Jeremiah Crossley

M, #20, b. 16 August 1811, d. 1 August 1884
Click to view Pedigree
Jeremiah Crossley
FatherJames Crossley b. b 1780, d. a 1818
MotherMartha Howgate b. c Oct 1779
Relationships2nd great-grandfather of Robert Mote
Son of James Crossley

Life Span

EVENTDATEDETAILS
Birth16 August 1811Jeremiah Crossley was born on Friday, 16 August 1811 at Scholes, Yorkshire, England.
He was the son of James Crossley and Martha Howgate.
Baptism6 October 1811Jeremiah Crossley was baptized on Sunday, 6 October 1811 at the Chapel, Cleckheaton, Parish of Birstall, County of York, England.
Marriage25 May 1840Jeremiah was married to Sarah James, daughter of Samuel James and Ann Bean, on Monday, 25 May 1840 at Parramatta, NSW, Australia.
Death1 August 1884Jeremiah Crossley died on Friday, 1 August 1884 at Wargeila, near Yass, NSW, Australia, at age 72.
Burialafter 1 August 1884He was buried after 1 August 1884 at Church of England cemetery, Yass, NSW, Australia; The inscription on the headstone reads -
Affectionate Rememberence
of
Jerremiah Crossley
Born Yorkshire England
Beloved Husband of Sarah Crossley
Who Departed This Life
August 1st 1884 aged 73 years.1

Description

DateDescription
9 June 1832Upon his arrival in Sydney he was described as 21 years of age, single, literate, protestant, 5 foot 8 3/4 inches in height, sallow and freckled of complexion, with grey eyes and sandy brown hair.

Criminal Record

DatePlaceDetails
4 April 1831York, Yorkshire, EnglandOn Monday 4 April 1831 Jeremiah, at the age of 20, was sentenced at the York assizes to 7 years transportation for larceny. He was tried at Pontefract where there were 10 witnesses to his armed robbery of various clothing materials worth a total value of five pounds and four shillings.
10 May 1838Jeremiah Crossley received his certificate of freedom on 10 May 1838.

Voyages

DateDetails
7 February 1832Jeremiah Crossley was a convict aboard The Ship John 1 which sailed from The Downs, (off the south east coast), England, on Tuesday, 7 February 1832 on its fourth voyage to Australia, third voyage to Sydney where it arrived on 8 June 1832. The Master was Samuel J Lowe and the Surgeon was James Lawrence. During the trip there was a plot by the convicts to take over the ship.

Residences

DATEADDRESSComments
from 1840 to 1842Seven Hills, NSW, Australia
1842Throsby's Creek, Burrowa, NSW, Australia
before 1859Kangiara, NSW, Australia
circa 1859Wargeila, NSW, Australia

Newspaper Articles

NewspaperDateContent
The Sydney Herald, Sydney, NSW, Australia15 February 1839Jeremiah Crossley was mentioned in an article in The Sydney Herald, Sydney, NSW, Australia, on Friday, 15 February 1839 as follows:

CAUTION.

I HEREBY Caution all Constables and others from molesting me after this notice, I having lost my Certificate of Freedom.

Description-Name, Jeremiah Crossley; ship, John 3; year of arrival, 1832; sentence, seven years; tried at York, 1831; native place, Yorkshire; year of birth, 1811 ; hair, brown; eyes, grey; height, five feet eight and three-quarter inches; complexion, ruddy; trade or calling, brickmaker ; general remarks, two upper front teeth wide, small-pock mark on the back of eachhand.2
The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, NSW, Australia2 August 1884He was mentioned in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, NSW, Australia, on Saturday, 2 August 1884 as follows:

YASS, Friday.

Jeremiah Crossley, aged 73 years, a very old and much respected resident of this district, committed suicide at his residence, Wargeila, this morning, by shooting himself. He had been suffering for some time past from acute rheumatism, and during a severe attack of pain he committed the rash act. Great sympathy is expressed for his widow and family.2
The Yass Courier, Yass, NSW, Australia4 August 1884The results of a Coroner's Inquest into his death appeared in The Yass Courier, Yass, NSW, Australia, on Monday, 4 August 1884 as follows:

CORONER'S INQUEST
Dr. Blake held an inquest at Wargeila on Friday last when the following evidence, touching the death of deceased (Jeremiah Crossley) was taken.

Hezekiah Crossley Deposed.
I am a son of the deceased and lived in the same house with him; the last time I saw deceased alive was about half past 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the 31st of July. He complained that he was suffering acute pains in his legs; deceased had been suffering for some time past from rheumatic pains; I was absent from home from half past five o'clock yesterday afternoon until ten o'clock at night; when I returned home at ten o'clock I did not see deceased.

About two o'clock this morning my mother woke me up, telling me to come out, that she wanted me; I came out onto the verandah and saw deceased lying dead there; I lifted deceased up, and carried him into the house, and placed him on a sofa; when I lifted the deceased up I saw the double barrel gun produced; it was lying under deceased; I was using the gun last night shooting opossums; when I brought the gun in I left it hanging on one of the beams of the roof; it was not loaded in either barrel; when I picked the gun up, after lifting deceased on the sofa, I noticed that it had been recently discharged; I am sure that no one but deceased took the gun after I hung it on the beam; I did not hear the report of a gun being fired during the night; it would be possible for a gun to be fired on the verandah of the house without me hearing it as I sleep in a room some distance from the verandah.

I informed my brother of what had taken place and he reported the matter to the police; my brother's name is James Crossley; when I hung up the gun on the beam, the hammers of both barrels were cocked, and when I found it where deceased was lying, the hammer on the right-hand barrel was down and battered cap on the nipple; the gun is my property; deceased often used it.

Sarah Crossley deposed:- The deceased (Jeremiah Crossley) is my husband; deceased is 73 years of age; I last saw deceased alive at eleven o'clock last night, July 31st, 1884; he was suffering from rheumatic pains in his legs; I bathed his legs with hot water and turpentine about nine o'clock; he then went to bed, and shortly afterwards I went to bed also; we slept in the same bed; after we went to bed we slept a short time, and about eleven o'clock deceased complained that the pains were very severe, and he would get up; he told me not to get up, or that I had better go into the bed with my daughter; I told him I would stay where I was, but that I would leave him plenty of room to get in and out without disturbing me; deceased then got up and I heard him making a fire; he sat by the fire, and I went to sleep; about two o'clock this morning I was awakened by hearing a noise like something falling on to the ground; I thought that deceased had fallen down; I got up and when I came into the room where the fire was, I could not see deceased; both doors of the room were open; I called to deceased, asking where he was, and, hearing no reply, went in search of him, and found him lying on the verandah; I noticed that blood was flowing from the left side of his head; I then called my daughter and son, and when my son carried deceased to the sofa, I saw the gun produced lying where the body of deceased was lifted from; the gun is the property of the last witness; deceased, when he complained of the pains, said if he suffered another night as much as he had done on last Tuesday night, he could not stand it; I am quite sure deceased fired the shot that caused his death; he had said he would make away with himself rather than again suffer the pains he endured on last Tuesday night; deceased appeared to be quite dead when I found him; deceased and myself always lived on the best of terms, and the only reason I can assign for deceased committing suicide was the acute pains he was suffering.

Alton Kingsley Hoets deposed: I am a legally qualified medical practitioner, and reside at Yass; I have made a post mortem examination of the deceased (Jeremiah Crossley); immediately in front of the right ear I found a large irregular wound, communicating with the interior of the skull; the edges of the wound were blackened, and smelt strongly of burnt gunpowder; on opening the skull, I found the bones on the right side of the head extremely fractured; the interior portion of the brain is severely lacerated; on the left side of the brain I found a large quantity of small sized shot; it appears to be No. 4 shot; I produce some of the shot found in the brain; there were no other marks of violence about the body; I am of opinion that the cause of death was injury to the brain, caused by a gunshot wound; the wound could have been inflicted by deceased, who could have placed the muzzle of the gun produced to his head, and fired it by touching the trigger with his foot; he could not have pulled the trigger with his hand; a shot fired from the gun produced would cause such a wound as I have described.

The jury found the following verdict that the deceased Jeremiah Crossley of Wargeila died on the first day of August 1884 from the effects of a gunshot wound inflicted by himself on the same day.3

Other Details

LabelDateDetails
Occupationbetween July 1832 and May 1838Jeremiah Crossley was assigned to George Macleay to work on the property "Brownlow Hill" near Camden between July 1832 and May 1838.
Num Childbetween 1842 and 1870He and Sarah James had 15 children, two of them still born and unregistered, between 1842 and 1870.
Articleafter 1859Jeremiah built his own home and all of his furniture. Some of the furniture is now with the Yass Historical Society.

The family grazed about 1600 head of sheep on crown land adjoining their home. Before shearing, the sheep were washed in full wool in the Boorowa River.

William Mills began a carrying business at Yass with his friend Jeremiah. The two friends conducted the business to augment their income because they found the times hard and, even if their land did produce, it was difficult to find buyers for their produce.

The round trip to Brickfield Hill from Yass took about three months with heavily laden wagons, and usually involved a stay in the Bargo Bush area. Jeremiah used to carry a grease pot swinging on the back of the wagon to grease it. He collected his money in gold sovereigns and put it on the bottom of the grease pot, melted the grease and put it in the pot, keeping only a few shillings out for his expenses on the road.
Will28 December 1877Jeremiah Crossley signed his will on 28 December 1877 at Yass, NSW, Australia, It stated:

This is the last will and testament of me Jeremiah Crossley made this twenty eighth day of December one thousand eight hudred and seventy seven.

I give devise and bequeath all my messuages lands presents and herediments and all my household furniture ready money securities for money, money secured by life assurance goods and chattels and all other parts of my real and personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever unto my dear wife Sarah Crossley her heirs, executors administrators and assigns, to and for her and their own absolute use, and benefits according to the nature and quality thereof, respectively, subject only to the payment of my just debts, funeral and testamentry expenses and the charges of providing and registering, this my will.
And I appoint my said wife executrix of this my will, and herby revoke all other wills. In witness whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal the day and year above written, Jeremiah Crossley

Signed by me.

               said Testator as his last will (as written)
10508

Witness Joseph Pickly (sic) Seddon, James F. Mote, Yass 10th Oct. 1884.
This day by Act of Court Probate of the last will and testament of Jeremiah Crossley, late of near Yass, deceased was granted to Sarah Crossley, executrix. Testator died 1st August 1884.
Estate sworn under £253.0.0.

Family

Sarah James b. 11 Aug 1824, d. 18 Feb 1909
Children
ChartsA Timeline of Robert Mote's Ancestors
Pedigree Chart for Robert Mote
Indented Descendant Chart - Thomas Beane
Box Descendant Chart - Thomas Beane
Descendant Chart - James Crossley
Descendant Chart - Samuel James
Last Edited7 Apr 2013

Citations

  1. [S10] Pam Ray, Yass Cemetery, Page: 24; Number: 342c.
  2. [S999] Trove, online http://trove.nla.gov.au
  3. [S58] News Reporter, "Inquest."