John Bywater

[Elle May]

I have an ancestor John Bywater who was tried at York Assizes in March 1832 for uttering a forged note. He was picked up in Wakefield and charged on December 3 1831.   His death sentence was overturned and he was given transportation to Australia for the term of his natural life.  Arriving in Australia on Parmelia in November 1832.
On his child's birth certificate he states he was born in Darrington Yorkshire in about 1801.

I found a baptism in Darrington St Lukes for John Bywater 1801. However, when John married in 1853 in Australia he was married as a Wesleyan. My understanding is that many of the Wesleyans at that time were baptised by the Church of England.

I am trying to connect John Bywater convict with the baptism in Darrington.  Any clues? Can someone shed light on this matter. 

regards
Elle May

Elle May

[Ruskie]

(Note to helpers: There are duplicate threads in East and North Riding boards).

Do you know any history about John’s wife? Maybe she was the one who was Wesleyan and John just went along with it? People can be baptised one denomination and marry and die a different one. I had “non conformist” ancestors whose baptisms and marriages were C of E in England but somewhere along the line that changed.

To work out if the Darrington baptism is your John, maybe you could see if you can find other John Bywaters of similar age and birthplace/adjoining parishes etc, and trace them all to see if any died or married or continued living at the time your John was transported. Use a process of elimination.

Does any of his convict paperwork name parents or family? Some do.
The Darrington baptism - does Father’s name tally with any of your John’s children’s names? Is a mother named?

Have you traced that Darrington family to get “a feel” for them? Example ... if that family baptised a later son John too, you can assume that the 1801 John died, so he would not be your John.

Just a few ideas - I’m sure you will get more. 

[mckha489]

that baptism in Darrington is the only one I can see that fits. And you are fortunate he himself named a place rather than just Yorkshire! Or worse, England

He could have become Wesleyan later in life ( missionaries in Australia?).

Weren’t the early Wesleyans circuit preachers? If you had a new baby and you didn’t know when they would be around. I should think you would pop along to the parish church just incase.


Deleted the rest I was about to post as Ruskin has beaten me to it.

[mckha489]

But, I see in the newspapers he was aged 37. 
Does this tally with his later declaration of age?   It’s not always correct in the newspapers, and people didn’t always know just how old they were.

[Jamjar]

His wife was buried in an Anglican section of cemetery, 3rd column:

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article157965641

Is this his death?:

6820/1883 BYWATER John age 83 Years  died PARRAMATTA

Jamjar

[Elle May]

Thank you all for replying so promptly to my request.
Jamjar
I do know about his wife buried in Bathurst cemetery and John died alone in the Parramatta Asylum and buried in Parramatta cemetery aged 83 years.

Mckha489
John was aged 37 years on his York Assizes conviction on Dec 3 1831 however he changes his age regularly on other documents.  His age links to his convict record and to his first official childs birth cert where he did writing Darrington all the others had Yorkshire. What a stroke of luck.
I understand there was a newspaper article in the York Herald however I need to go to the library as dont have British newspaper archive subscription.
The Wesleyans minister may have been the only one around at the time as they did live out in the sticks.

Ruskie
I did duplicate threads as I wasn't sure if the information would be read in other parts of Yorkshire. I know the history of Johns wife. Her grandfather and grandmother were on the First Fleet. The family were CofE.
John's first born was named John (as his father was) however the mother in 1801 is Frances from Drax York and his first grand daughter had that name. 
I have found some other John Bywater names in later Census records so I know that is not our John.

I will follow up more Bywater around that period and I thank you all so much for your assistance.
I am very lucky if I have found a connection but need to follow up. Im in Australia and we are getting torrential rain all along NSW east coast after a crisp dry hot summer.
all the best
Elle May

[Ruskie]

Elle,

Do you have all of John's convict records? I think Find My Past is good for convict records though they may be available elsewhere too. (I don't know very much about them)

If he was aged (about) 37 when convicted did he already have a wife and family in Yorkshire? (have you looked for a marriage?)

[Elle May]

Thank you Ruskie for asking. I do have John's convict records. I did wonder if John was married but his convict indent says single and his convict indent says he is 30 and he said he was born in about 1801 in Darrington on his childs birth certificate.
I have not looked for a marriage as too busy trying to go back from what I know. 
He was a butcher so I need to follow that lead also.  What was he doing in Wakefield.  Had the family moved?

Thank you
Elle May

[Ruskie]

In that case if he said he was single, presumably he would have been. 

Darrington to Wakefield is not a huge distance. He may also have meant Wakefield parish or Darrington parish as place of birth. Some people would name the largest town as place of birth rather than a small unknown village.

This is a link to WRY parishes (I hope it works):
https://www.genuki.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/colin_hinson/YKS/YRY/Maps/WRYParishes.png

Just a couple of things to keep in mind, though you are probably on the right track with the Darrington baptism.

Have you managed to find an occupation for the father of the John baptised in 1801 in Darrington? Butcher would be good.