Johanna (Thomson) Diamond (1836 - 1914)

Descendants

JOHANNA THOMSON 1836 - 1914

Johanna Thomson was born about 1836 in Glasgow, Scotland. Stanley Fenton Field’s own family tree records her birth as 1st August 1838 Scotland. She was the last child of James Thomson and Jane Gray, born in the year her father was transported to Australia for stealing metal and tools from a blacksmith in Glasgow. ^[1]

Joanna emigrated to Australia with her older sister Elizabeth Thomson, and brothers William Thomson and Robert Thomson; arriving on in Sydney 18th December 1849, onboard the ship Success. The shipping record tells us that they were Presbyterians, in good health and that they could read and write. Their trades were noted, Elizabeth age 23 was a cotton spinner, William aged 21 a bell hanger and Robert aged 17 a brass founder, while Johanna age 13 was still in school.

Johanna Thomson - emigration to Australia

In oral history tapes held at the Nelson Provincial Museum, Olive Field remembered that Johanna first met her second husband, William Diamond when he asked for an introduction after hearing her sing. To his half-sister Elizabeth Hartley in 1880, William once wrote to his sister Elizabeth Hartley “Dear Lizzie …Can you fancy what dear Mother was like when young, if so you see my wife, (Johanna) she is a native of Scotland, she came to Sydney with brothers and sisters when 12 years of age, we married in the Scots Church in Sydney in 1860." ^[2]

Just to keep this story honest, there is a letter to Elsie Woodward from her sister Gladys Riley dated about 1871 in which Gladys says “No, I don’t remember Grandma Diamond singing unless it was in a quavery way once and strangely, I never heard Dad mention her singing voice, but someone. It might have been Elsie H. (Elsie Harwood) or Moss Field (and they could have only got it from their parents) who said that Grandpa Diamond said it was her singing which attracted her to him and he regretted ever hearing it”. Len Field remembered his Grandmother as an “old dragon of a woman”. Knowing her life story, one can only admire the great personal courage; determination and fortitude that enabled her to make a success of what was to became a very rugged colonial life.

Johanna Thomson married her first husband David Brown in St. Andrew's Scots Church, Jamieson Street, Sydney on the 24th March 1853, she was 18 years old. Olive Field said that David Brown kept a Livery Stable, letting out horses for hire and stabling horses for other people. Johanna and David lived in Kent Street. A son David was born in 1854 and a daughter, Jane in 1858. The infant Jane died that same year, and David Brown a year later in 1859.

Johanna (Thomson) Brown and William Diamond were married "according to the rites of the Presbyterian Church" on the 9th February 1860. William Diamond, bachelor of London & Johanna Brown, widow of Glasgow Scotland. William is shown as a mariner age 30 whose usual place of residence is on board ship and Johanna as a householder age 26 living in Kent Street Sydney. William’s parents are given as John Diamond and Margaret McGaw and Johanna’s as James Thomson and Jane Gray. John Diamond’s occupation is given as Dealer and James Thomson’s as Gardener.

A little more than ten months later, Johanna and William’s first child Margaret Diamond was born in Sydney on 22nd December 1860.

In 1861, with baby Margaret and seven year old David Brown William and Johanna moved to Nelson where they lived in a cottage on Section 33 of Haven Road, on the seaward side, (on the bend) right beside the Government Wharf.

Toward the end of 1867, with four children, William and Johanna moved to Collingwood. Johanna carried baby William the whole way. William had found alluvial gold on the densely wooded West Bank of the Aorere River near what would become Rockville and bought a twenty-acre bush block beside the river, and a ferry service from John Lash who bought a hotel in Slateford.

Johanna was in demand as a midwife and was used to being called on in medical emergencies. She was frequently called to travel across rivers and through rough bush tracks, often working in primitive conditions to help women in labour. Len Field remembered how, in times of trouble neighbors helped each other. When an infant was expected, one of the local women would go to the home and perform the timeless duties of bringing the infant into the world. Such was the skill and care of these community midwives that remarkably few children or mothers were lost in childbirth.

Olive Field wrote, “Great Grandma (Johanna) was an excellent midwife and it would be interesting to know how many babies she brought into the world. She must have had some dreadful experiences trudging up to the “diggings” in those early days to attend women there in all weathers and of course, no doctor or anyone to help her. Truly a brave soul with a heart of gold.” On one occasion, as Len Field remembered, Joseph Skilton had both his legs broken in an accident when a horse ran away with a sledge. Johanna set his legs. When a doctor was eventually procured to examine the repair, he pronounced it a good one.

In 1911, Johanna was in Cheviot, Canterbury, to look after her daughter Clara’s family at a time when Clara was unwell. She wrote, replying to a letter from her grandson Laurie in Rockville – “My dear grandson Laurie I was very pleased to get a few lines from you giving me all the news. I was very pleased that Olive has gone to school like a good girl. I am happy to tell you that your Aunt Clare is getting better fast and I think she will be out of the hospital in another week, but she will not be home for a fortnight. How is my little baby boy. I hope he has not got the whoop-cough. I would not like him to get ill. I hope Dad and Mum are quite well and Uncle Dave. I have had only one letter from him since I came here. I suppose your Uncle David has had some trouble with Joe Taylor about the fence. I am very sorry that Old Bill has come back to his hut. He is an old fool. I hope you enjoy yourself at the show. I will be coming home as soon as Aunt Clare is strong enough to be left. It seems a long time since I left home. You will please me very much if you write to me again. Love to all my dear children. I think it would be nice if Dad and Uncle Dave would come over here and have a look around and go through to Uncle Harry's place. Good bye my dear boy. Your loving Grandmother J.D.”

William and Johanna's grave

Johanna died in Golden Bay on the 2nd September 1914, in the Rockville home of her daughter Amelia Field

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13575, 16 September 1914

Johanna was buried with her husband William Diamond, in Collingwood's New Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ Stanley Fenton Field (Jock) 20.10.1933 – 18.10.2012 grandson of Alice (Diamond) Field
2. ↑ Family stories gathered for a Diamond family history published by Jan Botica

• BROWN-THOMSON marriage - Australian Vital Records Index 1853 marriage Sydney St.Andrews Scots Church Presbyterian V1853248 81
• MARRIAGE - N.S.W. Marriage index - 2403/1853 V18532403 73C BROWN DAVID & THOMSON JOHANNA JB (Presbyterian - Sydney, St Andrew's Scots Church)
• MARRIAGE - N.S.W. Marriage index - 121/1860 DIAMOND WILLIAM & BROWN JOHANNA Sydney
• DEATH - N.Z. Govt. B.D.M. index - 1914/5581 - Diamond Johann aged 78 years

• children born in New Zealand
• 1863/12065 Diamond Elizabeth
• 1864/23773 Diamond Fanny
• 1867/19613 Diamond William
• 1869/23275 Diamond Alice
• 1871/25049 Diamond Amelia
• 1872/25254 Diamond Alexander