WILLIAM (Jnr.)’s SON MEETS RUBY JENKINS

William (Jnr.)’s first son, Edward John Williams, left the family property after his father’s death and worked as a jackeroo on the property of Mrs. Whittaker. It was while he was working there that Edward met Ruby Ellen JENKINS, (my husband’s grandmother) who was working as a companion/helper.

THE JENKINS FAMILY

Ruby Ellen’s great, grandfather, John Jenkins, had arrived in the colony of New South Wales in 1821, on board the second voyage of the convict ship “Speke” from East Malling, England where he had been originally sentenced to life imprisonment for theft.    Also on board was one of  his partners in crime, John Hollands.

John Jenkins was born in East Malling, West Kent. John married Charlotte Elizabeth Surman.

John’s wife, Charlotte Elizabeth (nee SURMAN) along with the children, Thomas Perrin Surman, John, Francis,(pictured on the right), Mary Ann and Elizabeth, arrived in the colony on board the ship “The Grenada” in 1827. Also on board “The Grenada” was the wife of John Hollands, Mary Hollands and her children, William Jane, Thomas, John and Mary Anne.
 

THE SURMAN FAMILY

Charlotte Elizabeth SURMAN was born at West Malling, England and her parents were Francis SURMAN and Elizabeth (nee DONEY). Francis SURMAN’S parents were Samuel SURMAN and Jane MAYNARD. Francis had two sisters - Ann and Elizabeth.

FRANCIS SURMAN’S FIRST MARRIAGE

Francis was first married to Sarah and they had three children: Suzanne; Francis (Jnr.); and Sarah.

FRANCIS SURMAN’S SECOND MARRIAGE

Following the death of his first wife, Sarah, Francis married Elizabeth (DONEY). Francis and Elizabeth had five children: Richard; Sarah; Ann; Thomas; and Charlotte.
 

JOHN AND CHARLOTTE JENKINS AT SUTTON FOREST

By 1828 Charlotte Jenkins had received a grant of 60 acres at Sutton Forest, near Berrima, (south west of Sydney) with 30 head of cattle. John, her husband, was assigned to Charlotte to work the land.

John received his “Ticket-of-Leave” on 5 August 1829 and this required him to remain in the district of Sutton Forest. He received his full Pardon on
1 December 1838.

John Jenkins later built the first house in the new township of Berrima in 1835, for Mr Thomas Horton- James, of Sydney. The house still stands (2005) and is named Berrima House (pictured on the right).

 

DEATH OF CHARLOTTE JENKINS (NEE SURMAN)

Charlotte Jenkins died in 1869 and was buried in the family grave with her daughter-in-law Rebecca Jenkins (nee Higgins) and with her grandson Francis Jenkins, Jnr.

The grave (pictured on the right) is situated in the graveyard beside the Bong Bong Church of England.

DEATH OF JOHN JENKINS


John Jenkins died at Berrima in 1886 aged 95 years.

He was buried in the Berrima Cemetery. The inscription on his grave (pictured on the right) reads: “Sacred to the Memory of John Jenkins, died 25 August 1886, aged 97. Third son of late Henry Jenkins, East Morling [sic] West Kent, England”.
 

JENKINS BROTHERS BECOME GRAZIERS

Ruby Ellen’s grandfather, John Jenkins and his younger brother, Francis Jenkins travelled to the Murrumbidgee River area near Wagga Wagga, NSW in the 1830s and commenced raising cattle on Tooyal Station.

The two brothers later purchased Buckingbong Station from Mr. Best. John and Francis then had over 1,000 head of cattle and they soon prospered. John established a home at Gillenbah Station, seven miles below Buckingbong.

Buckingbong and Gillenbah stations covered an area of 83,200 acres. The brothers also purchased Gall Gall station (30,000 acres) on the Murray River, near Mildura as well as Yanko Station (57,000 acres) purchased from Mr. G. Hill. The brothers also purchased Little Swamp Station (18,000 acres) on the Murrumbidge River and South Thonongah station (40,000 acres) on the Lachlan River.
 

MARRIAGES OF FRANCIS JENKINS

Francis (Frank) Jenkins married Rebecca Higgins on at St. John’s Catholic Church, Campbelltown. Rebecca Higgins’ parents were John Higgins and Ann Winfield. Rebecca was their second child. Rebecca’s older sister, Hannah married John Ray, the brother of Maria Jenkins, Frank Jenkins’ sister-in-law. Rebecca’s youngest sister, Mary Ann married John Bent, son of a United Irishman from Airds.

FRANCIS AND REBECCA JENKINS’ CHILDREN

Francis and Rebecca had six children:

Lydia
Francis
John who married Cecilia Large in Wagga Wagga, NSW. They one daughter, Jeannie.
Ridley W.
Robert James who married Rosa Jane Roberts and they had three children, Rosa (Cisy), Amy and a son.
Charlotte Elizabeth who married Charles Berthon.

Rebecca died during childbirth. Francis’s son, Francis Jnr. drowned at Lake Midgeon in 1852 aged 7 years. Rebecca and Francis Jnr. are buried at the Bong Bong Church Cemetery.

FRANCIS JENKINS’ SECOND MARRIAGE

Francis married Mary Ann Higgins (no relation to Rebecca) in St. James Church of England in Sydney. Mary Ann Higgins who was the daughter of James Jerome Higgins, storekeeper/postmaster and coroner at Berrima, New South Wales and Mary Ann Winton.

Francis and Mary Jenkins had seven children:

Walter
Emily Grace
Marcus
Albert Winton
Clara Florence who married John Zeigler Huei (after the death of Ada Marie)
Edwin Ridley who married Ethel May
Ada Marie (Noni) who married John Zeigler Huie.

FRANCIS JENKINS’ THIRD MARRIAGE

Francis married a third time in 1878 to Brigid Marie Fennell (Aunt Bea). They did not have any children. Brigid,was the sister of Catherine Mary Jenkins (nee Fennell).

DEATH OF FRANCIS JENKINS

Francis (Frank) Jenkins died on 1 August 1902, aged 82 years, at Buckingbong Station and was buried beside his brother, John, in the Narrandera Cemetery.

DEATH OF BRIGID JENKINS (Nee FENNELL)

After the death of her husband, Francis, and the sale of Buckingbong Station, Brigid moved to Sydney where she died in the Hillington Private Hospital, Summer Hill, in 1929, aged 83 years.
 

[Home] [Contents] [Links] [Contact me]

Copyright © 2005, Carol McNeill, , c/- PO, Morayfield, Qld, Australia, 4506. Original content in these pages is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be produced by any process, or other exclusive right exercised without written permission of the copyright holder.