John Ahong, Launceston (2)

Watchmaker in Wellington and Elizabeth Streets, Launceston
Married Jane Hamilton 1856, but marriage was short-lived.
Seems to disappear after 1860.
Not sure if this is the same person as Ahong who was sent from Mauritius.


Cornwall-Chronicle, 8 March 1851

ROBBING A CHINAMAN.- John McDonnel, a free man, has been committed to take his trial for stealing a watch belonging to Ahong, a Chinaman, who keeps a shop in Wellington-street. The prisoner went to the shop and said he wanted to buy a watch, and whilst Ahong was taking one down, the prisoner helped himself to another, and an being accused of it, abused the Chinaman and spat in his face, but as he was leaving the shop he dropped the watch on a bag.
Launceston Examiner, 17 December 1853

MAGISTRATE IN A Fix.—At the police office on Saturday last, thirteen emigrants from the celestial empire, arrayed in apparel peculiar to their country, and headed by Ahong the watchmaker, of Wellington-street, who assumed the character of interpreter for his less-learned countrymen; applied to the police magistrate under the following circumstances:–They stated that they had emigrated (?) in the Dutch schooner Melvine, under the agreement that the captain should land them in Melbourne from Canton for the sum of seventy dollars. The captain had received the passage money and brought them here, but refused to pay for their transmission across the Straits. This was the cause of complaint, and in substantiation of their claim, to amazement of the police magistrate, they placed in hand an agreement written in the Dutch language, and bespattered with Chinese hieroglyphics. Mr. Gunn said it was too much to expect a police magistrate to understand the Dutch and Chinese languages, and handed tile document to Dr. Dasey, who happened to be sitting on the bench at the time The doctor may have seen some “enigmatical prescriptions” during his professional career, but the one now placed before him appeared to mystical for him to decipher. The police bench declined to interfere in the matter.
Cornwall Chronicle, 22 June 1854

The Malvine. — This schooner (Dutch) from Canton is now discharging tea, She was 63 days on her passage, and spoke a schooner in the Straits of Sumla bound for this port or Melbourne. Thirteen Chinese emigrants came in the Malvine for the purpose of joining some of their countrymen at the diggings. They had not enough money to pay for their passage, but Along, a Chinese who keeps a watch-maker’s shop in Wellington-street, made up the deficiency out of his private puree.
Cornwall Chronicle, 17 June 1854


Launceston Examiner, 31 March 1855

Free Certificate, 5 October 1855 Launceston

Yesterday, Mr. John Ahong, watchmaker, of Wellington-street, was charged by Mr. Hughes, who follows the same business in Elizabeth-street, with receiving or buying a stolen watch which the latter had missed previously out of his case. Mr. Ahong said, he got it from a bushman, in exchange for cash and another watch. He was liberated to find the bush man, and the watch remains in the hands of the police.
Cornwall Chornicle, 10 November 1855

A STOLEN WATCH.—On Sunday, the 28th ult., a gold hunting watch was missed from the shop of Mr. Hughes, watchmaker, Elizabeth-street, and on the following day he gave information of his loss to the police. Nothing more was heard of the watch until Thursday, last, when, oddly enough, a man named Slater brought it to Mr. Hughes, to have a glass refitted to it. Mr. Hughes immediately recognizing the watch, handed it over to Detective Constable Rose, stating the circumstances under which it had returned to his possession. Slater on being questioned as to how he came by it, said he had given a person named Sturzaker, £2, in money, and two old watches for it. Sturzaker was at once sought out, and corroborated Slater’s statement, adding that he had bought the watch from Mr. A’ Hong, the watchmaker in Wellington-street, for £3 10s. A’Hong was next spoken with on the subject, and said he had bought the watch of a man for £2 10s., but was unable to say who the man was,-whether he was tall or short, stout or thin fair or dark, young or old, and in fact, he could give no information whatever respecting him. Under these. circumstances, A’Hong was given into custody, but was released on bail, to the amount of £500. On Friday morning, the police magistrate beard the statement of Mr. Hughes, who said the worth of the watch was about £7 ; and notwithstanding the low price at which A’Hong stated he had purchased it, and the fact of his inability to give any information respecting the seller, he was discharged from custody, the police magistrate cautioning him against appearing again, and desiring him to hold himself in readiness for any further, enquiry that might ensue.
People’s Advocate , 12 November 1855

23 January 1856 Married Jane Hamilton, at the Independent Chapel in Tamar St, Launceston


Cornwall Chronicle, 9 February 1856


Cornwall-Chronicle, 13 February 1856

A STORMY HONEYMOON. — On Wednesday last Captain Drew, with Messrs. Evans and Cleveland, were occupied for a long time at the Police-Office, investigating a claim made by Mrs. Ahong on her husband, Mr. John Ahong, of Wellington-street, for maintenance, stating, that she had been turned out of doors without cause. Mr. Byron Miller appeared for Mr. Ahong, and Mr. Rocher aided the claim of his better half. The case caused considerable amusement to a more than usually full audience. It appeared that the parties had only been married three weeks, and yet a great many rows had taken place among them ; that she occasionally stopped out all night, or returned at unseasonable hours, for which offences she had been forgiven ; but on the nights of Wednesday and Thursday, the 6th and 7th instants, having again remained from home, without cause, Mr. Ahong refused to admit her on Friday morning, and in consequence of this, she had made her claim for maintenance. Since her marriage she had charged a Mrs. Downs of robbing her of 10s. in a public-house, but did not prosecute. She had, on the other hand, been charged by Hr. Horatio Biddle, with chasing him through Wellington-street, for the purpose of stabbing him with a carving knife : this case was, however, dismissed. Mrs. Ahong contended that she slept at home both on Wednesday and Thursday nights; but this was refuted by Mr. William Townsend, who swore he slept with Mr. Ahong himself on those nights. Mrs. Ahong received permission to leave the office in search of witnesses to support her testimony, and returned with Mr. Shipley, who was not sworn, as the justices had heard enough about the case to understand its merits (if it possessed any), and were only puzzled about how to decide. Mr. Shipley said that he, when passing Mr. Ahong’s on the Thursday evening, saw Mr. and Mrs. Ahong standing inside their own door, and that they appeared to be on very good terms, he (Mr. Shipley) was of opinion that Mrs. Ahong would make a very excellent wife, if the neighbours didn’t interfere between them. The magistrates requested the husband to give complainant a small sum weekly, and let them live separate ; but John shook his head, saying, if she liked to return and live without drink, he would love her better than his mother, and he could make a good living for her. The justices and legal gentlemen both advised her to do so, and she consented, but with a very bad grace, saying, he had sold everything off the day before, and what sort of a home was that to go to, with nothing in it ? Mr. Miller elicited, in cross-examining Mrs. Ahong, that she was an immigrant, had arrived in the colony by the name of Jane Dougherty, her real name being Jane Hamilton: it was the doctor who made the mistake.
Cornwall Chronicle, 16 February 1856

Passenger list for Maid of Yarra, arrived Melbourne, 25 February 1856 lists “Ahong, Single Male, 30[?], Chinese” (but crossed out).


Launceston Examiner, 3 April 1856
List of Persons entitled to be placed on the Electoral Roll for the Return of Members of the House of Assembly for the Electoral District of Launceston.

Suing for Maintenance:. — Mr John A’Hong, Watchmaker of Elizabeth-street, appeared at the Police Office yesterday, before his Worship the Mayor, and Alderman Cohen, to answer the complaint, on information of his wife, Jane A’Hong who deposed that she had one child by her husband, who had deserted her in June, 1856, and refused to support her. The Bench directed the defendant to pay 10s per week into the hands of the Police Clerk, for the maintenance of his wife and child.
Cornwall Chronicle, 29 June 1859

John A Hong appealed against a decision arrived at by the Mayor and Alderman Cohen, by which appellant was ordered to pay 10s per week for the support of two of his wife’s children. Mr Rocher appeared on behalf of appellant, and stated that Jane A’Hong had deserted her husband on the day after she was married’ to appellant, and in consequence of her conduct or misconduct rather, appellant had to sell off, and leave the colony, and during his absence Jane A’Hong had managed by some means to get two children ; as the children were not those of defendant, he did not feel inclined to pay for their support, and he therefore made that application to the Court to quash order made by the bench in Petty Sessions. He believed that tho Magistrates who made the order had since come to the knowledge of certain facts which had altered their opinion, and they were disposed to agree with him that the order should be quashed.
[continued]
Cornwall Chronicle, 20 August 1859

Wong Athek, a Chinese, was charged by Detective Senbridge with stealing during the present month one gold ring and a quantity of rice, the property of John A’Hong, of Launceston. A’Hong deposed that about three weeks since the ring now produced was stolen from his window. The prisoner was in the habit of coming into witness’s shop, and he was there on the day the ring was missing. Yesterday witness missed a quantity of rice from his shop.

Detective Seabridge deposed that on taking the prisoner into custody he found the articles claimed by A’Hong in the prisoner’s possession, and also a key which unlocked some of the doors in prosecutor’s house. The prisoner said that he bought the articles from A’Hong. A’Hong positively denied that the prisoner bought the ring from him; it was a smaller one. The Bench sentenced the prisoner to six months imprisonment with hard labor.
Launceston Examiner, 22 October 1859

One celestial Robbing Another.
Wong Atick, notwithstanding a very voluble defence he made, was convicted of stealing a gold finger ring, the property of John Ahong, watchmaker, of Elizabeth street. Other articles had been stolen as well but that was the only one Mr Ahong could identify. The prisoner had been apprehended by Detective Constable Seabridge with the ring and other articles in his possession, and amongst them a key which opened all Mr. Ahong’s doors. Wong Atick had formerly been residing with Mr Ahong, but had been expelled. The bench sentenced him to six months imprisonment with hard labor.

Cornwall Chronicle, 22 October 1859

Henry Thom Sing


Tasmanian, 26 July 1879

Pioneers of the Tasmanian North East
Henry Thom Sing, Chinese entrepreneur, and the Arthur River gold rush 1872

Chinese Gold Diggers.— A party of six Chinamen with well stocked baskets borne on their shoulders from bamboo yokes, and with tools and other appliances, left the hospitable stores of Messrs. Peters Barnard and Go. early on Thursday morning to proceed on board the steamer Annie, en route for the Brandy Creek diggings, on the West Tamar. Ah You, a Chinese fisherman, arrived from Melbourne last week with this party and he proceeded to Ilfracombe, with the intention of establishing a fishing station and fish-curing depot in that locality. Mr Tom Sing, a very intelligent Chinaman, and a good interpreter, having visited Melbourne on a matrimonial speculation returned here last week with Mrs. Ah Sing, and he is making arrangements for large parties of his countrymen coming over to our diggings from several of the Victorian gold-fields.
The Tasmanian, 29 June 1872

Certificate of Naturalization, 1882
(Says he arrived on Tamar, 1868. If there was a Tamar taking passengers in 1868, it’s left no record.)

Marraige, 1884


Daily Telegraph, 24 May 1912

Mr Henry Thom Sing, who carried on business as a Chinese merchant in St. John-street, died yesterday at the age of 67 years. Deceased was one of the first Chinese to settle in Launceston, having arrived here from his native country 48 years ago. Amongst his countrymen, especially, deceased was highly respected. For many years he filled the position of interpreter to the Government.
Daily Telegraph, 24 May 1912

The late Mr Henry Thom Sing was one of best known amongst the Chinese residents in the State. For many years he carried on the business of a merchant in Launceston, and was a familiar figure in the city. The removal of the remains of deceased from his late residence in St John-street was witnessed by a large crowd of persons yesterday afternoon. The funeral was lengthy, and amongst others who joined in the mournful procession were quote[?] a hundred Chinese, several having journeyed from the North-Eastern mining fields and various parts of the State to pay their last tribute of respect to one who had acted as their advisor and friend. Deceased was buried in the Carr Villa Cemetery.
Daily Telegraph, 27 May 1912