Crossland, Henry Barker

Fast Facts

Type of person	Individual
Date of birth	c. 1840
Place of birth	Surrey, England
Date of arrival	1851
Principal occupation	Mounted Constable
Date of death	c. 1887
Place of decease	Bendigo, Victoria

Henry Barker Crossland was a Mounted Constable at Willunga from around 1865 to the end of 1866.

Henry was born at around 1840 in Surry, England. His father was John Michael Crossland, the most accomplished portrait painter in South Australia at the time, and his mother was Jane Clarke (née Worledge) who was a teacher. He and his family travelled to South Australia on the ship, Slains Castle, which arrived in South Australia on February 27, 1851. The family lived in Mitcham and Henry's occupation is unknown.

Henry became a Mounted Constable on December 5, 1863 and was stationed at Willunga between 1865 and 1866. While in Willunga he met and married Augusta Shaw, the daughter of William Shaw, the Willunga District Council clerk. The marriage took place at the Wesleyan Mission on May 4, 1865. Henry and Augusta gave birth to August Jane (b. 7/8/1866 at Port Wakefield), Henry William (b. 26/7/1869 at Norwood), Percy Temple (b. 28/8/1872 at Port Wakefield) and Flora (14/5/1875 at Streaky Bay). Henry was then stationed in Adelaide, followed by Port Wakefield. In Port Wakefield, he was transferred due to disciplinary reasons, although the residents of Port Wakefield submitted a petition to the Police Commissioner in protest. He was stationed at Streaky Bay in 1875 and then transferred to Port Lincoln. After this posting, there is only a few traces of Henry Crossland in the historical record. It is thought that he worked as surveyor's assistant on the Overland Telegraph Line.

The marriage between Henry and Augusta must have developed problems. In 1882, Augusta applied for a protection order against Henry but it is likely that they had separated much earlier. In 1877, their son Percy Temple died, and the death notice refers to only Mrs Augusta Crossland. Augusta made a living firstly as a school teacher and then as a photographer. During a court case in 1885, Augusta is described as a widow but this may have been wishful thinking. In September 1887, one Henry Crossland, aged 47, died from phthisis (tuberculosis) in Bendigo Hospital, Victoria. It may be a coincidence that a man of the same name and age should exist but no other Henry Crossland, except for his son, died in South Australia during Henry’s likely lifetime.

Sources

• KOORINGA. (1863. December 5). South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide. SA : 1858 - 1867). p. 2. Retrieved April 13. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90263995
• EDUCATION BOARD. (1867. January 16). The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide. SA : 1858 - 1889). p. 3. Retrieved April 14. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28794425
• FRIDAY. OCTOBER 2. (1868. October 3). South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide. SA : 1868 - 1881). p. 10. Retrieved April 13. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90948860
• GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. (1876. February 19). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904). p. 3. Retrieved April 14. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159485873
• Family Notices (1877. August 9). South Australian Register (Adelaide. SA : 1839 - 1900). p. 7 (Supplement to the South Australian Register.). Retrieved April 14. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40788624
• Law Courts. (1885. August 8). South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide. SA : 1881 - 1889). p. 21. Retrieved April 15. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94332332
• THE BENDIGO ADVERTISER (1887. September 15). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918). p. 2. Retrieved April 15. 2020. from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88905780
• Correspondence files ('PCO' files) - Police Commissioner's Office. 1844-c1879 (GRG 5/2) - File numbers 1004/1874 to 1374/1879

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