George WILLIAMSON

George was born circa 1816.
There were two George WILLIAMSONs on 'Superb' from Grenock, Scotland, arriving in South Australia on 29th October 1839. One was from Wick, County Caithness, Scotland and the other was from Pencaitland, Scotland. There was a meeting at Inverbrackie on 10th July 1846 at Payne's Inn to discuss the erection of a Scottish Kirk (there was a large community of Scottish emigrants at Inverbrackie and Manxtown). George Williamson from Balhannah was at the meeting.

George WILLIAMSON married Mary O'DONNELL on 28th February 1851 at Kensington. Mary had arrived in South Australia on 11th November 1846 on 'Lady Bruce' from London via Southampton. It was not to be a happy marriage. Mary had left him (because he had assaulted her) and he was bound by the court to provide her with maintenance. On 31st August 1855, George took out a newspaper advertisement to say that he is not responsible for debts contracted by his wife Mary Williamson (as he was paying her maintenance). I have not discovered any children from this marriage.

George Williamson had a farm on Section 5311 near Woodside (298 Nairne Road, Inverbrackie, the site of the Inverbrackie Army Base). This farm was also listed in the Almanac in 1865, 1868 & 1870. He had 2 children with Johannah Maher at Inverbrackie before he married Johannah MAHER (nee Welsh/Walsh) on 12th February 1861 at the Catholic Church, Mount Barker. They had three more children after.

Johannah MAHER

George WILLIAMSON married Johannah MAHER (nee Welsh/Walsh) on 12th February 1861 at the Catholic Church, Mount Barker. From the birth records of the five children we have the Johannah's maiden name as Johannah WELSH (4 times) and Johannah WALSH (once). All of the children were born in the Inverbrackie area.

1. Johannah WELSH arrived on 'Rialto' from Liverpool 5 Jan 1856 - Listed under 'single women'.
2. Johannah WELSH was on 'Nimroud' arriving Mon Dec 31st 1855.

I have yet to find anything that explains why she was Johannah MAHER when she married George.

George was working the farm and also taking contracts from the council for road repairs in the district. In October 1857 he had been taken to court for not paying a worker. In May 1865, he was insolvent, and in August 1865 his fourth child George was stillborn. In August 1866, Ellen was born at Craig Duroc, Inverbrackie.

I have not been able to track George or his family from August 1866 until April 1878, but in 1878 Jane married Henry JACOBS at Hay Valley and her father was George WILLIAMSON from Dawesley. In the S.A. Directory (Almanac) of 1885, Johannah was listed as storekeeper at Mount Barker. In November 1886 George WILLIAMSON was charged with being an incorrigible rogue. In May 1887, George WILLIAMSON (71 yrs old and a very old colonist) was charged with being a vagrant at Woodside. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. In June 1888, George WILLIAMSON was charged with being an incorrigible rogue (again at Woodside). He was sentenced to 12 months hard labor (he would have been 72 years old). (He had had 5 previous convictions as a rogue and vagabond). In the S.A. Directory (Almanac) of 1889, Johannah was listed as being at Mount Barker, but with no occupation and no address.

A George WILLIAMSON died 8th July 1894 (77yrs) at Adelaide and was buried at West Terrace Cemetery (this might be our George).

Johannah WILLIAMSON (widowed) died on 31 July 1895 at Dawesley. Her birth year was listed as 1815 (different from the birth year of 1826 listed on her marriage certificate). She was 80 years old and her deceased husband was George WILLIAMSON. Given that her eldest daughter Jane had married Henry JACOBS, and it was thought that they had lived in Dawesley for most if not all of their married life, it seems likely that Johannah may have lived the last of her time with her daughter at Dawesley

Children of George WILLIAMSON & Johannah MAHER

1. Jane WILLIAMSON b. 28 Mar 1857, Inverbrackie m. Henry JACOBS
2. Walter WILLIAMSON b. 31 Dec 1859 perhaps m. Mary Louisa HOLDING at Kaniva Victoria.
3. James WILLIAMSON b. 16 April 1862 at Inverbrackie m. Mary Elizabeth THOMPSON
4. George WILLIAMSON b. 3 August 1865 at Inverbrackie d. same day (stillborn)
5. Ellen WILLIAMSON b. 11 August 1866 at Craig Duroc, Inverbrackie m. Frederick John Osbourne WAITE