It would appear that James HANKS and Sarah Trapnell never legally married, although Sarah is recorded as living with James in 1806 and as the "wife" of James in the 1822 Convict Musters. Note too that the 8 children of James and Sarah are listed in the 1822 Muster so their relationship was recognised by the government authorities:
 Page from the 1806 Convict Muster for James HANKS (click on the image for the full page) |
 Page from the 1806 Convict Muster for Sarah Trapnell |
 Page from the 1822 Convict Muster for James Hanks and family. BC in third column means "born in colony" |
 Page from the 1822 Convict Muster for Sarah Trapnell |
The eight children of James HANKS and Sarah TRAPNELL are:
| Name | Born | Married | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah | 1802 | |
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| Harriett | 1804 | 1838: Thomas ROWE 1839 Willies SHERWIN |
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| Mary | 1805 | 1834: William MOORE | |
| William | 1806 | 1834: Maria MATHER | |
| Elizabeth | 1808 | 1823: Joseph JOHNSON | |
| Phoebe | 1811 | 1829: John THOMAS | |
| Phillis | 1813 | 1837: George RILEY | |
| Louisa | 23 Oct 1814 | 1843: Thomas TROY | 25 Jan 1897 |
The life of Louisa HANKS
 Louisa HANKS in later life |
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Louisa was born in Sydney on 23 October 1814. She was baptised in St Lukes Church, Liverpool, Sydney on 1 December 1833.
At around 17 years of age Louisa began a relationship with Edward Joseph KEITH. She had 3 children with Edward:
| Born | Married | Died | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward James KEITH | 4 Aug 1832 | 1854: Charlotte WEBB | 23 Sep 1902 |
| Isabella KEITH | 1833 | 1858: Joseph Watson | |
| Alfred George KEITH | 14 Aug 1836 | 1856: Frances WEBB 1889: Agnes CRENEY |
30 Jul 1929 |
After Edward Joseph KEITH died on 29 May 1837, Louisa was left with the 3 children. The two boys, Edward and Alfred, were taken in by Mr Thomas Deane ROWE, a city businessman, who had married Louisa's sister Harriet. Thomas ROWE died in 1838 and soon after Harriet married Dr William SHERWIN, the Colony's first locally-born doctor. Sherwin appears to have obtained land in Mittagong and later may have helped Louisa and her husband to obtain land there.
Marriage of Louisa HANKS and Thomas TROY
Louisa married Thomas TROY on 31 October 1843 at All Saints Church, Camden. The witnesses were William SHERWIN and Mary BALL.
 Parish register for the marriage of Louisa HANKS |
After marriage Louisa and Thomas lived in Mittagong, but they soon took up land at Cootamundra. Louisa had seven children with Thomas Troy:
| Born | Married | Died | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Ann TROY | 1843 Mittagong, NSW | 1863: James Edrop COMER | 12 Aug 1921, Bowral, NSW |
| Mary TROY | 12 June 1845 Mittagong, NSW | 18 Jul 1865: John WEBB, Mittagong, NSW | 14 Jul 1883, Ryde, NSW |
| George TROY | 1848 Mittagong, NSW | 29 Feb 1872: Emily Vanity CRISP, Berrima, NSW | 14 Jul 1925, Bowral, NSW,/td> |
| Louisa TROY | 1849 Mittagong, NSW | 1872: Thomas WEBB, Berrima, NSW | 21 Mar 1937, Moss Vale, NSW |
| Sydney James TROY | 1855 | - | 1920, NSW |
| Thomas TROY | 1852 Berrima, NSW | - | 13 Jan 1901, Mittagong, NSW |
| Clara Elizabeth TROY | 1858 Berrima, NSW | - | 1933, Young, NSW |
Death of Louisa
Louisa died in Mittagong, NSW on 25 January 1897, aged 82..
The Children of Edward Joseph KEITH and Louisa HANKS
Edward James KEITH
Edward James was born in Sydney on 4 August 1832. He was with Louisa in Mittagong after she married Thomas TROY and when they moved to new farm land at Cootamundra. He married Charlotte WEBB on 30 March 1854. Charlotte had previously married Edward PERKINS on 17 April 1848 and had 3 children (Edward, Caroline and Emily) before Edward died on 1 November 1852 after falling from a buggy.
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Charlotte died at Wallendbeen, Cootamundra on 19 September 1891.
Edward James died on 23 September 1902.
Edward and Charlotte had 2 children:
| Born | Married | Died | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa KEITH | 24 Sept 1854 | 1874: James CARTWRIGHT | 24 Aug 1933 |
| Alfred Henry KEITH | 1856 | 1878: Angelina COMER 1892: Ann HEARES |
1878 |
Isabella KEITH
Isabella, the second child, was born in Sydney 0n 17 October 1833. It is reputed that she was cared for my her aunt Mary SHERWIN (nee HANKS) after her father Edward Joseph KEITH died in 1837. She married Joseph Frederick WATSON on 15 January 1858 in Sydney. Isabella and Joseph had three children in Sydney before crossing the Tasman Sea to Dunedin, New Zealand where they had another seven children:
| Born | Married | Died | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Harriet WATSON | 10 Mar 1859, Sydney | 13 November 1949, Hampstead, England |
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| William Alfred WATSON | 16 Mar 1861, Sydney | Frances GOODBRN 16 April 1886 Forbes, NSW |
29 Oct 1918, West Wyalong, NSW |
| Joseph Frederick WATSON | Mar 1863, Sydney | 6 Jul 1950, Western Australia | |
| George Francis WATSON | 8 Apr 1864, Dunedin, NZ | 11 Apr 1864, Dunedin | |
| Louisa Emily WATSON | 13 Mar 1866, Dunedin, NZ | 5 Dec 1906, Acton, Middlesex | |
| Edward Twells WATSON | 23 Nov 1867, Dunedin, NZ | 9 Jul 1874, Dunedin, NZ | |
| Percy St John WATSON | 27 Sept 1869, Dunedin, NZ | 5 Aug 1931, Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| Robert Keith WATSON | 9 May 1871, Dunedin, NZ | Gladys PITTMAN 1916, Leicester UK |
13 May 1954, Leicester, UK |
| Robina Eveline WATSON | 29 APril 1873, Dunedin, NZ | Victor SCHWANK 1899, Middlesex UK |
20 Oct 1952, Acton, UK |
| Frank WATSON | 7 Mar 1877, Dunedin, NZ | 14 Mar 1877 Dunedin, NZ |
Little further is known about Isabella and her family.
Alfred George KEITH
Alfred George was born 14 August 1836 in Sydney. He married Frances Elizabeth WEBB on 31 December 1856 in Berrima, NSW. Frances was the younger sister of Charlotte WEBB who had married Alfred's brother Edward. Alfred and Frances had 11 children
Frances died in Murrumburrah, NSW on 8 January 1885. Alfred subsequently married Agnes CEENEY (nee DONALD) in 1889. Agnes died in 1906 and Alfred then married her sister Jean. Alfred died on 30 July 1929 in Mosman, NSW.
There is more detail on the life and family of Alfred George here...
Return to the Edward Joseph KEITH Page
Last updated: 12 May 2026