James Wilbow was born 1769 in London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom to James Wilbow and Jane Laurence and died 18 March 1840 Wilberforce, New South Wales, Australia of unspecified causes. He married Mary Martin (1772-1847) 29 March 1807 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
James Wilbow - convict on the Salamander in 1791
James William Wilbow was christened at St Sepulchre, London on 16 April 1769. In January 1787, under the name of James Wilbo, he was tried and convicted in the Old Bailey, London of breaking and entering a dwelling and stealing four waistcoats valued at 10s 6d. He was sentenced to 7 years transportation, and spent four of those years on the hulks in Portmouth. Then, listed as convict James Wilboe, he sailed aboard the 3rd fleet vessel the Salamander from Plymouth on 27 March 1791 and arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney) on 21 August 1791.
On expiry of his sentence, James was granted land at Mulgrave Place by the Hawkesbury River 0n 3 November 1794, plus additional acreage on 1 October 1802. He reared sheep, goats and hogs and grew wheat and barley. James married Mary Martin on 29 March 1807 at St Phillip's, Church of England, Sydney NSW. Mary already had 2 children, Catherine and James, who were both given the surname of Wilbow.
On 1 February 1812 James was appointed as a Police Constable at Sydney, and later he became a District Constable.
James moved to Sydney and began a relationship with ex-convict Elizabeth Ship/p (also Shipley) who had arrived on the Northampton in 1815. They had 4 children between 1817 and 1823, two surviving childhood: Margaret and another James.
By May 1820 he had been appointed a Town Constable and promoted to District Constable on 17 November 1820. Two days later he apprehended two escaping convicts.
On 8 September 1821 he was listed as a Constable victualled from H.M. Magazines receiving 1½ rations. His wife (Elizabeth Ship) was receiving ½ rations, and his daughter Mary (Margaret) was receiving ¼ rations.
In the reports of 1822, James had 10 acres of wheat, 16 of maize, potatoes, 30 acres cultivated and 30 acres held. He had 1 horse and 40 hogs.
In 1822 Matthew Newport, a government servant assigned to James Wilbow, was sentenced to 50 lashes for committing a robbery and was sent away to Port Macquarie.
In September 1824 District Constable Wilbow, supported by four Sydney Justices of the Peace petitioned Governor Brisbane for an extra grant of land, on the grounds of his lengthy years of Police service.
James is listed on an 1824 jurors list as being a yeoman of Pitt Town.
James resigned from the Police on 31 August 1827.
According to the November 1828 NSW Census, James Wilbow resided on property at Pitt Town with his wife Mary, having returned to his wife after leaving his partner Elizabeth Ship (who died later in 1831).
James died at Wilberforce on 18 March 1840 aged 72 and was buried at St Matthew's Church of England Cemetery, Windsor.
Wilbow was originally a Huguenot name with the family coming from Valenciennes in France. Over the years the name became anglicised, through Wilboux, Wilboe to Wilbow. James Wilbow has also been listed on various official records as Wilbo, Wilbon, Willbow, Wilbra, Wimbrow, Wymbowe, Wymbows, and Wylbow.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| William Wilbow (1817-1817) | |||
| Margaret Jane Wilbow (1819-1896) | |||
| Jane Wilbow (1821-1823) | |||
| James Wilbow (1823-1906) | 26 August 1823 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 26 March 1906 Pitt Town, New South Wales, Australia | Sarah Hobbs (1820-1895) |