Send an e-mail to: Amanda TaylorSend an e-mail to: Amanda TaylorA Story of an Early Pioneer Family, Researched and written by present-day members of the Family, themselves.
The following article was written and researched by Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and published in their book 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' 1985 (ISBN 0 9589831 0 0 and ISBN 0 9589831 3 5) and is subject to copyright. Written permission is held from the late author Grace Douglass for the writer to publish contents via the Internet. However, although this book is in the public domain, it still remains copyrighted material and may not be copied for any reason without permission. I do not have the right to give permission to others to reprint the book. I was only given permission to put it on line. All copyrights stay with Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and whoever they appointed, for control of the book. Under no circumstances may it be reprinted for profit.
Extractions of parts of the information for personal use with references to the book as the source is encouraged.
It should be noted that since the book was published over twenty years ago, that a lot of the material in the books have been superseeded by later research, some of which can ben seen at my complete Rootsweb database at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy.
Thomas has so many variations to the spelling of his name that it makes him somewhat difficult to trace. You can find him recorded as Coulan/Cooling/Cowling/Coolen and Collin, at least
Thomas arrived as a convict on the "Pitt" in 1792. He had been indicted and transported as 'Cowling' after having been tried at York Assizes on 5/3/1791. Thomas did not marry either of his two convict 'wives' so far as can be established.
His first 'wife' was Eleanor Mary Bryan, who was convicted at the Waterford Assizes, Waterford City Ireland in April 1791, and arrived in 1793 on the "Sugar Cane", at which time it was stated that she was 30 years of age.
The couple had two daughters, the first, who was baptised Jane, was born 8/1/1795 and her baptism appears in the Register for St.Phillip's Sydney as the daughter of Thomas Coolin and Nellie Brian. The second daughter, Sarah, was born 30/6/1796 and baptised as being the daughter of Thomas Collin and Eleanor O'Brian.
Eleanor (or Nellie) drowned in the flooded Hawkesbury in 1806, so there remains no record of her burial as her body was not recovered. The tragedy was reported in the Sydney Gazette on 27/3/1806, although they have written Thomas as 'Benjamin Coolen'. It was reported thus--
"...five persons are known at present to have lost their lives one of whom was a labourer at Richmond; the others at Chalker's farm, viz. Walter Scott, a shoemaker, who has left a large family to dplore his destiny, and James Burns, with two women, one the wife of Benjamin Coolen, the other the wife of J.Cowan. Three of these unforunate persons had taken shelter in Chalker's house, there hoping safety, but alas! the highest and the lowest situations seemed alike devoted, and security was no where to be found. Chalker was in turn compelled to fly for safety; and taking to his boat with a boy five years of age, and the above three, by fatal accident the boat upset, and they instantly perished. The child was the first object of Chalker's care, as an endeavour to save either of the others must have failed, and been at the same time fatal to himself, as the distance he had to swim was little short of a mile. The child at his desire threw his arms about his neck, and instead of giving away to terror endeavoured to embarrass his preserver as little as possible and occasioinally to cheer him with the assurance that they were almost out of danger".
As to where Eleanor's two small daughters were when their Mother was swept to a watery grave, we are uninformed, however they both survived.
Thomas was at this time working a 30 acre Grant in the Hawkesbuy which had been given to him in 1796. He had 14 acres cleared and under wheat and maize and he owned 4 hogs.
Several months later Thomas had another 'convict wife' assigned to him, named Elizabeth Ward. Elizabeth had arrived in the Colony in 1796 on the "Indispensible" as Elizabeth Buller. Elizabeth had been born in London about 1774, and on the 11/11/1794 at the age of nineteen, along with her older sister Alice, then 21, she had come before the Old Bailey for the theft of various household goods the property of Edward Bullock of St.Lukes Parish. Alice was acquitted, but Elizabeth was found guildy and sentenced to 7 years transportation.
On the 9/1/1797 Elizabeth had married Thomas Ward in the Hawkesbury, at a ceremony conducted by the Rev. Samuel Marsden which was recorded in the Register at St.John's Parramatta. The witnesses on this occasion were Edward Field and Elizabeth Mithchal (sic), and none of the parties were able to write.
There is no record of any children being born to the marriage and by 1805 Thomas Ward inserted the customary notice in the Sydney Gazette disclamining any debts his wife might incur. So in actual fact Elizabeth was not 'free' to marry Thomas Coulan, even if he or she had wished. Elizabeth was assigned to Thomas before the 1806 Muster was taken.
On 30/12/1813 a son was born to the couple whom they named Cuthbert. According to his death certificiate he was born at Penrith.
Elizabeth Ward passed away 12/8/1822 and was buried accordingly to Church of England rites, although her death certificiate does not say 'where'. Her age at this time was given as 48 years.
Thomas had received a Grant of 40 acres at Myrtle Creek about the same time as his son-in-law Edward Allen, and he later sold both properties to William Klensendorlffe (sic) for 126 pounds ($252).
By 1805 Thomas was renting 20 acres at Castlereagh from John Lees, so it is quite possible that Cuthbert, as he claimed, although his son Cuthbert, then aged 15 was living with James Portsmouth on a farm opposite that which his Father had been working.
Although Thomas sold his Myrtle Creek land to William Klensendorlffe in 1824 the conveyance for the transaction was not registered until after Thomas' death, and in the meantime there appears to have been a good deal of legal hassle over the transaction and a number of civil law suits. Thomas unhappily lost them all and after one action for debt in 1825 ended up in Sydney Gaol because he was unable to pay. Perhaps when he gained his freedom he went away for a time leaviinig his son with Mr. Portsmouth and that is why he does not appear in the Census.
Thomas Coulan, aged 67, occupation farmer, died at Kurrajong 23/9/1835 and was buried at St.Peter's Richmond.
Although I have headed this chapter 'Thomas Coulan' because it is the name under which he was buried, the 'Cowling' spelling would appear to have been the one more often used. Cuthbert seems to have used 'Cowling' all his life. Thomas was tried and transported as 'Cowling'. He signed several Memorials with the 'Cowling' spelling and it is the spelling used on the Myrtle Creek Grant. It is the opinion of his descendants that although the name was spelt "Cowling" it was pronounced 'Cooling' and to reinforce the pronounciation later generations have changed it to 'Couling' and the letter 'g' was accidentally dropped when his death was 'informed' and that is why he was buried as 'Coulan'.
My complete Rootsweb database can be seen at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy
Surname List of my Direct Ancestors Individual Name Index
Prepared by:
Amanda Taylor
P.O. Box 5042
Wheeler Heights NSW 2097 Australia
Send an e-mail to: Amanda Taylor