Jane (Armstrong) James (abt. 1830)

Born about 1830 in County Wicklow, Ireland

Wife of Richard James — married 17 Apr 1854 in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land, Australia

Biography

Jane (Armstrong) James was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to Van Diemen's Land

Jane Armstrong was aged about 19 when she was tried on 31 October 1849 in Kildare and found guilty of the crime of arson (burning a house located in Kildare). She was sentenced to fifteen years transportation and travelled to Van Diemen's Land on the Duke of Cornwall arriving there in 1850.^[1]

Jane's trade prior to conviction was kitchen maid. She was four feet nine and a half inches tall with a fresh complexion, sandy brown hair and blue eyes. Jane was pockmarked and had a freckled defect in her left eye. Both the gaol report and the surgeon's report of her conduct were good. This was Jane's first conviction.^[2]

Jane had a couple of minor offences for refusing to work and received sentences of hard labour for that. Most of her time as a convict appears to have been spent in service.^[2]

In February 1854 Jane's proposed marriage to Richard James, a "free" man and a mariner, was approved.^[3] The Church of England marriage service took place in Hobart on 17 April 1854 and Jane claimed she was 21 at the time. Richard was about twenty years older.^[2][4] In July of the same year she gave birth to their son Richard Samuel; she was living in Liverpool Street, Hobart, at the time.

Jane obtained a conditional pardon in December 1855 and certificate of freedom in Hobart in October 1856.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ National Archives of Ireland, Irish Transportation Database, PDF compilation database of records contained in the National Archives of Ireland; entry for Jane Armstrong, page 47; Record reference code: TR 9. P 41(F).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Archives of Tasmania, PDF original convict conduct record for Jane Armstrong.
3. ↑ Archives of Tasmania, PDF original marriage approvals for Jane Armstrong and Richard James.
4. ↑ Archives of Tasmania, PDF original marriage record for Jane Armstrong and Richard James.

See also:

• Archives of Tasmania, PDF original convict indent record for Jane Armstrong.