James Percy Walcott (1791 - 1872)

Born 10 May 1791 in Barbados

Husband of Johanna (Forrester) Walcott — married Apr 1815 in Barbados

Descendants

Died 17 Feb 1872 at age 80 in Greenough, Western Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Greg Scannell [send private message] and Gail Webber [send private message]

Biography

It appears this family line originates from Buckinghamshire via Barbados. His mother was Sarah Pemberton.

In his daughter Elizabeth's Baptism records his occupation was listed as Merchant and they were living at Park St, Bristol.

On 13/6/1812 he married Mary Ann Barnwell in Essequebo.

In April 1815 he married his second wife Johanna Forrester.

At age 39 he immigrated to the Swan River Colony on the Wanstead with his wife and six children arriving 30/1/1830. Ship records have no middle name and his occupation was Agriculturalist. Also on the ship was his business partner Charles Dawson Ridley.

Slave owner

He appears to have a similar background to another immigrant John Randall Phillips who immigrated on the Protector having also been born in Barbados and described in the passenger list as Agriculturalist. Britain abolished slavery in 1833 so perhaps the established families in Barbados had the forsight to send family members off to take up land in the new colonies. Also plantation owners were compensated for the loss of their slaves and this presumably gave them money to invest in new ventures. ^[1]

He was granted 16,080 acres of land on the banks of the Avon River in the District of York.

He must have been sold as a portion of this land (4,070 acres) which by May 1839 was known as Addington.

In January 1837 he advertised For Sale 12,000 acres of pasture land in the District of York plus a valuable grant on the Swan.

On 4/2/1837 a fire broke out on his property on the Swan opposite Guildford. They lost their house and most of their furniture but saved four or five trunks.

He departed the colony on the Shepherd on 29/3/1837 with his wife and two children. The Shepherd was heading for England and India via Mauritius. A later report said it was bound for The Isle of France. He published a Notice in The Perth Gazette that he was leaving the Colony for a short period and he nominated George Leake to receive all claims.

In April 1839 there was an unclaimed letter being held for him at the Perth Post Office.

In April 1839 the 12,000 acres was to be sold by Public Auction pursuant to a mortgage put on the property on 27/3/1837.

In June 1839 a Notice was published of the intention to resume a Town Allotment 36 in Perth for failure to make improvements that had been issued to Joanna Walcott.

In August 1841 Lot 270 in the town of Fremantle reverted to the Crown from J Walcott for non performance of conditions of assignment.

In January 1842 possibly two men named Walcott left the colony for London on the Elizabeth.

In January 1844 his property of 16,083 acres on the Avon had been surveyed and was given permanent boundaries. At the time this was the largest grant in the Avon District and of all the grants listed only Sir James Stirlings was larger it being 16,610 acres.

In September 1848 a J Walcott joined Charles F Gregory and others on an expedition to Sharks Bay which was expected to take 3 months. It was during this journey that they discovered what became the Geraldine mine on the Murchison river 55 kms north or Northampton.

By April 1850 he was established at Greenough Flats and together with Merrs Davis and M. Logue they brought samples of lead and copper ore from the Geraldine mine which was in the Northampton District to Perth.

He is buried in Greenough Pioneer Cemetery. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery: James Walcott
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/210687564/james-percy-walcott: accessed 25 May 2023), memorial page for James Percy Walcott (1791–17 Feb 1872), Find a Grave Memorial ID 210687564, citing Greenough Pioneer Cemetery, Greenough, Greater Geraldton City, Western Australia, Australia; Maintained by Kathy A (contributor 48215744).

• First Marriage. Essequebo and Demerary Royal Gazette, 13 June 1812, https://www.vc.id.au/edg/18120613edrg.html
• Second Marriage. Essequebo and Demerary Royal Gazette, 15 April 1815, https://www.vc.id.au/edg/18150415derg.html
• Listed as parent on daughter Mary Anna Walcott's baptism record in Budleigh, Devon, England
• WALCOTTS OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE, LONDON, AND BARBADOS. https://www.wolcottfamily.com/eastern.html
• https://www.geni.com/people/James-Walcott-Capt/6000000035011009092
• Advert. Swan River Guardian 19/1/1837.
• Article. The Perth Gazette 11/2/1837. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/640099?searchTerm=walcott
• Public Notice. The Perth Gazette 18/3/1837. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/640053?searchTerm=shepherd
• Article. Inquirer 22/11/1848. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65738793
• Geraldine Mine Article. The Perth Gazette 2/4/1852. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3173295/717780
• Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians by Rica Erickson.
• Biography. People Australia. https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/walcott-james-33338