Jane Lucas (1825-1909)

Jane Lucas was born in 1825 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire to Robert and Jane Lucas (nee Moon). Jane was the second child and daughter for the couple, who already had an elder daughter Harriet. Robert Lucas was a gardener and a nurseryman, and he and his wife went on to have 4 more children (or possibly 6, but proof and confirmation in required). The known children after Jane are Mary, Robert, Elizabeth and Martha. There is an eight year age gap between Robert and Elizabeth, so the likelihood for at least two more children is there. Her parents attended the Ministry of the Rev. John Warburton, at a Baptist Chapel.

South Australia
When Jane was 15 years of age, her family decided to emigrate to Australia. Her sister Harriet, however, was in love with a man by the name of Benjamin Pitman and they did not want to be separated. The Lucas family decided to pretend he was one of their children so he could make the journey with them. He travelled under the assumed name of 'Joseph Lucas'. It is possible (but not proven) that Jane's future husband travelled in the same way, under the name of 'DeNeufville' Lucas. There is reference to a 'DeNeufville Lucas' in some passenger lists for the 'Fairfield'. A person of that name did live in South Australia for a period but has been proven to be from a totally different Lucas family and is highly unlikey to have been in South Australia at that specific time (he arrived later). It is also possibe that the reference to a "DeNeufville" Lucas is purely a clerical error.

The family left their home in trowbridge on 10th July 1840, embarking two days later at Deptford, London on the ship "Fairfield". The journey lasted 5 months, with the family arriving in South Australia on 14/12/1840. The family claimed that several children died at sea during the journey. Consideing the gap in ages between children Robert and Elizabeth, this is highly possible, but is also possible that this was a story designed to hide the real fate of Benjamin Pitman and possibly Jane's future husband. 35 passengers are recorded to have died during the voyage and there were 5 births.

Jane and her family can not be located in the 1841 census for South Australia and the birth of her sister Elizabeth in 1841 is not recorded. It is possible that the family were still living roughly at that time, as information from Benjamin Pitman's family indicates they spent some time living under a gum tree and in tents on the banks of the River Torrens. Jane's obituary however, points to the family living "at the Sturt" for a few years, where she recalled walking through the bush to Adelaide to do the shopping. By February 1842, they were living in the Walkerville area. Sister Harriet is beleived to have started work at Government House for Governor Gawler, as is father Robert as a gardener. This information is yet to be proven.

Marriage
Our first official record of Jane in Australia (besides her arrival) is her marriage to Charles De Laine at Holy Trinity Church in Adelaide, South Australia on 13th March 1843. The witnesses were Janes' parents, Robert & Jane Lucas (nee Moon), with Rev. Charles Beaumont Howard officiating. Charles was of French origin, born in Le Harve in approximately 1818. Charles gave his occupation at the time as servant. Soon after the marriage, Charles took up butchering as his trade.

It will require international research to determine exact details of the early life of Jane's husband. Another story that leads strongly to Charles arrival in Australia is that he deserted a sealing or whaling vessel. Maureen M Leadbetter states that Charles deserted the French whaling ship "Mississipi" in approximately 1838/1839. There is definitive evidence of the "Mississippi" being in New Zealand and Australian waters several times between 1836 and 1839, including a whole winter in Cloudy Bay in New Zealand. There was also a stop over in Hobart in January 1838. The Port Lincoln Herald newspaper reports the "Mississippi" stopping at Port Lincoln in South Austalia on 8th October 1839, for water and provisions, staying for 9 days. In Shipping Arrivals and Departures SA 1627-1850, RT Sexton states that the ship departed Port Lincoln on the 17th October for New Zealand, but had to return that night to entrap 2 deserters, the ship eventually arriving in New Zealand on 28/2/1840. Where Sexton obtained the information about the deserteres is not known. It is possible that he refers to a file in the South Australian State Library called French Whaling Masters, Reports and Declarations of. Recorded in French, it details a series of questions put to the masters on their return. Some reports list the names of those on board. Reel 2 includes the voyages of the "Mississippi". The end of the report for the 1838 voyage has 'signe' followed by a list of names including "Laine". The home port of the "Mississippi" was Le Harve where Charles states he was born, and being on board a whaling ship is a likely place for him to have learnt the butchering trade that he practised long in his life. More investigation on the whaling ship "Mississippi" is required to prove if this is a true connection.



The Police Force
Jane and Charles spent the early part of their married life in Sturt Street, Adelaide. It was in Sturt Street that they had all of their 12 children, two dying in infancy. The children took on several names - such as Berenice, Isabella and Casper - which may give clues to Charles family.

On the 16th April 1845, Charles joined the South Australian Police Force. His service record gave his year and place of birth, stated his previous occupation as butcher, and listed him as 5 foot 7 inches tall, married and with no religion stated. For the next 25 years, Charles had an 'on & off' relationship with the police force, joining and resigning and re-joining again at a later date. It is beleived that resigning and rejoining was caused by the shortage of money in the Colony of South Australia to pay its Police Force. He was made a Detective Constable in 8th April 1867 and then a Police Constable on 15th April 1867, only to be retrenched on 30th November 1869. Charles was so distraught by the situation that he felt compelled to write a letter to the Chief Secretary about his situation. It reads:-

"I have the honour to make application for a subordinate situation under Government, being one of the unfortunate Police Office discharged from the foot Police on account of the retrenchment. I beg most resepctfully to state that in my late capacity I served the Government well and truly as certified by my testimonal enclosed. I therefore humbly request that any situation suited to my capacity at the disposal of the Government may be given to me as I have a family of nine children dependent on me for support. I feel mine to be a hard case, meriting at least the kindly consideration of the Government. Sir I beg further to state that when I last joined the Police Force in 1867 that I was recommended by Chief Justice Hasidon and John Brown esq. And several other gentlemen with an unblemished character. I have been here 30 years and was a Police officer in the early days of this Colony. Sir being a Frenchman I hope that you will excuse some of my English in this letter, trusting to Providence and your kind consideration."



Norwood
Charles returned to the butchering trade and conducted a sausage making business from a premises in Sultram Place in Adelaide. In 1876, he moved to a cottage that is today 25 Clark Street, Norwood. He contonued the processing of smallgoods at the rear of the home, until 1883 when a butcher shop was built for the purpose on The Parade at Norwood. When Charles died on 18th June 1886 of asthma, he left all his good and property to Jane. Jane convinced her son Leon (Mathurin Charles Leon De Laine junior)to leave his trade to take over the smallgoods business. One of his brothers joined him in the partnership as he had learnt the smallgoods business, and the shop remined in family hands until 1948.

Charles was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.



Jane would outlive her husband by 23 years. Her children and their spouses all gathered for her 80th birthday at Norwood in 1905. She was afflecited by blindness in her later years, but remained cheerful and was active in domestic duties. It is even said that she performed domestic duties the evening before her death. She had been feeling ill for about a week and the heat of the summer was also affecting her.

Jane died on the 3rd January 1909, leaving a will that divided her property amongst her children. 8 were alive upon her death, as were 50 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren. Jane was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery with her husband.



Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jane De Laine
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jane De Laine