8 March 1842

 

In early March 1842, James Gough finally received an Absolute Pardon, thirty years after his original life sentence at the Old Bailey Courts, London. This pardon had been signed in England by Queen Victoria the previous year, and restored his full rights of freedom. (The complete document and all details are included in the James Gough book)

On this day: 11 February 1817

St John's Church, Parramatta (unsigned watercolour 1820s) State Library of NSW

In January 1817, Governor Lachlan Macquarie granted James Gough and Ann Traits (nee Cain)  permission to marry. On 11 February 1817 they were married at St John's Church at Parramatta by the Reverend Samuel Marsden. By then they had a son James born in 1815, and their daughter Mary would be born later that year. Another five children, Alexander, Louisa, Ann, Elizabeth and Phoebe would complete the family. Ann had previously married the sailor George Traits in November 1813, but it was a brief liason as he left the colony within three months.

Stephen Gough is not James Gough's son

Some people on Ancestry and other sites online, have added a Stephen Gough to the James Gough/Ann Cain family. In the 1825 NSW Muster, Phoebe Gough, aged 2 years, is recorded living with her mother Ann at Windsor. In the 1828 NSW Census, Phoebe, then aged 5 years was incorrectly recorded as Stephen. This is an error as this person did not exist. (The 1828 Census contains a number of errors, particularly with names)

In August 1824, James Gough sent a letter to Governor Brisbane requesting a land grant. In the letter he stated he had six children to support. (These children were James, Mary, Alexander, Louisa, Elizabeth and Phoebe.) (SRNSW  Col Sec, Fiche 3090; 4/183 7B, no.387, p.479)

The Stephen Gough who died in Hobart, Tasmania in 1863 was an Irish convict and was not related to this family. He was tried in Dublin 2 March 1841, for the theft of two tablecloths and was sentenced to 7 years transportation. He arrived on 12 September 1841 on the Waverley (1). All his records are available online in the Tasmanian Convict Database. 

https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=Stephen&qu=Gough