Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




George Forbes - Settler

Edinglassie - Map 7


George Forbes arrived in New South Wales with his brother Sir Francis Forbes on the Guildford in 1824.

He was granted 2000 acres in September 1824. Another 4000 acres were reserved for purchase. 

Francis Allman Joseph Bettington William Buchanan William Cox Henry Dumaresq Francis Forbes George Forbes George Forbes Donald McIntyre John Pike Samuel Wright Muswellbrook History Hunter River Map 7

He stocked his estate Edinglassie with fine wool sheep and acted as superintendent on his brother's estate Skellatar

Peter Cunningham described the area in 1826 -

You enter first upon Edinglassie, the property of Mr. George Forbes, brother to our able and amiable chief justice, who possesses many thousand acres here, which he is stocking with fine woolled sheep. To the right is Captain Dickson's farm, and to the left in succession, the farms of Messrs. Carter, Mills, and Ogilvie. On the opposite bank there are only two resident proprietors, namely Captain Pike and Mr. Greig, the remainder of the land being all occupied as stock runs by distant proprietors. Mr. Ogilvie and his family are resident upon their property at Merton, the scenery whereof exceeds even that of Edinglassie, being still more various in its features; in fact, I may add, that it is the only place which , having before heard much praised, I was not disappointed in.

George Forbes occupied the land from 1825 until February 1837 when he sold it to investor James Atkinson (4), who increased the holding before selling it on to James White in May 1839.

The following men were assigned to George Forbes at Edinglassie c. 1828 - 1837. They were convicts and ex-convicts unless otherwise stated. Workers may not have remained on the same estates they were assigned to. They were often transferred or loaned to different farms and stations at harvest and shearing times.

Convict Name
Ship - Date Assigned - Occupation

Bartlett, Thomas
Convict Ship Marquis of Hastings 1827; 1836; brickmaker's labourer


Batchelor, Francis
Convict Ship Layton 1829; 1832


Braham, John
Convict Ship Hindostan 1821; 1828; carpenter


Byrne, Henry
Convict Ship Captain Cook 1832; 1832-1837


Campbell, Michael
Convict Ship Ocean 1816; 1828; labourer


Cantler, John
Convict Ship Sarah 1829; 1837


Collins, Patrick
Convict Ship Ferguson 1829; 1829; ploughs and shears


Connor, Michael
Convict Ship Captain Cook 1832; 1832; spadesman and labourer


Cordingley, David
Convict Ship Sarah 1829; 1829


Cox, James
Convict Ship Minstrel 1825; 1828; shepherd


Daw, Peter
Convict Ship Sarah 1829; 1829; ploughman, shears, reaps


Delaney, Hilton
Convict Ship Hive 1835; 1837


Doyle, Edward
Convict Ship Sir Godfrey Webster 1826; 1828; shepherd


Eagan, Thomas
Convict Ship Hadlow 1820; 1828; labourer


Everill, Thomas
Convict Ship Countess of Harcourt 1824; 1828; bullock driver


Flinn, Joseph
Convict Ship England 1826; 1828; labourer


Goodman, Henry
Convict Ship Layton 1829; 1834


Green, Thomas
Convict Ship Hebe 1820; 1828


Greenhatch, John
Convict Ship Midas 1827; 1828; brick maker


Hickey, Michael
Convict Ship Portland 1833; 1837


Hines, Haggai
Convict Ship Adrian 1830; assigned on arrival 1830; shepherd


Hutchinson, James
Convict Ship Eliza 1822; 1828; labourer


Inches, Nairne
Convict Ship 1828; employed as Superintendent at Edinglassie


Jordan, James
Convict Ship Hive 1835; 1837


Kennard, Daniel
Convict Ship Ann and Amelia 1825; 1828; labourer


Kenny, Michael
Convict Ship Eliza 1832; 1832; ploughman


Kirkham, Thomas
Convict Ship Adrian 1830; 1830


Lee, Samuel
Convict Ship Katherine Stewart Forbes 1830; 1837


Leonard, Thomas
Convict Ship Guildford 1824; 1828; ploughman


Loughren, Charles
Convict Ship Earl Grey 1836; 1836-1837


Mace, William
Convict Ship Guildford 1827; 1828; labourer


Maloney, Daniel
Convict Ship Eliza 1832; 1832-1837


Murphy, Edward
Convict Ship St. Vincent 1837; 1837


Nicholson, Robert
Convict Ship Susan 1836; 1837


Noakes, James
Convict Ship Came free; Emigrant per ship Florist


Nuttall, Charles
Convict Ship Norfolk 1825; 1828; labourer


Read, Robert
Convict Ship Portland 1832; 1832; ploughman, beemaster


Reaman, William
Convict Ship Georgiana 1831; 1831


Rolfe, John
Convict Ship Georgiana 1831; 1831; horse dealer


Sanderson, John
Convict Ship Countess of Harcourt 1824; 1828; gardener


Smith, George
Convict Ship Marquis of Hastings 1827; 1828; shepherd


Wall, William
Convict Ship General Stewart 1818; 1837


Waving, William
Convict Ship Eleanor 1831; 1831; shepherd


Welsh, Alexander
Convict Ship Earl St. Vincent 1823; 1828


West, James
Convict Ship Midas 1827; 1837


Williams, James
Convict Ship Lord Lyndoch 1833; 1837


Wilson, William
Convict Ship Lady Harewood 1831; 1837


Wood, John
Convict Ship Lord Melville 1830; 1832; stone cutter

George Forbes died in June 1869 aged 82 at his residence Hyde Park Terrace, Liverpool street, Sydney

James White

James White arrived on the Fairfield in 1826, having been employed by the Australian Agricultural Company to bring a flock of sheep to Australia. On arrival he took the sheep to 'Retreat Farm at Parramatta before moving them to Port Stephens.

In 1830 James White left the Australian Agricultural Company and moved to Ravensworth, the property of James Bowman where he was employed as superintendent.

Edinglassie was purchased by James White in 1839.

Employees at Edinglassie

In 1852 employees at Edinglassie included :
Thomas Way,
Joseph Roe,
Robert Nicholson,
Thomas Larrance,
Kenneth Urquhart,
Thomas Byrnes,
William Dean,
John Trainer,
Patrick Byrnes,
Elijah Cartwright,
John McPhee,
John McCullum,
James Cornish
Benjamin Curn.

James White senior died in 1842.

Notes and Links

1).
Edinglassie...Description of Edinglassie in The Scone Advocate 26 June 1945

2). State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, NSW, Australia; Archive Reel: 1583; Series: 12992; Description: Registers of Memorials for Land 1825-1842

3). Early Buildings in Muswellbrook

4). Muswellbrook History

5). Inns and Hotels

6). Rev. Richard George Boodle

C917-0093b Edinglassie, near Muswellbrook, c.18907). Edinglassie (University of Newcastle Cultural Collections)....