AUS-NSW-Hunter-Valley-L Archives

From: "Jeannine" <>
Subject: Instalment 2 from "an old diary/journal".
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2000 18:42:01 +1100

Pat and Fellow Listers:

Thanks for the feedback. I'm delighted so many of you have enjoyed the
first lot of information. I am not a typist, so it's good to hear my time
"looking for the correct keys" hasn't been wasted!

Before starting this second instalment, I must clarify something. I do NOT
have the original diary in my possession, but I wish I did! My ancestor
Edwin obviously kept several diaries in his short life time, but only two
are known to still be in existence. Unfortunately the one between the two
of them is "missing", as are any earlier and later ones. Never the less,
his descendants are grateful to him for keeping a record of his life and
even more thankful that at least two of his journals have survived the
passage of time.

The information I am providing to the Hunter List comes from a copy of part
of one of his journals (the one covering January 1858 to August 1860) as
well as from a book titled "The Fearnside Family". The latter was written
and printed by M.W. Anderson in 1987 and was a limited edition of 200
copies. There is no mention of any copyright concerning this book. The
author expresses encouragement for fellow descendants to keep researching
and to add to the family history that she has recorded. With a bit of luck
this could happen by means of someone reading the Hunter List!

Instalment #2:

3rd – 21st May, 1858 (Eckfords Scrub, West Maitland to Morpeth)

The men were sent a note by Sergeant Quodling, who was now in charge of the
work, telling them to hurry as time and money were running out. The survey
had already reached Oakhampton and Picnacree Punt. Edwin was nearing
completion of a tracing of the Hunter River with names and heights
recorded.

22nd May – 6th June, 1858 (Eckfords Scrub, Morpeth and Hinton)

Edwin was now out on the field near a small village called Hinton. Their
camp was established one mile from Hinton. Edwin describes it as "a
township located on the banks of the Hunter and Patterson Rivers at the
Junction of the two and on the north side of the Hunter about one mile
south east of Morpeth. It is a straggling little village formed mainly of
two streets. The cottages are mostly badly built and dirty looking. There
are four substantially built places of worship, (Church of England,
Catholic, Scotch and Methodist), three inns and a new one building, there
is a butcher, baker, cooperage, wheelwright and blacksmith but I don't
think the place is in a thriving condition at present. The road from
Dungog, Clarence Town, etc, runs thro' and crosses the Hunter here by means
of a punt".

The family's expenditure is recorded throughout the diary. Food prices were
very high at Hinton! Beef was threepence a pound, mutton was fourpence a
pound and the very bad bread cost sixpence for a one pound loaf!

7th – 22nd June, 1858 (Hinton, Raymond Terrace, Morpeth, Maitland)

The surveying party moved on to the area between Hinton and Raymond
Terrace. The farms and nearby townships meant fresh food was available and
it was considered safe enough for Eliza and the children to join them. The
family then moved on to Raymond Terrace, ahead of the working party who was
due to return to Raymond Terrace on June 10th, 1858. Both their small
sailing boat and a hired dray were used by the men to transport themselves
and their equipment.

Sapper Grierson's motherless children had arrived from Sydney and were now
in Eliza's care. They and their father, the Fearnside family, Sapper John
Wood, four of their work men (the surveyors' chain men – my husband says
these men would have "held the ends of the chains used for measuring
distance") and their boat were taken from Raymond Terrace to Morpeth by
the steamer "Collory". From there Eliza and the Fearnside and Grierson
children travelled by horse drawn omnibus to West Maitland. Edwin walked
the five miles because he had not been able to afford to replace the
previously sold horse. Sapper Grierson and the four men sailed their boat
from Morpeth to Maitland. The Fearnside and Grierson families stayed at the
"Birmingham House Inn" at West Maitland. One evening whilst staying there,
Eliza and Edwin attended the theatre in Maitland but Edwin was not
impressed, "I found it to be a wretched affair altogether and not worth
going ten yards to see – the place was badly fitted up and the language
used coarse and vulgar."

Corporal Lavelle received a letter from the Chief Engineer in Sydney (Mr
Whitton) on 18th June 1858, instructing that Wallace Creek be levelled for
a considerable distance. A second letter was also received from Sergeant
Quodling - hurrying them up with the levelling of the Hunter River as it
was possible they would be recalled at the end of the month when money
allocated to the work would run out. There seems to have been some
confusion as to the work to be done, with two different sets of
instructions being received! The surveying party moved to the vicinity of
Wallace Creek, two miles past Maitland on Fishery Creek.

23rd June - 16th July 1858 (Fishery Creek and Dagworth near Maitland)

The men were busy working on Wallace Creek and making tracings of Dagworth
Estate, Forley Estate and South Park Estate. Edwin and the children had bad
colds, the weather was cold and wet and they had difficulty sleeping. Upon
completion of the Wallace Creek field work they had to return to Raymond
Terrace. The main party of men travelled by road to Raymond Terrace. The
Fearnside family spent the first night of their trip at West Maitland at
"Mr Master's "Birmingham House Inn". The next day they went by omnibus to
Morpeth and then by steamer to Raymond Terrace. They reached Mrs
Holdstock's "Steam Packet Inn" at 9pm. The main party had arrived at
Raymond Terrace at 4pm.

17th July – 10th August 1858 (Raymond Terrace and the Hunter River)

The Governor General, Sir W Dennison, opened the extension line of the
Great Northern Railway east to West Maitland on 27th July 1858. This
occasion was celebrated with a public holiday in Maitland as well as a ball
and fireworks in the evening.

On 28th July, 1858, Edwin (then aged 28) wrote in his journal "it is ten
years since I joined the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, now the Royal
Engineers." This was followed by an entry on 4th August, 1858 of "this day
it is thirteen years since I joined the Ordinance Survey Department at
Wakefield in Yorkshire". What a great "paper trail" he left his
descendants with these two entries!

Social activities recorded were visits from Charlotte Williams and Mrs
Baker as well as quiet evenings with his family.

Strict instructions were received from Sergeant Quodling that they were to
make a careful survey of the Line of Railway from West Maitland to
Newcastle and that they were to do all the work themselves - without any
chainmen and with only one man, the cook. It is not clear what lay behind
these instructions, possibly some questions concerning accuracy of
measurements. Corporal Lavelle wrote a letter of strong protest about these
orders as he considered the work to be too demanding for such a small band
of men. He probably lived to regret his use of "strong language" because,
in response to his letter, Sergeant Quodling arrived from Sydney and placed
Corporal Lavelle under arrest!

Well folks, "that's all for now" as my family are demanding their tea!

I will try to type the remaining section relating to the Hunter Region
tomorrow or Monday.

Edwin's first journal is extremely interesting too – covers their trip out
from England and time spent in Tasmania. But as that would be "off topic"
for this List, I must refrain from getting carried away with it! One day (
! ) when I have my own web site, I will post its address and you can then
read more there if you're interested. PS. I do NOT have the original of
the first diary in my possession either.

Off to the kitchen …
Jeannine

This thread:

• Instalment 2 from "an old diary/journal". by "Jeannine" <>