James SWAINSON policeman Tas and NSW?

[Tabster]

Seeking to establish if James SWAINSON, who was a constable in Launceston, Tasmania and was promoted to Acting Sergeant around February 1859 is the same James Swainson who was a detective constable in NSW (Yass) in October 1864.
There is a record of a James Swainson leaving Hobart, Tasmania for Sydney in August 1861.
The last mention I can find of him in NSW was at the Central Police Court in May 1866.
Any information greatly appreciated.

[Dundee]

He resigned in 1869

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252048796

His service record should give more information and is available from NSW State Records

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/police/indexes

Edit... His NSW service record is on Ancestry and doesn't give any info on prior service.

Debra 

[Tabster]

Thanks Debra,
His appointment date to NSW police is about 6 weeks after the James in Tas left from Hobart.
Will keep digging.
T.

[TasTyger]

They were different individuals T.  The James Swainson in Tasmania can be found in POL324/1/3 online here - https://stors.tas.gov.au/POL324-1-3 scroll to the second Index S and he is 6th down on the left hand side. Ancestry has the James Swainson who went to Cockatoo Valley from Detectives to constable in Registers of Police Employment NSW 1847-1885.

Their descriptions are similar but the biggest differences is the Tasmanian constable was Roman Catholic and married while the NSW's individual was Protestant and single.

Cheers,

Peter

[Tabster]

Thank you Peter for your help, greatly appreciated.
The Launceston James had a bit of trouble in the Launceston Force and was dismissed mainly due to his wife's indiscretions in 1860. (perhaps led to divorce or separation  )

[shume]

It is probably unlikely that he divorced his wife ( do you have details of his marriage?) but may have left Tas and "reinvented " himself as a single man in NSW acc to his Police Service record.
Have you found his death record?

shume   australia

[Tabster]

Thanks Shume,
He is proving very elusive. Cannot find death or any other details. All I know is the Tas guy's wife was called Margaret. No trace of any children born in Tas.
Looks like the NSW man may have gone to QLD.
I am a bit inclined to think they may be the same man, especially since his Tas service record mentioned that he was in the police in Sydney before coming to Tas.

[majm]

Thanks Shume,
He is proving very elusive. Cannot find death or any other details. All I know is the Tas guy's wife was called Margaret. No trace of any children born in Tas.
Looks like the NSW man may have gone to QLD.
I am a bit inclined to think they may be the same man, especially since his Tas service record mentioned that he was in the police in Sydney before coming to Tas.

I have NOT YET found  him in Sydney before any Police service in Tasmania.    It is possible his surname has been mangled due to poor longhand scribblers of the 1850s and 1860s record keepers .... many were inexperienced lads who had recently arrived and needed employment after failure on the  gold fields. 

JM

[sparrett]

I am a bit inclined to think they may be the same man, especially since his Tas service record mentioned that he was in the police in Sydney before coming to Tas.

I am also leaning towards same man.
The two police service records have a lot of similar details.
Similar colouring,both 5 feet 8 inches tall, both born England, similar birth date.

As to married or single, perhaps understandable to declare single after his wife's behaviour!

He was free to the colony per ship Queen and had been previously in Sydney and then in S B (which may be Spring Bay?) by 1857.

There is also something about Victoria Police which I cannot quite decipher on the NSW record.

The dates on the records together with the departure report all seem to tie in neatly so.....possible to be the same individual.

Sue