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From: David Armstrong - Business Manager - Product Sales <>
Subject: Central Coast Pioneers - TAAFFE and FREEMAN
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2000 10:17:00 +1100 (EST)



Hello everyone,

As Marg Morters' suggested I'd like to introduce myself and put forward
my family interests, hoping that others on the list may have family
connections, anecdotes, etc that may help fill in the pieces.

My name is David Armstrong and I live in Sydney. I began to investigate
my family history earlier this year when I accidently discovered the
NSW BDM index was available to search on-line. All I knew was that my
gg grandparents were early settlers near Cams Wharf on Lake Macquarie.
Since then I've discovered skeletons galore and could write a novel but
I still have lots of holes to fill. This is an addiction !

My central coast ancestors were:

JOHN TAAFFE and family who settled near Cams Wharf, Lake Macquarie. His
wife was ELIZABETH FREEMAN, eldest daughter of JAMES FREEMAN and MARY
ANN SMITH.

John Taaffe (actually baptised Patrick Taafe) was born in Kent St,
Sydney in 1826, the eldest son of convicts Patrick Taaffe and Mary Ann
Burke. His father died in 1841 and I think his mother re-married in
1844. About that time it seems the family split up with John heading
for Brisbane Waters where he met the Freeman's.

James Freeman was born at Isle of Ely, c1795-98, and arrived in the
colony in 1817. After several misadventures he was assigned to Robert
Henderson at Brisbane Waters. He managed Henderson's dairy at Cabbage
Tree and it was here that he met Mary Ann Smith who was also assigned
to Henderson. Their firstborn was a daughter Elizabeth, born in 1832.

I'm trying to find out how John Taaffe came to be in the Brisbane Water
area. He was friendly with Thomas Boyd who had a ketch called
"Turtle". Perhaps they met in Sydney, Boyd was sailing to Gosford
etc...who knows. At any rate I know that John Taaffe and Elizabeth
Freeman married at Gosford in 1849, and in 1853 they sailed with Thos
Boyd and Elizabeth's younger sister, Eliza, to Reids Mistake where they
settled. Thos Boyd and Eliza Freeman later married in 1859.

I also know that the Freemans were at Reids Mistake in 1839, as one of
their children was born there. This seems to be very early in the history
of white settlement at Reids Mistake and I wonder why they were there.

Another ancestor, who was an early settler in Yarramalong, was WILLIAM
BEAVEN. But maybe that's outside the area ?

If anyone has any connections with these families I'd love to hear from
you.

regards,
David


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