Alexander Richard Taylor (1811 - 1883)

Born 1811 in Suriname, Dutch West Indies

Husband of Rose (Garrigan) Taylor — married 1842 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Honora Margaret (Devitt) Taylor — married 10 Feb 1851 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 1883 at about age 72 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Alexander Taylor was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

Alexander Richard Taylor's father's name was Alexander Taylor and his mother was Mary Hannan, unsure where they were born, but would have been circa 1785. His parents must have emigrated to Suriname where their son was born, but I have been unable to find out anything more about his parents at this stage. I believe Hannan is a Scottish name and Taylor seems to be a common name in Britain and Ireland.

Alexander was in Devon when he was convicted for stealing clothes and he was transported to Australia where he served a seven year sentence before receiving his Ticket of Leave in 1841. He travelled to New South Wales on the Bengal Merchant departing on the 27th September 1834 arriving in Sydney on 30th January 1835. Certificate of Freedom 26 Jul 1841. Alexander was a Seaman, which was probably how he ended up in Devon, whether he was still working in the Navy, is unknown, before he was tried and received the death penalty. Fortunately he received a reprieve and was transported to Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.

Alexander married Rose Garrigan in 1842, and Rose died young at the age of 27 in 1848, leaving Alexander to care for two young children. Alexander remarried in 1851 to Honora Devit, they were married for more than 30 years before he died.

Alexander was tragically killed at the age of 76 at Shaw's Creek on his farm when a tree fell on him. His grandson Maurice Jeffery had been with him in the morning and when he returned half an hour later he found his grandfather on the ground dead with a tree on top of him.

Sources

• BDM NSW RECORDS

Marriage: Reg No 1439/1842 V1842 1439 92

Death: Reg No 5237/1883 Goulburn

• BURIAL

Alexander Richard Taylor

Gender: Male

Birth: 1807

Surinam, West Indies

Marital status: Married

Death: Nov 24 1883 New South Wales, Australia

Burial: Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

Wife: Rose

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B00372-0

System Origin: Australia-EASy

GS Film number: 1238833 Reference ID: Tombstone Inscr p 1

• New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849

Name: Alexander Taylor

Vessel: Bengal Merchant

Arrival Year: 1835

Date of Conviction: 26 Jul 1834

Name: Alexander Taylor

Age: 23

Date of Conviction: 26 Jul 1834

Place of Conviction: Devonshire

Estimated birth year: abt 1811

Vessel: Bengal Merchant

Port of Arrival: New South Wales

Date of Arrival: 30 Jan 1835

• Alexander Taylor in the New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867

Name: Alexander Taylor

Age: 30 Birth Year: 1811

Native Place: Surinam West Indies

Arrival Year: 1835

Vessel: Bengal Merchant

Certificate Date: 26 Jul 1841

• Advertisement in Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 20 October 1841

CAUTION

I HEREBY CAUTION ALL CONSTABLES and others from molesting me in future, I having lost my certificate of freedom.

Description-Name, Alexander Taylor; ship, Bengal Merchant ; year of arrival, 1835; native place, Surinam ; trade, seaman ; age, thirty ; eyes grey; hair, brown; height, five feet six and three-quarter inches; complexion, ruddy.

General remarks-Man, tree, snake, crucifix, sun, on right arm ; Britannia, square and compasses left arm, ring middle finger left hand, scar on ball left eye.

ALEXANDER TAYLOR.

http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/taylor/alexander/19641

Accident

SHOCKING FATALITY.

THE Coroner (A. M. Betts, Esq ) held an inquest, on Saturday, at Shaw's Creek, on the body of Alexander Taylor, who had been killed the previous day by a tree falling on him.

William South deposed: I live at Gundary, and am a labourer; the body just viewed by the coroner and jury is that of Alexander Taylor; he was a farmer, and lived at Shaw's Creek, near Goulburn; yesterday, between 9 and 10 a.m., I saw deceased at work sawing a log about three or four hundred yards from where he lived; I spoke to him and remained with him about 10 minutes; there was a little boy with him about 10 years old; when I left him he and the little boy were sawing a log; I did not see deceased again alive.

Maurice Jeffery : I am 10 years old; yesterday I was with deceased after South left him ; I stayed with him 20 minutes, and he then sent me home; when I left he was cutting down a tree ; I returned in half an hour, and I then saw deceased lying on his back, and the tree which he was falling when I left was on top of him; he was quite dead; I put a bag over his face and came down and told Latham; deceased's wife, Mrs. Taylor, was in Goulburn.

John Parnell deposed: I am a labourer and live with Mr. Lansdown; I know deceased, A. Taylor; in consequence of something I heard yesterday at bout three o'clock I went to a place in the bush near Taylor's; I saw deceased lying on the ground on his back with the butt end of a tree right across him; I saw his arm and hand were injured; the tree was not a large one; it seemed to have fallen on to another tree and then kicked back and knocked deceased down; the tree at its thickest part was about 18 inches through; I helped to get deceased from under the tree and we then brought the body home; deceased could not have got away from under the tree himself, even if he were not dead when he fell; there were no marks as if deceased had struggled in any way.

Honora Taylor deposed: The deceased was my husband; he was 76 years of age, and we had been married 34 years; he has left two children; we have lived at this place 26 years or so; deceased was always accustomed to work in the bush; I last saw him alive about half past eight yesterday morning; I then left for Goulburn; he told me he was going to work in the bush.

The jury found that deceased died from injuries received by a tree accidentally falling on him.

Goulburn Evening Penny Post , Tuesday 26 November 1883, page 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110072831