Thomas Hutchens and Elizabeth James

Thomas Hutchens was born at Treen, Cornwall, on 12/5/1826. His parents were John Hutchens and Sarah Rowe. He came to South Australia in 1848 on board the Santipore, describing himself as a Shoe Maker and Farmer.

After his arrival Thomas lived on Hindley Street, Adelaide, for about a year. At that time his uncle, William Hutchens, who came to South Australia on the Waterloo in 1840 with his wife Mary Ann and children William, Mary Ann and John, was a storekeeper on Hindley Street. After Hindley Street Thomas went to Woodside, conducting a boot and shoe business there from 1849 to 1852.

Elizabeth James was the daughter of Richard James and Sarah Harvey, born in Sancreed, baptized 4/7/1826. She came to South Australia in 1847 with her father (by then a widower) and six siblings, on board the Phoebe. She married Thomas Hutchens at the Church of St John in Adelaide on 20/8/1850. Thomas described himself as a shoemaker living at Mount Barker; Elizabeth described herself as a dressmaker living on Grenfell Street Adelaide.

Thomas and Sarah had three children:

• John, b. 23/7/1851;
• Sarah Ann, b. 29/6/1853;
• Richard James, b. 5/10/1855.

Elizabeth died on 4/8/1883, and is buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (now Uniting) Church Cemetery at Woodside. Thomas married Christian Uren on 6/9/1884. They eventually separated, some 13 years after their marriage. Christian died on 24/9/1910. Thomas died on 27/12/1914 and is buried with Elizabeth.

Grave of Thomas and Elizabeth

The Old Wesleyan Church, Woodside

Grantley Hutchens has gathered a substantial amount of information about the descendants of Thomas and Elizabeth in The Family History of Thomas Hutchens. Here we shall content ourselves with listing the names of their grandchildren.

Thomas and Elizabeth's son John married Jessie Georgina Fenton, daughter of John Fenton and Georgina Walters, on 17/2/1876, at John Fenton's residence in Woodside. They had 16 children: Richard (20/7/1876–7/7/1952, married Hannah Watt), Thomas (28/10/1877–19/3/1918, married Selina Teague), John Fenton (20/1/1879–29/9/1953, married Helen Henrietta Kirk), Frank (26/3/1880–28/5/1962, married Rose Lydia McKenzie), Florence Elizabeth (1/7/1881–13/3/1965, married Samuel Hotchon Hillam), Jessie Francis (24/9/1882–12/6/1970, married Albert John McKenzie), Harriet Fenton (17/10/1883–2/1/1979, married James William Floyd), William (28/10/1884–4/7/1952, married Florence Mary Samwell), Elizabeth (10/1/1886–31/5/1954, married Herbert Duncan McKenzie), Sarah Olive (12/9/1887–11/6/1888), Arthur Earnest (19/2/1890–7/6/1977, married Myrtle Ada Cook), Mabel Mary (27/5/1891–22/10/1958), Myrtle May (23/10/1892–9/8/1951, married Murray Clyde Rose), Edmund (11/1/1894–23/6/1957, married Pretoria Ceclia May Rollbusch), Reginald (7/9/1896–21/4/1965, married Gwendoline Irene Elizabeth Helen Rosa Harrison, née Purdie), Clarence Mark (7/9/1896–26/3/1897).

At first John and Jessie settled on a farm near Morchard, but he later returned to his father's farm at Woodside, and another farm at One Tree Hill. John died on 15/3/1926, Jessie died on 1/10/1943.

Thomas and Elizabeth's daughter Sarah Ann married George Lawrence Hughes; they are discussed on another page.

Thomas and Elizabeth's son Richard James married Emily Alma Bartlett, daughter of George Bartlett and Ann Chandler, on 1/9/1882. She was born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, on 29/12/1854. They had 11 children: Laura Ann (9/7/1883–12/10/1959, married Albert Arthur), Percy George (21/4/1884–14/4/1986), Alma Bessie (14/5/1885–11/12/1907), Harold Richard (7/8/1886–8/1/1971, married Lucy Mabel Jamieson), Cornelius George (28/10/1887–8/1/1971, married Bessie Power and Rye Elsie Nankervis), Sarah Amy (4/2/1889–27/10/1970), Thomas Roy (23/11/1890–23/4/1909), John McDougall (13/12/1891–26/5/1961, married Ettie Louisa Smith and Sylvia Alexandra Ross), Mabel Lucy (15/6/1893–2/11/1982, married Alexander McDonald Ness and John Rodney Lukes), Emily Mollie (23/2/1896–13/2/1940, married Horace David Smith and Jack Vincent Drage), Ruth Bartlett (2/4/1898–11/1954, married Donald Claude McDonald).

Emily Alma Hutchens died the day after the birth of her last child, Ruth Bartlett. The baby was adopted out, acquiring her foster parents' surname "Bungey". Mollie, the second youngest child, was brought up by Richard's sister Sarah and brother-in-law George Hughes.

Richard and Emily's daughter Alma Bessie committed suicide by drowning, having become pregnant.

Richard and Emily had a farm at Orroroo. Richard was a Councillor, and he was District Clerk for Orroroo from 1896 to 1902. Emily died in 1898; she is buried at Orroroo. Richard subsequently gave up farming, lived in Mount Gambier for a time, and then in Adelaide. He married Mabel Winifred Taylor at Mount Gambier on 3/9/1904. Richard committed suicide on 5/7/1916.