Sarah (Stockwell) Hillier (1807 - 1872)

Born 1807 in Ham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of James Hillier — married 24 Dec 1832 in Ham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 4 Jul 1872 at about age 65 in South Australia

Biography

Birth Sarah Stockwell Baptism Date: 4 Oct 1807 Baptism Place: Hampshire [sic, recte Ham, not the abbreviation for Hampshire, as can be seen in the next reference to this baptism], Wiltshire, England Father: George Stockwell Mother: Elizabeth FHL Film Number: 1279359 Sarah, daughter of George Stockwell & Elizabeth, was baptised on 4 October 1807 in Ham, Wiltshire, England.^[1] Marriage

Name Sarah Stockwell Gender Female Marriage Date 24 Dec 1832 Marriage Place Ham, Wiltshire, England Spouse James Hyllier Sarah married James Hyllier on 24 December 1832 in Ham, Wiltshire, England.^[2] Marriage Banns Name: Sarah Stockwell Gender: Female Marriage or Bann Date: 24 Dec 1832Marriage or Bann Place: Ham, Wiltshire, England Parish as it Appears: Ham Sarah married James Hillier on 24 December 1832 in Ham, Wiltshire, England.^[3]

Death Name Sarah Jones Death Age68Birth Date1804Residence Date Abt 1872 Residence Place Strathalbyn Death Date4 Jul 1872Death Place Strathalbyn, South Australia Registration Place Strathalbyn, Australia Spouse Stephen Jones Page number218Volume Number48 Sarah died (age 68) on 4 July 1872 in Strathalbyn, South Australia.^[4]

Research Notes

Stephen Jones (1812 - 1874) and Sarah Hillier (nee Stockwell, 1807 - 1872) married in Adelaide, South Australia, on 26 April 1853.

Sarah's first husband, James Hiller, had died in 1847. James had been sick for many months and several items of official correspondence to the Colonial Secretary in October 1847 recommended that the family be provided Government relief. Sarah had also lost two children around the same time (Jane b1840 and Daniel b1841), had just given birth to Harriet (b 16 May 1847) and was supporting Mary Ann (b1845), Fanny (b1842) and George (b1833). Sarah had already lost three daughters in 1839 soon after arriving in the new colony of South Australia. Fanny also died five years later in 1852.

It is not clear what happened to Stephen's first wife Jane (nee Tucker, b1818), but it is presumed Jane died at some time between giving birth to her last child, Mary Jones (b1850), and before husband Stephen remarried in 1853.

At the time of their marriage Stephen Jones was living in Strathalbyn and Sarah Hillier was living in Walkerville. The couple, with probably five of Stephen’s surviving children and Sarah’s three surviving children, moved in together at Strathalbyn.

Amongst Stephen’s surviving children was John Jones (1840 – 1911). It appears a romance eventuated with his stepsister, Mary Ann Hillier (1845 – 1930), and they were married at the family residence on 1 January 1861 when Mary Ann was only 15 years old, and John was only 20 years old. By 29 Dec 1862, John and Mary Ann had their first son William (b 29 Dec 1862).

In April 1873, when 32-33 year old John was living at Mine Flat, he was in a group of labourers chaffing hay at Mr. Hill’s property on the Long Valley Road (towards Wistow). He was feeding the chaffcutter when his right forearm became entangled. It was chopped into pieces before the horses could be stopped, and local doctors had to amputate his arm above the elbow. Although the chances of survival were low in those days, John did survive the ordeal.

Farmers were not keen to employ a one-armed labourer, and with a wife and five young children to support, John had to adapt to overcome his disadvantage. He decided to operate his own horse (hansom) cab. As Strathalbyn was not the bustling community to support a new cab operator, he chose to shift to Moonta which at the time was then at it thriving peak as a copper mining ‘boon’ town.

John, by now 35 years old, settled down to earn his living as a cab proprietor, and another six children increased their family to eleven. Despite steadily failing health, he continued to drive the cab right up to the last few months of his life before he died in 1911 at the age of 70.

John may have been active in setting up the Methodist Church at Strathalbyn as the name J. Jones appears among the early Wesleyan congregation in 1859. The Moonta Methodist Church participated in his funeral service – on a Wednesday afternoon – while an Adjutant assisting the Methodist preacher indicates that John also supported the Salvation Army.

John and Mary Ann (d 1930) were buried in the Moonta cemetery.

Reference: 'Our Jones Pedigree', c1988, self-published book of family history reseach by Ron Sydney Geroge Roberts (1935-2019).

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   Ancestry au Record 9841 #152509950 (accessed 7 January 2022)
   Sarah Stockwell baptism on 4 Oct 1807, daughter of George Stockwell & Elizabeth, in Ham, Wiltshire, England.
2. ↑ Marriage: "England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988"
   Place: Ham, Wiltshire, England; Date Range: 1828 - 1835; Film Number: 1279359
   Ancestry au Record 1352 #2390294 (accessed 7 January 2022)
   Sarah Stockwell marriage to James Hyllier on 24 Dec 1832 in Ham, Wiltshire, England.
3. ↑ Marriage: "Wiltshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1916"
   Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Reference Number: 508/5
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 61189 #902796334 (accessed 7 January 2022)
   Sarah Stockwell marriage to James Hillier on 24 Dec 1832 in Ham, Wiltshire, England.
4. ↑ Death Registration: "Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985"
   South Australia-Deaths 1842-1915
   Ancestry au Record 1779 #5775925 (accessed 7 January 2022)
   Sarah Jones death 4 Jul 1872 (age 68) in Strathalbyn, South Australia.