Thomas Barker (abt. 1809 - abt. 1858)

Thomas Barker (1808-?) was born in Henham, Essex England and sentenced in 1829 aged 21, to 14 years transportation to NSW for poaching on private property. He served his sentence in Richmond NSW where he met and married Azuba Bell (1822-1903) in 1839 aged 31, Azuba was 17. They had four daughters together.

Azuba was born in Wainfleet St Mary, Lincolnshire England and immigrated to Sydney in 1838 aged 17 as a Bounty Immigrant, where her passage was paid for by the shipping company. She travelled with her married sister and one of her brothers. Her widowed mother Ann (Parker) Bell (1798-18??) and her remaining six siblings later joined her in Richmond from England in 1840. Ann remarried William Hartley Squires (1803-85) a convict from Lincolnshire England in Windsor in 1843. He became a farmer at St. John’s Farm, St Luke’s in the Cumberland district (now the suburb of St John’s Park near Cabramatta NSW). Sadly later in life he was admitted to the Liverpool Asylum for the Infirmed & Destitute, and died and was buried there as a pauper. It is unknown what happened to Ann.

After completing his sentence Thomas became a farmer in the nearby Cabramatta area. It is unknown what happened to him after 1849 with the birth of his fourth daughter.

Azuba now with four young daughters, partnered (not married) Francis Stapleton (1812-59) an ex-convict from Yorkshire England, 10 years her senior, They moved to Majors Creek NSW (270 km south of Sydney) in the early 1850s, which at the time was a major gold field. They had a daughter and a son while there.

After six years of gold mining Azuba, Francis and their family left Majors Creek about 1858 and moved to Towrang north of Goulburn NSW, where Francis became a farmer. Sadly he died in 1859 aged 46 in a bullock dray accident trying to cross the river near Towrang. Azuba aged 37 was three months pregnant at the time and briefly moved into town in Goulburn with her four young daughters and a son. She gave birth to and six months later buried her infant son who died suddenly.

Azuba now with five young children (one had married), re-partnered (not married) married John Parkinson (1804-87) another ex-convict from Yorkshire England, 18 years her senior. They returned to Majors Creek in the early 1860s, which was still a gold field, and had a daughter and a son while living there until at least 1867.

In 1872 Azuba’s youngest brother Moses Bell (1834-91) struck it rich as a gold miner at Hill End and built an imposing mansion called Bellvue House (now demolished) at Blues Point on Sydney Harbour.

Around 1881 Azuba, John and their remaining two unmarried children relocated to Towrang, where John became a gardener on the area's now prosperous apple orchards. They later moved to the Cootamundra district NSW (186 km west of Goulburn), where John was a farmer, retired and died there in 1887 aged 83.

Widowed Azuba was now living at 61 Sutton Street, Cootamundra where she died in 1903 aged 82. She was buried in an unmarked grave in the C of E section of the Cootamundra Cemetery. Azuba had nine children over 27 years to three ex-convict husbands. Research by David Johnson

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