John Cross (1757 - 1824)

Born 23 Mar 1757 in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England

Husband of Keren Happuch (Burden) Elliot — married 11 Jan 1781 (to 1790) in Semley, Wiltshire, England

Husband of Mary Ann (Davison) Cross — married 1793 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 24 Dec 1824 at age 67 in Wisemans Ferry, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

John Cross was a convict on the First Fleet.

John was a First Fleeter who arrived on the Alexander.

He was probably the son of James Cross, baptised John at East Knoyle, Wiltshire on 23 March 1757 (the mother's name was not recorded in the church register).

At the age of about 29 years, John was arrested for stealing a wether sheep worth 28 Shillings. He was committed to Fisherton-Anger gaol at New Sarum (Salisbury) in Wiltshire on 12 February 1785 charged on the oaths of William Hacker the elder and William Hacker the younger with stealing the sheep which belonged to William Hacker the elder of Semely. John Cross was a labourer at the time and was living at East Knoyle about two miles north of Semely. His trial was held on 5 March 1785 at New Sarum (Salisbury), where he was found guilty and sentenced to death, commuted to 7 years transportation.^[1][2]

He was sent to the Ceres hulk age given as 29, delivered thence to the ship Alexander on 6 January 1787.^[3]

In 1790 it appears that he was working as a guard on Lieutenant James Furzer’s farm near Long Cove. In April he apprehended a thief, and Lorraine Prothero in her book gives the following summary from the trial notes:

"At 7 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, April 10, 1790 whilst on his way to work, John encountered Thomas Harford, who tried to avoid being seen. His suspicion aroused, John asked him what he was doing, to which he replied he'd been to collect cockles. Remarking that it was too late to get cockles, John questioned him further, whereupon Halford ran off. Priming his pistol, and threatening to blow Halford's brains out, John gave chase and somehow managed to get ahead of him, where he lay in wait. As Halford approached, John jumped up and held him at pistol-point, ordering him to give up what he had. Halford, either with little regard for his life or confident that John wouldn't shoot him, challenged him several times to fire but John refused (in his deposition at Halford’s trial John stated at this point that he “didn't like to fire”). Eventually John persuaded him to accompany him to [marine private] John Howell’s hut near the brick kilns, and after a further attempt to escape, with John again threatening to shoot, they reached Howell’s hut. John and Howell, finding Halford’s pockets full of potatoes, finally took him to the watch house and handed him over to the man of the watch, William Hubbard."^[1]

On 19 August 1791 John Cross and James Squire appeared before the Bench of Magistrates, charged with buying necessaries (military issue) from a New South Wales Corps private Francis Mackewen. Two months previously, they had given Mackewen rice and meat in exchange for two shirts: John Cross had given 4 lbs of rice and meat in exchange for a white shirt, and James Squire had given 7 lbs of rice and meat in exchange for a checked shirt of better quality. Mackewen said he was starving and assured them that "they could not be brought into trouble" through this transaction. The court ordered Cross and Squire to each pay £5 penalty, and to appear again in three weeks, but there is no record of their second appearance.^[1]

In November of the following year he sold 3 pregnant sows to John Palmer.^[3]

By 1793 John Cross and Mary Davidson (Davison) were living together. Mary was also a convict who had arrived in 1790 on the Lady Juliana. John & Mary had 9 children. Their daughter Elizabeth was baptised in Sydney in June 1794 followed by James Thomas ‎(1796)‎, William ‎(1797)‎, David ‎(1799)‎, John ‎(1801)‎, Alexander ‎(1803)‎, Mary Ann ‎(1806)‎, Ann ‎(1808)‎ and Sarah ‎(1812)‎.^[4]

In October 1795 he was marked off stores. In 1798 he was renting the farm of Thomas Cottrell at Field of Mars. Two years later he was renting part of John Bayliss’s farm at Mulgrave place, owned 6 Hogs and had 3 acres sown in wheat and 6 ready for planting maize.^[3]

In 1798 John Cross was recorded renting a farm at Field of Mars. By 1800 the family had moved to the Hawkesbury district where they rented a farm with 3 acres sown in wheat and 6 in maize, with 6 pigs.^[3]

However they suffered losses from flooding and John, as well as other farmers of the South Creek area petitioned the Governor for help in January 1801. ^[3]

In 1804 John Cross was granted 100 acres at Sussex Reach. In 1806 just over 20 acres of this land were cultivated in wheat, maize, barley, orchard, vegetables and garden. Cross was employing a free man, and fully supporting Mary Davidson and their four children.^[3] It appears that by the time of the 1806 muster three of their children (Elizabeth, James and John) had died.^[1]

From 1812 the family suffered financial difficulties and much of their land had been mortgaged or sold by 1820. Their farm at Half Moon Reach was offered for sale by execution in April of that year.^[3]

Children of John and Mary Cross:

1. daughter Elizabeth Cross, Birth 1794
2. son James Thomas Cross, Birth 14 January 1796 Parramatta, New South Wales.
3. son William Cross, Birth 2 October 1797 Parramatta, New South Wales, Death 18 February 1845 (Age 47) Windsor, New South Wales
4. son David Cross, Birth 1799 Parramatta, New South Wales, Death 16 December 1869 (Age 70) Wilberforce, New South Wales,
5. son John Cross, Birth 1801, New South Wales.
6. son Alexander Cross, Birth 26 September 1803 Parramatta, New South Wales, Death 16 June 1886 (Age 82) Liverpool, New South Wales,
7. daughter Mary Ann Cross, Birth 2 January 1806 Sussex Reach, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Death 26 April 1873 (Age 67) Sydney City, New South Wales, Australia
8. daughter Ann Cross, Birth 16 August 1808 Lower Portland Head, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Death 20 October 1880 (Age 72) Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
9. daughter Sarah Cross Birth 1812 Lower Portland Head, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Death 1829 (Age 17) Windsor, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia

John was a poor man when he died on 24 December 1824 (Age 67) at Lower Portland Head (in the vicinity of modern Wiseman Ferry) Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia.^[5]

He was buried in Saint Matthew's Anglican Church Cemetery, Windsor. The burial register of St Matthews had the following entry: "John Cross, free, died at the first branch of the Hawkesbury the 24th and was buried at Windsor, the 27th December 1824 Aged 67 years By me [Rev] John Cross".^[6]

His wife Mary died three years later on 13 December 1827 (age 59) at Lower Portland Head, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia.

John's son, David, built the Victoria Inn, which still stands at Cross Park at Wiseman's Ferry, and for a time he operated the ferry. John's children married into such well-known families as the Cobcrofts, Cavanoughs, Herps, Douglas, Stallards and Doughertys. Source http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/johncross.htm

Research Notes

The gravestone of John and Mary in St Matthews Church of England Cemetery, Windsor includes the inscription: "Elizabeth, Mary Ann and Charlotte three infant branches of the family". The three girls are possibly:

• Elizabeth Ann Cross, who died 1828 at Lower Portland Head, aged 1, buried 16 Sep 1828^[7][8] She is probably the child Elizabeth Anne Cross, daughter of John Cross, farmer, and Mary Cross; residence: Upper Branch, born 6 Aug 1827 and baptised 5 Aug 1828, Registered at St Thomas' Church of England, Sackville Reach.^[9] Who were Elizabeth Ann's parents? There are no other couples called John and Mary Cross living in this area. Were John and Mary actually her grandparents, and her mother one of their daughters?
• Mary Ann Cross, Birth 10 November 1826 Sackville Reach, Death 13 May 1829, daughter of Alexander Cross (1803-1886)
• Charlotte Cross daughter of David Cross, died 1828 aged 19 months, buried 30 Dec 1828 Burial registered at St Matthews. Residence: Lower Portland Head.^[10][11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Prothero, Lorraine. Cross : his mark. North Ryde: L. Prothero, 1987
2. ↑ "John Cross late of East Knoyle in this county, labourer", in Salisbury and Winchester Journal Feb 14, 1785, p.3, WRO, cited in Lorraine Prothero - Research files for book, 'Cross: His Mark', Mitchell Library MLMSS 6632
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Gillen, Mollie. The Founders of Australia: a biographical dictionary of the First Fleet. North Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1989, p.87.
4. ↑ Flynn, Michael. The Second Fleet: Britain's grim convict armada of 1790. Sydney : Library of Australian History, 1993, pp. 234-235.
5. ↑ Find a Grave.
6. ↑ St Matthew's Church of England Windsor NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 53
7. ↑ St Matthew's Church of England Windsor NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 53
8. ↑ Biographical Database of Australia (BDA)
9. ↑ St Thomas' Church of England, Sackville Reach: Church Register - Baptisms; (Clergy Returns) SRNSW ref: Reel 5002-5005 Vol. 10-20, 22/23.
10. ↑ St Matthew's Church of England Windsor NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 53
11. ↑ https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/30101003001?f=charlotte&l=cross&ol=&i=1&s=&p= Biographical Database of Australia (BDA)

• Biographical report for John CROSS, Person ID: B#10011015601, Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) (subscription required to view)

See also:

• First Fleet Memorial Gardens
• Australian Royalty.
• Fellowship of First Fleeters