Catharine Frances Henniker was the 4th child of Thomas Henniker and Jemima Willis, and arrived with the family on the Hooghly in South Australia in June 1839.
Catharine was born on 12 April 1835 in Westwell, Kent.
On the 08 January 1854 she married James Wesley in St George Church of England, Gawler, South Australia. They went on to have 9 children that I have been able to confirm. The children appear to have been born in Gawler, South Australia, and Wallaroo, South Australia. The last born child I have been able to confirm was also born in South Australia in 1876.
The newspaper article below sets out a rather disturbing assault that appears to have been carried out by James Wesley and Catharine Wesley (nee Henniker) and took place at Wallaroo. The police report is as follows:
POLICE COURT – WALLAROO
Monday, April 8, 1867 (Before Messrs. J.B. Shepherdson, S.M., DR. SHOLL & J. Harvey)
James Wesley and Catharine Wesley, husband and wife were charged with having assaulted Edward Emes on the previous Thursday. Defendant’s had been brought up on warrant on Saturday last, but in consequence of the absence of Prosecutor were remanded till Monday, bail being taken for their appearance. Mr. Taylor for complainant; and Messrs. Emerson and Bloxam for defendant’s.
Complainant said – On Thursday evening last I was at home, taking my horse from the dray. Mr. and Mrs. Wesley commenced calling me humpy back and bald head. I was on my own premises. They continued calling me names. I went over my wall and asked them what they meant by calling me names. He up with a hand saw and struck at my head, knocking my hat off. Mrs. Wesley struck me with a stick on the side of my head producing the mark which you see, and knocked me down senseless. When I came to myself Mr. Wesley was kneeling on my belly and trying to choke me. Mr. Wesley called out to Mrs. Wesley – “Bring the axe”. I will settle him.” She then came with a piece of iron and struck me twice on the head. The iron was about 2 feet long. Some persons then came and tried to get him away from me. He again struck me 3 or 4 times on the back with the piece of iron. Mr. Nolan, and some others came and took me away. As I was going away, Mr. Wesley called out 2 or 3 times he would settle me. The piece of iron produced the marks on my head. Mrs. Wesley used the piece of iron. The doctor ordered me to be brought to the chemist to have my head dressed. I feel very faint from the blows on my back. This evidence was mainly corroborated by witnesses. The evidence of Dr. Sholl was as follow –
I attended Mr. Emes on Friday ad Saturday. He has a few cuts on the forehead, and is a good deal bruised on the back. The wound on the back has been caused by a heavy instrument. The wound on the head might have been caused by a paling. The wound on the head is through the skin to the peri-cranium. To prove the condition in which Emes was in on the afternoon in question, Mr. Emerson called Richard Haselgrove, who said – have known Emes for a long time. When drunk he is quarrelsome. Never saw Wesley quarrelsome. Emes was in my place on Thursday afternoon. There were three men there, and he wanted to fight them. They never spoke to him. Ordered him out 3 or 4 times. He stopped there about half an hour, and was abusing 3 Welshmen the whole of the time.
In reply to Mr. Emerson, his worship said there was no evidence of a felonious assault.
A cross-information was then heard against Emes – James Wesley said on the 4th April was working on y allotment saw Eme’s horse and cart come along. Emes got out of his cart and came into the yard and commenced calling me and wife names – b- strawfoot, and my wife a b- long ghost. He also accused me and my wife of stealing stones, and then challenged me out to fight. He said – “If you come out into the road, I’ll give you a damn good punishing.” Said I did not want to fight. With that I stooped down to saw a piece of wood. He then jumped over the fence, came to me and hit me on the side of the head. I shoved the hand saw up to defend myself. He caught me by the hair of the head. I dropped the saw. We had a scruffle and he went under. Two men came and parted us. I got up and they too Emes part of the way home, and I went back to my work. He then came back and tackled me again. We had another scruffle and he went under again. He went under twice. He had me by the hair and would not let me get up. The 2 men came and parted us again. After I came to the port to give him in charge. The police did not take him in charge. Mr. Byrne told me to lay an information. Witnesses gave evidence on behalf of Wesley – one of them stating that he hit Emes with the flat of the saw only. The information against Emes was dismissed.
Wesley’s wife was fined £1 and costs – in all, £4 2s; and all 3 parties were bound over to keep the peace towards each other.
[The Wallaroo Times & Mining Journal/Wed 10 April 1867/Page 3/Police Court-Wallaroo]
Further legal woes
“DRUNKS”
On the 19 August 1881 the following article’s were published in the newspaper.
James Wesley and Thomas McLean, charged with being drunk in a public place, at Port Augusta, on the 13th. inst., pleaded guilty. Fined 5s each.
The Port Augusta Dispatch newspaper of the same date, 19 Aug 1881 sites also sites the following Court Case.
“ASSAULT”
James Wesley was charged upon the information of his wife, Catherine Wesley, that he did, at the Port Augusta Extension, assault and beat her, on the 13th inst. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Catherine Wesley and two others proved the assault. The Bench considered that the matter was the result of a squabble. Fined 20s and costs 15s.
[POLICE COURT—PORT AUGUSTA. (1881, August 19). Port Augusta Dispatch and Flinders’ Advertiser (SA : 1880 – 1884), p. 4. Retrieved August 23, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195907105
Catharine Wesley nee Henniker passed away on 11 November 1908 at Childlow’s Well, Western Australia. It appers that she was either visiting or living with her son Arthur Wesley, who was living at Chidlow, WA.
WESLEY.—On November 11, at Chidlow’s Well,
the dearly beloved wife of James Wesley
aged 73 years late of Aldgate, South Aus-
tralia. Landed in South Australia 1838.
South Australian papers please copy.
[Note: the Henniker family including Catharine landed in South Australia in June 1939]
[1908 ‘Family Notices’, Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 – 1954), 28 November, p. 31. , viewed 23 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37816567%5D