Eliza (Jones) Harris (abt. 1789 - 1837)

Born about 1789 in England [uncertain]

Wife of John Harris — married 17 Aug 1813 (to Feb 1837) in Covent Garden, Middlesex, England

Died 10 Feb 1837 at about age 48 in Shanes Park, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Eliza (Jones) Harris came free to the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

After the "Rum Rebellion" against Governor Bligh, Surgeon John Harris was required to return to England to give evidence at Major Johnston’s court martial. When he was in London he lived at 26 King Street Covent Garden.^[1] He married Eliza Jones on 17 August 1813 at St Paul's Covent Garden.^[2][3] Eliza was known to Governor King's family. Harris gained permission to return to New South Wales as a free settler. John Harris returned to Australia in February 1814 on the General Hewett. Eliza sailed separately in 1815 on the merchant ship Hebe, accompanied by a paid female companion, Elizabeth Spurrell, whose journal is in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.^[1][4]

Disappointingly, Elizabeth Spurrell's "journal" (which was obviously written after the voyage) does not have much about her time in Sydney, and no observations at all about Eliza Harris. She described their arrival there:

Dr. Harris to whom we were going received me in a friendly manner. As soon as he heard of the arrival of the “Hebe”, he made his appearance to welcome his wife whom he knew had taken her passage in that Ship. He appeared a sensible clever man, but of rough unpolished manner. On arriving at the Drs my spirits were not in least cheered & really felt as if my heart would break, when I contemplated the wretchedness & misery of all around. The House was a very good one but very much out of repair, during the Doctor’s absence the property had been left to the care of an Agent who had made sad havoc by neglecting it, & selling a great deal of the property, it might have been made an exceedingly pretty place, but it was quite in an uncultivated state. It was about a mile from Sydney & called Ultimo, we had a commanding view of the Town, which was not to be sure a very interesting Spectacle.^[5]

She also described some of the social scene. "Dr [Harris] gave a large dinner party to most of the officers of the 46th Regiment, it was a wager, which he had lost with them & the loser was to provide a dinner". Elizabeth Spurrell particularly enjoyed the company of Commissary john Palmer's family at Woolloomooloo House, and Colonel Molle and his wife.

Eliza Harris nee Jones did not have children. She died on 10 February 1837 and was buried 13 February 1837 in St John's Cemetery. The burial register for St John's has her abode "South Creek" [John Harris's estate at Shanes Park], age 48, "Late Magistrate's wife".^[6]

The inscription on her grave reads:^[7]

Sacred to the memory of

The late JOHN HARRIS Esquire

of Shanes Park, South Creek. Formerly

a Surgeon of H. M. Navy and Army

who departed this Life 27 April 1838

Aged 85 years

Also

ELIZA wife of the above

JOHN HARRIS Esquire

who departed this life

the 10th day of February 1837

Aged 48 years

Also

JOHN HARRIS

Nephew of the late Dr J Harris

who was accidently killed

at Harris Park

22nd December 1891

in his 81st year

Research Notes

Researchers have found two possible wives for Harris, Eliza Briggs and Eliza Jones The latter is far more likely, but I accidentally chose the other one.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Rosen, Sue. Australia's Oldest House : Surgeon John Harris and Experiment Farm Cottage / Sue Rosen. Ultimo, N.S.W.: Halstead Press, 2010.
2. ↑ John Harris, Marriage Date: 17 Aug 1813, Marriage Place: Saint Paul Covent Garden, Westminster, London, England, Spouse: Eliza Jones, FHL Call Number: 942 B4HA V. 35 Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973. Original data: England, Marriages, 1538–1973. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. Original Source The registers of St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden, London Author: Hunt, William Henry, London, England : Harleian Society, 1906-1909.
3. ↑ Image of Bishop's transcript in London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936 for John Harriss, Westminster St Paul, Covent Garden 1809-1812 (Ancestry.com)
4. ↑ Flynn, Michael, The Second Fleet : Britain's Grim Convict Armada of 1790, Library of Australian History, 1993, pp. 320-321.
5. ↑ Spurrell, Miss E. Journal of a voyage to New Holland etc. 1815-1816 by a lady / Miss E. Spurrell 1815-1816 B 563 Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/92eV6RBY. Transcript at https://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2011/D03540/a2080.pdf (Note that she provides "background" about the colony which she has copied from David Collins's "An Account of the English Colony at New South Wales", 1798.)
6. ↑ Date of death from gravestone. Her burial record is in St. John's Parramatta, Burials, 1790-1986 for Eliza Harris Vol 03, Baptisms, 1834-1838; Marriages, 1834-1838; Burials, 1834-1838 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/60737/images/44132_1831101454_0701-00144?pId=17626
7. ↑ Dunn, Judith., and Parramatta District Historical Society. The Parramatta Cemeteries : St. John's. Parramatta [N.S.W.]: Parramatta and District Historical Society, 1991. p.173.

• Headstone
• Researches of others.
• England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973
• England, Pallot's Marriage Index, 1780-1837