THE MUDDLE FAMILIES

THE LINEAGE & HISTORY OF THE MUDDLE FAMILIES OF THE WORLD

INCLUDING VARIANTS MUDDEL, MUDDELL, MUDLE & MODDLE

 

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MUDDLE FAMILY STORIES

 

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Bounty Migrants – Australia Bound

 

In the late 1830s the era of transporting convicts to the colony of New South Wales was coming to an end, but the colony was rapidly being opened up and the settlers had a pressing requirement for workers to help in this. They also much preferred reliable free workers rather than the unreliable convict labour. At the same time there was a considerable surplus of labour in England, economic activity, particularly in agriculture, had been depressed for some time, which had resulted in civil unrest and riots, especially amongst farm labourers. As a result the Colonial Government decided that the solution to both problems was to assist migration from England to New South Wales and they introduced the bounty system, which they paid for by selling off Crown Land in the colony. From the proceeds they paid for the passage of suitable migrants, these preferably being fit young families with the skills, such as farming and timber production, then needed in New South Wales.

Employers in the colony registered their requirements for workers, and agents were engaged to find suitable migrants in England and arrange their transportation to New South Wales. On the successful completion of each voyage the agent was paid a bounty for each migrant, out of which he had to pay the ship owners the fare for the migrants’ travel and sustenance. These agents seem to have been particularly active in the Uckfield area in the late 1830s as there were several migrants from the area at this time. One of those who was attracted by what was being offered was Isaac Muddle, 37-year-old farm labourer of High Hurstwood.

Isaac was the son of Isaac and Ann Muddle and had been born in Buxted Parish in about 1800. He was the second son of a second son, so had no chance of benefiting from the Muddle family property holdings at High Hurstwood, which were in any case getting into financial difficulties because of the depressed state of agriculture. So like so many others in the area Isaac had little choice but to earn his living as a farm labourer, and at the age of 22 he was living and working in Isfield when he married 24-year-old Mary Simmonds at Maresfield Church on 29 July 1822. Their son George was born at Isfield on 4 January 1823, and then sometime during the next two years the family moved to High Hurstwood where Mary died at the age of 27. Mary was taken back to her native parish of Maresfield where she was buried in the churchyard on 1 May 1825.

Isaac’s young son went to live with Isaac’s parents, who were then living in a cottage at Streele Park in Buxted, until Isaac remarried. Isaac’s second marriage, when he was 26, was to 23-year-old Amelia Gorringe at Framfield Church on 14 October 1826. They had seven children born in Buxted Parish between September 1826 (four months before their marriage) and March 1838. These children were Luke (1826), William (1828), Harriett (1829), James (1832), Ann (1834), Edward (1836) and Charles (1838). They first lived at Streele Park, and then in 1828 they moved to Lowland near Streele on the same estate. In 1829 they moved to Hadlow Down and then in 1830 they moved to High Hurstwood where in 1838 they were living at Ivy Hole (now Woodpeckers), which was owned by Richard Booker, whose wife Dorothy (née Muddle) was a first cousin of Isaac’s father.

 

 

Isaac seems to have always wanted something better for his family. We know that he sent his eldest son to school for nine years, which must have been a struggle for him on his meagre farm labourer’s wages. So when the bounty agent John Marshall was in the area extolling the advantages of life in New South Wales, with its abundant opportunities for work, and the chance for even a humble farm labourer to acquire his own land and by his own hard work get on in life, something that was completely impossible in England at that time with all the vested interests of the ruling classes, it must have seemed to Isaac to be his dreams come true, as it was way beyond Isaac’s financial capabilities to pay for his family to get to this Promised Land.

So in early 1838, with Amelia in the late stages of pregnancy, the family set about getting ready for their adventure, for that is what it must have seemed to them, to travel to this vast land on the other side of the world. Though their food and drink would be provided during the voyage everything else that they would require, on the voyage and when they first got to Australia, they had to provide for themselves. The recommendations were: clothing, bedding, soap, towels, mess kit, tablecloths, wash hand basin, supply of string, sewing materials, tape, buttons, Bible, Prayer Book, brush and comb. The baggage had to be packed carefully into a large sea chest.

Son Charles was born at Ivy Hole on 15 March 1838, and baptised at St Margaret’s Church in Buxted on 15 April. Then just two weeks later, on 29 April 1838, they said their last goodbyes to family (Isaac’s parents were then in their 70s) and friends, who they would never see again, and started on their journey. The first leg of their journey was to Mr Starr’s at Crowborough. They may have been travelling with other migrants from Buxted, as it’s known that the family of Thomas Starr and his wife Lydia (née Muddle), from an unrelated Muddle family who lived at Heron’s Ghyll, migrated to New South Wales on the same voyage. At Crowborough they took the carrier’s wagon to Gravesend, arriving the following day, 30 April, and boarded the ship William Metcalfe. They sailed that night and arrived at Plymouth in Devon on 5 May, where they stayed until finally setting sail for Sydney on 16 May.

They would have been steerage passengers living in communal quarters under conditions that were probably far worse than they had left behind, and they probably had their fair share of bad weather and stormy seas. All we know about the voyage is that it lasted 108 days with them arriving at Sydney on 31 August 1838, and that baby Charles was not recorded with the others as being an arriving bounty passenger. What happened to baby Charles is unknown, the surgeon’s log for this voyage, which would have recorded any deaths on the voyage, has not survived, so it can only be assumed that Charles died either on the voyage or during the time they were waiting before setting sail from Plymouth. The bounty paid to agent John Marshall was £18 each for Isaac and Amelia, £15 for son George, £10 each for Luke, William and Harriett and £5 each for James, Ann and Edward.

The ship that had carried Isaac and his family to New South Wales was the William Metcalfe that four years earlier, in the year she had been built, had sailed as a convict ship from Portsmouth on 23 May 1834 and arrived at Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on 4 September 1834 carrying George Loveless, the leader of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, to start his sentence of transportation for seven years.

 

 

The Muddle family stayed in Sydney until Wednesday 5 September when they boarded the steamer Maitland and set sail for Morpeth, which is on the Hunter River inland from Newcastle and about 75 miles north of Sydney, but because of a headwind they couldn't get into Newcastle and had to return to Sydney. Then on Saturday night they tried again and arrived at Morpeth on Sunday 9 September. Isaac and Amelia first lived at Gresford, which is about 22 miles north of Morpeth in a recently opened up area on the Paterson River that's a tributary of the Hunter River, where they had two children, Isaac in 1839 and Elizabeth in 1841. They then moved to Bandon Grove, which is about 13 miles north-east of Gresford, where they had their next child, Sarah, in about 1844, and their last child, John, was probably born there in 1846. Edward, the youngest of their children to arrive with them in New South Wales, is not heard from again after being recorded on the bounty list on arrival, and he is assumed to have died during their first years in the colony, so the promise of this new land had proved deadly for the two youngest members of this Buxted family, though for the others it wouldn't be quite so harsh.

 

 

Their Australian born daughter Sarah died at Bandon Grove in 1859, at the age of 15. But they must have later moved back to Gresford; because Isaac died at his home, Caergwrle farm at Allynbrook, which is a few miles north of Gresford, on 10 May 1876, at the age of 76, from a stone in the bladder, which he had suffered from for three years. He was buried in St Mary the Virgin Churchyard at Allynbrook, which is a few miles north of Gresford, on 12 May 1876. Both Caergwrle farm and St Mary the Virgin Church had been built by William Boydell in about 1840. Thirteen years later Amelia died at Allyn River, where her son James lived, on 1 August 1889, at the age of about 85, from old age, and she was buried at Allynbrook on 5 August 1889.

No records have been found that tell us what Isaac’s occupation or employment was in the colony, but he presumably worked on the land holdings of settlers in the Gresford area, who were engaged mainly in timber production and the growing of wheat, tobacco and vines. The jobs Isaac did were probably similar to those that his son George detailed in his diary, which included carting timber, stone and corn, ploughing and other tilling of the soil, clearing scrub, working in the tobacco sheds, pruning and harvesting grapes, making roads and building a dam for the mill.

 

 

Isaac’s son George was 15 when he arrived in New South Wales and he seems to have only spent short periods at home with his parents when he was between jobs. As was normal with single labourers in England he lodged with his employer of the moment and his diary records that he would be with each employer for anything from a few weeks to a few years, the difference being that the wages were much higher than in England, one figure George gives is £16 per year with all board and lodging found when he was working for Mr Boydell at his property called Camerallyn. At St Mary’s Church, Allynbrook on 1 December 1846 George, aged 23, married Elizabeth Moores, who was about 18 and always called Betsey by George. They had eleven children between 1847 and 1873, all of whom survived to marry and have families, sometimes large, of their own. George and Elizabeth lived for about eight years in the area of Gresford, initially on Mr Boydell’s property, and then they moved to the town of Dungog, 12 miles east of Gresford. There George was a water carrier when he died on 27 February 1889, at the age of 66. Nineteen years later Elizabeth died on 9 January 1908, at the age of 79. They were both buried in Dungog General Cemetery where their grave is marked by an open-book headstone.

 

 

Isaac and Amelia’s son Luke was born in Buxted Parish during June 1826. He was 12 when he arrived in New South Wales and probably led a similar life to that of his brother George while he was single. Then when he was 30 Luke married Eliza Parnell in Dungog district on 8 September 1856. They had six children, all sons, born between December 1858 (three months after their marriage) and October 1868. They were living in Dungog when their first child was born and Luke was then a tobacco twister (cigar maker). They had moved 7 miles north to Bandon Grove by 1862 where Luke was a farmer. Luke died as a result of a horse accident during September 1869 at the age of 43, his widow married Joseph Brooker in 1875. Three of Luke’s sons married and had fairly large families; his two eldest sons both died when they were 25; and his youngest son died a bachelor aged 63.

Isaac and Amelia’s son William was born in Buxted Parish during March 1828. He was 10 when he arrived in New South Wales and probably lived for a time with his parents before leading a similar single labourer’s life to that of his two elder brothers, except that he seems to have had itchier feet, as he had moved 75 miles south to East Gosford by the time, at 25, he married 25-year-old Irish immigrant Elizabeth Creighton there on 21 July 1853. They lived in the area of Gosford where they had seven children between 1854 and 1864, one of whom was stillborn. William worked as a sawyer and then later as a farm labourer. He was killed on 2 December 1863, at the age of 35, when he either run into a tree limb or was impaled on a stick while chasing cattle at Maidens Bush Creek (now North Gosford). He was buried in Point Frederick Cemetery at Gosford the following day. William’s widow lived in Gosford where she worked as a midwife. She died on 22 February 1907 at the age of 78, and was also buried in Point Frederick Cemetery.

 

 

Of William and Elizabeth’s children, the youngest, Wilhelmina, never married and followed her mother’s calling as a midwife. The other five all married and had large families. The two eldest, daughters Amelia and Eliza, married the Jaques brothers, George and Alfred. These two brothers became prominent members of the community in Gosford and Ourimbah (7 miles north of Gosford). They owned property and businesses in Gosford and had land holdings of several hundred acres each at Ourimbah Creek where they not only built their homes but also roads, timber mills and a school.

 

 

Isaac and Amelia’s daughter Harriett was born in Buxted Parish during December 1829. She was 8 when she arrived in New South Wales and probably lived with her parents helping her mother raise the youngest members of the family, until at the age of 16 she married Henry Lee, who was about 28, at St Mary’s Church, Allynbrook on 21 June 1846. They lived at Gresford where they had thirteen children between 1848 and 1874, one of whom died soon after birth. Henry died on 30 December 1899 at the age of 81. His death was reported in the Maitland Mercury of 2 January 1900:

A distressful calamity occurred in the upper portion of the district on Saturday. An old man, Mr Lee, of Allynbrook, over eighty years of age, drank a glass of carbolic in mistake for wine, and expired half an hour afterwards. An inquest is being held at Allynbrook to-day. The residents are shocked at this very sad occurrence.

Six years later Harriett died at Darlington in Sydney on 26 December 1905 at the age of 76.

Isaac and Amelia’s son James was born in Buxted Parish during March 1832. He was 6 when he arrived in New South Wales and must have initially lived with his parents until later living wherever he found work as his elder brothers had done. When he was 35 James married Harriet Purnell in Dungog district on 2 September 1867. They had twelve children between 1867 (three months after their marriage) and 1885, four of whom died young. James was working as a tobacco twister in 1868 and they lived at Bandon Grove and Gresford before moving to Brisbane in Queensland in about 1890. James died at Brisbane on 4 October 1897 at the age of 65.

Isaac and Amelia’s daughter Ann was born in Buxted Parish during March 1834. She was 4 when she arrived in New South Wales and presumably, like her sister Harriett, lived with her parents until, at 17, she married Benjamin Boorer at St Mary’s Church, Allynbrook on 10 March 1851. Soon after their marriage Benjamin, who had been born at Brasted in Kent, succumbed to the gold fever then gripping Australia and went off to the gold diggings at Oakenville Creek near Hanging Rock, about 110 miles north of Newcastle. There he died on 24 October 1852 as the result of injuries received in a fight. The magisterial inquiry held at Oakenville Creek found that:

From the evidence tendered, it appeared that the deceased and Skelton were tossing with halfpence on the previous Thursday, when a dispute arose. Skelton then challenged the deceased to fight, the deceased wished to give up the money and end the dispute, but on Skelton insisting they commenced fighting. During the course of the dispute, the deceased fell and was moved to his tent where Mr. Fry, a local medical practitioner attended him. The good Doctor deposed that on visiting the deceased he found him in a state of collapse. He rallied a little on Saturday morning. Mr. Fry’s opinion was that the deceased died from an injury to the spinal cord. The deceased left a widow who resided on the estate of W. Boydell Esq., Paterson River. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Skelton Head.

Benjamin’s place of burial is unknown, but he is commemorated on a plaque in Hanging Rock Cemetery. About eighteen months later Ann married Benjamin’s brother, Thomas Boorer, at West Maitland on 11 April 1854. They had nine children between 1855 and 1875. Thomas was a farmer and purchased leases on over 3000 acres of Crown Lands at Wangat north of Dungog. They were still living at Wangat when Thomas died on 5 May 1909 aged 77, and Ann died on 27 September 1916 aged 82. They are buried together in St Peters Church of England Cemetery at Bendolba, a few miles north of Dungog.

 

 

Isaac and Amelia’s first child to be born in New South Wales was son Isaac at Gresford on 23 September 1839. Little is known about Isaac except that in 1865 he had a daughter by his ‘wife’ Ann in Wellingrove district near Glen Innes, 220 miles north of Newcastle, and that he died on 23 June 1899 aged 59 in Armidale district, 60 miles south of Wellingrove.

Isaac and Amelia’s daughter Elizabeth, born at Gresford on 22 September 1841, married Henry George Brooker on 13 July 1864, when she was 22. They lived at Paterson, 13 miles south of Gresford, where they had eight children between 1865 and 1882. Elizabeth died on 25 October 1891 at the age of 50. Her death was reported in the Maitland Mercury of the 26 October 1891:

The sad news of the death of Mrs Henry Brooker has cast quite a gloom over our town. Mrs Brooker was away on a visit to her friends at Singleton, and was seized with an attack of inflammation of the lungs.  In spite of medical attention, she succumbed to the disease on Sunday morning. Her remains were conveyed to Paterson this morning, and will be interred in the Church of England Cemetery this evening. Profound sympathy is felt with the bereaved family.

Henry died twenty-eight years later, at Paterson in 1919.

Isaac and Amelia’s last child was son John, born at Bandon Grove on 29 January 1846. When he was 22 John married Barbara Kemp, who was about 19, at Allynbrook on 8 June 1868. They had eleven children between 1869 and 1892 in Paterson and Clarence Town districts. John is known to have been a farmer in 1902. Barbara died on 10 August 1912 aged 63 and John died on 12 March 1913 aged 67. They are buried together in St Mary’s Church of England Cemetery at Allynbrook.

It had cost the government £96 in 1838 to assist the family’s passage to New South Wales, thus populating the colony with Isaac and Amelia’s 79 grandchildren and several hundred great-grandchildren, whose descendants today account for about 80% of the Muddles living in Australia. We can only surmise if Isaac’s dreams for his family were not only that they would be prosperous and successful, but would also do their bit to transform New South Wales and the other British Colonies in Australia into the proud, free and independent nation that is 21st-century Australia.

 

Acknowledgements:

The Australian descendents of Isaac and Amelia who have kindly supplied information and photos from their researches and family records. In particular; Dawn Geddes, Greg Jaques, Carole Goodwin and Marion McCreadie.

 

Copyright © Derek Miller 2005-2013

Last updated 12 October 2013

 

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