For over 200 years, James Rixon lay in an unmarked grave at Windsor Cemetery in Western Sydney. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of keen historians and descendants, a plaque commemorating James and Amelia’s lives was finally unveiled on 10 April 2016. The people who performed the unveiling were descendants of the five surviving sons of James Rixon and Amelia Goodwin.
James Rixon (c. 1770–1811)
The precise birth details of James Rixon remain uncertain, though it is commonly thought he was born in Derbyshire, England, in the 1770s. At the time of his conviction, he was living in Ilkeston, a quaint market town in the Erewash Valley.
Conviction and Transportation
At the Lent Assizes on 19 March 1792, James Hickson (aged 22) was brought before the court. The Derby Mercury reported he was:
“Charged on the oath of William Reed on Suspicion of privately stealing out of his Box in the House of William Webster, of Ilkeston, on Monday the 24th of October last, the Sum of Nine Guineas.” (Source: Derby Mercury)
His original sentence, “To be hang’d,” was commuted to Life imprisonment. Before transportation, James spent several years on the prison hulk “Prudentia” in Woolwich, Kent.
He commenced his voyage to Australia in November 1797 aboard “The Barwell,” arriving in Sydney on 17 or 18 May 1798.
Although the ships log is silent on the matter, a private letter states that on the passage to the Cape 25 prisoners had planned to seize control of the vessel while the sailors were aloft and murder the officers. The plot was disclosed by an informer the night before the attempt was to be made. The next morning, as the convict reached the deck, the conspirators were seized, double-ironed and chained together. Although detained for a fortnight by calms and adverse winds, ran out to the Cape in 74 days. She was detained there until March 19, because her officers, fearing they would not find a profitable market at Port Jackson, desired to dispose of their European trade goods. Soon after leaving the cape another plot was allegedly hatched between the convicts and the soldiers to combine to seize the 1ship. (Joye Walshe, More A Forrest Than A Family Tree)
When “The Barwell” reached Sydney on 17 or 18 May 1798, the harsh reality of the voyage was evident: of the 296 prisoners who embarked, only 287 had survived the arduous journey. Tragically, nine convicts had succumbed during the passage.
Pardons & Service: James earned a Conditional Pardon (CP) on 27 March 1801, and some records suggest an Absolute Pardon on 4 June 1803. He enlisted in the NSW Corps, but was discharged following a Regimental Court Martial on 17 November 1807.
Death: James Rixon passed away at the age of 36 on 5 April 1811. He is briefly mentioned in academic work as: “another private (who) had died when his son William was one year old,” (Source: Portia Robinson, The Hatch and Brood of Time).
Sometime between 1798 and 1801, James Rixon crossed paths with Amelia Goodwin, who, like him, had a convict background.
Amelia Goodwin (c. 1766–1834)
Amelia Goodwin, born in 1770, entered into her first marriage with John Goodwin. At the time of her conviction, she resided in Greenwich, England, and was 29 years old.
Conviction and Transportation
Her charge revolved around theft from her employer, encompassing a substantial quantity of clothing and household items. While court records valued the goods at 39 shillings, Joye Walsh proposes that the stolen items far surpassed this amount. On 15 July 1799, Amelia Goodwin, referred to as “Amy” in the court documents, faced trial at Maidstone, Kent, where she was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to 7 years of transportation to Australia.
As per Portia Robinson’s The Women of Botany Bay:
“common offenses leading to the transportation of women from London included theft from employers and stealing from dwelling houses.” (Source: Portia Robinson, The Women Of Botany Bay)
Amelia embarked on her journey to Australia aboard the “Speedy,” the same vessel that transported the new Governor, Phillip Gidley-King. Departing England in November 1799, it reached Port Jackson on 16 April 1800, with three of the 53 female convicts on board succumbing during the voyage. Upon arrival, Amelia likely faced imprisonment at Parramatta or may have been assigned to a settler or a member of the NSW Corps.
Life with James and Second Marriage
Despite already having a husband in England, which could potentially explain why James Rixon and Amelia Goodwin never formalized their relationship, it’s also plausible that this decision reflected the societal norms and values of the time.
- The Triplets: On Sunday, 12 January 1806, James Rixon and Amelia Goodwin made history by becoming the parents of triplets. It is believed to be the first recorded birth of triplets by a European woman in Australia. The news of the birth was widely reported in the Sydney Gazette:
“On the night of last Sunday se’nnight Amelia Rixon, the wife of a private in the New South Wales Corps, was safely delivered of three infants, two of whom are living and have a very promising appearance” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 19 January 1806)
In the years following the birth of their triplets, James Rixon and Amelia Goodwin had four other children and moved around quite a bit.
Death: Amelia (Burrows, formerly Rixon) later passed away, and her headstone is in St. Peter’s Anglican cemetery, Campbelltown
Fisher’s Ghost
In 1826, the sons, Thomas and Henry Rixon and their stepbrother, Robert Burrows made a gruesome discovery, which led to an arrest for the murder of Frederick Fisher who had disappeared on June 17, 1826. It is reported that…
In October 1826 two boys, Rixon and Burrows, were returning home across Fisher’s farm and noticed bloodstains on a fence. Closer investigation found a lock of hair the same colour as Fisher’s hair and a tooth. Constable Luland searched the wheat paddock, prodding the ground with an iron bar, but found nothing. Old John Warby suggested Aboriginal trackers be called in. The ground was marshy, and Namut (known by the English name, Gilbert) the tracker from Liverpool, tasted the water in the puddles and announced ‘white fellow’s fat there’! They followed the puddles, prodding the ground, and found Fisher’s remains in a shallow grave on (George) Worrall’s land.
Children
James Rixon
James Rixon (Jnr), born on 5 January 1806 (one of the surviving triplets), married his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hoare, at St Peter’s Church of England, Campbelltown, on 27 August 1833. According to his obituary, James was a notable pioneer, believed to be “the first man who brought a bullock-dray down from Monaro to Eden.” Before settling in Bega, he built and successfully ran the Crown and Anchor Hotel in Eden for many years. He died at Bega, NSW, on 12 September 1873. Family research, including that by Annette West, suggests his death was due to “heart disease” after a long period of time, correcting the belief that he died from an accidental fall at the Commercial Hotel. Following his passing, Elizabeth managed the hotel for a year before relocating to manage another hotel near the wharf at Merimbula.
William Rixon
Born on 17 October 1802 at Sydney Cove, William Rixon was a son of James Rixon and Amelia Goodwin.
He married Ann Hoare (daughter of John Hoare and Elizabeth Love) on 23 January 1826 at St Peter’s, Campbelltown. Ann was notably only fourteen at the time of their marriage.
In their early married life, the couple resided at the Field of Mars before settling in the Campbelltown Districts of Airds and Appin. Here, they began farming with the assistance of convict labour. Around November 1839, following the birth of their daughter Sarah, William and Ann relocated to Spring Creek. They took up management of “The Stringy Bark Inn,” a property owned by William’s brother, Benjamin. William also pursued other hotel interests in the region.
William Rixon passed away on 28 May 1847 at Campbelltown (Ref: V1847827 32B/1847). After his death, Ann married twice more. She died in Sydney on 8 August 1895, at 9 Denison Street, Woollahra, and is buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Waverley.
(Please see the biography page of William and Ann for more information about their lives.)
Benjamin Rixon
* Benjamin Rixon was born January 5, 1806. He married Margaret Finnamore on October 26, 1829 at St. Peter’s Church of England, Campbelltown. He died July 20, 1886 at Bulli, NSW.
Thomas Rixon
* Thomas Rixon was born August 8, 1808 at Windsor, NSW. He married Ann Smith (born September 11, 15 at Airds) on April 28, 1834 at St.Peter’s Church of England, Campbelltown (V1834 1330 18). He died August 15, 1883 at Campbelltown NSW (6323/1883) Although it has been repeated over several generations that Ann’s mother was the famous “Granny Smith”, information on the Ryde Council Website disputes this.
Henry John Rixon
* Henry John Rixon was born June 22, 1810 at Windsor, and was baptised on April 14, 1811 at St Matthew’s Windsor. He married Elizabeth Seekings on April 2, 1835 at St Peter’s Church of England at Campbelltown. He died June 13, 1884 at Nelligen, near Bega.
References
* “Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record – Series 1 1788-1841” Ed. John T Spurway Ass Ed. Allison Allen. (1992) Sydney: page 351 – 352
* Portia Robinson, “The Women Of Botany Bay” (published 1988) by the Macquarie Library.
* James Rixon is also briefly mentioned (page 271) in “The Hatch and Brood of Time: A Study of the First Generation of Native-born” by Portia Robinson (Published 1985 Oxford University Press) as “another private (who) had died when his son William was one year old”.
* The book about James, Amelia and their descendants by Joye Walsh, “More a Forest than a Family Tree” is absolutely tremendous. It was self-published by Joye in 1998, and is readily available at a number of public libraries. ISBN 0958555605, and has now been updated.
More A Forest Than A Family Tree
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