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.
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).
...Description of Edinglassie in The Scone Advocate 26 June 19452). 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
7). Edinglassie (University of Newcastle Cultural Collections)....↑