A family with connections

 

I noticed recently that a number of musical concerts were to be conducted in The Great Synagogue in Sydney which was built between 1874 and 1878, designed by Thomas Rowe with stone work carved by Aaron Liveridge (I promise a blog about him later...), I had published a blog a few months back about Charlotte Rowe, Thomas' first wife and promised a further "deep dive" into her family connections who were possibly the link between her and Thomas crossing paths.

So, with that in mind I bring you the story of her cousins who made a great deal of wealth during Victorian times.

THE NEALE FAMILY - JAMES HENRY, THOMAS HENRY JAMES AUSTRALIA, JOHN THOMAS AND SAMUEL.

James, was born in 1828 with his brother Thomas, following him in 1830. They were the sons of John, an overseer, butcher and Alderman and his wife, Sarah, of Denham Court near Campbelltown southwest of Sydney. They were two of their thirteen children. Being born only two years apart, the brothers were very close.

Denham Court - home of the Neales - State Library of NSW

Their father John Neale was the son of William Neale who had served in the 102^nd Regiment prior to 1793. He was convicted at a court martial for an untraced offence (possibly desertion) and held in Prison until January 1794, when he was sent on board the ship “Surprize”. On the voyage he was released and allowed to serve as a Private in the NSW Corps. On board was was a convict Sarah Townsend who was convicted of highway robbery in 1793. By 1806 William and Sarah were living in Parramatta in a common law marriage. William obtained a discharge from the NSW Corps when they withdrew to England in 1810 in order to remain in the colony, and he and Sarah married later that year. He was granted acreage in the Airds District in 1811 and was a landholder there in 1814.

John, their eldest son, born in 1797, was granted 60 acres of land in Ingleburn and by 1842 had premises as a carcass butcher. John was also a property investor and bought an allotment in Pyrmont close to Blackwattle Bay, near the slaughterhouse, and purchased other lots, building rows of cottages. His son, John Thomas followed in his footsteps as a carcass butcher and invested in the Balmain area as did James Henry.

John Neale had a sister, Sarah Matilda, who married William Piper. They were the parents of Charlotte Anne who married Thomas Rowe the Architect. This link means that Charlotte and James and all his brothers, Thomas Henry, John Thomas and Samuel were cousins.

James Henry followed in his father’s footsteps, became a butcher and went into politics. In 1864 he was elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly for East Sydney. James accumulated a substantial amount of land around Katoomba and Hartley, west of Sydney, in the Blue Mountains area. He transferred to Hartley in 1869 and is credited with the naming of Katoomba; it was originally known as “The Crushers” due to the crushing plant for sandstone located there. The local Kanimbla people knew the place as “Katoom-bah” which means shiny, falling waters and he selected the name for the emerging township.

In August 1878 James requested the local MP to make representations for the establishment of a Post Office at Katoomba which was rejected as too few people lived there. Within two years the Post Office had been established. James’ house was called “Froma” and believed to be the first house in Katoomba being established on land now occupied by the Carrington Hotel which was built in 1884.

James remained unmarried until his death in 1890 aged 62 and is buried with his younger brother Samuel who passed in 1910 in the Old Methodist area of the cemetery.

James Henry and Samuel Neale's headstone - Find a Grave with thanks.

There is not a lot of information about Samuel. He died at his home “Glen Eden” Medowbank, a bachelor, who left most of his estate to charity. He was known to be a lover of the Fox Terrier breed, exhibiting many of his dogs in various shows.

The early life of Thomas is a little sketchy, but we know he married Selina Meurnat in 1852 at St Bartholomew’s Church in Prospect. Selina’s father Ferdinand escaped the French Revolution and landed in Ireland. He was transported for forgery offences and was known to embellish a story - as well as banknotes! Thomas and Selina lived in the Blue Mountains and had two children who died young. Thomas was the last Magistrate to sit at the Hartley Court House prior to its closure in 1887. He died in Albany Western Australia in 1898 and his body was brought back to Sydney to be buried in Rookwood. Selina died in 1907 but is not buried with her husband.

Thomas Henry Neale's headstone - author's own 

The most successful brother in business and connections by marriage was John Thomas. He proved to be a successful businessman commencing, as previously mentioned, as a carcass butcher. In 1866 he had 200,000 acres of land over several holdings for his cattle which provided stock for his butchery business. He also owned many properties in Sydney and by 1896 these numbered 90 of which 75% were houses, 24% shops and 1% land. He had a number of investments and owned several public houses. (His will makes for interesting reading). At one time he owned the Prince of Wales Theatre and the block of buildings in which it stood and was its mortgagee when it burnt down. (There is a Rookwood connection in that event, a story that will be devoted to an individual blog to be published later).

John’s wife, Hannah nee Bull, who he married in 1843, had a younger brother Nathaniel George, whose wife was Harriet Hordern, the sister of Anthony III and Sam Hordern. Sam took over his brothers holding in Anthony Hordern and Sons upon Anthony’s death and was the man who spearheaded Hordern Emporium’s success. He owned Retford Park in the Southern Highlands now a National Trust property. John Thomas died in 1890 and is buried near his brothers and shares his plot with Hannah.

John Thomas Neale monument - author's own 

As I mentioned I often wondered how Charlotte Anne had met the young architect on the rise, Thomas Rowe. I believe it would be through John Thomas and/or his brothers and their property concerns.  I could be wrong, but family connections were extremely significant in the Victorian age.

There are many Neales buried in the old Methodist area, a family that left a considerable mark on an emerging Sydney in late Victorian times.

There will be future blogs about the areas and events I mentioned.

Ah Rookwood and it’s many family jigsaw pieces.

If you have any comments about this blog, please include them below or at the Facebook group found under

rookwoodcemeterydiscoveries

or send me a message at

lorainepunch@gmail.com

Until next week!