James Goddard - Exile

Introduction

The origins of my great-great grandfather James Goddard have always been a bit of a mystery to Hudson family members. He left little tangible evidence of his roots, except those contained in Victorian Government records. As a consequence, there remains some uncertainty as to his family life in England and the circumstances of his migration to Australia.

In "James Goddard - Exile" I present evidence for concluding that my great-great grandfather was the convict James Goddard, born in Hawley, Hampshire, convicted of stealing a clock and sentenced to transportation for ten years. I believe that he served two years of his sentence at Millbank and Pentonville Prisons, before being granted a conditional pardon and being transported as an "exile" to Victoria on the "Joseph Somes" in 1847. The conclusion is based on integrating the details available from Hudson family records with those contained in official Victorian Government records (James Goddard's marriage certificate and death certificate) and comparing these with the records of all persons named James or Jas Goddard in the official lists of passenger arrivals to Victoria.

Family Records

The day and month of James Goddard's birthday is listed in "Auntie Belle's old birthday book" as being 9 October 1822. This date is consistent with information on his death certificate (see below). This certificate gives his age on his marriage day (6 January 1853) as "about 30 years" and his age  at death (11 February 1860) as 37 years. Note: "Auntie Belle" was Isabella Hudson (1874-1895), the first daughter of William Hudson and Mary Jane Goddard.

Victorian Government Records

James Goddard's Marriage Certificate:

(Page 129). Marriages Solemnised in the Parish of Christ Church Geelong in the County of Grant in the Colony of Victoria, in the Year 1853. No. 509. James Goddard of the Pollocks Ford Parish Widower, Mary Askew of the Same Place Parish Spinster, married in this Church by Banns this sixth day of January in the year 1853, By me Theodore CB Shet.. (unclear). This Marriage was Solemnised between us James Goddard, Mary Askew, In the Presence of Thomas Askew Ann Siddall.

James Goddard's Death Certificate:

(1860/2206) Deaths in the District of Geelong in the Colony of Victoria. No. 338. When and where died: Eleventh February 1860; Austin Street, Chillwell (not clear). Name and Surname, Rank or Profession: James Goddard Labourer. Sex and Age: male 37 years. Cause of Death - Duration of last illness - Medical Attendant by whom certified, and when he last saw deceased: Rheumatic Fever atrophy about 12 months. Signature, Description and Residence of Informant: George Culliford Painter Coronation St. Brother in Law. Signature of Deputy Registrar, Date and Where Registered: (Unclear) Fourteenth February 1860 Geelong. When and Where Buried, Undertaker by whom certified: 12th February Cemetery Geelong Certified by J. Jenkins Undertaker. When born and how long in the Australian Colonies, stating which: Hampshire England about 10 years W Victoria. Where, and at what age, and to whom (married): Geelong, about 30 years, to Mary Askew. Issue in order of Birth, their Names and Ages: Jane - Elizabeth - Anne - James Thomas (living).

Shipping Records of Passengers Arriving in Victoria

Shipping records for Unassisted Immigrants, Assisted Immigrants, and Exiles were studied in order to locate a James Goddard born in Hampshire during the year before 11 February 1823 (i.e. 1860-37 years), and who had arrived in Victoria "about" 1850 (i.e. February 1860-about 10 years). As his birthday was believed to be 9 October 1822, he is referred to in the discussion below as James Goddard (1822-1860).

A preliminary study of Melbourne Shipping Records was undertaken during the mid 1980s, and was focussed on finding persons named James or Jas Goddard within the lists of unassisted and assisted immigrants to Victoria for the period between 1847 and 1853. The search located one assisted immigrant and two unassisted immigrants:

• Goddard, Jas, age 29, assisted immigrant on the “Marion”, arrived 25 January 1848;

• Goddard, Jas R, age 20, unassisted immigrant on the “Fanny”, arrived August 1852;

• Goddard, Jas, age 38, unassisted immigrant on the “Washington Irving”, arrived December 1852.

A more rigorous search of the shipping records between 1846 and 1857 was undertaken in 2001, with particular emphasis on the list of “exiles" (convicts with conditional pardons - see note on exiles below) arriving in the Port Phillip District, 1844-1849. This list contains two entries for exiles named James Goddard, one of which (Goddard Jas, “Marion”, 25 January 1848) was located in the list of assisted immigrants in the earlier search. The other, whose name, surprisingly, did not appear on the alphabetical index of assisted immigrants, was Goddard, Jas, “Joseph Somes”, 24 September 1847. A single entry was also found for a John Goddard (incorrectly shown as Joan Goddard). Two further assisted immigrants with the name James Goddard were located, but neither seemed relevant to the search.

The total list of immigrants named James Goddard who arrived around 1850 to the Port Phillip District is given below.

* E= Exile (Unassisted Convict Immigrant); A=Government Assisted Immigrant; U=Unassisted Immigrant

Further Details from the Shipping Records and Interpretation

1. Goddard, Jasage 24; "exile", was convicted at Winchester, Hampshire and received at Millbank from Pentonville; he arrived at Geelong per "Joseph Somes". He is not in the Index of Assisted Immigrants from UK (1839-1871), but is included in the Alphabetical Index of Exiles (Gen. Soc. Victoria, 1986). I believe that it is most likely he was my great-great grandfather James Goddard (1822-1860). The following data seem most relevant:

• The exile James Goddard was convicted in Winchester, Hampshire. James Goddard (1822-1860) came from Hampshire (death Certificate);

• The exile James Goddard was listed as being 24 years of age. James Goddard (1822-1860) would have had his 24th birthday on 9 October 1846. As the voyage of the "Joseph Somes” was from June 1847 to September 1847, he would have been age 24 throughout the voyage.

• The ship "Joseph Somes" discharged the exiles at Geelong. James Goddard (1822-1860) lived in the Geelong district for all his life in Australia;

• The exile James Goddard's trade was a labourer. James Goddard (1822-1860) was listed variously as a labourer (James Goddard's death certificate) or gardener (marriage certificate of his daughter, Mary Jane Goddard);

• The exile James Goddard was contracted to work for a Mr Willis, known to have property near Pollocksford on the Barwon River to the west of Geelong. James Goddard (1822-1860) gave "Pollocks Ford" as his place of residence at the time of his marriage to Mary Askew in Geelong on 6 January 1853.

• The exile James Goddard was listed as "married". James Goddard (1822-1860) was listed on his marriage certificate as "widower".

• The period between the arrival of the exile James Goddard (24 September 1847) and the death of James Goddard (1822-1860) on 11 February 1860 is a little more than twelve years. James Goddard (1822-1860) lived "about ten years" in Victoria (James Goddard's death certificate). As his wife Mary Askew/Goddard did not arrive until 1852, there may well have been some uncertainty as to the exact date of his arrival in the colonies.

2. Goddard, Jas age 29; "exile", was convicted on 27 February 1846 at Hertford Assizes (see note below) and was received at Millbank from Pentonville; his occupations were listed as shoemaker and policeman; he sailed on the "Marion" from Portsmouth on 29 September 1847 and arrived at Williamstown (Melbourne) on 25 January 1848. He has an age suggesting he was born ~1818, and he would have been about age 41 at the time of death of James Goddard (1822-1860). He would have been 12 years in Australia. The Hertford Assizes may well have included towns in north Hampshire (e.g. Yateley in north Hampshire is only 75 km SW of Hertford). The fact that he was married is not inconsistent with his status as “widower” at the time of re-marrying. His details, however, do not match closely with those of James Goddard (1822-1860).

3. Goddard, Jas R age 20, unassisted immigrant, labourer, English, "Fanny", Master: Forrest, 950 tons, 271 persons, from Liverpool, arrived Port Phillip, August, 1852. His age of 20 years in 1852 indicates that his age at the time of death of James Goddard (1822-1860) would have been 28. His Liverpool origins and his age suggest he should not be considered further.

4. Goddard, Jas age 38, unassisted immigrant, coachman, Scottish, "Washington Irving”, arrived December 1852. His Scottish origins and his age of 46 at the time of death of James Goddard (1822-1860) indicates he is not relevant to the search.

5. Goddard, James age 1, assisted immigrant, the infant son of John Goddard, wheelwright from Hertford (27) and wife Maria (22), sailed on the “Victory” from Plymouth 5 September 1852, arriving at Geelong on 24 December 1852 (Fiche 045-148). This James Goddard travelled as a child with his parents and is clearly too young to be James Goddard (1822-1860).

6. Goddard, James assisted immigrant, arrived on the “Almora” in 1857. This is four years after the marriage between James Goddard and Mary Askew in 1853.

Prison Records

A record in the Pentonville Prison Register includes the statement that James Goddard was born at “Holly”, Hampshire and that his father, also named James Goddard, was a labourer and also lived at “Holly”. There is no town called Holly in Hampshire, and it is likely that Holly was an attempt by the prison registrar to record James Goddard’s spoken version of Hawley. The Millbank prison records state that James Goddard had imperfect skills in reading and writing.

Conclusion

On the basis of the evidence presented above, I have concluded that my great-great grandfather James Goddard was born at Hawley, Hampshire on 9 October 1822, was convicted of house-breaking at Winchester, Hampshire, spent time in prison at Millbank and Pentonville Penitentiaries and, at the age of 24 years, was transported  as an "exile on the "Joseph Somes" to Point Henry, Geelong, arriving in September 1847.