Australian Royalty: Genealogy of the colony of NSW

James Mileham (1763?-1824), surgeon, was reputedly forced to emigrate from France because of the French revolution.

Commissioned assistant surgeon, he arrived in the colony aboard the ship Ganges in 1797.

Common law

Soon after his arrival in the colony Mileham formed an alliance with Elizabeth Price, by whom he had several children, but only a daughter Lucy (b.1799), who later married Samuel Otoo Hassall, survived infancy

He became relief to surgeon Jamison on Norfolk Island. There luck deserted him. Jamison collected but failed to transmit his pay; his English agent failed; he was denied an allowance due to him. Returning to Sydney he was forced to sell his land.
A baby son died in 1803, as did all Elizabeth's subsequent children. An appointment to Newcastle terminated in arrest for disobedience; back in Sydney he was publicly reprimanded for not attending a midwifery case.

He was appointed as surgeon and magistrate at the in Sep 1808 and 600 acres were granted to himself and daughter Lucy in Upper Nelson.
In appreciation of perhaps his medical services to the late Andrew Thompson, Macquarie invited him to dine two nights running on his December visit. If Elizabeth was excluded from the guest list, so too was Arndell's lawfully wedded convict wife.
Doctor Mileham's activities replaced those of Mason in the pages of the 'Gazette'; attending a fatal carriage accident, treating a snakebite victim, viewing a murdered corpse, or Mary Ezzy struck down by lightning on her wedding day. Joseph Harpur named his infant son for the good doctor. But his patients were slow payers, and as he reminded them he was not without his own obligations. With the failure of his second London agent he had again to sell his lands, even a 700 acre grant at Illawarra.

"...The humble memorial of James Mileham assistant surgeon
Respectfully states
that memorialist has been fourteen years in this settlement and its dependencies employed in his professional duty and on all occasions [illegible] his best [illegible] for the benefit of the colony.
That memorialist in consequence of some disappointments in his private expeditions which produced an embarrassment in his circumstances was induced to apply to Colonel Paterson for a grant of land and that gentlemen was pleased to give memorialist six hundred acres.
May it therefore please Your Excellency to take into your gracious consideration these circumstances and..."

in mid 1811 he sat on the newly formed Windsor Bench as magistrate for Castlereagh and from 1814 was sole commissioner of turnpike roads, until joined by two others in 1816. He was also invloved publicly and privately in good works; with Fizgerald deputed to present the Waterloo fund subscriptions to the Governor in 1816; connected with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Benevolence; inaugural committeeman of the Bible Society of New South Wales and vice president of the local branch; a subscriber to the Ebenezer church in 1817, a good friend to the Methodist cause, a moving force behind the formation of the Benevolent Society (and its treasurer), donor of two guineas at the inauguration of colonial poor relief in 1818.

GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL ORDERS.
Head Quarters, Sydney,
Saturday, 8th June, 1811.
HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR has been pleased to appoint the Reverend Robert Cartwright a Justice of Peace and Magistrate, in the Township of Wilberforce. - HIS EXCELLENCY has also been please to appoint James Mileham, Esq. a Justice of Peace and Magistrate for the Township of Castlereagh, both which Places are in the County of Cumberland; and they are to be obeyed and respected accordingly. HIS EXCELLENCY directs, that a Bench of Magistrates, consisting of William Cox, Esq. the Reverend Robert Cartwright, and James Mileham, Esq. shall assemble every Saturday until further Orders, at Windsor, for the Dispatch of all magisterial Business from the several adjoining Districts and Townships of Richmond, Castlereagh, Wilberforce and Pitt-Town,"

Civil officers
Mr. Mileham per the ship Ganges
Children of Civil Officers - Lucy Mileham, born in the colony

Susan Kable daughter of Henry Kable of Windsor was married to James Mileham Assistant Surgeon at Windsor by Rev. W. Cowper in Jun 1819, a licence having been obtained 21 May 1819

Susannah was very much involved in care for the family. She was a close friend of Lucy Mileham, her mother and her father Dr James Mileham. When Susannah married the widowed Dr Mileham, in 1819, he was a very sick man, nearly blind and prematurely aged. He died a few years later despite every care and attention. Susan received an annual income of 100 pounds for life. She 'adopted' her young niece, Emmaline Gaudry, the child of her sister, Diana. Susannah brought Emmaline up to become a well educated and accomplished woman. After Emmaline married John Wild, squire of Vanderville, The Oaks, New South Wales, Susannah joined them. Susannah became the much-loved great-aunt of all the Wild children.

James Mileham, free, 54
Susanna Kable, free, 24
Married 2 Jun 1819 by special license

Financial troubles remained despite his new marriage to a much younger Susannah Kable after his wife Elizabeth had died. An 1820 judgment won against Campbell, his agent's former trading partner. 'Poor Dr. Mileham is badly involved in his temporal circumstances, much worse than when you knew him', a colleague told the Reverend Leigh.
In 1821 he pleaded to retire on full pay - he had lately suffered ill-health and anxiety of mind, and at 57, could not much longer be a burden on his country. Macquarie, pending approval from England, granted him paid leave.

DIED—At his residence in Pitt-street, on Tues-
day morning last, after a lingering and painful
illness, which he sustained with pious resignation,
JAMES MILEHAM, Esq. This Gentleman came to
the Colony almost on its establishment—having
been here a period bordering on 30 years. For
many years Mr. Mileham was Senior Assistant Sur-
geon on the Colonial Establishment in which im-
portant situation he had rendered himself univer-
sally respected and beloved. Latterly, however,
from bodily infirmity, principally originating in
devotedness to public duty, Dr. Mileham found it
necessary to retire into more private life. Dr. M.
was a Justice of the Peace for the Territory, and
had been so long in that elevated and arduous
post, as to form only the fourth on the long List
of our present distinguished Magistracy. Dr.
Mileham will long survive in the remembrance of
his numerous friends ; while his deprivation will
be sincerely deplored by an affectionate widow.

James MILEHAM a J.P. and Senior Assistant Surgeon of this Territory
died 28th September 1824 aged 60 years.
He arrived in the Colonies 1796
Erected by his widow.
(Remains reinterred later at La Perouse).