James Lowson Shepherd (1814 - 1860)

Born 15 Oct 1814 in Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Margaret (Gorrie) Shepherd — married 1834 in Scotland

Died 4 Jun 1860 at age 45 in Melbourne, Colony of Victoria

Biography

James Shepherd was born in Scotland.

James Lowson was born on 15 October 1814 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland^[1], and baptised on 23 October 1814 at Dundee^[2]. He was the son of Thomas Shepherd and Margaret Miller.

He married Elizabeth probably in 1836. They had at least seven children.

1. Elizabeth (1837 -)
2. Thomas (1839 - )
3. Margaret (1842 - )
4. Williamina (1844 - 1909^[3])
5. Jessie (1845 - )
6. James (1847 - )
7. Alexander (1850 - )

In 1841 he was living with his wife Elizabeth and two children - Elizabeth (4) and Thomas (2) - at Dudhope Crescent, Dundee, Forfarshire^[4]. He was a machine maker aged 25 born in Forfarshire.

Elizabeth died as in 1851 he was a widower still living at Dudhope Crescent, Dundee^[5]. He was a machine maker aged 36 born at Dundee. In his household were his four children - Thomas (11), Jessie (7), Williamina (7) and James (4) - and a servant Margaret Wilson (18).

He married for the second time to Margaret Gorrie, daughter of Thomas Gorrie, on 23 May 1851 at Dundee^[6][7].

James Shepherd migrated from Scotland to Colony of Victoria.

James, Margaret and six children - Margaret (19), Thomas (15), Christina (11), Jessie (10), James (7) and Alexander (5), emigrated to the Colony of Victoria on the "Western Bride"^[8] which left Birkenhead on 21 June 1855^[9] and arrived in September. James signed as Chairman on behalf of the 342 adult passengers a letter to the Captain, Andrew Sinclair, expressing their "gratitude for your unremitting attention to their general comfort, and the many indulgences which they experienced at your hands"^[10].

James died on 4 June 1860^[11] at Melbourne, five years after their arrival. He had been an engineer (according to his wife's Margaret's Death Certificate^[12]). He was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North, Melbourne, Plot MGC-PRE-Comp-F-No-43A^[13].

Research Notes

His middle name is found as Lousen or Lowson.

He is not the James Shepherd who married Elizabeth Marshall, even though all Ancestry trees have her as his wife. She was still having children in 1853^[14]. The children from the shipping list and from the Census records have not yet been reconciled. The ages are probably not correct in the shipping record, and his wife Margaret has certainly lowered her age as she was born in 1810^[15]. (Dickson-4413 02:51, 9 December 2023 (UTC))

Only Williamina's death has been found. Many of the Victorian death records have no details for the parents' names making it difficult to find the correct ones. (Dickson-4413 04:28, 9 December 2023 (UTC))

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYN1-BF8 : 16 September 2021), James Lowson Shepherd, 1814. Accessed 9 Dec 2023
2. ↑ "Scotland, Parish Births & Baptisms 1564-1929". FindMyPast Transcription Accessed 9 Dec 2023
   James Lowson Shepherd baptism on 23 Oct 1814 (born 1814), son of Thomas Shepherd & Margaret Millar, in Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland.
3. ↑ Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria Online index. Death Record. Accessed 9 Dec 2023
   Registration number: 11800 / 1909; Family name: COULSON; Given name(s): Willia]mina; Place of event: Carl[ton] N, Australia; Mother's name: Unknown; Mother's family name at birth: UNKNOWN; Father's Name: Shepherd Thos [James]
4. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a140f4df4040b9d6ef56448 : viewed 9 Dec 2023), James SHEPHERD in household of James SHEPHERD, Dudhope Crescent, Angus (Forfarshire), Scotland; from 1841 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives HO 107/282, Folio 66, Page 12, Schedule , The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census". Schedule: 76. FindMyPast Transcription Accessed 9 Dec 2023
   James Sheperd (36), widowed, Machine maker, head of household in Dudhope Crescent, Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland. Born in Scotland.
6. ↑ "Scotland, Parish Marriages & Banns 1561-1893". FindMyPast Transcription Accessed 9 Dec 2023
   Margaret Gorrie marriage to James Lowson Shepherd on 23 May 1851 in Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland.
   Note the transcription has his surname as Lowson and his occupation as Shepherd
7. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTVJ-CQN : 11 February 2020), James Lowson, 1851. Accessed 9 Dec 2023
8. ↑ Public Record Office Victoria Unassisted passenger lists (1852-1923) Record Series Number (VPRS): 947. Accessed 9 Dec 2023

   Family name Given name Age Year arrived Month arrived Ship

   SHEPHERD MARGT 19 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD THOMAS 15 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD ALEXANDER 5 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD CHRISTINA 11 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD JAMES 39 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD JAMES 7 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD JESSIE 10 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

   SHEPHERD MARGARET 40 1855 SEP WESTERN BRIDE

9. ↑ Trove, National Library of Australia, Newspapers and Gazettes Accessed 9 Dec 2023
   Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875) Tue 2 Oct 1855 Page 4 LIVERPOOL AND LONDON AUSTRALIAN TRADE.
10. ↑ Trove, National Library of Australia, Newspapers and Gazettes Accessed 2 Dec 2019
    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Wed 3 Oct 1855 Page 1 Advertising
11. ↑ Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria Online index. Death Record. Accessed 9 Dec 2023
    Registration number: 4360 / 1860; Family name: SHEPHERD; Given name(s): James Lousen [Lowsen]; Place of birth: FOR [Forfarshire]; Mother's name: Margaret; Mother's family name at birth: MILLER; Father's Name: Thomas
12. ↑ Death Certificate of Margaret Shepherd nee Gourie (Gowrie) 1861
13. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198715838/james-l-shephard: accessed 9 December 2023), memorial page for James L Shephard (1814–4 Jun 1860), Find A Grave: Memorial #198715838, citing Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by Tony M. (contributor 48299134).
14. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XB8Q-383 : 16 September 2021), Elizabeth Marshall in entry for George Shepherd, 1853. Accessed 9 Dec 2023
15. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYJG-HJ2 : 16 September 2021), Margaret Gorrie, 1810. Accessed 9 Dec 2023

Acknowledgements

• Biography written by Margaret Bailey Allison