 1814-1820 births in Yorkshire but wasn't having much luck. I guess a good thing to remember is that he isn't going to get a mention on any census from 1841 in England. So we're looking for a James Shepherd that comes and disappears. It's a pity the English census is flakey before 1841.

If nothing else I can add to the convict registrar about this James Shepherd.

Thank you for all your help. Highly appreciated. Always looking for help!

Regards, Jim

[kiterunner]

What date in 1856 did James and Caroline get married? If it was after Phoebe's death then it could be the same James, if he knocked a few years off his age, couldn't it? Did he sign his name on the marriage to Caroline? If so, then you could get a copy of the entry for the marriage to Phoebe and compare them?

[Mary from Italy]

It may be possible to get more information about the 1856 marriage. Which church were they married at? Did you get the cert from the NSW BDM registry or a transcription agent?

[Smooth]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

What date in 1856 did James and Caroline get married? If it was after Phoebe's death then it could be the same James, if he knocked a few years off his age, couldn't it? Did he sign his name on the marriage to Caroline? If so, then you could get a copy of the entry for the marriage to Phoebe and compare them?

They were married 18th August 1856
All signatures are a mark with an (X cross) as they are all illiterate.
Maybe I could compare their marks but I feel that would be pure guess work at best.

The thing that would be the worry for me is that at Thomas Henry Greentree's marriage to Catherine Cohen at Saint Matthews, Windsor on the 19th February 1855 both James and Caroline were the witnesses. So unless there was a split some time before form Phoebe it doesn't sit right for me.

If only James and Caroline's certificate had the same in depth detail.

Originally Posted by Mary from Italy

It may be possible to get more information about the 1856 marriage. Which church were they married at? Did you get the cert from the NSW BDM registry or a transcription agent?

I have the actual marriage certificate and the marriage took place at either "Clare" Farm or "Clear" Farm Pitt Town (near Windsor, NSW). The minister G. Macfie? of the Presbyterian Church.

I cannot find another James Shepherd death in the area at all. Closest would be one in Parramatta in 1891 (12189/1891) but the same is also listed as Waterloo (15332/1891)

So unless he was arrested again and moved or traveled back to the UK.

Regards, Jim

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Smooth

The thing that would be the worry for me is that at Thomas Henry Greentree's marriage to Catherine Cohen at Saint Matthews, Windsor on the 19th February 1855 both James and Caroline were the witnesses. So unless there was a split some time before form Phoebe it doesn't sit right for me.

The newspaper report on Phoebe's death and inquest does give me the impression that she was separated from her husband or widowed, as it just refers to the person she was living with, not to her husband.

[Smooth]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

From Trove newspaper archive (a free site):

Sydney Morning Herald, Wed 6 Feb 1856
Windsor
February 4 - Inquests. - On Sunday, the 27th ult, an inquest was held before the coroner for the district and a jury, at a hut on the Blacktown Road, on the body of a female named Phoebe Sheppard. The following evidence was adduced: John Dunn deposed that the person with whom the deceased lived called on him on the Friday evening previous, and said she was unwell; he went to the hut and found her unable to speak; her man, on witness' recommendation, went for a doctor, but whilst he was away the woman died. The person with whom deceased lived deposed that ever since a week before Christmas she had been drinking hard, and on Friday morning she complained of being ill; he came to Windsor to procure some necessities for her, and on his return found her unable to speak; whilst he was gone for a doctor, she died. Dr Day made a post mortem examination of the body, but found no marks of violence sufficient to cause death; he was professionally acquainted with deceased, and from what he had seen and known of her, he believed that death had resulted from the effects of excessive intemperance. Verdict accordingly.

I cannot find any record of this death from NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages.
I did look up the original entry on Trove.

Originally Posted by kiterunner

The newspaper report on Phoebe's death and inquest does give me the impression that she was separated from her husband or widowed, as it just refers to the person she was living with, not to her husband.

True that might put this James Shepherd back into the spotlight. You would think he would have been mentioned (at least as husband).

It's all very interesting!

Regards, Jim

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Smooth

I cannot find any record of this death from NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Me neither. I think I have found deaths in the coroner's inquest records before which didn't come up in the BDM records.

[Smooth]

I did just find a James Shepherd death in 1847 (114/1847 V1847114 109) but nothing on the area. All others I can pretty much dismiss.

I think I might need to purchase all of the couples other children's BDM certificates and like previously hope there is something to latch on to.

Regards, Jim

Jim, I too have found that in the early days, if a Coroner made a report, a separate death cert wasn't issued and it doesn't come up on the BDMs. Julie