JOSEPH JAMES, born Appleside,
Taunton, Somerset in 1797 (Midsomer Norton baptisms show
Joseph
- James 25 December, 1797, son of Francis and Mary
James. As no other record of the family can be found in
that area, it is likely that they came from elsewhere.)
Enlisted Fortieth Regiment of Foot (Lieutenant-General
Sir B. Spencer) on 10th June, 1811, at age 15.Served
Peninsular, North America, Waterloo.
He was in the 2nd Battalion in
December, 1812, and transferred to the 1st Battalion on
31st August.
- With the regiment at Mallow, having been at the
Peninsula. He is also included on the supplementary list
of men who served at Waterloo. His name is on the medal
roll for his company at Waterloo, where he served with
Captain S. Stetton. In 1848, he applied for, and
received, the Military General Service Medal 1793-1814
with clasps for Pyrenees and Toulouse.While his regiment
was stationed in Glasgow, 1817-19, he married Ann(e)Berry
(Barry/Burray).
Discharged at Rochdale, 20th
October, 1820. Discharge papers signed with an “X”.
- He had been on furlough for about twelve months
because of a hand injury as a result of the accidental
discharge of a fowling piece paper (?) through his hand
preventing him from using a musket.
Description on discharge papers: 24 years, 5ft 6¼ins,
brown hair, grey eyes,fresh complexion, occupation
laborer.
Enlisted in the New South Wales Royal Veteran Company (Lieut-Col.
HenryDumaresq) at Chatham 9th January, 1826. Church
records in Sydney indicate he was there late in 1826 with
his family. Discharged 30th September, 1831 in Sydney NSW
as a result of the disbandment of the Company. Papers
apparently signed by himself.
Granted sixty acres of land (number
three of Veterans Allotments) about sixty miles west of
Sydney, 24th
- June, 1839 by Governor Sir George Gipps.Sold for
330 pounds, 4th August, 1840.He built or acquired the
Welcome Inn [he may also have been associated with the
Pilgrim Inn in Blaxland which wasopened by Governor
Darling (1825-1835)] at “The 8 (80) Mile Hollow”,
nowknown as “Valley Heights”. The inn was a
major stop between Sydney and the west before the railway
was built, and he hosted, and was well known by,many of
the important people of the colony.
Probate for his will (26 March,
1853) says he died 19 December, 1852,leaving everything
to his wife. He is
- buried in St. John’s Church, Parramatta,
where his gravestone still stands.
addendum:
As far as I can make out the
writing, the reason for his first discharge in
1821 was:
[That in
consequence of] The contents of a fowling piece paper
through his
right hand by accident when on furlough about twelve
months back and his
incapacities have him from using the (musket?) properly
*************************************************
Colonel Mundy, 1847:
“At nine miles from the Nepean, having been one hour
and fifty minutes in
performing that distance, we reached the Welcome Inn,
kept by a jolly old
soldier named James, who rejoices in a waterloo medal, a
pretty daughter,
and what was more to our purpose, some excellent bottled
ale.”
( the daughter would be Jessie’s older sister, Mary)
- © Copyright B & M Chapman (QLD)
Australia
- Last revised: October 13, 2002.