Janet Millett (1821–1904) was an English writer about life in Western Australia in the 1860s, best known for her book An Australian Parsonage or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia.
Early years
She was born Janet Webster in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire on 17 July 1821. She was the fourth of nine children of Joseph Webster and Maria Mary Payne.Duperouzel, William Thomas, Sunset Over Mount Douraking p1 published 15 June 2019 https://duperouzel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milletts_Book.pdf
The Websters were a Presbyterian family who operated a blade mill in Perry Barr, Birmingham, from the 1740s and soon afterwards developed a wire drawing business at Perry Mills.A Birmingham Company - Webster & Horsfall Ltd (whgroup.org) The business flourished from 1842 under the stewardship of Baron Dickinson Webster, Janet’s older brother. In 1859 Baron amalgamated the business with that of James Horsfall, the inventor of patent steel wire. The Websters specialised in exporting piano wire to Continental Europe and Horsfall specialised in high-tensile wire used in the manufacturing of needles and other items. Baron was successful in the production of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866 which was laid by the ship SS Great Eastern designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and became a man of prominence.The Atlantic Telegraph Cable - Webster & Horsfall (Holdings) Limited (whgroup.org)
Janet, aged 32, married a Church of England clergyman, the Reverend Edward Millett, aged 29, in St Saviour’s Church in the Manor of Tor Mohun, Devon, on 31 March 1853.The Morning Chronicle (London) newspaper 6 April 1853 p8 British Newspaper Archives www.britishnewspaperarchives.oc.ukDuperouzel, William Thomas, Sunset Over Mount Douraking p7 published 15 June 2019 https://duperouzel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milletts_Book.pdf , Edward was the son of George Millett, a clergyman, and Elizabeth Amelia Agnew and was born in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, on 23 May 1824.Duperouzel, William Thomas, Sunset Over Mount Douraking p5 published 15 June 2019 https://duperouzel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milletts_Book.pdf He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a B.A. in 1847. He followed in his father’s footsteps and was ordained a deacon on 15 June 1851 and became a priest on 6 June 1852.Morning Post newspaper (London), Saturday 21 June 1851 p. 3 under the heading "Ordinations on Trinity Sunday", "E. Millett, B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge was ordained deacon on 15 June 1851 by the Archbishop of York, at York.Morning Post (London) newspaper, Thursday 10 June 1852 p.6 His Grace the Archbishop of York held an ordination in his cathedral on Sunday last, when Rev. Edward Millett B.A. Trinity College, Cambridge entered into Holy Orders as a Priest.
Edward Millett was the curate of St Andrew's ChurchGlaston Church | Leicestershire & Rutland Church Journal (leicestershirechurches.co.uk)Aris's Birmingham Gazette 11 April 1853 in Glaston, Rutland. The couple later lived in Wales where Edward was the curate at St Mary's Church, Pembroke.
Janet and Edward may have been influenced to go to Australia by having attended the International Exhibition of 1862 where Australia was one of 36 countries represented. They would have seen an impressive collection of Western Australian products and artefacts on display and have studied the descriptive catalogue.Millett, Janet. Introduction by Rica Erickson to the facsimile version of An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) The couple’s decision to go to Western Australia was due to Edward’s ill health for he suffered from a condition called tic douloureux. This was a terribly painful neurological disorder which caused convulsive face-twitching for which he took morphine to relieve the pain. It was hoped the warmer climate would go some way to improve Edward’s health.
In 1863, Edward accepted the position as colonial chaplain of the Holy Trinity Church, York, Western Australia.
Arrival in Western Australia
Janet and Edward left England on board the ship Tartar on 26 August 1863 and arrived in Fremantle 110 days later, on 13 December 1863."Tartar" passenger list, arrivals at Fremantle, Western Australia 14 December 1863. State Records Office, SRO, Perth, Western Australia Cons 36; Item 530The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday 16 December 1863 p2 National Library of Australia, NLA. Trove article 66014269. www.trove.nla.gov.auThe Inquirer and Commercial News, Friday 18 December 1863, p2 National Library of Australia, NLA. Trove article 2934791. www.trove.nla.gov.auThe Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday 23 December 1863, p2 National Library of Australia, NLA. Trove article 66013917. www.trove.nla.gov.au In her book, Janet describes her sensation of pleasure at seeing Rottnest Island off the coast of Fremantle for the first time knowing it was only a matter of a few more hours before the Tartar would arrive in the town. Her pleasure was somewhat tinged with sadness, however, as she later reflects with compassion on the death of an emigrant’s child who died of illness and a sailor who drowned during the voyage.Duperouzel, William Thomas, Sunset Over Mount Douraking p13 published 15 June 2019 https://duperouzel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milletts_Book.pdf
Before saying goodbye to Fremantle, Janet gives a vivid description of the new town and the churches in chapter one of her book. They decided to travel to Perth by steamboat up the Swan River. Janet found the journey to her liking and described her first impressions of Perth, Mount Eliza, Perth Town Hall, Melville Water, Bishop's House, the Barracks of the Pensioner Force and Government House. She also described the fauna and flora which she clearly enjoyed.
Within a few weeks of their arrival Edward had preached at St George's Cathedral, Perth.The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday 23 December 1863, p2 The National Library of Australia, Trove article 66013917The Inquirer and Commercial News, Friday 18 December 1863, p2 National Library of Australia, Trove article 2934791
Journey to York
Having accustomed themselves to life in the new Swan River Colony in Fremantle and Perth the couple set off on the journey to York to their new residence. Edward had set out from Perth before Janet who followed afterwards with one horse and a maidservant travelling in a hired dogcart, a light horse-drawn vehicle, driven by a convict. During the journey through some inhospitable countryside she had friendly encounters with convicts and hounds. She also got to know a large variety of wild flowers, red-gum trees, eucalyptus trees and shrubs.
Before arriving in York and taking up residency at the parsonage, Janet stopped at the descent of Cut Hill where she had her first view of the ridge of Mount Brown, beneath which was the parsonage.
Life in York
Janet settled into her new life in York which she called Barladong, and became very well known throughout the district. In her book she describes the determination of free settlers and convicts to do well for themselves such as her fascinating story about a French convict who later bought land and did very well.French convict p250. An Australian parsonage, or, The settler and the savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org] Janet was not a scandal monger, so her stories in An Australian Parsonage gave no offence.Millett, Janet. Introduction by Rica Erickson to the facsimile version of An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980)
Janet was captivated by the Aboriginal Noongar people and she describes how they reacted to the new arrivals from Europe. She relates stories that reflect her compassionate nature. On one occasion she was summoned to see a sick Aboriginal friend, Kitty, who was gravely ill. Kitty, with much difficulty pronounced the words, "Will you take my little girl?". "Take Binnahan - make good". Within a few days Kitty passed away and Binnahan came to live with Janet and Edward.Millett, Janet. Binnahan. pp139-140. An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org] The couple were also welcoming to the Aboriginal man Khourabene who became a loyal friend, as evident by Janet’s frequent warm references to him in her book. She was keen to learn the Aboriginal vocabulary and discovered from Khourabene that the word ‘me-ul’ signified ‘an eye’.Millett, Janet. Khourabene. p83. An Australian parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org]
Janet and Edward also enjoyed the companionship of some pet animals, amongst them was a kangaroo named ‘Jacky’;Millett, Janet. Jacky. pp194-196 An Australian parsonage, or, The settler and the savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org] and a possum, or koomal as Aboriginal people called them, called Possie.Millett, Janet. Possie. pp204-215 An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org] Janet recalls the occasion when her husband’s strange pet called ‘Timothy’, a Mountain Devil, went missing. Much to the delight of Edward, young ‘Timothy’ was found by a boy and returned.Millett, Janet. Timothy. pp184-185 An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org] She also helped with the rescue of a poor cow called ‘Mooley’, which had fallen into the river.Millett, Janet. Mooley. p115 An Australian Parsonage, or, the Settler and the Savage in Western Australia (Book, 1980) [WorldCat.org]
Janet was the second clergyman’s wife to accompany her husband to Western Australia in the early stages of the development of the Swan River Colony. The first to do so was Mary Wollaston, the wife of the Rev. John Ramsden Wollaston who was one of four missionaries who arrived at Fremantle in April 1841, some twenty years earlier. Mary’s journals and letters were never published in book form.
Janet’s husband visited the convict hiring depots and ticket-of-leave men as part of his role as pastor. He also joined in with other local community events as evident by a lecture he gave after a tea-meeting in the Mechanics’ Hall in 1866.Millett, Mr E. Tea-Meeting. Perth Gazette and West Australian Times, 2 November 1866 p2 National Library of Australia, NLA. Trove article 3748859. www.trove.nla.gov.au
Vilification towards Janet's husband
Janet was deeply troubled after years of hostility and innuendoes towards her husband from Walkinshaw Cowan, Resident Magistrate of York and Beverley, whose vilification started soon after the couple’s arrival in York. Cowan also withheld stipends due to Edward for his visits to the York Convict Depot,York Convict Depot | (sappers-minerswa.com) convict road parties and ticket-of-leave men to tend to their welfare needs.Convicts Hiring Depots, State Library Western Australia, SLWA, Perth Convicts (www.wa.gov.au)
The medication her husband was taking for his neuralgia sometimes resulted in unsteadiness but Cowan deduced from their first meeting that he was a heavy drinker. He therefore conducted a campaign against Edward with the intention of driving him from York and accused Edward of "drunkenness, laziness, general moral delinquency and a diminished sense of responsibility". Edward eventually wrote to the Colonial Secretary to request an official open inquiry to clear his name. An inquiry followed in York in October 1866, comprising Bishop Hale, the Principal Medical Officer in Perth and Magistrate Edward Wilson Landor, who found in Edward’s favour. Most parishioners supported and respected their minister and no evidence of neglect was found.
Edward’s health did not improve and he resigned as colonial chaplain in July 1868 to return to England.
Return to England