- In 1901, about 3300 monuments including the one belonging to John James WESTWOOD were moved to a 25 acre site bounded by Bunnerong Road, La Perouse and the existing Botany Cemetery.
The headstone is believed to have been in the Church of England section which is located close to Bunnerong Road. A transcription of the headstone is set out below:
"John WESTWOOD, Sergeant of the 99th. Regt., died 25th. of May 1845, aged 38 years. Stone erected by his brother NCOs."
Unfortunately, the headstone has not survived to the present day [1988] as friends visiting Sydney have looked for it without success. The ravages of time and particularly motor vehicle exhaust fumes are thought to have done the damage.
|
| Notes |
- On 16 December 1825 John James WESTWOOD, born Huddersfield YKS, trade - Face Drawer, aged 16 years, height 5' 4 1/2", enlisted in the 99th. Regiment of Foot at Bury in Lancashire. The regiment was at this time based in Ireland, but a number of recruiting detachments were sent to England, one of which was successful in recruiting Westwood. The successful detachment was based in Manchester and it made a number of two-day marches to nearby towns. He was paid a bounty of £4 on joining, with 16/- additional "bringing" money, possibly paid to a person who actually brought him to attest. His pay on enlistment was 1/- a day.
From December 1825 to December 1826 he was a private, stationed at Birr in Ireland. From December 1826 to June 1827 at Clare Castle; from June to September 1827 at Ennis; from September 1827 to September 1828 at Youghal; from September 1828 to September 1829 at Charles Fort, Kinale; from September 1829 to December 1830 at Clare Castle; from January 1831 to December 1831 at Naas; from January 1832 to June 1832 at Armagh; from July 1832 to April 1833 at Drogheda. He served during all this period on various small detachments stationed in smaller outposts in Ireland. He was granted a furlough from 28 August to 10 October 1832. On 9 May 1833 he embarked for service overseas.
On 7 September 1833 he disembarked at Flacq, Mauritius where he served until December 1833. From January 1834 to March 1835 he was stationed at Mahibourg, Mauritius where he served briefly in the Band. In April 1835 he moved to Port Louis, Mauritius where on 13 July of the same year he was promoted to Corporal. He remained at Port Louis until 14 June 1837 when he embarked for the return journey to Ireland. It is interesting to note that he acted as Regimental Harp for five days in March 1837. While in transit to Ireland on July 1837 he was promoted to Sergeant.
He disembarked at Cork on 5 October 1837. Between that time and March 1839 he was variously based at Fermoy where he probably met his future wife, Mary ROACH, Kilkenny, Templemore and Athlone, engaged on detachment and escort duties. During this period many new recruits were enlisted. On 15 May 1839 Westwood was convicted on a charge of embezzlement, the penalty being reduction to the ranks and three months confinement. The entry relating to his return to duty appears to read "In Imprisonment by Court Martial" for 3 Calendar Months. Imprisonment commenced 21 May, released 20 August.
From September 1839 he served as a private at Athlone and Dublin until September 1841. While in Dublin, he acted as Town Major's Adjutant and he received a 25 day furlough. In October 1841 he was transferred to Chatham, and on 4 November of the same year he was awarded a Good Conduct Badge. On 1 May 1842 he departed from Dublin for New South Wales aboard the "Isabella Watson", Master John A. MCDONALD, Surgeon Robert BOWER. On arrival in Hobart on 3 August 1842, 195 convicts were landed two having died and four having been put ashore in South Africa after a mutiny and disciplinary problems among the soldiers and convicts. It was a very fast passage for 1842 at 94 days. The 80 soldiers and their families restarted their journey on 20 August 1842 bound for Sydney.
He disembarked at Sydney on 28 August 1842 and rejoined his regiment the following day. His first base was at Illawarra from September 1842 to March 1843. From 1843 to June 1844 he was stationed at Parramatta but served some of this period at both Illawarra or at Newcastle. On 1 April 1843 while again on detachment at Illawarra he was again promoted to Corporal and on 28 February 1844 he was awarded a second distinguishing mark (probably another Good Conduct Badge). From October 1844 he was posted to Sydney, though mostly on detachment at Newcastle.
Between October and December 1844 he spent 57 days in hospital. Between January and March 1845 he spent a further 35 days in hospital. After 25 more days in hospital from 1 April he died on 25 May 1845. He had been promoted to Sergeant while in hospital on 30 April 1845, just three weeks before his death on 25 May 1845. It is interesting to speculate about this promotion for a moment. Perhaps his commanding officer saw the opportunity to secure a more generous pension for his widow but further research would be needed to establish this as fact. Perhaps he just wanted to wipe out the shame of his demotion six years earlier.
Throughout his Army career John WESTWOOD seems to have been dogged by ill health. Soon after enlisting, between July and September 1826 he was hospitalised for 24 days; between January and March 1828, 28 days; between January and March 1833, 15 days; between January and March 1836, 45 days; between July and December 1838, 33 days; together with various shorter periods.
As Sgt. WESTWOOD died while on active service no soldier's document was preserved, which is a great shame as it would have revealed much more interesting information.
____
The burial of John James WESTWOOD
John James WESTWOOD was buried at the Sandhills Cemetery, or as it was sometimes known the Old Devonshire Street Ground, which was located on what is now the site of Central Station, Sydney. In 1901, about 3300 monuments including the one belonging to JJW, were moved from the Sandhills Cemetery to a 25 acre site bounded by Bunnerong Road, La Perouse and the existing Botany Cemetery.
The headstone is believed to have been in the Church of England section which is located close to Bunnerong Road. A transcription of the headstone is set out below.
"John WESTWOOD, Sergeant of the 99th. Regt., died 25th. of May 1845, aged 38 years. Stone erected by his brother NCOs."
Unfortunately, the headstone has not survived to the present day [1988] as friends visiting Sydney have looked for it without success. The ravages of time and particularly motor vehicle exhaust fumes are thought to have done the damage.
____
FHL Number 560624 = christening record for John WESTWOOD.
|
.jpg)
1808 - 1845 (36 years)
[1] 
