The Family of the Rev Dr Daniel KEITH (1757-1811) and Jane McPHERSON (1776-1824)
The Family of Edward Joseph KEITH and Louisa HANKS - his Mistress
Edward was not alone in Sydney society in having children with both his wife and his mistress. It would appear that several of his colleagues were in the same situation. Here I cover
his family with Louisa HANKS. His other family, with his wife Ann Boleyn KEITH is here.
Louisa HANKS
Louisa HANKS was the youngest of the eight children of James HANKS and Sarah TRAPNELL. Both were convicts. James was convicted at Oxford on 5 March 1794, sentenced to 7 years and
arrived in Sydney on the Barwell in 1798. Sarah was convicted on 14 July 1800 at Bristol, was sentenced to 7 years and arrived in the Earl Cornwallis in June 1801.
James HANKS==========v==========Sarah TRAPNELL
1776-1842 | 1774-1828
|
|
|--------|---------|--------|-----------|----------|----------|----------|
Sarah Harriet Mary William Elizabeth Phoebe Phillis Louisa HANKS Patrick TROY===V===Elizabeth SMITH
1802 1804 1805 1806 1808 1811 1813 1814-1897 1786-1828 m:1818 | 1797-1877
| |
| |
Edward Joseph KEITH======================v==================================================|=========v=========Thomas TROY
1802-1837 Mistress m:1843 1819-1898
| |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------| |------|------|-------|
Edward James Isabella Alfred George Emily Mary George Louisa Thomas Sydney Clara
1832-1902 1833-1910 1836-1929 1843-1921 1845-1883 1848-1925 1849-1937 1852-1901 1855-1920 1858-1933
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |-------------------|
m:1854 m:1858 m1:1856 m2:1889
Charlotte WEBB Joseph WATSON Frances WEBB Agnes DONALD/COLE/CEENEY
1829-1891 1834-1904 1839-1885 1837-1906
| | | |
| 10 child. |
|-----------| |---------|---------|---------|-------|---------|---------|-------|---------|---------|--------|
Louisa Alfred Edward Sydney Ernest Clara George Isabella Oscar Andrew Florence Minnie Oswald
1854-1933 1856-1928 1857-1919 1858-1914 1861-1955 1863- 1865-1942 1867-1959 1869-1881 1871-? 1873-1882 1876-1962 1883-1968
| |-----------------| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | | |------------------------------------------------|
m: 1874 m1:1878 m2:1892 m1:1882 m2:1893
James Angelina Ann Elizabeth Susan
CARTWRIGHT COMER HEARES FREER CARTWRIGHT
1851-1916 1858-1886 1874-1958 1861-1891 1870-1954
| |----------| | |--------|---------|---------------| |----------|-----------|
Victor Eveline 7 Sidney Francis Annie Elizabeth Iris William Daphne Minnie
1879-1954 1880-1960 1884 1886-1969 1888-1933 1891-1985 1894-1971 1895-1977 1901-1976
| | | | | | | | |
m:1908 m:1909 m:1915
Mary Jane Herbert Reginald
CARTWRIGHT CARTWRIGHT BENTON
|--------| | |
Victor William
1909-1909 1909-?
|
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 |
|
|
| Harriett |
1804 |
1838: Thomas ROWE
1839 Willies SHERWIN |
|
| 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 |
 |
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:
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.
|
Edward James KEITH |
Charlotte WEBB |
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
|
| 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...
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Last updated: 07 Aug 2025
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