The preferred Woolley family story of John Ensor Woolley suggests he was a ships’ Captain in the English Navy. Upon arriving in the colonies, he met Emily Andrews, his soon to be wife, fell in love and jumped ship. An opposing version of this tale is that John Ensor travelled to Australia as a first mate, arrived in Williamstown Victoria and chose not to return to the homeland. No matter which story one scribes to, John Ensor’s position, the name of his ship and the exact reason for settling in the colonies remains unconfirmed.
John Ensor Woolley was born on 30 June 1855 to John Woolley and Rosina Bradbury. He grew up in their family home at 85 Hurst Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. John Woolley, John Ensor’s father, worked as a Tool Broker, an occupation also held by his father, while the broader Woolley family produced ceremonial swords in Birmingham.
The only known image of John Ensor depicts him
wearing what appears to be a Captain’s hat, giving rise to the original
family story.
John Ensor was listed in the UK Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, a list
of those indentured to navy ships between 1824-1910. Those listed were required,
under the Merchant Seaman Act 1823, to be on-board any ship over 80 tons. He also
denoted himself as a ‘Mariner of Williamstown’ on his marriage certificate and
was listed as a Mariner on his death certificate, so we can conclude that he may
have been a mariner of some kind.
It is, however, unlikely he was a Captain. There is no trace of John Ensor
listed in English registers of ships’ Captains, masters of mates, nor the
index was he listed as having been issued a Marine Certificate of Competency,
which was required between 1970-1923.
The suggestion that as a Captain, or first mate, John Ensor jumped ship is also
hard to prove. At the time this was a serious offence, and while it did occur it
was rare. John Ensor also wasn’t listed in the Victorian Deserters from Ships
index 1853-1880, nor did his information line up with any unnamed deserters.
So while we are unable to verify the year and reason for migration, due to a
lack of documentation, his death certificate issued in 1905 states that John had
occupied Victoria for 28 years which would indicate an arrival in Australia in
1877. At the time, John would have been 22 years old – very young for a Captain
during this period.
Upon arrival in the colonies, John Ensor met Emily Andrews from Beaufort,
Victoria. Her family, until recently had owned and operated the Golden Age
Hotel in Beaufort. On the 20th May 1878 John married Victorian, Emily Andrews
in Fitzroy, and as Emily was 18 years old at the time, her parents permitted
and signed their marriage certificate.
The couple went on to have seven children; Rosina Emily, Amelia May,
Frederick William, Elsie Emily, Francis Arthur, Eliza Florence, Gertrude Ellen.
The family lived in Williamstown, Victoria. John’s occupation was listed as a
mariner, while Emily as a shop assistant.
Williamstown, at this stage, had been colonised and developed. The first sale
of land occurred in 1837. The colonies had established a reputation as
“the working man’s paradise”. This coupled with promising economic prospects,
became an attractive place for settlement. For example, while the gold rush has
begun in 1851, it’s effects continued well into the 1870’s.
John Ensor passed away on 25 September 1905 at the age of 50 years from an
aortic aneurism. He was buried in Williamstown, Victoria.
His death certificate is particularly insightful as it indicates the number of
years he occupied Victoria, confirms his birthplace of Birmingham and his
marriage to Emily.