John Suffolk, the case of the man who didn't age

John Suffolk died on the 18th of November 1852 'aged 65' from natural causes related to intemperance, which would make his year of birth somewhere around 1787. (1) But was he actually 69? John Suffolk was illiterate and seems to have lost track of time for the period between his conviction and his marriage in Australia to fellow convict Elizabeth Cockshall.



A year after his death, the undertaker/carpenter who dealt with his remains remembered his death being on or about the 16th of September 1852. (2) The cover of his probate packet, and as a result the index at the NSW State Archives & Records, has his date of death at 1853.

On the 11th of October 1832, his Certificate of Freedom shows his birth year as 1784. (They probably didn't ask him about it as it seems too close to being accurate.)



At the November 1828 NSW census, John was 42 (born about 1786) and his wife Elizabeth was 26 (1802).

1818 to 1821 was a very long and horrible year for John.

Heading back to the 15th of May, 1821, John Suffolk married Elizabeth Cockshall. At this time John said he was 35 (1786), and Elizabeth said she was 21 (she was really more like 19).

On the 11th of March, 1819, John Suffolk arrived in Australia on the Lord Sidmouth. His convict indent records him as 35 (1784).

The 20th of July 1818 finds our John waiting for transportation in the prison hulk Justicia. He was 35 (1873).

The 35-year-old John went to trial about the 6th of July 1818.

In May or June of 1815, John appeared in the census of Newbury, Berkshire, aged 32 (phew!), so born in the first half of 1783 or end of 1782, with his wife or female life partner Sarah Anson and their two children Amelia (aged 9) and Joseph ('1'). This is interesting because Joseph's son seemed to think he was born towards the end of 1815 when registering his death. One of Joseph's daughters was named 'Sarah Anson Suffolk.'

Currently, the most likely record of John's birth I can find is that of a John Suffolk, baptised on the 10th of March 1813 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, the illegitimate son of Mary Suffolk. This is currently unconfirmed but other researchers also have his birth in Nuneaton.




1. New South Wales Births Deaths and Marriages index, reference: 631/1852 V1852631 110,
Coroner's report from State Archives NSW; Series: 2921; Item: 4/6613; Roll: 343

2. Item Series 1-2769 / John Suffolk Date of death 16 September 1853, Granted on 5 December 1853