Raised on Pinnock Farm in Gloucestershire, he arrived in Victoria before 1855 and made his way to the Gippsland settlement of Tarraville. He is documented in this research not as an ancestor by descent, but as the probable biological father of Emily Macauley - a fact hidden in the records for over 160 years and established by DNA analysis.
James Bomford’s story - from Gloucestershire to Gippsland, the draper’s partnership with his brother Joseph at Tarraville, and the life he built with Susan Napper at Stratford and later retirement at Camberwell.
In preparation Research ReportEmily McCauley was registered as the daughter of John McCauley in 1863. Autosomal DNA evidence places James Bomford at 99% probability against four other alternative Bomford hypotheses. Emily is found to be a 100% probable half-sister to James’ legitimate children.
Available now Research ReportDNA matches suggest a further non-paternal event in the Bomford line. This report will document the evidence and investigate whether Frederick Bomford Price was a biological son of James Bomford.
In preparation PhotographsPinnock Farm near Didbrook, where James and his brother Joseph grew up, and Atch Lench - Bomford country - photographed on a visit in 2026.
Available now