janilye on Family Tree Circles

Laban ( pronounced Law-Bawn) WHITE was born in Pedington, Wiltshire, England in 1794,the son of Robert WHITE 1754-1829 and Mary HOLLOWAY 1752-1844, Laban was in his early twenties when he married Jane WILLIAMS nee EVANS 1778-1846, a widow with a daughter called Mary Ann born in 1801 and Jane was aged about thirty-eight. There was one child from this marriage, also, Jane WHITE, baptised in Bristol in December 1817.

Laban WHITE had served an apprenticeship as chemist and druggist in Bristol but is listed in a Bristol directory as china and glass dealer. In October 1821 he was committed to Bristol Gaol on a charge of embezzlement. He was sent to trial the following January and sentenced to fourteen years transportation. He left in the convict ship "Eliza" on her second voyage to New South Wales. The ship arrived in November 1822. Laban was assigned to a wealthy landowner, William Cox, who also happened to be a friend of Laban's parents,and sent inland to Bathurst.

His wife Jane, daughter Jane, and step-daughter Mary Ann WILLIAMS were left behind in England. It was probable that the women were virtually destitute. Some support came from Uncle William WILLIAMS and his wife Harriett, nee BALL-WILMOTT. A sentence of fourteen years meant that Laban could never return to Britain. The women had not expected to ever see Laban again.

However by 1828 the NSW Governor Sir Ralph DARLING was encouraging families to emigrate and join their convict menfolk. Jane WHITE with her daughters Jane White and Mary Ann Williams embarked for Sydney on the "Borneo". After various mishaps, the ship arrived in port. Laban WHITE drove to the docks to meet them.

In the intervening time Laban had been employed by William COX, first as butler and then estate manager at Clarendon, near Windsor. However while at Bathurst he had fathered a child, Lydia Jane,1827-1862 to a young convict woman named Mary JOHNSTONE. The child was adopted into another family, although Laban acknowledged and supported his daughter.
In 1845 Laban began a relationship with Lucy BROWN 1814-1876 The wife of Jesse UPTON 1806-1872 and just coming out of a relationship with William NORRIS 1813-1843 Lucy and Laban produced a son Laban WHITE b: 5 June 1846 3 months after his wife Jane died on 12 March (probably wishing she'd stayed in England)June was a big month for Laban for just 25 days after Laban junior was born, on the 30 June Laban walks down the aisle with the twice widowed Mary HOWE 1798-1882 Mary's previous husbands had been firstly George LODER 1796-1894 then Thomas DARGIN 1800-1843 both very famous and prosperous men in the Hawkesbury district.

Laban too became a prosperous and well respected member of the community. He was local chemist, druggist Auctioneer and in 1860 appointed the Coroner for the district of Windsor.
Laban's daughter Jane WHITE married George GUEST at St Peter's Church of England, Richmond in 1834. There were fourteen children, all (half) nieces and nephews of Mary Ann WILLIAMS. Laban's daughter Lydia Jane WHITE married Richard EDWARDS 1823-1862,a chemist from Herefordshire, the son of Thomas EDWARDS and Susan BENNETT. There were five children from this marriage.

Mary Ann sought employment in NSW. She was appointed by the Misses MARSDEN to be the first matron of the Parramatta School of Industry, which opened in June 1829. The school was troubled financially, but Mary Ann received a glowing report from the trustees.

In September 1831 Mary Ann embarked for Paihia in the Bay of Islands, where she was to assist with the European "Girls' School" of the Church Missionary Society. She later transferred to Kerikeri Mission where she assisted with the "Native Girls' School".

In January 1833 she married Catechist James PREECE in the CMS chapel overlooking the Kerikeri Basin. It was said that her young Maori pupils helped to stitch her wedding dress.

Mrs Jane WHITE died in 1846.Buried at Richmond
Her tombstone bears the words "Thy Will By Done".
Laban WHITE died in 1873.also interred with his wife Jane and daughter Jane and and son-in-law George GUEST

Oh! Yes and Jesse UPTON in 1853 was indicted for bigamy at the Central Criminal Court, in Sydney Before Mr. Justice THERRY. The first witness (Jesse Upton's sister Ann BOLLARD nee UPTON, called failed to produce proof of marriage to Lucy Brown and the charge was abandoned and prisoner acquitted. Including Lucy Brown, Jesse had three wives and died at Emu Plains on the 15 November 1872, without ever having divorced Lucy who died four years later.

John ARROW, was born at Bathurst on the 26 February 1829. He was the son of William Arrow 1802-1886 and Sarah BURTON 1814-1867.

William ARROW had been born in Albury, Surrey the son of John ARROW 1778-c1810 and Ann ATFIELD 1779-1845 William was sentenced to 7 years transported for 7 years for stealing a bottle of whisky and shooting game fowls belonging to "Weston Manor" Albury, Surrey.

He arrived on the vessel Hindostan in 1821 and was assigned to the church of England minister at Bathurst whom I believe was William HASSALL.
After receiving his ticket of leave William worked as a shoemaker at Kelso where he met and married Sarah BURTON in 1828.

Sarah was born in Albury, Surrey on the 24 December 1814, the daughter of James BURTON 1792-1856 and Elizabeth Hillyer 1795-1829. James had been transported in 1816 and Elizabeth and daughter Sarah followed him out here in 1819.

William ARROW took up a grant of 40 acres at O'Connell, in the Bathurst district, in 1836, where he built a house and they raised their fifteen children. His eldest son John took land further up on Mick's Mount.

The children of William ARROW and Sarah, nee BURTON:-

* 1.John Arrow 1829-1859 m. Sarah Ann CAMPBELL 1838-1884 in 1858

2. William Arrow 1831-1841

3. Anne Arrow 1833-1896 m. (1) Joseph FARNORTH in 1850 (2) Arthur Robert BURTON in 1854 (3) Matthew CONROY in 1882

4. Ellen Arrow 1834-1877 m. Michael William FARRELL 1815-1877 in 1851

5. George Arrow 1838-1921 m. Catherine McNAMARA 1847-1917 on the 30 April 1864.

6. James Arrow 1840-1915 m. Euphemia WALLACE 1835-1908 in 1867

7. Roland Arrow 1841-1866 m. Catherine FINES 1845-1942 in 1863

8. Samuel Godschall Arrow 1845-1910

9. Peter Arrow 1848-1901 m. Ann KITT 1857-1897 in 1878

10. William Arrow 1848-1905 m. Martha LAWRENCE on 23 January 1875

11. Sarah Arrow 1851-xxxx m. George F CLEMENT in 1869

12. Mary Arrow 1852-1899 m. Denis RUSHWORTH in 1871

13. Susannah Arrow 1854-1899 m. Richard HODGINS in 1871

14. Elizabeth Dinah Arrow 1858-1928 m. John James PEARSON 1851-1923 in 1875

*John ARROW married 24 year old Sarah Ann CAMPBELL 1838-1884 in Bathurst in 1858. John unhappy with this marriage and Sarah Ann rarely saw him.
The couple had no children and John left Bathurst soon after the marriage. Using the alias John HALL, he took a job as a labourer for Edward NICHOLLS at Summerhill near Orange. He moved in with Catherine LEARY and the couple were known as Mr.and Mrs.John HALL, husband and wife. Catherine gave birth to a daughter, she named Eliza.

The following year, on Tuesday the 22 March 1859 John ARROW was indicted for having on the 3rd. of December 1858 at Summer Hill in the Colony of New South Wales, wilfully and feloniously and with malice aforethought murdered Catherine LEARY
BATHURST CIRCUIT COURT TUESDAY 22ND MARCH 1859
(Before His Honor the Chief Justice )
John arrow was indicted for that he, on the third day of December 1858 at Summer Hill,
in the state of New South Wales, did willfully and feloneously and of his malice aforesought,
kill and murder one Catherine Leary. The prisoner pleaded not guilty and was defended by Mr. Dalley.
Attorney, Mr Wadeson.


On the evening of Friday the 3rd of December 1858 when doctor Henry WARREN entered a hut at Summerhill near Orange, New South Wales, he found half naked, laying on the floor partially hidden under a mattress, Catherine LEARY whom he knew as the prisoner's wife, as he had been treating Catherine over the past three weeks for another complaint.

On closer examination of the body Doctor WARREN determined she had been dead no more than two or three hours, as the body was quite warm. Her body was covered in bruises, some recent some older. Over the head and face there were a great many bruises and contusions. Several of her teeth had been knocked out, her nose was broken as was her jaw and her skull was fractured. Catherine Leary groaned, just once before she died.
The walls and floor of the hut were covered in blood. He saw an old gun barrel in the hut also covered
in blood which he deemed to be the murder weapon.

Dr Henry Warren deposed, I am legally qualified medical practitioner;
on the third day of December last I saw the dead body of a female in a
hut at Summerhill, near Orange.
When I first went to the hut, Mr. Thomas Finnerty, C. C.
of Orange was there and I saw the body of a female who I had known as
the wife of the prisoner at the bar ; I went into the inner room
of the hut, and saw a mattress on the floor,
when the mattress was removed I saw the
woman under it, she was nearly naked having
only a small bandage round the loins; she could
not have been long dead as the body was quite
warm. On examining the body externally I
found a great number of bruises upon it
some of them of recent date and others of longer
standing; on the head and face were several severe contusions,
the bridge of the nose was broken in, and the lower jaw was
broken on each side. The next morning I made a further
examination, and on dissecting back the scalp
of the head I found that all the muscles and integuments
were in one coagulated mass;
the skull was not fractured, but there was an
effusion on the brain, several of the teeth were
dislodged from the jaw, evidently by violence, as
the teeth were in the mouth;' 0n opening the
body I found the organs generally healthy;there
were several bruises on the body but none of
any great consequence; one, a bruise upon the
arm appeared to have been caused by a blow
with some heavy instrument ; I believe, indeed
I have not the slightest doubt that the woman
died in consequence of the injuries I have
described ; I discovered marks of blood on the
wall of the hut near the place where the body
was lying; the body was- on the bare floor and
covered with the mattress ; the deceased had
been confined five or six weeks before, and I had
attended her in her confinement, from the effects
of which she had recovered ; I saw an old gun
barrel in the hut and found same blood upon it,
(the gun barrel was here produced and identified)
there were no gun shot wounds in the body;
the woman would not have bee dead more than
two or three hours as the body was quite warm
when I first saw it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Didley : I attended
the deceased' during her confinement; on that
occasion the prisoner came for me some bours
before she was confined ; I visited her three or
four times after that, and the prisoner was
present once or twice while I was there, and he
appeared to be kind and attentive.

Although the evidence against John ARROW was circumstantial, the jury only took five minutes to pronounce him guilty.

John ARROW preserved a remarkably cool demeanour throughout the trial, not the slightest emotion having been exhibited by him even during the recital of the most shocking and most painful portions of the evidence.

When his honour sentenced John ARROW to hang and said. " May the Lord have mercy on your soul". John ARROW petulantly exclaimed, "God will have mercy on me." He was then removed from the court quite unconcerned for the awful situation in which he had been placed.

The afternoon of the murder John had been drinking at a nearby public house and Catherine LEARY went to the Inn and asked him to come home for his dinner. He ignored her the first time and she repeated the request. He then left the Inn and went home with her where they quarelled and he then bludgeoned her to death with the barrel of a gun, stripped her of her clothes and burnt them.

On the 11 May 1859 the day of execution a special train was dispatched for John ARROWS's wife and his family for their final farewell. According to The Sydney Morning Herald 100 people attended the execution and John Arrow confessed his guilt and acknowledged the justice of the sentence.
After the execution, the ARROW Family returned to O'Connell's Plain with John's body for burial on the family property.
Here is part of the description given by the Bathurst Free Press
14 May 1859
EXECUTION OF JOHN ARROW AND
THOMAS RYAN, alias WILLIAM MARTIN.
The last dread penalty of the law was carried
into execution upon these wretched men on
Wednesday morning, within the precincts of the
Gaol, in the presence of the Under Sheriff and
the other authorities required by the Act to be
witnesses of the terrible scene. A considerable
assemblage of persons, "adult freeholders," were
also present, probably numbering as many as one
hundred individuals. The hour of 9 a.m., had
been appointed for the execution, but the fatal
ceremony had not concluded until shortly after
10 o'clock. A large number of persons were
congregated outside the walls of the Gaol, and
we regret to add that the roof of the new
Wesleyan Chapel was occupied by several individuals,
who, anxious to obtain a sight of the
awful proceedings, had availed themselves of that
opportunity, to gratify their morbid feelings of
curiosity, without any sanction from the
authorities, and who, more than once, disturbed
the scene by their most unseasonable clamour
and merriment.
About half-past-9, the two prisoners, having
been previously pinioned in the interior of the
building, came forth into the yard; Arrow, who
was a young man, of good height, was extremely
pale, and appeared to be labouring under very
great exhaustion; his companion, Ryan, who
was of dimminutive stature and of most
unprepossessing appearance, did not seem to have
suffered so much from the confinement or the
anticipation of the terrible fate which lay
before him, and moved with considerable
activity. Arrow was attended by the Revds.
Thomas Sharp and G. M. Fox: Ryan by the
Very Reverend Dean Grant. On reaching the
scaffold, both criminals knelt, still attended by
their spiritual advisers, in front of the ghastly
machine of death, and were both entirely
absorbed in prayer for about half an hour. This
period was, we understand, somewhat unnecessarily
prolonged in consequence of an accidental
misunderstanding between the clergy present, as
to the exact time when their respective ministrations
were concluded. During this time
Arrow never once removed his eyes from the
scaffold, and the "strong man's agony" was
painfully evident to the spectators of the
sad scene, in the spasmodic motion of his hands
and limbs generally; Ryan made the responses
to the Litany for the dying with great fervour,
and seemed to desire to manifest by his gestures
his penitence and humiliation of soul. At
length, having shaken hands with those persons
nearest to them, the two unfortunate men
ascended the scaffold, accompanied by the
Dean and Mr. Sharpe; Arrow being so much
exhausted as to require assistance, while Ryan
mounted the steps entirely without aid. Immediately
on being placed under the fatal beam,
both commenced uttering the most earnest
supplications for mercy to the Throne of Grace,
and their heartrending cries fell most piteously
on the ears of the spectators. The clergy, having
commended their souls to the mercy of God, then
quitted the scaffold, and after a few moments
of most painful agitation, the bolt was
drawn, and the two wretched men speedily
ceased to exist. Arrow's struggles soon subsided,
but Ryan, whose frame was far more slender,
was convulsed for some minutes. And here a
most horrible scene presented itself; it was
immediately obvious to the by-standers that the
executioner had left the ropes several inches too
long, so that Arrow lay in a semi-recumbent
position on the ground, while Ryan's feet rested
on the earth; death having been evidently
caused by the violent jerk of the rope rather
than by suspension. This discovery elicited
the most unqualified expressions of disgust on the
part of all the bystanders against the Executioner.
We have since been informed
that it has always been customary to stretch the
ropes, and test them adequately with weights,
previous to their being used for their dreadful
purpose, a precaution which had evidently been
neglected on this occasion. We have surgical
authority, however, for believing that, happily,
the sufferings of these unfortunate men were in
all probability not in any wise increased or
prolonged by this circumstance, but we trust
that it will serve as a caution to the individual
who fills the unenviable post of public executioner
to make such arrangements as shall prevent the
recurrence of an accident of so shameful
and even barbarous a nature. Probably it was
intended, by making the scaffold of its present
altitude, to preclude the gratification of improper
curiosity on the part of persons on the outside of
the Gaol, but this defect might be easily obviated
on such melancholy occasions, by the temporary
removal of the soil beneath the machine, so as
to permit a sufficient fall from the platform.
After hanging the usual time, the bodies were
taken down and placed in coffins; Ryan's being
conveyed for interment to the Roman Catholic
Cemetery, while Arrow's was given up to his
relations, to be buried at O'Connell Plains, in
the same grave with some other members of his
family.
As we have already stated, the clergy
have been most indefatigable in their ministrations
upon these unfortunate men, and had
spent the greater part of the preceding day,
and all the night with them, engaged in
religious exercises, and prayer, and we have good
reason to hope that their efforts were attended in
both instances with decided success. Both criminals
died in a most penitent state, and made
confessions of their commission of the crime laid
to their charge, accompanied by a request that
their confessions might be made public. We are
informed on the best authority, that Arrow
attributed his ignominious end, in the first
place to his defective religious education and the
obstacles to improvements which had been placed
in his way by his own kindred, and secondly, to
the fact of his estrangement from his wife, whom
he passionately loved, and with whom he had
hoped to live happily. This separation appears
to have caused an entire apathy to the consequences
of the state of life into which he then
plunged, and thus resulted in the horrible
tragedy which caused the forfeiture of his life.
On the day previous to the execution he was
visited by his parents and brothers, and considered
them most ???? advice, exhorting
them, by the example of his sad fate, to reform
their own lives. He also requested that a
devotional work which had been presented to
him by the Revd. T. Sharpe, should be given
to them, with a written message, dictated by
[??] in the above effect. It should be
observed that Arrow particularly stated that,
with some few trifling discrepancies as to time,
that all the witnesses on his trial, and especially
the boy Coomber, had given their evidence most
truthfully. Ryan also, in the presence of the
Sheriff, stated his sorrow for the crimes which he
had committed against God and against society,
and admitted the justice of his sentence. He
also requested that he might be permitted to
address the assemblage from the scaffold to this
effect, but the Dean, fearing that the excitement
resulting from such a procedure might disturb
his peace of mind at the awful moment of his
impending dissolution, dissuaded him from this
purpose, especially as he had alreaded stated this
to the Sheriff.

The newspapers at the time described it as one of the most savage and barbarous murders ever committed against a woman.

Catherine Leary had a daughter in 1858 she named Eliza. The infant died a month after her mother was killed whilst John Arrow was in gaol on the 5th January 1859 the death was registered at Orange.

The children of James BURTON and Elizabeth, nee HILLYER were:-
Sarah Burton 1814 1867
James Burton 1819 1868
Elizabeth Burton 1821
Elizabeth Burton 1823
Hannah Burton 1825 1912
Catherine Burton 1827 1876

bd&m.nsw marriages;
1254/1858 ARROW JOHN CAMPBELL SARAH A BATHURST
1499/1863 ARROW ROWLAND FINES CATHERINE BATHURST
1457/1864 ARROW GEORGE MACNAMARA CATHERINE BATHURST
1457/1864 ARROW GEORGE MCNAMARA CATHERINE BATHURST
1553/1867 ARROW JAMES WALLACE EUPHEMIA BATHURST
1831/1875 ARROW WILLIAM LAWRENCE MARTHA BATHURST
2329/1878 ARROW PETER KITT ANNE BATHURST
V1850831 36B/1850 FARNORTH JOSEPH ARROW ANN OA
V1851467 97/1851 FARRELL MICHAEL ARROW ELLEN LG
1794/1869 CLEMENT GEORGE F ARROW SARAH BATHURST
1559/1871 HODGINS RICHARD ARROW SUSAN BATHURST
1562/1871 RUSHWORTH DENIS ARROW MAY BATHURST
1935/1875 PEARSON JOHN ARROW DINAH E BATHURST

# NOTES:
WILLIAM ARROW 1848-1905
It was early in February in the year of 1904 that William Arrow was reported missing by his family. Advertisements appeared in all the newspapers and posted in the stores and inns across the state. An unsuccessful search was mounted.
At the time of his disappearance William owned a farming property at Yeoval valued around 2,000 pounds and another at Wellington valued around the same. He had several hundreds of pounds in fixed deposit. When he went missing he had a 100 pounds in his pocket. William was known to be eccentric and had spent some time twice previously in the asylum.
In June 1904 Martha Arrow, nee LAWRENCE successfully petitioned the court to release funds to appoint a manager for the properties and maintain the family, because of William's mental infirmity and the fact that he had been missing nearly five months.
Almost two years went by without a word on the whereabouts of William. Then, early one Thursday morning on the 21 September 1905 a Mr. Johnson, whilst hunting in the hills behind Yullundry Station discovered a skeleton. There was no clothing, save for a felt hat. The skeleton was declared to be that of William Arrow and it is that skeleton that lies in the grave of William Arrow at Yeoval
I don't know if he was robbed or died of exposure, the 100 pounds he had when he left home was not mentioned.

DENIS RUSHWORTH, The husband of Mary Arrow 1852-1899, in 1873 was thrown in Bathurst Gaol for ten months for stealing a cheque from his father-in-law, William Arrow.


Researched and Written by janilye 1990

* please note. In Australia up until only about forty years ago Australians had three meals a day namely, Breakfast, Dinner and Tea so when looking at records etc. Dinner was our midday meal and usually our main meal. It occurred between noon and 1:00pm

Much has been written about our terrible family loss in the drowning of 12 EATHER's during the June 1867 flood at Cornwallis, but little about the other poor souls who drowned or the terrible losses and hardship to the people of New South Wales in the middle of a very cold winter.

It is to be noted, the flood was not just in the Cornwallis/Windsor district, but encompassed most of the state. In all, it is probable, that thirty lives were lost in New South Wales between the 21 June and the 26th June 1867.

Firstly, I'd like to tell you about the appalling tragedy of Daniel Isaac BAKER (1814-1886) and his wife Mary Ann, nee MYERS (1824-1867). On the night of the 21 June 1867, Mary Ann and seven of her nine children died in the freezing water. Daniel and Mary lived in a hut at the junction of the Mudgee river, working as shepherds for the Blundun's at Burrandong. This isolated family was surrounded by water that rose six feet in ten minutes. At the first rush of water, they all climbed onto the table, then up to the loft and then, Daniel cut a hole in the bark and hoisted them onto the roof. Daniel held the children in his arms, dropping them as they died from the freezing cold. They remained on the roof until the water reached their mouths then they tried to swim for a tree. Only Daniel and two children, Moses 17 and Cecilia 15 survived. The children who died with Mary Ann were;

Daniel Baker 1854-1867, Henry Shadrach Baker 1856-1867, Andrew William Baker 1858-1867, Charles Frederick 1860-1867, John Isaac Baker 1862-1867, Thomas Edwin Baker 1864-1867, Mary Ann Elizabeth Baker 1866-1867.

Also in the same house was a neighbour, Frederick SMITH the son of Edward and Elizabeth Smith. He arrived at dusk to help, whilst his wife Mary Ann Smith went to find a boat. Mrs. Smith survived the flood and came about daylight the next morning. The brave Mrs. Smith could hear them cooeying for a long time but had great difficulty navigating the boat for a mile through the strong currents. She rescued Daniel , Moses, and Cecilia from the tree by the swamped shepherd's hut and took them to shore.

In Wagga Wagga on the Friday night of the 21 June 1867 the Murrumbidgee broke it's banks flooding the town, two lives were lost. One was Samuel CHATTO 1839-1867 from Sydney, working as a labourer at Henry PAUL's station. The free selectors suffered severely on the flats, many losing their homes. 100 head of cattle and 450 sheep were washed away.

On Saturday night the Denison Bridge at Bathurst was washed away and at Murchison, the railway station was completely under water. Between the Pitt Town Punt and Wisemans Ferry the water was sixteen feet deep, you could not see the telegraph poles or wires. All communication was lost.

At Penrith, the families living on the banks of the Nepean had to quickly abandon their homes and seek shelter at the police barracks, the public hospital or railway station. On Friday morning several houses were submerged, some carried away bodily. 200 houses from High Street to Proctors Lane were filled with water to the ceilings of their ground floors. The once neat and comfortable homesteads surrounded by orchards and gardens had disappeared. Hundreds of bushels of corn, hundreds of pigs and poultry, many horses and cattle were all swept away. Fowls drenched almost to death were to be seen roosting on the saddleboards of the deserted and innundated houses.

On the night of the 21st, to the north, on the Wollombi, people took shelter in the Church of England and at the Court House as the freezing waters rose to their highest level in history, indeed, at midnight on the 21st the water was six inches into the church of England. But, for the promptness of the Police Magistrate Mr. Doppling and his dingy, the Rev. Mr. SHAW would have drowned whilst trying to save his stock. Few people escaped some loss at Wollombi, the Wesleyan Chapel and the homes of Mr. WHITEMAN and Mr. BOURNE were completely washed away and the Catholic Church had fifteen feet of water in it.

As the town flooded at Fordwich, Joseph CLARK 1817-1889 watched in horror as his store and the post office was carried down the street in a river of water.

Whilst over in Lochinvar on the night of the 22nd Mr. P GREEN at Kaludah, saw a seven knot an hour river race through and destroy his grapevines. Mr J.F.DOYLE, vineyard owner, with his own boat, tirelessly, rescued a dozen families even though he needed the boat at his own place to save his belongings.

Of Course, Windsor and surrounds suffered greatly. From Thursday at 11:00am when the water was over the banks at South Creek and in Windsor it was up to the bank and as it rained all Thursday night with gale forced winds the people were in imminent danger. With the few private boats available people were being taken from the roofs of their houses in Wilberforce and Cornwallis. By the afternoon of Friday the 21st the river had risen by forty eight feet, three feet higher than during the flood of 1864. The only parts of the town habitable were the upper portion of George Street, the water on the lower portion was three feet high. The Catholic church and McQuades Corner were above water. The Reverend C F GARNSEY's residence "Fairfield", was not overly large, but still managed to squeeze in two hundred people. The residence of Mr. William WALKER 1828-1908 local solicitor and MLA was also above water and crowded with the refugees. Everything else was out of sight in the town, but for the chimneys on the higher houses. Two thousand homeless sufferers crowded around the School of Arts, The Catholic Church and above the floodline in the Wesleyan, and The Courthouse. The Rev.Henry Carleton Stiles at St.Matthew's Anglican lay dying when the great flood was at its highest, and from his deathbed he gave orders to throw the church doors open and admit the crowds of homeless sufferers.
Everybody, whose house was above the floodline threw open their doors to the victims. The Reverend C F GARNSEY said, at a meeting chaired by Mr. WALKER MLA on the 2 July to devise a means of relief for the sufferers, " No one, unless he had been an eyewitness to the scene could have believed what had happened. There were only two small necks of land left to bring the comfortless people and he knew, as the waters rose, there were many who looked with anxious eyes and thoughts of where they might next take themselves for safety". The houses of the settlers had been razed to the ground and in many instances, not a stick, not an article of clothing had been left to the sufferers. The government boats from Customs and the water police did not arrive from Sydney until Friday night, by then, too late for most. As the waters subsided it was noted that, from the Windsor Ferry to the township of Wilberforce and also along Freeman's reach to the Highlands, no more than eight houses were left standing and all were badly damaged.

Amongst the tragedies there were many, many hero's and several very lucky escapes. One, very lucky to be alive was Alfred NORRIS 1837-1875 and his family, Here is his story;

Alfred took his family to a large willow tree and lashed his wife and two of their children to the highest branches. The third child he held in his arms. There were few boats available, and in the dark the rescuers had a very difficult time finding the people who had sheltered in the trees. By 4:30 pm Friday 21st the rivers had risen by forty eight feet, three feet higher than the 1804 flood. The water, had almost swamped Alfred. He was exhausted from holding the child and on the point of collapse when a boat found him and took Alfred and his family to safety.

Written by Janilye 2010

Inquest on six bodies of the Eathers lost in the Flood
Wednesday 26 June 1867.
Commercial Hotel, Windsor, New South Wales

A coroners inquiry was held on Wednesday 26 June 1867, at the Commercial Hotel, Windsor before Mr. Laban White and a jury, on the bodies of Catherine Eather, Mary Ann Eather, Catherine Eather the younger, Charles Eather, Emma Eather and Annie Eather. The wives and children of William and Thomas Eather of Cornwallis, whose mournful fate will never be forgotton in this district.

Thomas Eather, having been duly sworn deposed: I am a farmer and resided in Cornwallis, my family consisted of my wife Emma, aged 36 years, and four girls and two boys of the several ages of sixteen, fourteen, twelve, ten, eight and three. The last time I saw six of them alive(the eldest son of Thomas Eather the deponent, was fortunately from home and not in the flood) was on Friday night. Yesterday my oldest daughter Annie was brought into Windsor, the body having been seen floating near the place where she was drowned; today the body of my wife Emma was found. On Friday afternoon the waters had risen and continued to rise, very rapidly; we were all obliged to fly to the ridge pole of the house hoping to be rescued by some boat; we remained some hours in awful suspense till the violence of the wind and the waves swept the building and the whole of us into the water. I came up from the water and found myself in the branches of a cedar tree; I looked round after my wife and children, but could see none of them; in about an hour after I was rescued by three men in a boat. I told them what had happened. They landed me at Mr. Arthur Dight's, Clarendon. There must have been twenty feet of water where my family was drowned.

William Eather, being duly sworn deposed: I am a farmer and resided at Cornwallis; my family consisted of my wife Catherine Eather aged 37 and my children, Mary Ann, Catherine, Charles, Clara and William, of the respective ages of 11, 9, 6, 3 and 1; on last Friday night I saw them alive; they were then on top of a house of my brother, George Eather, having gone there for safety; I was with them; we were about 200 yards from my brother Thomas's; we had been there from Thursday night; on Friday night, I was about taking my oldest boy into my arms, when I was washed away by the waves; I saw a tree close by, after I surfaced and managed to make for it. I heard the screams of my wife and children, but I could not see them; I fastened myself to a tree and in a short time was rescued by a boat specially sent by Mr Arthur Dight; I believe my wife and three of my children have been brought to Windsor dead.

Phillip Maguire, having been duly sworn deposed: I am a farmer and live at Nelson, and a brother in law of Mrs. William Eather; I went with Charles Eather, Thomas Eather and Charles Westall in search of bodies; yesterday (Tuesday) about 2 o'clock in the afternoon we found Thomas Eather's eldest daughter Annie, floating about 40 yards from where the family had been carried away; this morning we found four more bodies; the dead bodies of which the coroner and jury have had to view, I recognise as the remains of Catherine Eather, wife of William Eather, and Mary Ann, Catherine and Charles the children of William Eather, also Emma, the wife of Thomas Eather and Annie, his eldest daughter.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental drowning. Boats have been out all day searching for other bodies, but have returned unsuccessful.


transcribed by janilye from a report in the Sydney Morning Herald 1 July 1867.

Samuel HEATHER was born at St.Pauls Cray, Kent, England on 17 May 1795. The son of Robert HEATHER (1758-1837) and Charity Williams AKA Timmins (1745-1815). He was arrested at age 22 for stealing two fowls and tried for Larceny at Maidstone Kent in 1817 and sentenced to seven years transportation. He was placed onboard the ship Morley which left Downs on 18 July 1818 and arrived at Sydney Cove on 7 November 1818. Samuel Received his Certificate of Freedom on the 20 January 1825. He received a grant of land and began farming at Cornwallis on the Hawkesbury where also his uncle Thomas 1764 and cousins Thomas b:1800 Robert b:1795 and Charles b:1800 were also farming.IN Newcastle on 15 February 1828 Samuel married Mary Hedges alias DONOVAN a convict from Cork in Ireland.
The children from this marriage were:-
Sarah EATHER b:22 April 1828 at Wollombi d:27 April 1919 at Jerry's Plains Sarah married John FRITH (1810-1859) on the 5 April 1847 Next Sarah married Henry Hugh TUDOR (1819-1872) on 5 August 1861.
Mary Eather b:19 November 1830 Wollombi d:10 December 1913 at Dubbo. Mary married William THORLEY (1825-1901)on 21 July 1844 at Mt.Thorley, Singleton.
Robert EATHER b:22 January 1832 Wollombi d:13 August 1897 Muswellbrook. Robert married Mary CURTIS (1853-1887)on 18 July 1870 at Holy Trinity Church Dubbo.
Samuel EATHER b:17 October 1834 Warkworth d:19 July 1894,at Narrabri. Samuel married Elizabeth GILES (1845-1954) on 14 December 1816 at Wee Waa.
Hannah EATHER b:17 March 1836 at Warkworth d:16 June 1918 at Moree. Hannah married Thomas PITTMAN (1831-1910) on the 27 November 1854 at Warkworth.
Charlotte EATHER b:1838 d:8 September 1922 at Merriwa. Charlotte married Henry PITTMAN (1827-1916)on the 20 January 1852 at Warkworth.
Elizabeth EATHER b:3 April 1840 at Bulga d:1 December 1903at Mortlake. Elizabeth married Samuel WALLACE (1822-1867)on 1 March 1858 at Patricks Plain. Elizabeth next married Peter HORNERY(1838-1902)on 7 July 1869 at Singleton.
Thomas Eather b:1843 after Samuel's death father unknown was brought up as the son of Samuel
The Name HEATHER gradually changed to Eather in this family between 1828 and 1843 and after 1843 all were known as EATHER

Thomas Eather born 3 December 1843 at Cockfighters Creek on the Hawkesbury was the son of Mary Hedges alias DONOVAN 1807-1880 the widow of Samuel HEATHER/EATHER.

He first married Jane BARNETT the daughter of Thomas BARNETT b:1820 and Catherine DENAHY b:1824 in Mallow,County Cork, Ireland. d:16 August 1918 Mudgee,NSW.
Jane Barnett was born on the 6 October 1845 at Cassilis, NSW and died on the 29 October 1932 at Whittingham near Singleton.

Jane was a nurse/midwife who had trained under Dr.BOWMAN at Fairholme.

Thomas and Jane were married on 26 July 1865 at Warkworth and had 12 children.
They were;

1.Catherine EATHER b:15 October 1864 at Patricks Plain and sadly died of burns when her clothes caught fire on 2 August 1867

2.Thomas EATHER b:4 March 1866 died 1929 Married Selina Jane SCANLAN (1864-1950) at Narrandera in 1888
.
3.Isabella EATHER b:3 January 1871 d: 1947 Annandale. Isabella married John J SCOTT in 1895.

4.Charles Herbert EATHER b:28 March 1872 d:28 March 1942 at Moree Charles married Minnie BEITZ (1889-1941)in Queensland on 11 October 1905.

5.Clara Jane EATHER b: 1 November 1872 d:1957 at Burwood in Sydney

6.Walter John EATHER b: 19 April 1875 d:23 January 1876

7.William Henry EATHER b:22 March 1876 d:11 June 1947 at Pallamalla William married Mildred QUINN (1883-1966) at Moree in 1903

8.Ada Mary EATHER b:12 December 1877 d:1935 at North Sydney.

9.Emily Ann EATHER b:25 June 1879 d:25 January 1959 Emily married Henry ASQUITH

10.Elizabeth Catherine EATHER b:13 November 1880 at Goorangoola d:7 February 1936 at Leichhardt Elizabeth married Arthur Edward BRUCE b:1880. on 6 March 1905 at Singleton

11.James Ernest Eather b:30 March 1882 d:14 September at Mayfield near Newcastle NSW James Married Mabel May ALLEN 1880-1954 at Singleton in 1905.

12.Percy Richard EATHER b:15 August 1883 d:3 February 1957. Percy first married Anne Paterson ANDREW 1884-1906 at Singleton on 12 July 1904. Ann died in childbirth. His second wife was Madeline Sarah BALDOCK 1881-1948 in 1907 'Percy' was a very well known taxi driver in Singleton for many years.

Thomas EATHER 1843-1900 committed suicide in Sydney he is buried at Whittingham Cemetery, Section 1 Plot 25.

Often, the source material for arrivals and departures contain different dates for the same event. This can be confusing and it is difficult to determine which date is the correct one. Even the official records held by the archive organisations have differences in the dates from one record to the next for the same vessel.

Besides an outright transcription error by a clerk, there can be significant variations in the records as to the dates of departure and arrival due to the viewpoint of the source of the information. For example, a vessel sailing into harbour at 11:00 pm will have the current day's date in the ship's log, but the harbourmaster might record the event in the next day's arrivals, especially for those vessels arriving on a Sunday.

Similarly, some papers might record the event two or three days later, when the captain and crew have landed. Other papers might record the date that the vessel sailed into the heads, dropped anchor, or cleared quarantine.

For the earlier periods, the dates from newspapers are sometimes open to interpretation. For example, the dates in the Sydney Gazette for the first two weeks of May 1804 are out by a day (it appears that they allowed 31 days for April), although the day of the week was correct. This means that there is some question as to the reported dates for vessels arriving and departing during this period.

Another issue is that many of the entries are listed by day (ie, Monday, Thursday, etc), not date. Although this was common in the early period, it still occurred occasionally in the 1840's.

The dates used in the Convictions database come from many sources. The determining factor in the date used is based on the likely accuracy of the source material. In most cases, I have relied on the dates found in the "Shipping Gazette and Sydney General Trade List", as this periodical was specifically published for the distribution of shipping information and is more likely to contain the correct information.

For ports other than Sydney, or those periods when the Shipping Gazette was not in circulation, I tend to favour the details provided by local newspapers, when they are available.

When looking for vessels in indexes using the date, the user should remember that some entries do not include a day or month. This means that the user should also check entries at the beginning of the month and the beginning of the year when looking for entries.

There is an additional problem with some coastal shipping. In the 1830's, many of the arrivals and departures for these vessels were listed with a date range, not the actual date of arrival. In these cases, the vessels are listed either at the start of the date range, or at the beginning of the month, depending on the information available.

The handwritten official records can at times be very difficult to read and interpret. This is due to both the clerk's handwriting and the fading of the ink used. Because of this, there are often several interpretations possible for the material being transcribed. Often, the correct interpretation is only possible with outside knowledge, such as knowing that a person was on a particular vessel.

The daughter of William L LEE born at Portscatha, Cornwall, England in 1744 and died in England in 1827. Her Mother was Margaret born in 1750 in England. A birth name or a death date has not been found for Margaret.
Elizabeth LEE was born on 7 September 1771 and christened at Cocky Moor Presbyterian Church, Ainsworth Lancashire on the 15 September 1771. In the cemetery adjoining the Cocky Moor church there is one grave marked 'Lee' with, unfortunately no other information.

In 1789 when Elizabeth LEE ( sometimes known as Elizabeth Johnson) was about 17, she was employed by Elizabeth BUCKLEY as either a domestic servant or shop assistant.

On 4 December of that year Elizabeth LEE was arrested and committed for trial on the charge of "having stolen and carried away a grey cloak out of the dwelling house of Elizabeth BUCKLEY of Manchester".

The trial was at the Epiphany Quarter Sessions at Manchester 21 January 1790 - "Indictment charges that Elizabeth LEE late of the Parish of Manchester in the said County Singlewoman on the thirtieth day of November in the thirtieth year of the reign of our Lord George the third now King of Great Britain and so forth with force and Arms at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid one Woman's Cloak to the value of six pence of the proper Goods and Chattels of one Elizabeth BUCKLEY then and there being found feloniously did steal and take and carry away against the Peace of our said Lord the King his Crown and Dignity" - sentence 7 years.

The trial was reported in the Manchester Mercury newspaper.
Elizabeth LEE pleaded guilty to the charge.

Elizabeth LEE was returned to the goal in the Lancaster Castle and incarcerated there until February 1791. She was then conveyed from Lancaster to the ship "Mary Ann" at Gravesend on the Thames River.

The ship sailed to Portsmouth under the command of Captain MUNRO and departed from there for the voyage to the NSW Colony 23 February 1791. She arrived in Sydney on 7 July 1791.
Elizabeth LEE was probably transferred on arrival to Parramatta.She completed her sentence in 1797.

Elizabeth LEE married Thomas EATHER formerly HEATHER 1764-1827 in 1791. They had eight children.

1.Ann EATHER 1793 ? 1865 m.(1)Joseph ONUS 1782-1835 (2) William SHARP 1810-1897
2.Robert EATHER 1795 ? 1881 m. (1)Mary LYNCH 1802-1853 (2) Elizabeth BROWNE nee CREAGH 1802-1873
3.Charlotte EATHER 1797 ? 1862 m. (10 Joseph WINDSOR (2)Robert WILLIAMS 1795-1839 (3) William James MALONEY 1818-1883
4.Charles EATHER 1800 ? 1891 m. Ann GOUGH nee CAIN 1797-1871
5.Thomas EATHER 1800 ? 1886 m. Sarah MCALPIN 1805-1884
6.John EATHER 1804 ? 1888 Never Married
7.Rachel EATHER 1807 ? 1875 m. John NORRIS 1803-1864
8.James EATHER 1811 ? 1899 m. Mary Ann HAND 1815-1894

Thomas EATHER died on the 22 March 1827 at Windsor, New South Wales.

Elizabeth Died on the 11 June 1860 at Richmond, New South Wales.

The number of her decendants was reckoned at that time to be 157.

Back in the olden days you didn't just walk into church and sit down. No! a fee was paid to be comfy at church. Church on Sunday was the place to be seen and meet up with neighbours. Now, to have a pew you were definetly one of the IN crowd. The pews were more expensive and came with a certain prestige. The benches were not as comfortable but were half price. The women prefered to sit at the back with the clergyman and his family. And no doubt a better view.

By paying the rental it mean't that certain seats were reserved for you and your family. If you didn't pay you stood.

On the 14th June 1841 St. Peter's Church of England,in Richmond, New South Wales, held a meeting to establish their pew rates, which they set at 10 shillings per year, per seat in a pew, a pew sat 8 people. A bench was 5 shillings a year. The clergyman and his family were allowed to sit free. These rates seem to have been open to some negotiation because Mr. FAITHFULL paid 2 pounds 10 for his 8 seats, whereas John TOWN Jnr. paid the same for only 5 seats. Mr. COX of Hobartville paid 4 pounds for 8 seats.

Here is a list from St.Peters church of the pew holders.

NAME

Mr Cox of Hobartville
Mr. Faithfull
Mr.George Bowman
Mr. William Bowman
Mr. John Town Jnr.
Mr T. Sharpe
Mr George Pitt
Mr A. Cornwell
Mr. Joseph Onus
Mr. George Guest
Messrs. Potts and Harland
Mr. Thomas Eather
Mr. Isaac Cornwell
Messrs. Cribbs and Watts
Messrs. Paine, Oxley and Richards
Mrs. Aston
Messrs. Crawley and Markwell
Messrs. Bainer and Hogsflesh
Mr.& Mrs. Faucet, Messrs. Bannister, McGraw
and Preston
Mrs. Dight
Mrs Towns
Mrs. Teiginour
Clergyman and Family
Mrs. Bell of Belmont

This list was transcribed from "St.Peter's Richmond" the early people and burials" by Yvonne Browning

The following information is for those who are interested in the surname Swale, Swale Hall and Swaledale in Yorkshire.

The owners of Swale Hall have told us that the building as it is today dates back to the mid 16th century and that there are no visible signs of the original Swale Hall.

Walter de Gaunt became the first Lord of Swaledale; he had married Matilda the daughter of the Breton Earl of Richmond. Matilda's father gave her the whole of Swaledale as a dowry. Walter then subsequently gave the Manor of West Grinton to his nephew Alured, who adopted the surname Swale after the name of the river Swale. Swale Hall remained in the possession of this Swale family and their descendants until the days of Queen Anne. The most distinguished of this Swale family was probably Solomon Swale, a barrister, who became Member of Parliament for Aldborough, which is near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. This Solomon was created a baronet in 1660 and is buried at St. Martins-in-the-Fields in London. Sir Solomon Swale, the third baronet and grandson of the Solomon above, failed to renew the lease of the main part of the Swale estate and this resulted in Swale Hall being sold by auction. Sir Solomon the third baronet died in a debtors prison in 1733.

There is a pedigree titled "Pedigree of the Blood of Sir Solomon Swale, of Swale Hall, in the County of York, who was created a baronet, ad 1660." Along the foot of this pedigree is written, "Vouched- G.H.De.S.N.Plantagenet Harrison (Signed)." This pedigree may well have been prepared when the Reverend Sir John Swale, the 7th Baronet claimed the title, which had been dormant after the death of the fifth Baronet. This pedigree begins an A.D 800 with Syderic, Count of Harlebeck, Governor & Hereditary Forester of Flanders. A.D.800. It then gives Engelran? Count of Harlebeck, Governor & Hereditary Forester of Flanders. A.D 814. It then gives Odoacre, Count of Harlebeck, Governor & Hereditary Forester of Flanders. A.D 850. It would take too long to give the pedigree up to 1873 but because the pedigree was vouched by G.H.De.S.N.Plantagenet Harrison makes it dubious.

George.H.De.S.N.Plantagenet Harrison wrote a one volume History of Yorkshire that was published in London in 1879 and there is a note on the library index card in the Leeds reference library in Yorkshire that this history of Yorkshire is now considered to be semi-fictitious. It would appear that those who are familiar with any written work by George.H.De.S.N.Plantagenet Harrison consider his work as semi-fictitious and this applies to the pedigree of the blood of Sir Solomon Swale.