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.
John Hoskisson was born in the Colony on 14/9/1799 and his baptism was recorded at St. Phillip's Church in Sydney. John was the son of Thomas Hoskisson, a convict who arrived in the Colony in 1791 (vessel not definitely established -- see Thomas Hoskisson), and his wife, Sarah Pigg, another convict who arrived in the Colony on the "Britannia", also in 1791. John was their third and youngest child, and had been born to Sarah after her husband had been killed by the natives the previous month.
There is recorded evidence in several places to the effect that John spent at least part of his boyhood living in Sydney with his Godfather, Jesse Mulcock (also spelt Mocock and Mullock). He was a convict who had arrived on the First Fleet vessel the "Alexander". Jessee was the Licencee of a rather primitive Inn that stood at approximately what now is the corner of Hunter & O'Connell Streets, Sydney, and went by the name of "The Red Cow Inn". Young John earned pennies from the patrons by taking their horses to water at the nearby Tank Stream. Part of the money he earned went to pay for his keep, however he eventually saved sufficient to purchase a wheelbarrow and he used to sell firewood in the streets of Sydney Town for eighteen-pence a load (15 cents). From this humble beginning, and even though he could neither read nor write, this native son at the time of his death, was the largest owner of house-property in the town of Windsor, not to mention the large grazing properties which were also his at that time.
A character sketch of John which appeared in the Windsor and Richmond Gazette in December 1891 described him as having been "a tall well built man, upwards of six feet in height, of a muscular frame, keen penetrating black eyes, pleasing features, and a head adapted for getting on in the world in spite of educational deficiencies."
On 5th April, 1818, John Hoskisson married Sarah Freebody at St. Matthew's Windsor and the witnesses were Richard and Mary Norris. None of the parties were able to sign their names.
Sarah Freebody had been born in the Colony about 1798 and as she does not appear to have been baptised there is no definite record of her birth-date. Sarah was the daughter of Simon Freebody (also spelt other ways - see Simon Freebody), a convict who arrived on the "Surprise" in 1790 and his wife Mary Wells, also a convict who arrived on the "Royal Admiral" in 1792.
John and Sarah had a Family of Eleven children -- Thomas 9/5/1818, Mary 25/9/1820, Sarah 3/2/1823, Elizabeth/Lucy 22/4/1825, Jane 7/8/1827, John 28/6/1830, James 2/6/1833 (died 1842 aged 8 yrs 7mths), Elizabeth 24/8/1836, Matilda 21/1/1839 (died aged 7 days), Sophia 14/7/1840 and Samuel 1/10/1844.
Regarding Elizabeth/Lucy born in 1825. This child causes a headache for many Hoskisson Family researchers and only John and Sarah could say why they changed her name after baptism. Mr. Arndel in his records even went so far as to say that perhaps there had been twins born to John and Sarah and one had been baptised Elizabeth and one had been baptised Lucy, and Elizabeth later died. However, there was only one child baptised at St. Matthew's Windsor, and it was definitely baptised Elizabeth Hoskisson. By the time of the 1828 Census the child was called Lucy. Eight years later when another daughter was born she was given the name of Elizabeth.
By 1828 John and Sarah were farming at Cornwallis and had 82 acres all of which were cleared and 80 of which were under cultivation. They had 19 horses and 200 cattle. John had in his employ at that time three labourers -- Richard Chappel who came on the "Baring" in 1819, Thomas Jones who came on the "Elizabeth" in 1816 and William Shepherd who arrived on the "Shipley 2" in 1818.
John Hoskisson played an active part in the founding of many of the Hawkesbury's public institutions, including the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society. He was one of the largest shareholders in the Richmond Bridge Company and without any security for its repayment, loaned money for the construction of this first bridge over the Hawkesbury River. The townspeople called him "Grandfather Hoskisson" and also "The Squire of Clifton".
At the time of his death he had amassed property to the value of 150,000 pounds both in the township of Windsor and his grazing properties in the North of the State. His grazing properties included "Barraba", "Coorar", "Carara" and "Yaggaba" and he also held a mortgage on "Molly" for 2,500 pounds previously mentioned...
Samuel Boughton wrote a rather lengthy account on John Hoskisson which I would like to relate as it gives some idea on the way in which John amassed this fortune. In some ways it would appear that he was ruthless. If he wanted it -- he had the money with which to purchase it -- and he got it!! Just one point that Mr. Boughton makes which cannot be true and that is the statement that John Hoskisson was nursed by his Mother until he was three years of age. This cannot be as Sarah had one, and possibly two younger children before John Hoskisson was three years of age from her second marriage --
"....He was a notable type of the early Hawkesburyite -- tall, and of good physique. He attributed his height of stature to the fact of his having been nursed by his Mother for the first three years of his life, and his rearing was continued on good old hominy. In fact, as there were neither baby comforters nor gutta-percha rings in those days, he cut his teeth on a corn cob -- and as for boots and socks, the first mentioned were a rare article for boys of the period and the second was considered necessary only for feminine attire, and even then only a luxury to be worn on highdays and holidays. And let me tell you our friend was not the only youth of his day, and even later, who had similar training. There were many boys who have experienced the pleasant sensation of standing on the spot just vacated by the old milker on early frosty mornings and there warming his feet. I have heard my old friend say he often found a warmer spot than that in the paddock in which to warm his "Mundoies" -- a native name for the lower extremities. Old Grandfather Hoskisson was great on the aborigines' language, and could rattle off whole sentences and interpret them afterwards.
However, Mr. Hoskisson was a shrewd man of business, and, on account of his stature, was known as "Long Jack Hoskisson". Later on in life he gained for himself the sobriquet of "Grandfather". He was a regular attendant at auction sales, and if he had set his mind on purchasing, he had the means and would outbid all others. He would then exclaim, "I am the grandfather of you all!" He was also a great breeder of draught stock, and to him may be credited the fact of assisting the Hawkesbury to become famous for its horses. I was only a little fellow when I knew his three great draught horses, all perfect specimens of the equine race. There was first of all that celebrated sire Drayman, whose name we often hear mentioned at the present day by breeders who trace the pedigree of their stock back to the old horse. Then there was that beautiful dapple grey -- I forget her name -- which appeared to me to be the most perfect of the three. He was led by the old identity Neily Brown. The third house was known as Black Prince or Brown Prince. I forget which. All three were imported by the late Mr. Farmer.
Mr. Hoskisson's business was not limited to dealing in land and horses. He owned valuable possessions in cattle stations. I remember hearing a friend of mine, who had visited one of the stations (I think it was on the Liverpool Plains), say 'that he had sat at the door of the homestead, and as far as the eye could see across the plains belonged to Mr. Hoskisson, and that it was a sea of waving grass on which was depastured thousands of heads of cattle'........".
In the latter part of his Life, John Hoskisson became the owner of 'Clifton' at Clarendon. As previously mentioned this property was the original Grant made to William Nash in November, 1799. John Hoskisson purchased it from the then owner Charles Smith. When John Hoskisson passed away, 'Clifton' passed to his son Samuel, and was later owned and worked by Samuel's surviving sons. It is now part of the Richmond Air Base.
In his last Will and Testament John Hoskisson shared his various properties in both the town and the county between his surviving children and many of his grandchildren. The only person that did not receive a share of her Father's Estate would appear to be Lucy Hoskisson who had married George Cross 1853. In more than one place in the Will, John decress that Lucy Cross shall receive no share, however he gives no reason for his actions. We feel the possibility may have been that prior to her marriage to George Cross, Lucy gave birth to a son, who was named William, fathered by Richard Holland, in the year 1848. William would appear to have been possibly raised by his Father, and he died in South Australia in 1906.
Thomas Hoskisson, the eldest son of John also cut a daughter out of his Will, the reason being that she had married the 'hired-help' against his wishes. Sarah Hoskisson married Robert Priestly on 27/12/1872 in the home of a Mr. Malcolm McCall of Tamworth. One wonders at Thomas' objection to Robert Priestly, it was not as though he was a convict as he had been born in the Hawkesbury.
John Hoskisson passed away at 'Clifton' on the 20th January 1874 at 11 p.m. and according to the Parish register he was 79 years of age. Based on his date of birth which appears in the Baptismal Register, however, he was only 74. John Hoskisson was buried in his Family Vault in St. Matthew's Churchyard.
Sarah outlived her husband by a little more than seven years and passed away on 2/7/1881 and was buried with him in the Family Vault. Although it was claimed that she was 83 years of age this cannot be verified as she was not baptised and therefore there is no record of her birth-date. Compared to her other brothers and sisters it would, however, be very close. (See Thomas Hoskisson and Simon Freebody for further information).
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