Joseph Ashby (1810 - 1864)

Born 10 Oct 1810 in Colchester, Essex, England

Husband of Charlotte (Webb) Ashby — married 2 Apr 1845 in Sydney,New South Wales Australia

Descendants

Died 11 Dec 1864 at age 54 in Wyong, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Joseph Ashby was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

Birth: Oct 28 1810 - Colchester, Essex, England Death: 1864 - Blue Gum Flat, Wyong, NSW Australia

Parents: Joseph Ashby, Lydia Hardy

Siblings: Hannah Ashby, William Ashby (Convict), Mary Ann Ashby and Eliza Ashby

Wife: Charlotte Ashby (born Webb)

Children: Hannah Kensey (nee Ashby), James Ashby, John Ashby, Eliza Jane Weller (nee Ashby);

Joseph Ashby was a figure of misfortune who did it very tough, especially during his early childhood. He was born in Colchester, England in 1810, the son of Joseph Ashby Lydia Hardy. Lydia died in 1823. Joseph, Snr remarried and died in 1853.

Joseph was a bit of a street dweller and had to resort to stealing and scavenging to be able to survive. Joseph and another fellow, Thomas Balls, stole a basket of raisins from a merchant in Colchester in 1831. They were both duly arrested and interned to await trial. At the ensuing trial Joseph Ashby was found guilty of larceny and convicted, with a sentence of 14 years and transportation to the penal colony of Australia. Thomas Balls was found not guilty and set free. Joseph Ashby was transported to Australia on the convict transport Asia in 1832.

Joseph Ashby was a kind man of good character and only resorted to crime out of desperation. Joseph applied for a “ticket of leave” in May of 1838 for the Brisbane Water region; on his application he is described as being prisoner number 32/208, 28 years of age, 5 feet 2 inches in height, having fair complexion, light brown hair and blue eyes.

This ticket of leave was granted in June 1838. As Joseph Ashby was a convict prisoner and Charlotte Webb an Aboriginal person, permission had to be sought from the Governor to marry and this was granted in 1845. Joseph Ashby was 32 and Charlotte Webb 22 according to the permission to marry document when they married in a small sandstone church in East Gosford on the 2nd April 1845. This church still stands today.

Charlotte Ashby (nee Webb) had many children during the years of her marriage to Joseph Ashby, until he passed away in Wyong on the 11th December 1864, they were: Hannah Ashby 1845; James Ashby 1847; John Ashby 1849; Eliza Jane Ashby 1853;

Amelia Ashby 1859; and Sarah Ashby 1862.

Eva Ashby 1865, Walter Ashby 1868 and Sophy Ashby 1870 were all born after Joseph Ashby’s death.

Charlotte Ashby was tossed from pillar to post in terms of the way she was treated (or should I say mistreated) at the hands of her employers.

It was thought to be acceptable by society to expect to be used for the sexual pleasure of your employer in those days and it was a very common practice. As a result Charlotte had several children outside the sanctity of marriage.

Joseph Ashby lies in Blue Gum Flat Cemetery (Lisarow).

One of the fathers to Charlotte’s children, William Smith, who had an on and off relationship with Charlotte, accused her of stealing from him while in Blue Gum Flat Tavern on the 1st July 1869 the sum of £5. Charlotte was due to appear in court in Sydney 100 kilometres south on Thursday 2nd September 1869.

She walked through the prickly heath country of the sandstone escarpment 100 kilometres to Sydney to appear in court and 100 kilometres back when found not guilty.

In 1869 Charlotte’s two youngest children were taken away by the Benevolent Society at the instigation of proceedings by the very same William Smith on the grounds that Charlotte was an unfit mother. These children were later returned.

Charlotte lived out her life in dire poverty amongst those who lived off the fat of the land (her ancestral land) and died in her ramshackle old hut at a railway siding in Narara at the ripe old age of 89 years in 1913.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146648229/joseph-ashby
• http://www.geni.com/people/Joseph-Ashby/6000000039061324965
• Convict record
• Death certificate
• Parish Record - Marriage