BEWSHER, Corporal William

(1819-1900)

Corporal William Bewsher, his wife and children came to Western Australia in 1863 on 27 May on the Clyde. William was part of the Enrolled Pensioner Guard, British soldiers on a pension given for long service or meritorious deeds. William had paid his dues. Serving in the Lancashire Fusiliers, he had fought in the First Carlos War in Spain, the Crimean War and the Indian Uprising. He was also a Private of the 20th Regiment on Foot. As a pension guard, William completed seven years of military service in Fremantle, after which he was entitled to a free parcel of land. He was granted Leschenault Lot 26/2 acres in Bunbury. He worked as a farmer in Bunbury and employed five ticket of leave men from 1864 to 1872, two of them were splitters. During this time from 1886 to 1887 his wife was a postmistress at Preston according to the Western Australian Dictionary of Biography. At the end of his service, he settled in Bunbury and was working for Miss Diana Bunbury for the last thirty years of his life (reference; reference; reference). Their children were Harriet Martha Bewsher (1862 - 1877) born in Picton and is buried at the Old Picton Cemetery, having died at 15 years old, and Frederick George Bewsher (1850-1931). William's religion was the Church of England.William passed away in 1900 on 24 October (reference). William is buried at St. Marks Church, Picton.

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William Bewsher’s Crimea War Medal

Photo courtesy of Crimean War Veterans WA

https://crimeanwar-veteranswa.com/veterans-index/a-c/bewsher-william/

BEWSHER, Frederick George

(c.1850-1931)

Frederick was born at Halifax, Novia Scotia (reference). His father was Corporal William Bewsher (1819-1900). He married Mary Walker. Their children were Alicia Mary (1874-), Rose Isabella (1877-), Lucy Maud (1880-), George (1882-1969) and Edward. They also had two other girls named Harriett and Maggie (reference; reference). Their girls were born in Perth and George was born in Albany. In Perth he ran a saddle making business between 1874 and 1881. He sailed from Fremantle to Cossack on 21/08/1884 on the Natal and 23/02/1887 on the Australind. He joined the police force at thirty years old (reference; reference). As a police officer, he served in many parts of the state including Fremantle, Albany, Kojonup in 1886, Bunbury, Perth, Williams, New Norcia and Kurnalpi (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). In September 1897 at the Esplanade, Perth a ceremony was conducted to present members of the police force with long service medals (reference). As Frederick joined the force on 1 May 1881 and became a corporal on 1 November 1896, he was awarded for his 16 years of service (reference). In Bunbury as a goalkeeper from 1887 to 1890. His wife Mary died in 1908 and was interned in the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Karrakatta (reference). Before he died in 1931, he was living at 43 Paddington Street, North Perth (reference). He was buried at the Anglican Cemetery, Karrakatta, having died at 81 years of age (reference).

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Example of what Frederick’s medal would have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Noble Numismatics Pty Ltd

BETTS, James

(05/04/1870 - 30/09/1953)

James was born in South Guildford and died in Margaret River. James was the son of John and Eliza. He was married on 20/04/1908 to Anne Jane Keenan (21/09/1876 - 26/09/1960) in Busselton. Anna was born in Cape Naturaliste and died in Mount Lawley. She was the daughter of Stewart and Isabella. Their children were Margaret (1909-), James (1911, stillborn in Bunbury) and John Stewart Keenan (1915 - 1922), born in Bunbury. James worked on his father's property in Turtle Creek, Guildford. He was a timber worker at Canning, then went to Karridale in the 1890s as a bush foreman for the Millers' Timber Company. In 1913 he was a tally clerk at Barrabup and Jarrahwood. In 1912 he took up land Local 860 at Margaret River. He farmed and also was a contract worker as a survey and soil classifier. He worked clearing for railways in 1923. He was a bush foreman in Western Australia for the Jarrah Company. He was educated at Guildford Government School.

BERRY, John

He arrived on the Mary. In Bunbury he employed nine ticket of leave men from 1871 to 1881.

BERRY, C

He worked in Bunbury as a boatman from 1883 to 1886.

BENSON, William

He married Margaret Mortron. Their child was Thomas (1855-). Thomas was born in Bunbury. William employed a ticket of leave man in 1865.

BELL, John

(1814-)

John arrived on 06/12/1842 on the Trusty from London. In Bunbury, John worked as a small farmer. This man may have employed a ticket of leave man between 1856 and 1857.

BELL, James Charles

(1817-)

James was an expiree, meaning he was a convict who completed his sentence. He arrived on 31/01/1852 on the Marion. His wife and two children arrived on 11/12/1855 on the Esmeralda. James married Mary Ann (1822-). Mary was born in England. Their children were Mary A. (1850-), born in England, Sarah Jane (1853-), born in England, Eliza Bridget (1855-), Charles Denis Hector (1857-), Robert James (1858-) and Matilda Sophia Elizabeth (1861-). In Bunbury, he was a small farmer in 1855 and then a barber in Fremantle in 1863. His religion was Protestant.

BELL, George William

(1853 - 04/02/1919)

George died in Perth. He was the son of George and Lydia Charlotte. George was married on 21/08/1878 to Sarah Stinton (31/01/1858-28/10/1923) in Perth. Sarah died in Perth. She was the daughter of Josiah and Susannah. Their children were Aubrey William (1880/1-), Clarence David (1887-), born in West Perth, Mena Foss (1893-1940) and Greta May (1898-1911). George worked as a pupil-teacher at Perth Boys School in 1867, headmaster at Greenough North from 1871 to 1875, Greenough Central in 1876 and then headmaster of the Government Boys' School from 1884 to 1889. He moved with his wife and two children to the Eastern colonies or Bunbury on the Otway, 24/12/1882.

BEDINGFIELD, Doctor Thomas Forrester

(1818-)

Thomas arrived on 20/08/1842 on the Simon Taylor. On 08/11/1843, Thomas married Elizabeth Boys in Perth. Elizabeth was the daughter of William from England. She came on 26/10/1843 on the Shepherd. Their children were Mary Rose (1844-), Elizabeth (1846-), Bernard F. (1848-), Catherine Delitia (1852-), Thomas W, Gordon P and Phillipa F. Thomas moved to Australind as a small farmer and then bought Bunbury Town Lots in the 1850s. He worked as a medical officer in 1853. He travelled to London on 03/03/1853 and returned with his family on 27/12/1859 on the Crystal Palace. Thomas was a chemist at Fremantle in 1863, bought Pinjarra Town lots in the 1860s and farmed at "Ditchingham" on the Brunswick River. Later he was a medical officer for Murray district in 1867 and a member of Pinjarra Board of Education and Volunteers in the 1870s. He was a Justice of Peace in 1875. He employed four ticket of leave men on occasions between 1864 and 1867. He held mining leases at Champion Bay in 1867. He retired to Victoria in ill health in 1876.

BEARDMAN, John

He arrived on 08/05/1830 on the James. John married Harriet, and together, they had a child, William Henry (1857-) in Bunbury.

BEARD, Henry

(1823 - 15/12/1887)

Henry was an expiree, meaning that he was a convict who finished his sentence. He arrived on 03/07/1857 on the Clara. He had a wife and child in England. He married Mary Batty. Mary was later married in 1906 to William Harwick, who had befriended her during her husband's imprisonment. Henry's children were Maria (1860-), Alfred (1862 - 1932), Henry (1873 - 1873), Henry (1874-) and Harriett (1874-). In York, Henry worked as a baker in the 1870s and a lodging housekeeper (1879-). He employed twenty ticket of leave men from 1862 to 1883, including a baker for seven years at York and three labourers at Bunbury in 1871 after receiving his Certificate of Freedom after a second conviction.

BEACH, S

arrived from South Australia on 16/08/1885 on the South Australian. He departed for Bunbury from Fremantle on 01/10/1885.

BASKERVILLE, John

(1807 - 22/12/1867)

John was born in England and arrived 24/10/1850 on the Hashemy with his wife and children as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard. John's first marriage was with Mary Clark (1818 - 1836) on 28/01/1832 in India. Mary Clark was born and died in India. His second marriage was to Harriet Stringer on 27/11/1837 in India. John's children were Sarah (1836 - 1837), Margaret (1845-), Louisa (1848 - 1863), Albert (1850-), Harriet (1851 - 1892), Charles (1854-), Emma (1856 - 1916), John (1859 - 1859) and Henrietta Hester Maria (1863-). John was formerly a soldier, enlisted in 1826 for the East India Company Bombay Horse Artillery. He retired in 1842 on a pension until 1847. He was stationed at Bunbury, where he retired. He was granted land in 1859 and employed a ticket of leave labourer in 1864. John's religion was the Church of England.

BARTLETT, Edwin/Edward

(1871 - 04/05/1953)

He died in Bunbury. Edwin married Julia Catherine Sinclair (1880 - 20/10/1960). Catherine died in Bunbury. She was the daughter of John and Julia. Their children were Margorie Gwen, Alechea, Margaret, Elizabeth (1909-1926) and others.

BARRETT, Joseph

(1838-)

Joseph was the son of William. He arrived on 31/12/1862 in York. He was married on 26/06/1880 to Elizabeth McPherson in Busselton. Elizabeth was the daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Jane. Joseph worked in Bunbury as a sawyer. He employed a ticket of leave cook in 1871, a ticket of leave sawyer in 1869, and a ticket of leave servant in 1882.

BARNSBY, H

He employed a ticket of leave labourer in 1869 at Bunbury.

BARNES, George

(1825-)

He was an expiree, meaning he was an ex-convict who completed his sentence. George arrived on 29/05/1863 on the Clyde. In Bunbury he worked as a mason and builder of the ship Paradise. He employed four ticket of leave men, labourers and a bricklayer from 1867 to 1868. He may have travelled to Hamburg on 16/01/1878.

BANNON, C. H

Records mention that he sailed from Bunbury to Fremantle on 03/02/1879 on the Rob Roy.

BAMFORD, George

(1814-)

George arrived before 1843 with his sister Mary Ann. He married sometime during 08/1844 in Bunbury to Elizabeth Piggott (1814-). George was a tailor in Perth in 1843. His wife left for South Australia on 04/1845 for Victoria. He left in July.