T.J.SUMNER OF BRUNSWICK, COOLART, MOOROODUC AND FRANKSTON, VIC., AUST. (AN APOLOGY!) :: FamilyTreeCircles.com Genealogy
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T.J.SUMNER OF BRUNSWICK, COOLART, MOOROODUC AND FRANKSTON, VIC., AUST. (AN APOLOGY!)

Journal by itellya

The apology first. When I look now at the Ballanrong pre-emptive right on the copy of the Moorooduc parish map that I obtained at the Public Records Office, I see:
T.J.Sumne
18.5.8
BALLANRON
G
P.R.

The full stops in P.R. are very faint and the ones between 18 and 5 and 8 are almost invisible. There is no space between the numerals except between the 8 and the 5. The final 8 is only evident through a powerful magnifying glass.

I have stated on several occasions that Sumner was granted the pre-emptive right in 1858 for reasons that may now seem obvious. When I was researching for the Yuille entry in my EARLY LANDOWNERS IN THE PARISHES OF MOOROODUC, FRANKSTON etc journal, I discovered that Archibald Yuille held the Ballanrong Run from 1852 until the lease was cancelled in 1857. Looking at the P.R. on my map (without the magnifying glass), I read the date as 1856 and decided to see if there was a date on the online map (MOOROODUC,COUNTY OF MORNINGTON.)

There was: 18.5.80! Good old T.J. was instantly deleted from the early landowners journal, making this journal necessary to retain the information and to correct a serious error.

SUMNER.
This pioneer in the parishes of Moorooduc and Frankston was not mentioned by Vale in late 1855 because he did not acquire Yuille's Ballanrong pre-emptive right until 1880. His land in the parish of Frankston was probably part of Ben Baxter's Carrup Carrup Run.

EXTRACT FROM MY "THE FEMALE DROVER: A HISTORY OF MOOROODUC" (not a journal.)

SUMNER.
The Victorian Government website on members of Parliament gives the following details about Theodotus John Sumner. He was born at Liskeard, Cornwall in 1920 and died on 20-4-1884 at Brunswick. His father was the Rev, John Sumner, a Methodist minister.
T.J.Sumner married Sarah Jones Peers. He was a merchant and his religion was listed as Methodist. Sumner emigrated to Van Diemans Land in 1841 and arrived in Melbourne in April 1842. He engaged in pastoral and agricultural pursuits and became a partner of Richard Grice in 1855 when Grice?s former partner had died. Grice, Sumner and Co. were wholesale merchants who gave advances on pastoral properties. Theodotus was an early president of the National Agricultural Society and established a model farm* on his Schnapper Point Estate. He became a member of the Board of Education in 1862 and was a member of the Legislative Council from May 1873 until February 1883.
Engaged in extensive charity work, T.J. endowed the Sumner ward at Melbourne?s Children?s Hospital. His widow administered his estate, a large part of which was in trust for charity, especially the Old Colonists? Home and the Melbourne Hospital.

A quick search on google revealed the following. Grice and Sumner had two ships built at Newcasle-on-Tyne in 1863: the Penola and S.S.Blackbird. The former was built especially for the Adelaide-Melbourne run but collided with, and sank, the City of Launceston in Port Phillip Bay on 19-11-1865. The damaged Penola was briefly replaced on the Adelaide run by the Blackbird which then worked the Brisbane mail run until 1873, undercutting passenger fares charged by the established lines. The Penola was sold to J.J.Grice and Partners and S.S.Blackbird was sold to Captain A.Campbell and Partners in 1876. (Flotilla-Australia website.)
The primary Sumner residence was ?Stony Park? by the Merri Creek near the boundary of North Fitzroy and East Brunswick. A picture of the house is on the net but be warned that the one on the Architecture of Melbourne site is wrong. The southern part of Lowan St (Melway 30 B9) is an approximation of the driveway from Glenlyon St to the Stony Park mansion. Just to the west are Sumner St and Peers St, the latter honouring Sarah?s maiden name.
Stony Park was in the parish of Jika Jika. The land in the parish of Jika Jika was among the first outside Melbourne itself to be alienated. Many of the allotments were bought by speculators in Sydney and Sumner probably bought his estate for a song when the depression of the 1840?s hit. Dawson probably bought his land at the same time. One grantee who did settle was Dr Farquhar McCrae, brother of Arthurs Seat?s Andrew, who leased his grant ?Moreland? to Michael Loeman and moved to La Rose in Pascoe Vale South. He fled to Sydney when the future acting Governor, J.F.L.Foster, challenged him to a duel.
One of Sumner?s near neighbours was Michael Dawson, after whom Dawson St was named. Another (in present-day Fenton St in Ascot Vale) was John Thomas Smith who became Sumner?s near neighbour at Moorooduc as well.
At Christ Church on 12-1-1874, James, eldest son of Richard Grice of Melbourne, married Annie Ruth, eldest daughter of Theodotus John Sumner of Stony Park. (Argus 15-1-1874.)
On 19-9-1888, Gemmell, Tuckett & Co advertised three lots for sale on the instructions of the executors of the late T.J.Sumner Esq. The first lot consisted of land in Frankston. The second comprised the 1470 acres on the east side of Derril Rd and 786 acres in Frankston (parish?) and Moorooduc. The third was the Ellerslie Estate of 636 acres, entirely surrounded by Government Roads and known as the Ballanrong Park. This was the pre-emptive right, granted to T.J.Sumner, west of the Three Chain Road between Bungower and Mornington-Tyabb Roads. (Argus 19-9-1888.)
An advertisement of Allotment 1 Moorooduc of 285.2.34 (the Ranelagh Estate at Mt Eliza) ?on which is erected Nyora? (built by J.T.Smith and later Ranelagh Guest House) mentions that Mrs Sumner owned the adjoining Earimil. (Argus 7-11-1903.)
An obituary for Mrs Sarah Jones Sumner appeared in the 12-3-1929 issue of the Argus. She died at her home ?Stony Park? in Glenlyon St, North Fitzroy (now East Brunswick). She had lived in Victoria for 93 years. (Argus 12-3-1929.) On 9-12-1929, Sumner?s Stony Park Estate at East Brunswick was advertised for sale. (Argus)
T.J.Sumner was obviously interested in dog breeding and rowing. Sarah established a cr?che in Brunswick and was generous to Christ Church Brunswick.
Sumner?s estate in Moorooduc was possibly named Annesleigh (Annesley in some advertisements) after his mother, sister or his daughter, Annie Ruth. In view of the spelling of Ellerslie, the correct spelling may have been Anneslie.

The Hastings Heritage Study indicates that with his partner, Benn, T.J.Sumner held Coolart until 1875. He was also granted several blocks south of the present Riviera Hotel on the part of Long Island in the parish of Frankston.(Google FRANKSTON,COUNTY OF MORNINGTON to see these blocks as well as the huge area, near Sumner Rd,south and west of Ben Baxter's Carrup Carrup P.R. Google MOOROODUC, COUNTY OF MORNINGTON to see the Ballanrong P.R. and the land east of Derril Rd between Eramosa Rd and Mornington-Tyabb Rd.)

Surnames: DAWSON FOSTER GRICE LOEMAN MCCRAE PEERS SMITH SUMNER
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by itellya Profile | Research | Contact | Subscribe | Block this user
on 2013-04-13 10:36:58

Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.

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