My great-great Grandfather John Michael Crossland was born in York on 29th. September, 1799 and baptised at St Michael le Belfry on 27th. November, 1799. He was the first of the four children born to John Crossland and Ann (nee Jefferson).

John Crossland snr., son of John and Jane Crossland, was a drummer, sergeant and sergeant major in the 31st. Regiment of Foot and Lieutenant Adjutant in  the City of York Militia. He died in 1813, aged 53.  His fellow officers had a plaque made and  placed on the wall of St Michael le Belfry in his memory. (Click here for service details)

John Michael's mother, Ann, died in 1808 aged only 34, so that after his father's death John, then aged 13, and his surviving sibling(s) were orphans. Nothing is known about where they lived after their parents' deaths but the second child, William, died at the York Union Poorhouse in 1845, aged 43. The youngest child, Charles, died aged 2 1/2 years in 1805 and nothing more is known of the 3rd. child and only daughter, Diana, who was born in 1804. To date it has not been possible to identify just where John Michael's paternal grandparents were from but probably they lived in the vicinity of York.

At the moment nothing more is known of John Michael until he started to study and exhibit portraits in London at The Royal Academy and The Royal Society of British Artists in 1832 (References).  He is recorded as having exhibited 5 portraits in 1832, 1833 and 1844 at the Royal Academy and one in 1845 at The Royal Society of British Artists.. As several of his paintings of that era are of Italian subjects it may be that John had at some time in the intervening years travelled and painted in Europe. (In 1844 a baby son was baptised with the very exotic name of Jerome Ambrosini - rather out of character with the names of the other siblings - however he was almost certainly named for another portraitist, James Parker Jerome who changed his name to Ambrosini Jerome, and who was working in London at the time. The 2 artists were probably well known to one another. Italian artists were very highly considered in London at the time and there were good economic reasons to appear to have Italian connections.

John married Jane Clarke Worledge, the daughter of Samuel Worledge and Sarah (nee Pool) in London in 1833 and the couple went on to have 10 children over the next few years, 4 of whom died in infancy. Over this time they are known to have lived at 77 London Wall, 103 London Wall, 69 Newman Street, Pool Street Shoreditch and 21 Shaftesbury Terrace. According to details given at the time of the children's baptisms John additionally worked as an accountant and clerk.

In 1851 John and Jane and 7 children arrived in South Australia on the barque "Slains Castle". The story of this trip and passenger list can be viewed by clicking here. They lived in Adelaide near the corner of King William and Waymouth Streets and later in Halifax Street during which time John gained commissions to paint portraits of notable South Australians of the time.

Later the family moved to Encounter Bay (now part of Victor Harbor) where John died in 1858, probably from tuberculosis. Jane taught at local schools in the area before moving back to Norwood & Goodwood later in life. She lived to be 92 but died in tragic circumstances when she lit the stove in her house in Leader Street, Goodwood and flames caught her clothing. She was admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with severe burns and died several days later. 

John's eldest son, also named John Michael, purchased land at Waitpinga and had a contract for supplying fence posts for the new Encounter Bay Cemetery. He is believed to have died at Albury, NSW, occupation Cook. 

Sons William, Henry & George all joined the Police Force but only William stayed any length of time. William later worked for a cordial/ginger beer factory in Gawler, Sth Aust and died tragically when he was run over by a wagon at Burra, aged 40. He left a widow and one daughter. George also died at Burra in 1918, aged 70 and unmarried.

Francis and Henry reputedly worked as surveyor's assistants on the Overland Telegraph Line and this is quite possible as Henry's wife was related to Charles Todd, Postmaster General and Superintendant of Telegraphs, Adelaide. Henry died on the goldfields at Sandhurst, near Bendigo, Vic, aged 47, leaving a wife and 4 children. Francis died at Port Adelaide, aged 86. 

It seems that only 3 of John and Jane's children married, - 2nd son William Walker, my great-grandfather Henry Barker and Emilie Jane and I believe that no male descendants carried on the family name beyond the next generation. There are however a number of descendants, although it's not known if Emilie had any children.

John Crossland Senior (1759 - 1813)

John was a drummer, sergeant and sergeant major in the 31st. Regiment of Foot and then Lieutenant Adjutant in  the City of York Militia. He died in 1813, aged 53.  His fellow officers had a plaque made and  placed on the wall of St Michael le Belfry in his memory.

He joined the 31st regiment of Foot when in his very early teens and for many years served in Quebec, and probably Ireland, West Indies and France. During the regiment's tour of duty in the West Indies they lost large numbers due to disease - this possibly explains John's promotion  direct from Drummer to Searjeant in 1795.

The muster rolls for the 31st Foot 1774-1797 are monthly but  the following serve as examples:-