Susannah WILLIAMS (1792-1842)

Susannah WILLIAMS¹ [1161], daughter of James WILLIAMS (1760?-1820) [1159] and Rachael WATKINS (1760?-1840) [1160], was born on 1 May 1792 in Phillipsburg, Norfolk Island. While Susannah's father is often said to be James Williams, it isn't clear whether he actually was but he did raise her.^1,2,3,4 She married John Mathew Hunter BAXTER [1162] in 1813 (approx.) in Sydney, NSW. John and Susannah may have parted as early as 1828 as she married Johathan ASQUITH in 1839.^1,5,6

In 1828 Susannah was a labourer in Botany, NSW. Susannah, her mother and several of her siblings are known to have worked at Botany for the manufacturer Simeon Lord who in 1826 told Governor Darling that he had employed twenty convicts for 'upwards of twenty years' in tanning and currying leather and in manufacturing hats, cloth, blankets, soap and candles. The exact nature of her duties is not known.^7,8

John and Susannah had 2 children (Twins) :

- William BAXTER (b. 27 Jul 1813 South Head (Botany), Sydney NSW; d. 10 Jan 1890 Greenwell Point, Nowra NSW). In 1838 he married Mary Anne PARROTT in Balmain Sydney. They had 9 children

- John BAXTER (b. 27 Jul 1813 South Head, Sydney (Botany), NSW; d. 27 Jun 1890 Shoalhaven NSW). In 1839 he married Maria MORRIS and then in 1849 he married Eliza Harriet HALL. John and Eliza had 3 children.^9,10,11

Susannah married Jonathan ASQUITH [1163] on 19 October 1839 at Cooks River in Petersham, NSW. Given her first husband didn't die until 1862, was this a bigamous marriage or was it was viewed as a "poor man's divorce" *.^1,3,12

Jonathon and Susannah had 1 child :

- Joseph ASQUITH (b. 8 Jun 1837 Botany NSW; chr.1837 C of E Petersham; d. 4 Jan 1912 Little Bay NSW). He married Mary Ann WRIGHT (nee MARSHALENA) on 7 January 1886 in the Congretational Church Surry Hills NSW, daughter of Louis MARCELIN and Eliza FIGARO both from Port Louis, Mauritius. (Name variations are Mashal, Marshall, Marcelin and Marshalena).^3,13,14,15

Susannah died (aged 50) on 29 October 1842 in Botany.^1,16 She was buried on 31 October 1842 in Parish of St Lawrence in Sydney.^1,17

* a "poor man's divorce" is sometimes regarded as happening when no contact occurs between the parties for seven years. It probably has no standing in law but authorities have often turned a blind-eye, especially in earlier times.

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