Sarah Jane Watson

  Noted events in her life were:

• note. Kevin Parkes notes:
Sarah Jane was also known as 'Jane' or 'Janet' , Named Janett at birth, after her mother.
Granny Jarvis as she was known never spoke about her family & now we know why - she was raised in an orphanage from the age of one year & never knew her family.

Note: The following information supplied by Patricia Evans & greatly appreciated, after much work on her part.
Janett was born about October or November 1827 at 22 Phillip Street, Sydney Town, a daughter of George Watson & his wife Janet Wright. When her mother died on the night of 21st February 1828, Janett, along with her sister Margaret & brothers George & William, were put into the relevant institutes.
George Watson was a convict and his wife Janet arrived 2 years later with their two children from Scotland as part of the scheme to re-unite convicts & their families. They added two more children (William & Janet) to their family before Janet, the mum, died. All four children were admitted to the orphanages. The baptism of Janet Watson, orphaned child of George & Janet Watson was baptised after she was admitted to the orphanage. Both her and her brother Willian (aged 4) were admitted on the same day, 26 February 1828, her brother George & sister Margaret being admitted several days later & then apprenticed out.
Young janet was to spend her young life in the orphanage until she was ten years old & then apprenticed out about July 1838, as a housemaid to David Maziere (a settler) of Dural. She was later returned to the orphanage until again she was assigned in 1842 as a housemaid to Robert Dawson for a period of 3 years 6 months - Janet absconding from this assignment on 17th November 1844. Robert Dawson had recently (1840) arrived in the Monaro to take over the management of 'Jillamatong Station' which his father had purchased. The venture at 'Jillamatong' was not a success & Robert by 1847, had already sought employment from the Crown. It is known that Robert was an inexperienced young man of 28 years when he took on 'Jillamatong' and he did not have a wife to help with the running. The photo of Robert Dawson was taken much later in life possibly 1870. The harshness of the life & conditions, without a womans guidance may have been the reason for Janet absconding??
Janet did not meet up with Henry Gardner until about 1846/1847 so it is not known where she worked for the missing two years, but obviously she would have kept a low profile. Her life after she met Henry Gardner is well documented.

Sarah married Henry Gardener. (Henry Gardener was born in 1798 in England UK, christened on 8 Jan 1819 on board the 'Globe' on way to Australia as a convict, died on 12 Mar 1850 in Yass, NSW Australia and was buried on 14 Mar 1850 in Yass, NSW Australia.)