A Dynasty you may not be aware of

 There are many dynasties that call Rookwood "home" such as the Hordern's and Fairfax's to name a few. Today's blog highlights another such dynasty where many of the family are buried in the cemetery.

BRENT CLEMENTS RODD

Brent was born in December 1809 at Barnstaple Devonshire England, the third son and youngest child of John Tremayne Rodd and his wife Bridget. After his wife died in 1818, John made the decision to immigrate to Australia with his four children in 1821. When the "Tiger" called in to Cape Town in South Africa, his eldest, Lucy, left the ship to marry William Pope and return to England. 

John and his sons continued to Hobart arriving in January 1822 and then transferred to another ship arriving in Sydney in April that year. John was a hydraulic engineer and was initially Assistant Surveyor but owing to an injury three years later became Superintendent of works at Newcastle and later a successful pastoralist in the Hunter region with land in Broke. 

Only publicly known likeness of Brent Clements Rodd - Dictionary of Sydney

Brent became a storekeeper and by 1829 was articled and admitted as a solicitor in September 1833. Some years earlier he had applied for a land grant and in 1830 had land and town lots in Newcastle, Bathurst, Raymond Terrace, Clarence Town and several blocks on Wollombi Creek - land was the currency of the day! In 1838 he bought 50 acres of the Five Dock Estate, from Samuel Lyons, a convict turned auctioneer and businessman, and built a family house, Barnstaple Manor, named after his birthplace.  In 1839 he married Sarah Jane Robertson.

Barnstaple Manor (destroyed after the 1920's) - courtesy of Canada Bay connections

Brent was very successful in his profession and specialised in debt collection, an area of law that could prove very lucrative and until 1860 was the senior partner in the firm of Rodd and Dawson. From that time, he set up business on his own and clients such as Henry Parkes and the Rev. J.D. Lang.

He retired in the 1870's and spent time developing a large library, had interests in the Australasian Botanical and Horticultural Society and managed his Barnstaple estate. Brent died at home of heart disease on the 26th of November 1898 and was buried in the family mausoleum carved from a large rock by convict labour and located in the area now known as Rodd Point. 

The bodies remained there until 1903 when they and the cross were moved to the Rookwood Necropolis. The mausoleum became "lost" but the remnants were rediscovered in 1973, and the Drummoyne Rotary Club arranged for the cross to be returned to its original site and suitable plaques placed on the rock. Now known as the Rodd Point memorial its sits in Rodd Park, a popular area for walkers. Nearby Rodd Island is also named after Brent Clements Rodd. 

Rodd Point Memorial - Wikipedia

Brent and Sarah had a large family of twelve children and many of the local streets are named after members of the Rodd family. 

Brent's brother, Robert Adamson, became a grazier and was granted 300 acres by Sir Thomas Brisbane in Broke in 1825, adjoining J. H. Townsend, adding to his allotment in 1832. That some year, Townsend was woken at 10pm to see two female women servants leave his house and, following them, head to the Rodd property, being met by Robert. Robert seeing Townsend, turned and fired at him; there was an altercation, but both returned to their respective properties. Townsend did not leave the situation at this but went to the Supreme Court and luckily for Robert, several Magistrates testified that this behaviour was totally out of character; the case was acquitted. 

Robert married Amelia Marshall in 1840, and they went on to have a large family. He became a successful Magistrate and died in 1876. 

Brent's other brother, John Savery, married Catherine Murray, the daughter of a surgeon in the Royal Artillery, in 1837. They went on to have five children and they lived in Bathurst. In 1852 he built a home at South Creek (near Kemps Creek in western Sydney) and died in 1876 at Potts Point. He is buried in St Johns Cemetery Ashfield. 

Brent's wife, Sarah, was the sister of Sir John Robertson, who became the first pupil of the Rev. J.D. Lang and later went on to become Premier of NSW on five occasions. He was best known for his land reforms and the Robertson Land Acts of 1861 which sought to open up the selection of Crown land and break the monopoly of the squatters. 

Sir John Robertson - Wikipedia

Brent Clements Rodd and his wife Sarah, some children and grandchildren were reinterred in the Old Anglican section of the Cemetery in Section 2 near Necropolis Drive and not far from where the No.1 (Train) Receiving Station was. Some other family members are buried elsewhere in the Necropolis.

Brent Clements Rodd headstone - Find-a-grave 

Another dynasty that may not be as well-known as others, but the Rodd and Robertson families remained very connected over the years.

For today's blog I have referenced Ancestry.com, Wikipedia, The Dictionary of Sydney, The Australian Dictionary of Autobiography, Canada Bay connections page and Trove.

If you have any insights, reminiscences or information about the Rodd's of Rodd Point please feel free to add them to the comments below or via the Group Facebook Page which can be found under 

Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries

or send me a personal message via 

lorainepunch@gmail.com 

Until next week!