EDWARD JOSIAH WOODROW (1828-1879)
From Alverstoke to Bunbury. It wasn't just the Clifton family that came from the small Hampshire village to the Bunbury area - the Woodrow family came too! Far from similar standing in society, Edward Josiah Woodrow was a guard on prison hulk “Defence”, initially moored in Portsmouth Harbour, then moved to Woolwich Docks in London. In 1855 he brought his wife and young daughter to Western Australia on board a convict ship, as part of the new workforce for the Convict Department of Western Australia and by the time they arrived in Bunbury in 1868, his family had grown by a further six children. From humble beginnings, they, like other pioneers of their time, overcame harsh conditions and their descendants went on to help shape Bunbury and served in the Boer War and World War 1.
Edward Josiah Woodrow (known as Josiah) was born in 1828 in Gosport, Hampshire, England, the son of Benjamin, a shoemaker and his wife Sarah (nee Berry) (reference, reference).
In 1851 Josiah married Mary Anne Grogan at Saint Mary’s Church, Portsea, Hampshire (reference). At the time Josiah was living with his parents at Alverstoke, which was a small village 3.2 kms from Gosport, on the opposite side of Portsmouth Harbour to the City of Portsmouth. Like his father his occupation was a shoemaker (reference). Their daughter, Emily was born soon after and baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Gosport on 1 October 1851 (reference)
Records show that Josiah was employed as a guard on the hulk prison ship “Defence” at Woolwich, London, which was previously sited at Portsmouth Harbour prior to the completion of Portsmouth Convict Prison in 1852 (reference, reference, reference).
Hulks were decommissioned and usually unseaworthy warships used as floating prisons, moored in estuaries and rivers, as normal prisons were overcrowded.
In 1854 when Josiah was a warder on the “Defence”, its conditions were reported in a book titled “The Criminal Prisons of London and Scenes of London Life (The Great World of London)”, by Henry Mayhew (a social reformer and journalist) and John Binny, 1862.
On the “Defence” there were three decks, housing (at the time of the 1854 report) 424 prisoners. The higher the deck, the better the conditions as not only was the air fresher, but there were less men housed on the top deck, 105 compared to 190 on the bottom deck. Conditions were cramped and demoralising. Each deck had cages where prisoners slept in hammocks that were stowed away during the day. Tables that prisoners ate their meals at were stowed away at night. The majority of prisoners worked ten hours a day at nearby Woolwich arsenal on cleaning shot and shell, making and repairing grummets and wads and sundry labouring roles. Some remained on board taking care of the sick and cleaning duties. A small gratuity could be earned which was held in trust until the prisoner was released. The better the prisoner’s conduct the higher the gratuity. Education and prayers were a daily activity. In 1854, five prisoners tried to escape, with only one being successful. Punishment for this would be a number of days in dark solitary confinement with food rations being just bread and water. Those not in confinement had three meals a day consisting of bread, a small amount of meat, few potatoes, soup three days a week, replaced by gruel the rest of the week. Sick prisoners received bread and gruel only. The convict graveyard was in nearby Plumstead Marshes that contained no grave markings.
Twenty warders looked after the prisoners on twelve hour day shifts, whilst the same number on night shifts split into three groups for a shorter period of time (reference).
Needless to say, the offer of accompanying convicts to a new country and taking your family with you for a new start, was an offer that some prison warders couldn’t refuse. Terms and conditions were a yearly salary between £52 - £62 pa (approximately $3800 today) with free passage to the Colony for himself, wife and family, including rations on board and a baggage allowance of up to half a ton. The warder had to work whilst on board the convict ship under the orders of the Surgeon Superintendent (reference, reference).
VOYAGE TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA
On 19 January 1855 the convict ship “Stag” left Woolwich, England for Fremantle. The ship’s passenger list had 224 convicts, 26 pensioner guards and 4 assistant warders, of which Josiah was one. Accompanying the staff were their families - 24 wives, 17 sons and 18 daughters (reference).
However on further inspection of the Captain's log, it paints a poor start for the Woodrow family as on 26 January 1855, still in English waters:
"Portland Lt. - Woodrow James child died committed to the deep. Weighed. Anchored Portland 4.30pm." (reference).
A James Woodrow was born in September quarter 1854 in the Lewisham registration district, which included the areas of Woolwich and neighbouring Plumstead. If this was Josiah’s son, he would have been less than six months old when he died (reference). This left Josiah’s wife, Mary Ann and their three year old daughter Emily to endure their heartbreak on the three month journey ahead of them to Fremantle.
By 5 February 1855, the “Stag” left English waters. During the voyage there was an outbreak of smallpox and measles on board, one sailor died (one had already died before leaving England), a further three children died and two were born. A few convicts received lashes for misconduct and on arrival at Fremantle Port on 25 May 1855, the pilot engaged to guide the ship into the dock, hit some rocks and caused damage to the ship. Passengers had to be ferried off the ship by boats to the dock (reference).
Another of the assistant warders on board was George Rich, who had also been a guard on the hulk “Defence”. On arrival in Western Australia he soon left the Convict Department and purchased land at Dardanup. He eventually married Eliza Hill in 1868 and they built Taunton Vale Homestead in Dardanup (reference). Eliza’s biography can be found at https://www.streetsofbunbury.com/eliza-frances-caroline-rich
One of the convicts on board was Joseph Buswell (1817-1891) who settled in Bunbury and eventually became a free man. His biography written by Jeff Peirce, can be found here.
BUNBURY
Josiah remained with the Convict Depots in Guildford, York, Perth and finally moved to the Bunbury Convict Depot as the Principal Warder in charge just before the ceasing of the transportation of convicts policy in 1868 (reference, reference). In the “Express” newspaper 23 September 1870 edition, Josiah was praised by the reporter in how he had organised his men to construct a new wooden lighthouse, designed by ex-convict Charles Utton, the owner of Bunbury Rope Factory (reference).
Later that year Josiah left the convict Department and resumed his earlier career as a shoemaker (reference).
Josiah became the Chairman of the Bunbury Mechanics Institute in 1872, a forerunner of the public library system who also held regular lectures on important matters. Their motto was
“instruction, recreation and general moral elevation of the community.” (reference).
In late 1873 he was appointed Bunbury postmaster and telegraphist (reference). In 1875 he was also appointed the keeper of the public Pound in Bunbury located on the site of 23 Spencer Street (reference, reference).
Due to failing health, Josiah retired from the position of postmaster in 1877 and handed the position to his son Edward.
“The appointment has given very general satisfaction in the town and district. Mr Woodrow retires in consequence of failing health, after a service - imperial and colonial - of twenty five years.” (reference).
Sadly, after a long and painful illness, Josiah died in 1879 aged 51 (reference). Mary Anne passed away in 1910 aged 81 (reference).
FAMILY
Emily was born in 1851 and baptised in Gosport, Hampshire, England (reference). She married William George Tomkinson in 1880 in Bunbury. They had four children, Amy 1882 - 1970; Edward George 1885 - 1929; Charles Henry 1890 - 1962 (see separate biography https://www.streetsofbunbury.com/charles-henry-tomkinson ; sadly another daughter, Ida died in 1890 aged two (reference).
From the Electoral Rolls it can be seen that the family resided in various parts of Bunbury.
In 1903 they were living in Blackwood Road (now known as Forrest Avenue) and William was employed as a carrier (reference).
In 1906 they had moved to Victoria Street and William’s occupation was now a clerk (reference).
By 1910 William was still working as a clerk but the family were now residing in Spencer Street (reference).
In 1915 they had moved to Picton Crescent and William had now transitioned to an accountant and Charles, their son, was a butcher (reference).
Emily passed away in Bunbury on 5 May 1938 aged 87. William had predeceased her on 26 January 1924, aged 67 (reference).
James was born mid 1854 in Plumstead, London and died at sea 26 January 1855 (reference, reference).
Kate was born 1856 at Fremantle (reference). She married Sidney Utton (son of the aforementioned Charles) in 1882 in Bunbury (reference). She died in 1932 in Maylands and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery (reference). They had two daughters, Magdalene born 1883 and Ada born 1887. Kate had a child prior to marriage, Maria who took the Utton name (reference).
Edward (also known as Jeff), was born in 1859 at York (reference). He married Lucy Ann Crampton, daughter of John and Frances Crampton (nee Moore) in 1880 in Bunbury (reference). Edward and Lucy had four children, Claude Edward 1882-1959 (see separate biography here), Alma 1883-1966, Sylvia Frances 1889-1922, John Newton 1895-1938. Edward died in November 1937 at his home in Mt Lawley. Lucy predeceased him in 1934 (reference). See Edward’s separate biography at https://www.streetsofbunbury.com/edward-woodrow
Benjamin was born in 1862 in Perth (reference). He married Esther Louisa Baskerville in 1883 in Bunbury and they had three children, Mabel born 1883, Mary Harriet born 1886, Charles Benjamin 1892-1898 (reference).
From the Electoral Rolls it can be seen that Esther and Benjamin were living apart by 1903. Benjamin, a labourer was living with his mother in Clifton Street whilst Esther was in Stone Street (reference). By 1914 Benjamin had moved to Williamstown, Melbourne still a labourer but after a long illness, he died on 10 September 1915, aged 53 (reference, reference).
Esther remarried in 1916 to Edward G Bennett and she died in 1929 in the Wellington district aged 66 (reference).
Sarah Ann (known as Annie) was born in 1866 in Fremantle (reference).
Annie had two sons, Edward Josiah Collier born 1887 in Perth, who later took the Woodrow surname, (reference). On 18 May 1888 she had another son, Alfred John Woodrow born in Bunbury. He later fought in World War One as a stoker on board the Pembroke II, for the UK Royal Navy (reference) He was demobbed in early 1919 but sadly no records can be found to identify him after that.
In 1892, Annie married John Neeld at Norwood, South Australia but only a few years later in 1899 she died in Fitzroy, Victoria (reference, reference).
Ellen was born in 1868 in Bunbury and married William Joshua Properjohn (of Capel) in 1890 in Karridale (reference, reference). They moved around the district living in Collie, Waroona and Yarloop as William worked for the timber mills. She died in 1909 aged only 40 in Coolgardie and was buried there (reference).
Ellen and William had 5 children, William George 1890-1954, Edward Josiah 1893-1916, Alice Gladys 1895-1955, Lilly Mary 1898-1974, Clarence Charles 1904-1975 reference).