Talk:Ex-convict school teachers in Western Australia

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The following discussion moved from User talk:Karipatta and User talk:Snottygobble:

Why do you keep changing the entry for James Waterson Johnston in Ex-convict school teachers in Western Australia? I checked into this after your first (anonymous) edit, and the references clearly support my version. Please provide a reference for your change or leave the article alone. Snottygobble 02:37, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I am related to James Waterson Johnston Ex-convict school teacher. He is Convict Number 5793. I have researched the records extensively over a period of 16 years.

I have edited the entry because the details given are incorrect and confuse the Ex-convict teacher James Johnston with another convict of the same name, ie Johnson, James Convict Number 9479. I have a copy of Convict number 5793, James Johnston's trial - Ref: Scottish record Office Reference: JC4/64. He was sentenced to 10 years transportation, for robbery (NOT rape), in 1858.

You claim he was sentenced to eight years' penal servitude for rape in 1865. The Superintendent Order Books (AN 358, Acc 1156, SO7), held in the Battye Library Archives, clearly state on page 451 that James Johnston, Convict 5793, lithographer (lithographic printer), was received in the colony on February 15th 1861. Page 472 clearly states convict Number 5793, James Johnston lithographer, was transferred to Champion Bay (Geraldton/Dongara area) per schooner 'Favourite', on March 28, 1861. Note: This is four years before James Johnston, rapist, was sentenced, and six years before he arrived in the colony on the Norwood.

The other details I have changed are also correct (ie date of arrival, convict ship, years of teaching at Dongara, etc):

References include:

• Battye Library: R Series 4 Accession 1156
• Battye Library: Acc 128/38
• Battye Library: Acc1914 p.25
• Battye Library: R Series 21B Acc 1156
• Rikkers, J: Western Australian Schools 1830-1980 / John Rikkers, (1984)- Western Australian Schools 1830-1980 / John Rikkers, (1984)
• Erickson, Rica and O'Mara, Gillian. The Bicentennial dictionary of Western Australians. V. 9. Convicts in Western Australia, 1850-1887. Nedlands, W.A. : University of Western Australia, 1987-[1997]. ISBN 1875560440. [Revision of Dictionary of Western Australians Vol. 2 Bond 1850-1868. Alphabetical listing of convicts and short biography of each]

• I am also confident that Rica Erikson, in her book The Brand on His Coat, does not identify the ex-convict teacher as the James Johnston who arrived on the Norwood. I will confirm this when I have a chance to view the book again.

Karipatta 05:41, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the response. I accept your version as sound.

I don't have a copy of Erickson available at the moment, but like I said I checked Erickson after the first time you made the change, so I am certain that the confusion has been caused by an error in Erickson.

My apologies for the reverts.

Snottygobble 06:19, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your response. It isn't the first time that the several, and various convicts with the name James Johns(t)on(e), have been confused.

Karipatta 07:07, 13 August 2006 (UTC)