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James Bowman - Convict Ship Surgeon

Ravensworth - Map 5

James Bowman entered the Royal Navy as an assistant surgeon in 1806. He was promoted to surgeon in 1807. He was employed as Surgeon Superintendent on the convict ships Mary Anne in 1816 and Lord Eldon in 1817.

Principal Surgeon

He arrived in Australia on the John Barry in 1819 having been appointed Principal Surgeon for the colony of New South Wales.

Australian Agricultural Company

James Bowman was on the local committee of the Australian Agricultural Company from 1824 until 1829. Other members of the committee were James Macarthur, Hannibal Macarthur, and Captain King.

He married Mary Isabella Macarthur, the second daughter of John Macarthur in 1823.

Ravensworth

He established a sheep run on more than 11,000 acres at his Hunter Valley estate Ravensworth. He continued to work at the General Hospital in Sydney and did not reside at Ravensworth which was worked by overseers and assigned convicts.

Visitors to Ravensworth

In March 1832 Ravensworth was visited by Australian Agricultural company Commissioner Sir William Edward Parry and party on their journey to the Liverpool Plains.

The party consisting of Henry Dangar, Charles Hall, seven white men and 2 natives (one a former acquaintance of Henry Dangar called Paddy) left Maitland at 9 am and reached Glendon, the estate of Helenus and Robert Scott by 4pm. The following day they left Glendon at 10am and proceeded across Black Creek. After this the road passed James Mudie's Castle Forbes through Henry Dangar's Neotsfield to the Hunter River crossing near Singleton's Plough Inn. After crossing the river the first property was James Glennie's Dulwich and the road then went via Ravensworth where they arrived at at 3 o'clock.

They were kindly received at Ravensworth by managers Mr.and Mrs. James White who were formerly in the service of the Australian Agricultural Company. Here Parry was comfortably lodged, although he did not think highly of the Estate. He thought a great deal of money must have been spent to clear and stump large home paddocks. The flat land near the Foy Brook, Mr. White did not consider good and the higher land was too thickly timbered with ironbark to be of any good or even middling quality. Dr. Bowman was building a substantial stone cottage for the use of Mr. White. Their garden consisted of 8 acres fenced with a paling fence and a little stream running through it. It was partly laid out in a tasteful and ornamental manner. Parry thought that if 5 or 6 men could always be employed it could soon be a very handsome garden however he thought it (the garden) too large for a private estate like Ravensworth. [1]

On leaving Ravensworth, Parry's party would have continued on the road which passed over Saltwater Creek and over the ridges. Once in the valley the road divided with one branch proceeding to Muswellbrook and the other towards Edinglassie and Merton.
Early Settler Map 5

The Ravensworth estate was visited By Lieutenant George Pulteney Malcolm in October/ November 1835.....

Lieutenant Malcolm had arrived on the Henry Porcher in 1835 and spent over a year in New South Wales travelling extensively. He kept a journal throughout the voyage and afterwards on his travels in Australia. A copy of the journal is held by the State Library of New South Wales.

Lieutenant Malcolm spent six weeks in the Hunter region where he also visited Robert and Helenus Scott at Glendon and brothers Henry Dumaresq and William Dumaresq.

Ravensworth was also visited by missionaries Backhouse and Walker in June 1836.

Lyndhurst

During these years James Bowman engaged architect John Verge to design and build a mansion on 36 acres at Glebe in Sydney called Lyndhurst. He may not have resided here very long as he had retired to Ravensworth by 1840 when James White departed.

Retirement

At Singleton he became involved in community affairs in the district and held the position of President of the Singleton Benevolent Society and donated land for a church near Camberwell.

Convicts Assigned to Ravensworth Estate

Thomas Ainsworth - Camden 1833

Charles Andrews - Georgiana 1831

William Banks - John 1827

John Baker - Countess of Harcourt 1822

William Barker - Camden 1831

William Baxter - Surry 1834

George Brassingham - Tottenham 1818

John Buckley - Hive 1835

Richard Burnett - Marquis of Huntley 1826 - Occupation Stonemason

John Campbell - Portland 1832

Thomas Cavender - Exmouth 1831 - Occupation Waterman

Thomas Coyle - Sir Godfrey Webster 1826 - Occupation Shepherd

Alexander Cummings - Hive 1834

Robert Dakin - Guildford 1827. Occupation Shepherd

Robert Darcy - Cambridge 1827. Occupation labourer

Richard Davis - Waterloo 1836. Occupation Pavoir's boy

Sophia Davis - Midas 1825. Occupation Housemaid.

George Delbridge - Lord Sidmouth 1819. Occupation - Organ builder

James Devlin - Morley 1828

John Dolly - General Hewitt 1814

John Doyle - Calcutta 1837

Charles Duckett - Lady Feversham 1830. Occupation Basket weaver

Martin Fallon - Eliza 1827 - Occupation Shepherd

William Fitzgerald - Bengal Merchant 1838. Occupation Labourer

Charles Fletcher - Bussorah Merchant 1828. Occupation Labourer

James Fordham - Ocean 1823. Occupation Shepherd

Michael Fox - Eliza 1827. Occupation Labourer

James Francis - Isabella 1818. Occupation Labourer

George Freeman - Lloyds 1833. Occupation Wheelwright

John George - Recovery 1819. Occupation Gardener

Patrick Garrett - Jane 1831. Occupation Carter

Peter Geraghty - Roslin Castle 1833. Occupation Indoor servant, footman and valet

George Gordon - Hive 1834. Occupation Servant boy.

John Gower - Layton 1829. Occupation ploughman and butcher

Hannah Haigh - Buffalo 1833

John Haigh - Morley 1829

George Harrison - Roslin Castle 1834. Occupation labourer

Thomas Hassall - Exmouth 1831. Occupation Ploughs, milks, reaps.

Stephen Hedges - Marquis of Hastings 1828. Occupation Labourer

John Hewitson - Countess of Harcourt 1824. Occupation Labourer

Sarah Hitchman - Grenada 1825

Charles Hodgets - Prince Regent 1827. Occupation Labourer

Thomas Howard - Age 11. Apprentice

John Jackson - Exmouth 1831. Occupation Jeweller

Robert Jackson - Speke 1826. Occupation Stonemason

Thomas James - Agamemnon 1820. Occupation Shoemaker

Thomas Jenkins - Marquis of Huntley 1835. Occupation Cabinet maker's boy

Richard Jones - Hooghley 1834

Anthony Joseph - Lady Nugent 1835

James Lamb - Asia 1825 (III)

Robert Lawton - Layton 1829. Occupation cotton spinner

James Lewis - Bengal Merchant 1835. Occupation groom

Thomas Light - Midas 1827. Occupation Shepherd

John May - Elizabeth 1820. Occupation Shepherd

Bernard McClusky - Royal Sovereign 1834

William McGeary - Heroine 1833

John McLachlan - Morley 1817. Occupation labourer

Samuel Millard - Parmelia 1832

William Morgan - Heroine 1833. Occupation labourer

Michael Mulcahy - Marquis of Huntley 1828. Farm servant

Brian Mullaney - Portland 1833. Occupation labourer

Michael Murphy - Bussorah Merchant 1831

Matthew Noble - Sophia 1829

Stephen Orwood - Tottenham 1818. Occupation labourer

Samuel Owens - Mary 1822

Abraham Oxley - Fairlie 1834

William Peach - Lady Harewood 1832. Occupation ploughman

Thomas Porter - Bussorah Merchant 1828

Patrick Relish - Sophia 1829. Occupation Shepherd

John Reiley - Jane 1831

Henry Renshaw - Aurora 1833

Peter Reynolds - Royal Sovereign 1834. Occupation Groom and Dragoon

Edward Roberts - John 1832. Occupation Steam loom weaver

Richard Ryan - Eliza 1827. Occupation shoemaker

Robert (Edward) Scott - Sophia 1829

William Short - Sophia 1829. Horse dealer and farrier

James Smith - Henry Porcher 1825

John Smith - Manlius 1827

Antonio Spebzino - Lady Feversham 1830. Occupation Tailor

Richard Stark - Royal Charlotte 1825

Daniel Sweeney - Daphne 1819

James Thomas - Agamemnon 1820

William Thomas - Bussorah Merchant 1828. Occupation Labourer

Patrick Thompson - Bussorah Merchant 1831

William Thorn - Sarah 1829. Occupation top sawyer

Joseph Tow - Burrell 1830. Occupation groom

William Vizard - Vittoria. Occupation Labourer

Elizabeth Wadley - Grenada 1827. Occupation house servant

William Wadsworth - Guildford 1822. Occupation Blacksmith

William Walker - Mermaid 1830. Occupation Ploughman

George Watkins - Mellish 1829

James Watson - Eliza 1820. Occupation Stockman

John Webb - America 1829

William Wharton - Marquis of Huntley 1835

John Wilday - Albion 1827. Occupation carpenter

Henry Williams - Mermaid 1830. Occupation errand boy

George Williamson - Strathfieldsaye 1836

Samuel Wilson - Ocean 1823. Occupation Shepherd

John Wood - Lloyds 1833

George Yarwood - Manlius 1827. Occupation Shepherd

Free Emigrant Workers at Ravensworth

John Alexander - Occupation Mariner. Came free. Employed as superintendent by James Bowman in 1828
George Unicombe per Lady Nugent
William and Susan Aubry per James Pattison 1840
James McLaren per Brilliant
John and Eliza Edmonds per James Pattison

Death of James Bowman

James Bowman died in August 1846 at Ravensworth. After his death Ravensworth was purchased by Captain William Russell.

Captain William Russell

Captain Russell arrived in the colony in 1837. He later other properties as well including Glenridding near Singleton, Waverley and Cheshunt Park.

William Russell died in England in 1866. Ravensworth was subdivided in 1882 and part of the estate was eventually purchased by Duncan Forbes Mackay.