Did James Hewitt kill his sister?

Question

Doing some editing again and I found an interesting case in the family a few generations back.

James and Thomas emigrate to Australia in 1852. Twelve years later, in 1864, their younger sister Amelia and her new husband arrive and start a family. James has an unhappy marriage and moves back to England at some time between 1861 and 1871.

Then his father dies in Apr 1875, and he writes to Amelia with the news, also saying that there's so little left in the estate that he won't be wasting the money on proving the will, and in any case his mother had always desired it should all be left to him (James).

The letter of 4 May probably took 6 weeks to arrive by ship, but Amelia smells a rat and immediately hops on the next ship to see what's going on for herself. The return trip takes another six weeks, putting her in Warwickshire at the beginning of August. But Amelia drops dead in August 1875, as reported in British newspapers and recorded by Victorian BDM.

Now I figure if someone is going to die of grief they're not going to travel halfway around the world first. What do you think?

Amelia Ann Hewitt

Comments

Well that is crazy! James does sound evil. Do we know why they emigrated to Australia? Were they convicts? Or adventurers? So sketchy...

---

Any evidence that the will was proved? I've always said if there are suspicious circumstances, look at the usual suspects first.

---

This has to be a case where it is worth shelling out for the Birth Certificate.

---

Or in this case, the death certificate.

---

James and his brother Thomas appear to have arrived in Australia as paid passengers, possibly in search of gold.

Answer 1

Perhaps Amelia contracted a disease on her voyage back to England and died from it once she arrived. That was rather common in those days. Her brother was probably a selfish scoundrel but perhaps not a murderer!

Comments

That's certainly a possibility, although the transport of 1875 was far safer than the convict days and mainly carried paying passengers. The tragedy of all this doesn't escape me though; she left a brood of five children behind, the youngest of whom was merely four years old.