Jessie Brown Dougall

PART TWO Jessie Brown Dougall 1921 Very little is known of Jessie’s early childhood and adolescence, which appears to have been mostly spent in South Australia, with her auntie. Therefore, much of her story is background information, based around her aunt and uncle. William Dougall returned to Victoria briefly in 1866, but again went to South Australia in 1867, to Mt Barker, near Adelaide, where he married his first wife, Caroline Waddell on the 30th August 1867. The wedding took place at the residence of Caroline’s parents, John and Isabella Waddell. Caroline had immigrated to South Australia from Scotland, with her parents and siblings in 1839. William and Caroline returned to Victoria immediately following their wedding, on the steamship Penola and settled on the Mount Franklin Estate to begin their lives together and start their family Caroline’s sister Janet (Jessie’s auntie), and also known as Jessie, was the eldest of her siblings, (Caroline being the youngest). She had married Robert Craigie in 1841. Both were aged just 15 years at the time. Robert took a position with the British Commissary in Victoria, Hong Kong, China, but before Jessie could join him, he contracted dysentery, which unfortunately claimed his life. Jessie married again, in 1857, a man named James Brown, a very well to do grazier from the Naracoorte region of south eastern South Australia, so becoming Mrs. Jessie Brown. Caroline and William’s first surviving daughter, born on 9 January 1870 in Shepparton, Victoria, was named after her – Jessie Brown Dougall, and would spend a great deal of time with her. It seems that Jessie Dougall may have become estranged from her father), or probably sent to be cared for by her Auntie at a relatively early age, (her mother having died in 1878). There is a photo of William Dougall (below) with his two boys aged about 10 and 12 years. There is a girl in the photo who is obviously younger, and would be his daughter Caroline. There is no older daughter – Jessie - who would have been about 14 or 15 years old.at that time. At later times, in notices of family events, Jessie is always referred to as “niece of Jessie Brown”, not daughter of William and Caroline Dougall, and is referred to as Jessie Brown’s constant companion, and did indeed accompany her to San Francisco. She also benefitted from Jessie Brown’s will, but not from William’s will. Other members of the family, her brothers Thomas and Frank, and niece Nell, do refer to her at different times. CHAPTER 1 (Janet Waddell & Robert Craigie) William and Caroline’s first child, Isabella, (named after Caroline’s mother, Isabella Brydon Waddell), lived for only a short time and is buried at the Coghills Creek cemetery in John and Jane Dougall’s family plot. Their second child, also a daughter, Jessie Brown Dougall, born in 1870, was named after Caroline’s sister, Janet (Jessie) Brown. Janet Waddell, was the eldest of the children of John and Isabella Waddell, (John Waddell was born about 1805 in Scotland. He married Isabella Brydon. She was born in 1805 in Scotland) John and Isabella Waddell had six children, four girls and two boys. The sisters were (1). Janet (Jessie) – Mrs Robert Craigie/James Brown, (2). Margaret – Mrs Phillip Ingerson, - (3). Mary – Mrs Paterson and (4). Caroline – Mrs William Dougall, and the brothers were John Jnr., and James. Janet (Jessie), was born on Feb 16, 1826 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, and married, rather romantically, on Christmas Day, 25th December 1841, at the tender age of 15 years, a young man named Robert Craigie, who was also just 15 years old. It’s possible that Robert and Jessie bought a property at a place called Meadows, not far from Mount Barker where the Waddells had settled after arriving in the colony in 1839, and possibly planned to live and farm there. By the 6th March 1844, Robert and Jessie had three children, Augustus, William and Napoleon, as indicated in a letter of that date, written by Robert to Jessie. This letter was written from China (Victoria in Hong Kong), where Robert had journeyed to, to take up a clerical position with the British Commissariat. Below are the transcripts of three letters written by Robert Craigie to Jessie, between November 1841 and October 1844, when he succumbed to repeated bouts of dysentery and prematurely died at the age of just eighteen. (Provided by Ray Kelly). Craigie Letter 1 - Robert’s proposal of marriage to Jessie Waddell Adelaide 26th Nov. 1841 Miss Jessie, Circumstanced as I have been, and the way I am at present, will be a sufficient reason for my having recourse to writing in advance drafting you – in order to arrive speedily at a true knowledge of my position, and that I may chase away all doubt for the future. The object of this communication, is, with a view to learn, in direct terms, whether I have not been burdening you with my company, encroaching on your time, as well as spending my own, (shall I hope not ) fruitlessly. I have not left you ignorant of the intention of my visits, tho, I do confess, comparatively only a short time have we been acquainted. But short as the period may have been, I dare say, you can form an opinion of me, as I do of you – And according thereto you will be enabled to judge whether you could think of meeting my views in a change of life. Without flattery or equivocation, I prefer you, for a wife, to any others. And believe, most sincerely, I could live happy, and comfortable, with such am amiable young person as your dear self, in whom, I am sure, all those virtues necessary to make me happy in the marriage state are centred. If your sentiments bear any similitude, in reference to me, or should they not, I trust earnestly, you will have the kindness, unhesitatingly, to let me know forthwith. Whatever objection you may have to my person, yet I hope there can be none to my character. As business requires, in a short time, my absence – hence to Sydney, for a period, from this place, is a reason why I feel the more anxious to understand whether or not I have any confident hope of attaining your hand in marriage. I need scarcely repeat that if I am so fortunate as to receive the much desired answer my constant study shall be to the degree I love you, ever to aspire to make your life agreeable, happy and comfortable – and under the endearing character of husband, endeavour to supply more than the care and solicitude of the best of parents. I shall expect your answer as soon as possible, for I wait for it with the utmost impatience. I am your affectionate lover. Rob Craigie PS - If you have no opportunity to hand me your answer before, you may arrange to come to church on Sunday when I can receive it, and have the pleasure of your company to dinner in my house. R.C. Craigie Letter 2 – Robert’s arrival in China China Victoria, 6th March 1844 My Dearly beloved Wife, Just in the degree you love me, will you be impatient to hear of my safe arrival in China, and to receive a letter from me, and if the reception of it rejoiced your heart, as I long to receive your communication, I can assure myself that we do indeed love one another. I last had the pleasure of addressing you on the evening of the 6th January when I embarked for China. I sailed from Sydney on the following morning at 6 o’clock; and landed here on the 26th February in the most perfect health – after a most delightful passage of 50 days. We could have easily made the passage in 30 days but for the light winds and calms which we experienced at various times – altogether we had not less than three weeks of such fine weather that we scarcely made one days good sailing. We took the middle passage to China – direct north. And after we made Lord Howe Island, which we did the 3rd day after we sailed –we at different times passed through four large groups of islands, (the Caladonia, Caroline, Phillipine and Ladrone), in the South and North pacific oceans – which was very pleasant. We enjoyed ourselves extremely well on board ship, by catching birds, sharks and otherwise. I caught birds flying about the ship, several times in my hand; and one of them I kept for three days and afterwards gave it its liberty and it continued to fly in and out of the vessel for many days about the deck and rigging. Augustus is also well and has behaved himself remarkably well on board. He has been generally liked by the passengers, and has been most attentive to his lessons during the voyage. He divided his time in three equal parts, reading, writing and counting. He has thrashed one of the passengers in arithmetic. Victoria Harbour is as like to Sydney as may be – and equally as good and safe. We have a large Naval Force – the Admiral and six or seven large Men of War lying within two gun shots of the city. The city is about 5 miles long with a beautiful street the whole length. But it is not very wide in consequence of the abrupt rise of the hill behind. The island is about 25 miles round – and a little more than a mile from the mainland.

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