Sarah Elizabeth Hapgood and Mark Jones – Ulladulla to Bega

Sarah Elizabeth Hapgood was born in Burnett, Somerset, in 1849, and was the youngest child and only daughter of Thomas Hapgood b1817 and his wife Esther/Hester (nee Hanney) b1818. In 1854, she emigrated to Australia with her parents and 3 older brothers on the Lady Ann, as well as her Uncle George and Aunt Hannah (nee Sims). She was only 5 years old when she arrived in Australia.

In 1862, her mother Hester Hapgood (nee Hanney) died leaving 13 year old Sarah without a Mum. Presumably she would have had to take complete responsibilities for all the household duties on behalf of her father and 2 remaining brothers Richard and Thomas (her eldest brother William was already married in 1861), as her father did not remarry Mary Cashman until 1868 (to be covered in a future post).

Shortly afterwards on 1 Feb1864, at the relatively young age of 15, Sarah Hapgood was married to Mark Jones b1841 in Ulladulla. The witnesses were Thomas Hapgood (presumably her father, not her brother) and her aunt Hannah Hapgood (nee Sims).

Mark had emigrated as an assisted immigrant from Chiltern, Wiltshire in the UK, arriving on the 7th April 1859 on the “Nimroud” [1]. He apparently came to work with his uncle, Isaac Cole [2] in Ulladulla. Isaac was a pardoned convict [2, 6], which is considered very exciting to have in your family tree now.

Nimroud passenger list. from NSW State Archives [1] https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4795/Nimroud_7%20Apr%201859/4_479500241.jpg&No=12

Once married, he lived at Brooman and worked in the timber industry [7], having 13 children and eventually moving a bit further south to settle in Bega. The “Meet the Pioneers” book [2] about the colonial settlers in Milton and Ulladulla has an entry on Mark and Sarah and a photo (below). Sarah and Mark are photographed in their Salvation Army uniforms, with Sarah standing and looking quite stern. Mark is seated, holding a bible in his hand and in his uniform. Given that the Salvation Army started in NSW around 1890, this photo was probably taken 1895-1910 or so at the turn of the century.

From Ewin’s “Meet the Pioneers” book [2]. Photo About 1890-1900?

A second photo taken on the same day is part of the Bega Shire Library collection. In this version, Sarah in weatring her distinctive Salvation Army bonnet. The photo was shared on their facebook page, with the following information:

‘This photograph shows Sarah Jones (nee Hapgood) and Mark Jones in Salvation Army uniforms and was taken in Bermagui during the early 1900s. About 1880 Mark Jones selected 220 acres of untouched bush at Bunga. He farmed and sent produce to Bermagui for shipment to the Sydney markets. He also worked at fencing and salted wallabies to supplement his income. Sarah and Mark had thirteen children and many of their descendants are well known families in the Bega Valley Shire. Sarah died in 1918 aged about 70 years and Mark died in 1928 aged about 87 years.’ [3].

Bega Valley Shire Library Collection. ‘This photograph shows Sarah Jones (nee Hapgood) and Mark Jones in Salvation Army uniforms and was taken in Bermagui during the early 1900s. About 1880 Mark Jones selected 220 acres of untouched bush at Bunga. He farmed and sent produce to Bermagui for shipment to the Sydney markets. He also worked at fencing and salted wallabies to supplement his income. Sarah and Mark had thirteen children and many of their descendants are well known families in the Bega Valley Shire. Sarah died in 1918 aged about 70 years and Mark died in 1928 aged about 87 years.’ Bega Valley Shire Library collection 013-00028-D-1 https://www.facebook.com/begavalleyshirelibrary/photos/a.632558400189958.1073741830.629718347140630/1060824810696646/?type=1&theater

Mark and Sarah had 13 children – the first 7 were born at Brooman and the last 5 at Bunga (near Bega).

Esther Jones b1867 d1876 – died in 1867 of diptheria when a flood prevented her parents from reaching the Doctor for help [2]
George Jones b1869 d1913
Noah Mark Jones b1871 d1876 – also died in 1867 of diptheria when a flood prevented his parents from reaching the Doctor for help, together with his older sister [2] or when his father when to town to register the death of Esther and bring back wood for the coffin, and on return discovered his son Noah had also died [6]
William Jones b1873 d1894
Hannah Jones b1875 d1932 – Married George Blanchfield, with many descendants
Sarah Jane Jones b1877 d1974
Richard Paul Jones b1880 d1891 – died due to an accident and dropsy
Thomas “Tom” Jones b1882
Margaret Mary “Dolly” Jones b1885– married Alfred Riches, with many descendants.
Ruby May Jones b1886 d1970 (married her cousin, Richard Hapgood b1866, son of William Hapgood)
Beatrice Jones b1889
Edith Elise Jones b1891 d1906
Miriam Jones b1895 d1978 – also married George Blanchfield after her sister Hannah passed away

There is a 3 page entry on the Jones family in the Milton Ulladulla Family History Society Pioneer Register [6] with a lot more information

There is one picture of the Salvation Army Bega members on the Monaro Pioneers website [4] with Mark Jones (white beard, back row) in the middle of the back row. The date of the photo is not known but is assumed to be after 1918, as Sarah Jones (nee Hapgood) died in 1918 and is not shown in this photo with her husband.

Bega Salvation Army Members [4] Back L-R Spindler, **Mark Jones**, Spindler, unknown. Front L-R George Herbert Jaggers, Rood, Capt Ray, Mrs Ray, Mrs Rood, Mrs Spindler. Date unknown but assumed to be after death of Sarah Jones (nee Hapgood) in1918 as Mark Jones appears but not Sarah. Thomas Hapgood does not seem to appear in this photo either (he also died in 1918).

Sarah died on 2nd July 1918 and is buried in the Bega Cemetery. Mark Jones lived for another 10 years and died on 21 April 1928 and is buried next to his wife.

Gravestone of Mark and Sarah Jones, Bega cemetery. [5]

Mark and Sarah left a large number of descendants (some photos are on Ancestry) including a number of descendants who are very interested in family history. They are compiling their photos and knowledge in a private Facebook group which is worth requesting to join if you are a descendant of Mark and Sarah (and the Jones, Blanchfields, Blackas, or Riches families), or a descendant of one of their ancestors (like the Hapgoods!). There is a wealth of information in the group, which is not mine to share, including photos of the pages of Mark’s bible (presumably the one shown in his hands in both photos) with notes of all the key family history milestones – births, deaths and marriages. I hope the information compiled by Mark and Sarah Jones’ descendants is able to eventually be published in some way (book? ebook? blog?) in future for everyone to enjoy.

Sources:

[1] Nimroud Passenger list. https://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4795/Nimroud_7%20Apr%201859/4_479500241.jpg&No=12

[2] Ewin, Joanne (1991). Meet the pioneers : early families of the Milton-Ulladulla district with photographs. J. Ewin, Milton, N.S.W https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6409648

[3] Mark and Sarah Jones photo. Bega Valley Shire Library collection 013-00028-D-1 https://www.facebook.com/begavalleyshirelibrary/photos/a.632558400189958.1073741830.629718347140630/1060824810696646/?type=1&theater

[4] Salvation Army Members – Bega (date unknown, assumed after death of Sarah Jones nee Hapgood in 1918) http://www.monaropioneers.com/Jaggers_John.htm

[5] Sarah and Mark Jones gravestone, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/224421781/sarah-elizabeth-jones#add-to-vc

[6] Milton Ulladulla Family History Pioneer Register available at bargain price of $5 plus postage at https://www.mufhsi.org/research-facilities/publications/

[7] Timber Workers and their families of Milton-Ulladulla District, 2018, available at https://www.mufhsi.org/research-facilities/publications/