A CONVICT MAKES GOOD |
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HomePage Bonser Family History Christies My Story Jim Bonser's war record Convict John makes good The Autons |
THE SUCCESS STORYJAMES BONSER'S YOUNGER BROTHER, JOHN. Convict James Bonser's younger brother John was born in England in 1826 and on January 1, 1849 John was convicted by a Court in Leicester for larceny, (stealing 60lbs of lead.) and he was sentenced to 7 years transportation. When John committed this crime his brother James had been a convict in Tasmania for more than 4 years and we can only speculate whether James had sent a message to John, urging him to commit a minor crime in order to be transported. Convict John came to Western Australia on the convict ship Minden with another 186 convicts but it wasn't a free trip, he had to pay a passage fare of one pound seven shillings and one halfpenny. John was a brickmaker by trade and his skills must have been welcomed by the authorities as he was soon in charge of 20 Ticket of Leave labourers On the 14th October 1851 John was granted a Ticket of Leave and on the 5th of October 1853 John married Margaret Burke an Irish girl who was born in Tipperary (Ireland) in 1832. For their wedding John and Margaret walked from Toodyay to Perth, a distance of 53 miles. On the 1st of January 1856 John Bonser had served his 7 years sentence and he was granted a full pardon. John Bonser became one of the first settlers in the Northam area in West Australia. He established Bellmuggin Farm, a property of 20,000 acres near Northam.He also assisted with the building of New Norcia, New Norcia was founded in 1846 by a small band of Benedictine monks as a mission for the Aborigines of the Victoria Plains district. Around their monastery they built a small village made up of a church, flour mill, schools, hostel and apiary. With its attractive Spanish architecture, this town is one of the great cultural heritage sites of Australia. The Benedictine monks still have a small monastery at New Norcia. Margaret has been given honorable mention in the W.A. Pioneer Women's Memorial Register in Kings Park W.A. John died in 1899 THE CHILDREN OFJOHN BONSER AND MARGARET BURKE William James (Jimmy) Born 25/12/1854. Emma born 1855. John born 1859 Mary Anne Born 1860 Died 1867 Margaret Elizabeth born 1868. Abraham Oliver born 1870 . |