John Chapman (1819...1897)

John Chapman's Last Will

Property Map Euroka

John Chapman's Freedom Certificate

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To follow Descendent line click on Surname only but "NOTE"

If this symbol is present H . click on their christian name to go to their own history page.

Children : According to extract of his will

1 H . George . Chapman (.b.27/11/1857....d.) .H . Ella . Fredreka Griffiths (nee) Trench (b....d.)

2 H . Mary Jane Chapman (b.19/7/1862..d.) m 1879 H . John . Turnbull . (....)

3 H . Frances Ann Chapman (b.4/11/1848.d.20/4/1919.) m 5/3/1866 H . Phillip . (.......) . Borger .

H . Frances . Ann Chapman (b.11/11/1848.d.20/4/1919.) 2nd m 1894 Walter Patrick . Burns . (.......)

4 H . John William . Chapman . (.b17/12/1851..d.26/4/1930)m 21/10/ 1871 H . Mary . Ann . Durrington . (.b.1844...d.16/9/1930)

5 H . Frederick . Patrick . Chapman . (b.1852....1934.) m .H . Elizabeth . Ann . Woods . (b.1860..d.1936)

6 H . James . Chapman (b.29/6/1860.....) m Lidia Chapman (nee) ? (.......)

History & Achievements

John Chapman was transported to Australia as a convict of England aged 19 He arrived in Australia on board the ship "JAMES PATTISON " The Ship sailed on the 16th July 1837 from Sheerness England, arriving in Sydney on the 25th October 1837,a trip of 101 days . The ship was Captained by James Cromarty with the ships Surgeon being Thomas Robertson . A total of 270 male convicts were on board .

John married Sarah Emma Gallagher in 1847. He worked at a property owned by William Henry Chapman son of William Chapman & Ann Marsh , this property was called "Ravenswood", he eventually managed this property . He later became a Stockman and Groom at another property called " Yanabandinni ". John and Sarah bought their own small farm at Euroka . Both John and Sarah are buried on this property .

 

John Chapmans Conviction was recorded as below.

Standing Number of Convict ......................................37/2414

Indent Number ............................................................80

Convict Name .............................................................Chapman, John

Age ..............................................................................19

Read ........................................................................... No

Write ........................................................................... No

Religion....................................................................... Protestant

Married, Single , Widowed ....................................... Single

Children...................................................................... None

Native Place .............................................................. Middlesex

Trade or Calling ........................................................ Groom

Offence ...................................................................... Stealing Lead

Trial Where ............................................................... Hertford (St Alburn) Quarter Sessions

Trial Date .................................................................. 30. June ,1836

Sentence .................................................................... 7 Years Transportation

Former Convictions ................................................... None

Height Feet ................................................................ 5

Height Inches ............................................................ 3.3/4

Complexion ............................................................... Ruddy

Color Of Hair ............................................................ Light Brown

Color of Eyes ............................................................ Dark Grey

Particular Marks or Scars , Comments

Eyebrows meeting, mark of a burn below left side of mouth, similar mark inside right elbow, seven scars, Tattoos Half moon, 1837 , man, FJH , woman , P, and girl, lower right arm, scar back of right hand near knuckle of third finger , scar on fore finger of same . M I J H M . H-A H F . H and heart inside lower left arm , scar on knuckle of fore finger of left hand .

Extract from his Freedom Certificate .

The Certificate states the following .

No.43/1949

Date ..........................................................................15 November 1843

Prisoner's No ...................................................... .....37/2414

Name ....................................................................... John Chapman

Ship ......................................................................... James Pattison

Master ................................................................... .Cromarty

Year.......................................................................... 1837

Native Place .............................................................Middlesex

Trade or Calling .......................................................Groom

Offence .....................................................................Stealing Lead

Place of Trial ............................................................Hertford

Date of Trial ........................................................... 30 June 1836

Sentence....................................................................Seven Years

Year of Birth ............................................................1818

Height....................................................................... 5 feet 4 1/4 inches

Complexion ..............................................................Ruddy

Hair ..........................................................................Brown

Large burnt mark inside right elbow

Severe Scars

He has several Tattoos

John Chapmans Obituary

As it appered in the Macleay Argus November 6th 1897

One of the oldest settlers in this district in the person of Mr. John Chapman, of

Euroka, died on Monday last. It is said the deceased came to the Macleay about the year 1836 or 1837, and was, perhaps one of the first white men who settled in these parts. Mr Chapman was 78 years of age and died of senile decay. Little is known except rumor of his early history, and his own children do not know where he was born. He leaves a family of two daughters and four sons. The funeral took place on Wednesday last. ends

Sub Notes

John Chapman was buried beside his wife Sarah on their property at Euroka.

Reading his obituary, it is evident that he never discussed his early history. As a convict and transported to Australia it would have been, in those times an embarresment to be such. He was buried in an un marked grave and we gather from family conversations and other information it was how he wanted it to be. This man is a good example of the pain the convicts would have felt, to have children and never telling their family roots.

To find the place where John and Sarah were buried was no mean task. We asked

many officials in the Kempsey area and no one could tell us where the property was, or where it was located . We were directed to a road (Ravenswood Road) about 10 klms south of Kempsey ,this turned out to be of no value at all. Returning to Kempsey, we visited the Macleay Historical Society in search of information regarding Chapman's in the area. We were given quite a lot of information by one of it members. In this information was a small piece of paper dated 1960 which gave a description of John and Sarah's grave along with sketchy directions on how to locate the grave site.

This piece of parper reads as such

You follow the road till its end, upon turning right and going to the last house on this road is where it is located. The grave is 50 feet behind the house as it stands now. The headstone of Sarah is still evident on the hill behind the house under three trees , a fig , a gum, and a melalooka, The old house was pulled down by Robinson may years earlier and a new one built in it place. The lagoon is to the right of the headstone I you can still see some of the timbers from Johns house that was washed away in the flood of 1870.

With the kind permission of the present owners we were able to photograph the site as it is . This day 11th November 1999

 

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e- mail address
bmchapman@iprimus.com.au

© Copyright B & M Chapman (QLD) Australia

Last revised: November 13, 2000.