13 August 2016. Sub-pages have been added to The Doyles, about the wine growing and making at Kaludah, Lochinvar from about 1843 to 1900-ish. The wine was sold internationally for many years.
9 June 2016. Some information about the area in Spitalfields, London, where Esther Spencer was caught with stolen silverware in 1794 has been added here. This theft resulted in her trial at the Old Bailey, and deportation to Australia for life in 1795.
15 March 2016. After many hours of wrangling with copious information the first page about Cyrus Williams's maternal convict family has been added here. The Doyles were a large family who were at the forefront of pastoral development of northern New South Wales from not long after the arrival of Andrew and Sophia Doyle in 1803. Andrew had been convicted of uttering and forging in Dublin and transported with his older brother in late 1803. His wife and three children accompanied him as free settlers and they were quickly able to establish themselves in the new colony.
7 February 2016.
There's been a long gap in posting to this site, but that's due to the time needed to try and unravel the circumstances around the last 50 years (!!!!!) of Celia Stubbs/Williams/Kennett/Taylor's life (Cyrus Williams's paternal grandmother). She lived to the grand old age of 91, and though we know how many children she had, where and when she died and was buried in 1896, there's still an awful lot we don't know about her after her first husband Richard Williams died, or disappeared, when they were living in India in 1835. If anybody who happens across this site can help us to find more, pleez get in touch on [email protected] - we'd love to know more. Meantime, a scenario has been derived which may or may not be accurate, and still leaves lots of gaps and confusions. Read what we've decided happened to Celia (updated from an earlier posting dated 15 January 2016).
There's been a long gap in posting to this site, but that's due to the time needed to try and unravel the circumstances around the last 50 years (!!!!!) of Celia Stubbs/Williams/Kennett/Taylor's life (Cyrus Williams's paternal grandmother). She lived to the grand old age of 91, and though we know how many children she had, where and when she died and was buried in 1896, there's still an awful lot we don't know about her after her first husband Richard Williams died, or disappeared, when they were living in India in 1835. If anybody who happens across this site can help us to find more, pleez get in touch on [email protected] - we'd love to know more. Meantime, a scenario has been derived which may or may not be accurate, and still leaves lots of gaps and confusions. Read what we've decided happened to Celia (updated from an earlier posting dated 15 January 2016).
4 July 2015.
Sir James DICKSON (1832-1901) was the father of Cyrus's wife Ada Mary DICKSON. Sir James had an interesting political career in Queensland, serving as Premier October 1898- December 1899 and being appointed Minister of Defence in the first Australian government formed after Federation. The entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography for Sir James was written by David Dickson Cuthbert, an academic historian and one of Cyrus Wiliams's grandsons, and therefore a great grandson of Sir James. It is reproduced here. There are many aspects of Sir James's life which are not covered in the "official" biography, including that he was Treasurer for two periods, from 05 June 1876 to 21 January 1879 and then again from 31 December 1883 to 17 August 1887, and that he is credited as being the politician mainly responsible for winning the 'yes' vote in the Queensland referendum on the proposed Constitution of Australia in 1900. Pages will be added to this website on subjects such as the house Sir James had built in the suburb of Hamilton, Brisbane, which is a registered historic building; his family - he had 16 children; his religious observance; the death of his first wife from tetanus from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; his second marriage; his role in supporting "blackbirding Pacific Islanders to work the cane fields of Queensland; and his travels in Europe with some of his daughters in during 1890/91.
Sir James DICKSON (1832-1901) was the father of Cyrus's wife Ada Mary DICKSON. Sir James had an interesting political career in Queensland, serving as Premier October 1898- December 1899 and being appointed Minister of Defence in the first Australian government formed after Federation. The entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography for Sir James was written by David Dickson Cuthbert, an academic historian and one of Cyrus Wiliams's grandsons, and therefore a great grandson of Sir James. It is reproduced here. There are many aspects of Sir James's life which are not covered in the "official" biography, including that he was Treasurer for two periods, from 05 June 1876 to 21 January 1879 and then again from 31 December 1883 to 17 August 1887, and that he is credited as being the politician mainly responsible for winning the 'yes' vote in the Queensland referendum on the proposed Constitution of Australia in 1900. Pages will be added to this website on subjects such as the house Sir James had built in the suburb of Hamilton, Brisbane, which is a registered historic building; his family - he had 16 children; his religious observance; the death of his first wife from tetanus from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; his second marriage; his role in supporting "blackbirding Pacific Islanders to work the cane fields of Queensland; and his travels in Europe with some of his daughters in during 1890/91.
22 May 2015
It's been a while since the last post about William "Willie" Williams, but at last here's the final part of his life story.
It's been a while since the last post about William "Willie" Williams, but at last here's the final part of his life story.
17 March 2015
William "Willie" Williams Part 3, and the short life story of Willie's oldest daughter Lucy
William "Willie" Williams Part 3, and the short life story of Willie's oldest daughter Lucy
6 March 2015
Janelle Collins, avid family historian and another descendant of Esther Spencer, has provided proof and evidence that Esther had children by 4 men - she bore a daughter to Michael Watson in 1798, in between the daughter and son she had by John Fitz. Read all about it here
Janelle Collins, avid family historian and another descendant of Esther Spencer, has provided proof and evidence that Esther had children by 4 men - she bore a daughter to Michael Watson in 1798, in between the daughter and son she had by John Fitz. Read all about it here