James Oatley

James Oatley snr (c1769-1839) was sentenced to transportation for life at the Hampshire Assizes in March 1814.The reason for his conviction is not stated. His age is given as 44 years. He is said to be from Stafford.

James finally arrived in Sydney, New South Wales on the 27 January 1815 on board the "Marquis of Wellington". On 25 October 1821 he was given a conditional pardon. In this record James is mentioned as a "native of Warwickshire". A physical description is also provided.He was described as being pale with dark brown hair, grey eyes, five feet five and a half inches tall and "stout" (with the remainder difficult to read).

James died on the 9 October 1839. His death notice in the "Sydney Monitor" gives his age as 72 years; the Parish record of his burial gives James' age as 70 years. James was buried on his property, "Snugborough".

Land Grants

James was given a number of land grants: 1831, 30 October 1832, 24 December 1833, 23 January 1834 and 27 July 1835. These included "Snugborough" (in the vicinity of Moorefields Road, Kingsgrove), which he farmed, and "Needwood Forest" (now Hurstville Grove). In total the land covered approximately the area now bounded by Canterbury Road, Belmore in the north, King Georges Road to the west, Kingsgrove Road to the east and south to the Georges River.

Geograghic Impact

In 1903 the Sydney suburb of Oatley was named after the Oatley family. Prior to that, west of the railway line was known as "New Oatley's" and "Oatley Platform". It was included as a subdistrict of Hurstville. East of the railway line was called "Oatley's". It was a subdistrict of Kogarah.

In about 1905 Frederick Street, Oatley (named after Frederick Stokes Oatley) was constructed as the main street of the new suburb.

Oatley Street, Woollahra existed in the 1850'5 and early 1860s. It lay between Ocean Street and Edgecliffe Street. Frederick Stokes Oatley lived between Ocean Street and Oatley Street.

For many years Oatley Lane, Oatley Street and Oatley Road existed in East Sydney, named after James Oatley jnr. Oatley Road extended into Paddington. A remnmant of Oatley Road still exists in Paddington, running beside the Victoria Barracks.

The original Oatley land between Moorefields Road and the railway line through Kingsgrove Station remained largely as open paddocks until it was subdivided for housing and industry in the early 1970s. A street off Kingsgrove Road was named after James Oatley. Just north of Moorefields Road are Robert Street and Eleanor Avenue.

Offspring of James Oatley

James married twice. In England he married Mary, the mother of his three sons: Robert, James and George (1820-1821). Mary arrived in Sydney on the 8 June 1815 on board the "Northampton". Their first son, Robert, was born during the voyage. Later James became the foster father of Frederick Stokes who assumed the name of Oatley. After Mary's death James married Mary Ann Bogg in 1833.

Robert Oatley (1815-1876), a cooper by trade, was born at sea en route to Sydney, where he was baptised. Robert did not marry.

James Oatley jnr (1817-1878) was a coach builder/engineer. Upon the death of his father James assumed responsibility for running the family farm. After the farm was sold James became an innkeeper (also described as licencee and victualler) until he entered the NSW Parliament as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1868. [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/ec78138918334ce3ca256ea200077f5d/596805948a5d5832ca256e4c0019ed14!OpenDocument] [http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-HTTP%253A%252F%252FWWW2.PHOTOSAU.COM%252FCITYOFSYDNEY%252FSCRIPTS%252FEXTSEARCH.ASP%253FSEARCHTERM%253D005736]

James married Eleanor Johnson (also known as Ellen, Helena and Emily). James and Eleanor had eight children. After Eleanor's death James married Margaret Curtis with whom he had one daughter.

Frederick Stokes Oatley (1819-1890) was a watchmaker and Inspector of Abattoirs. Frederick married Jane Weedon with whom he had twelve children. James gave to Frederick his business in George Street, Sydney and "Needwood Forest". Frederick had given up the watchmaking business by the 1860s. He sold convert|300|acre|km2 of "Needwood Forest" in 1881.

Other noteworthy descendants of James Oatley snr

Gwen Ruth Oatley (1918-2000), the granddaughter of James Oatley jnr's last son, Frederick. Gwen was awarded an OAM in 1978 for services to the Australian Film Industry. She died on 24 December 2000. Her obituary was published in the "Sydney Morning Herald" on 25 January 2001.

Frederick "Dudley" Weedon Oatley (1884-1919), the grandson of Frederick Stokes Oatley. Frederick was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the AIF and served in World War One. When he died (28 March 1919) he was given a funeral on 30 March 1919 with full military honours.

ee also

*Oatley, New South Wales

References

*Index of NSW Convicts
*1791-1825 Register of Conditional Pardons
* [http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/IndexSearch?form=IndexingSearch&cgiurl=%2Fcgi-bin%2FIndex%2FIndexingBirth.cgi&sname=oatley&gname=&fname=James&mname=Mary&event=births&frange=1814&trange=1822&place=&SessionID=8075474&x=80&y=13 New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages]
* [http://www.sag.org.au/ Catalogue of the Society of Australian Genealogists (Arch Gray Collection; AGCI Index (Australian Genealogical Computer Index); J D Mutch Index)]
*1828 Census of New South Wales
*Householders' Returns, 1841 Census of New South Wales
*Sands Post Office Directory of Sydney (various years)
*Sydney Street Directories (various publishers and editions)

External links

* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020257b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* [http://www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au/www/html/481-james-oatley-1770-1839.asp Kogarah Council]
* [http://www.theaustralianafund.org.au/1987_10.html Long Case Clock 1827]
* [http://www.hurstville.nsw.gov.au/history/217655.htm Hurstville Historical Society-Historical Markers]