A LEAR Family from Bitton to Tasmania

John LEAR & Jane WARD

John LEAR born was born around 1776.  He married Jane WARD at St Mary’s Church Bitton on 5 February 1797. (Bitton Register & BRO Marriage Cert CD).

Jane WARD was Baptised at Hanham on 16 August 1778 and was the daughter of a Samuel WARD and Joane FRY (Joanne was possibly also known as Jenny FRYE).

John & Jane LEAR had nine (9) children:

• Robert born 1796  Died Bitton 1796
• William born 25 November 1797 Died Eaglehawk Victoria 1 February 1872.
• Stephen born 24 December 1798 Executed Tasmania 26 February 1825
• Thomas born 12 August 1801 Died 1813 Coal Mining accident at Bitton?
• Samuel born 11 December 1803 Died Victoria on 10 October 1851 in William’s Ballarat Gold Mine
• Nancy born 1805  Died 1808 at Bitton?
• James born 10 February 1807 Died Hobart 15 September 1894
• Isaac born 5 April 1809 Died Hobart 1 January 1868
• Margaret born 1811  Died Hobart Tasmania 1895 - unmarried

Little is known about John LEAR other than he was a coalminer of the Bitton Parish who died in a coal mining accident at Mr. Samuel Whittuck’s Pit, Oldland on 30 October 1811. His death was apparently followed by the death of son Thomas also in a mining accident in 1813 and the family seems to have fallen on hard times soon after.

Falling on Hard Times

With the death of both husband John and son Thomas in coal mining accidents the remaining family seems to have been drawn closer to friends and family for support. In particular it would seem Jane’s family became a major influence. The LEAR family which up until now seems to have had no trouble with the law became inexorably linked to the Cock Road Gang and headed for trouble.

The story is tied to the extended family of Jane WARD/LEAR and their connection to the Cock Road Gang, a loose knit group of Kingswood Forrest families that operated in Gloucestershire in a similar manner to the modern day Mafia - pay “protection” and you will not be robbed. The gang consisted largely of members of the CAINES, BAKER, BRAIN, BRYANT, FRY and the occasional BRITTON, LUTON, FLOOK and WARD family members. Although only one LEAR is recorded in the Kingswood History of the Cock Road Gang, it seems the family of Jane WARD/LEAR joined the activities in order to survive.

Jane was a Daughter of Samuel FRY married in 1720 to Hester TYLER (born 1695) at Bitton. The FRY family were major players in the Cock Road Gang. The FRY house in Bitton was known to have a cave under the floor to hide family members from the Police (Kingswood History).

Abraham FRY the brother of Jane’s Mother Jenny(or Joane) FRY (or FRYE) married a Lydia CAINES nee BRITTON in 1771 at Bitton. Lydia was said to be the widow of a Benjamin CAINES born around 1728 and viewed my many as the Patriarch of the Cock Road Gang. This branch of the CAINES family were certainly the ring leaders of the Cock Road Gang.

Uncle Abraham FRY had a son Sampson FRY born in 1772 who was also a member of the Cock Road Gang. Abraham FRY and a John MORETON were witnesses at the marriage of Jane WARD’s Mother. In later years a David MORETON of Bitton was arrested with Stephen LEAR.

During Jane’s life, the following relatives are known to have either ran foul of the law or died prematurely:

• Husband John LEAR killed in a mining accident
• Son Robert died in infancy
• Daughter Nancy died in infancy
• Son Thomas LEAR killed in a mining accident
• Son William sentenced to transportation and Pardoned the same day
• Son William transported to Tasmania
• Probable Stepson James BAKER transported
• Son Stephen transported to Tasmania
• ??? Joseph Brain arrested with Stephen and transported to Tasmania
• Son Stephen executed in Tasmania
• Cousin? Henry FRY executed in Tasmania with son Stephen
• Uncle George CAINES - Transported to NSW
• Uncle Francis CAINES - Transported to Tasmania
• Uncle Benjamin CAINES - executed Bristol
• Uncle Samuel CAINES - transported
• Uncle Thomas CAINES - Transported to NSW
• Aunt Lydia CAINES - had 2 “Husbands” and a son transported

A quick search of the LEAR family database for deaths or burials will list over 60 LEAR, BRYANT, FRY, BRAIN etc persons killed in mining accidents in the general area during the same period. Jane would most likely have personally known these people and was probably related to a large percentage of them.

Taking the number of arrests, transportations and executions into consideration, life in the Bitton Parish was obviously dangerous and often short. 

Jane’s Marriage to James BAKER

1814 found Jane WARD/LEAR marrying a James BAKER at St Phillip & Jacob Church Bristol on 13 November.

Jane’s son Isaac LEAR took the BAKER name after the marriage. It is not know whether any other siblings took the BAKER name, although it is likely Margaret LEAR who would have been 3 at the time would have done so.

A Robert BAKER born to a James & Jane BAKER was Baptised at Oldland on 28 September 1817 (BAFHS CD) - it is not known if Robert is the son of our James & Jane BAKER. Jane would have been 40 at the time. Robert would have been 6 when his mother was transported.

The Voyage to Tasmania

In 1819 Jane was arrested for stealing clothing. She was sentenced to death which was commuted and she was subsequently transported to NSW for life.

Jane sailed on the convict ship Morley V3 in 1820 accompanied by her son Isaac BAKER. From Tasmanian records it appears her son Samuel was also on the same voyage as a free settler to Tasmania.

There are no records to indicate either Margaret LEAR/BAKER or Robert BAKER (if he were to be Jane’s son) accompanied her on the voyage.

The Morley stopped at Hobart to discharge some convicts and settlers prior to sailing for Sydney. Samuel is reported in the 1822 VDL Muster of Free Men (HO 10/18, reel 65 pp. 2-31) as arriving on the Morley V3. Jane and Isaac continued on to Sydney.

On arrival in Sydney, Jane was assigned to her “Uncle” Thomas CAINES born around 1786 and previously transported on the Neptune in 1817. CAINES, son of Benjamin CAINES and Ann COOL was an ex CockRoad Gang member. His brother George transported for life on the Fanny in 1815. George is lised in NSW Archive records as a Butcher in Castlereigh St Sydney and later as the proprietor of the Jolly Sailor Hotel in Parammatta. It is likely the Inn was named after the Jolly Sailor Inn at Hanham. Isaac BAKER/LEAR was assigned to his “Uncle” George as a servant on his arrival in Sydney. 

Little is known about the life of Jane and Isaac in Sydney between 1820 and 1825. Both appear in victualling records during the period and Isaac is later noted as an apprentice bricklayer.

In 1825 Jane BAKER applied for mitigation of sentence and permission to travel to the Derwent to join her family. She also requested permission for son Isaac BAKER to accompany her. Permission was granted by the Governor in October 1825. It is thought Jane was unable to write and the application was written by someone else.

1825 is the last known reference to Jane BAKER and son Isaac BAKER in Australia. By 1826 Jane & Isaac LEAR were resident in Tasmania and by around 1832 all surviving family members are thought to have been resident in Tasmania.

Further information on the LEAR family in Tasmania and the subsequent move to Victoria can be found ........here