James Richardson

The First James Richardson
BIRTH & BAPTISM

Name:	James Richardson Birth Date:	25 Oct 1845 Birth Place:	Tasmania Registration Year:	1845 Registration Place:	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Father:	James Robert Richardson Mother:	Eliza Mcvoy Registration Number:	1329

DEATH & BURIAL

Name:	James Richardson Birth Year:	abt 1846 Age:	0 Death Date:	10 Jan 1846 Death Place:	Tasmania Father's name:	James Robert Registration Year:	1846 Registration Place:	Hobart, Tasmania Registration Number:	883

THIS JAMES is the second named James

The evidence for this James' existence is the birth/death certificates for siblings Samuel and Mary who were born 1860 at Geelong Gaol - James 10 yrs. [Certificates listed all children born to the parents, including dead and still living.] Obviously the name got reused if there was a 10 year old James living in 1860. It seems unlikely that James Robert could be mistaken about having a 10 year old son, but the registrar might easily have got it wrong, I suppose. Anyway, this child remains a mystery.

James must have been born in Tasmania if the family did not come to Victoria until 1852, but I have not yet found a birth reg for him. If they came to Victoria in 1846/7, he would have been the first born Victoria.

James Richardson is a common name amongst the Scottish and Irish families in Victoria. Finding this man is an uphill battle.

1862: James Richardson is admitted to the Geelong Infirmary and Benevolent Asylum (record 4865). Possible.

James Richardson was buried at East Geelong Cemetery on September 13 1909 EAS-PUB-B-825-079. This is not our James Richardson. It is the James Richardson who gruesomely suicided at Wallington, and he is NOT James Robert's son.

Now, to try and find our James.

11 June 1878, James Richardson of Kensington impounds several heifers presumably loose on the roads. This could reasonably be this James, but nothing identifying. Also, there is no mention at James Robert's death that he had a son, James, still living in the district. I would have expected Louis Edward or one of the other witnesses to name him, as John William and Henry were referenced, although if they knew he had a mental illness, perhaps not.

THIS man is a likely candidate for this James Richardson. James Richardson admitted 2 Oct 1893 to Ward 6 at Kew Asylum, a labourer from Moolap. Looks possible, but his age is given as 49yrs, ie born 1844, so not our man - unless there was an error - see below.

Name: James Richardson Gender: Male Age: 47 Birth Year: abt 1850 Admission Date: 3 Sep 1897 Admission Place: Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

First name(s) James Last name Richardson Year 1897 State Victoria Age 47 Admission year 1897 Admission date 03 Sep 1897 Discharge year - Discharge - Hospital Kew, Unit 7 Unit Unit 7 Archive reference VPRS 7680 James Richardson, 47yrs of Leopold, was admitted to Kew asylum in 1897, with (supposedly)hereditary mania. He was a single man, farm labourer, born Victoria 1850, described as reckless, Wesleyan, Mania attack of 10-12 days duration, previously admitted 1893. No epilepsy, not suicidal, but 'dangerous'. He has a brother, John Richardson (John William?), at Leopold. His symptoms are mostly 'slight'. Lost sight of one eye; had broken left collar bone; old injury to ankle.

DEATH & BURIAL Possibles James Richardson BIRTH unknown DEATH 13 Sep 1909 BURIAL Geelong Eastern Cemetery Geelong, Greater Geelong City, Victoria, Australia PLOT EAS-PUB-B-825-079

All the above assumes that the missing James stayed in the area of Moolap, but there is nothing to show that he did not go elsewhere as brother Robert did - in which case I am not sure how to find him.