Historical Archaeological Assessment - SMDA - NSW Government

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AECOM Historical Archaeological Assessment - The Grange - North Eveleigh Affordable Housing Project, Wilson Street, Darlington, NSW 11 5.0 Historical Context The historical context of an area is important in understanding the type and nature of sites likely to be present and their potential distribution/location. The following section provides a brief overview of the history of the local Newtown area, before focusing specifically on the properties of the ‘Grange Villa’ within the Project Site. 5.1 Early European Land Settlement and the Development of Newtown The Municipality of Newtown was incorporated in the year 1862, comprising a total of 480 acres within the present electorate of Newtown. The name ‘Newtown’ is believed to have originated from John and Eliza Webster’s ‘New Town’ store which existed in the early 1800s (Cashman & Meader, 1990). This store was located on the site of what is now the Zanzibar Hotel, at 323 King Street Newtown. By 1892, Newtown had become Sydney’s most populous suburb (Sands Directory 1857-1904), however, even prior to this, the suburb had been a hive of activity in the colony, with considerable activity in the area since the earliest days of the settlement. The area which became the Municipality of Newtown comprised a number of land grants, most of which had been issued in the eighteenth century. In the years 1793-1794, the land which comprised what would become almost the entire Municipality of Newtown was granted to Lieutenant Thomas Rowley (Kingston Farm) and Superintendent Nicholas Devine (Burren or Burrin Farm). Seven other smaller lots (of approximately 20-30 acres) were also granted during this period to lower-ranking army personnel and emancipists. The current Study Area falls within the original grant of Nicholas Devine. The ‘Burren Farm’ land grant consisted of 120 acres. Devine had arrived in Sydney with the second fleet in 1790, and was the superintendent of convicts in the new colony (Murphy, 2009). Devine’s property continued to expand in the latter years of the eighteenth century, with additional grants made to him in 1794 and 1799. By 1800, Devine had cleared 68 acres of Burren Farm and he endeavored to cultivate wheat and maize on the property. The produce of his large garden, as well as an orchard and dairy on the property, augmented his income and he brought sheep and goats out from the Cape Town, South Africa (Ryan, 1979). Devine’s farm, like many other small farms in the area, was not, however, a success. In 1831-4, Following Devine’s death in 1830, his heir apparent, a convict servant whom Devine had signed over his land to named Bernard Rochford, subdivided and sold off ‘Burren Farm’. Large houses in pleasant, country surroundings were erected on the subdivide lots, including Lietrim (later The Pines Estate), Leichhardt Lodge, and the subject of this assessment, The Grange, to name but a few. The area which had once been ‘Burren Farm’ quickly became established, with approximately 30 residences belonging to some very prominent citizens including the Lord Mayor of Sydney, the attorney general, Parliamentarians, the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, and barristers and solicitors, a retired naval admiral and some importers and merchants, being erected on the land (Murphy, 2009). In the year 1852, an heir of Nicholas Devine, John Devine, contested the will between Nicholas Devine and Bernard Rochford on three grounds –that Nicholas Devine was of unsound mind at the time he signed over his land to Rochford, that the will was a forgery, and that as Rochford was a convict he could not buy, own, sell or inherit property. This, along with subsequent legal proceedings, became known as the ‘Newtown Ejectment Case’. John Devine lost the case, but was granted a retrial upon appeal, which took place in August and September 1857. This was at the time, Australia’s largest civil court case. John Devine also lost this case, but following the threat of another appeal, an undisclosed, but allegedly sizable, settlement was reached between John and the defendants - the land-holders of the subdivided properties which had once comprised Nicholas Devine’s property. It is thought that the defendants agreed to this settlement as they knew that should a third retrial take place, it would do so in a London courthouse, where their status in New South Wales would be less persuasive. By 1862, when the Municipality of Newtown was incorporated, the area had developed significantly, changing from a rural, farming area to a small but prosperous town. The township had become centered on an area in the vicinity of the current Study Area, generally situated between City Road, Wilson Street and Australia Street. In the year 1862 there were approximately 200 houses in Newtown, very few of which were more than one-story high, and most of which were quite small is size, making residences such as The Grange and the Pines quite remarkable in the local area. Wilson Street, on which The Grange property was located, was at the time an important primary thoroughfare into Newtown, along which were located many of the more sizeable residences in the area. These residences were home to, and had housed, some of the colony’s most notable figures, including Sir Saul Samuel (at The Grange), Henry Copeland, Dr Badham (first lecturer at the University of Sydney), Felix 24 July 2012
AECOM Historical Archaeological Assessment - The Grange - North Eveleigh Affordable Housing Project, Wilson Street, Darlington, NSW 12 Wilson (a notable local figure who resided at The Pines), Samuel Bennett of the “Evening News” in Willow Lodge, and many others (Chubb, 1912:117-121). 5.2 The Grange The southern portion of the allotment on which The Grange was constructed was part of the grant to Nicholas Devine in 1794, discussed above. The plan created on the creation of a Torrens Title certificate (Certificate of Title 1674-19) indicates the northern portion, being the frontage to Wilson Street, was a much later grant, given in 1843 to David Chambers (see Figure 3). It seems more likely, however, given the evidence provided by the Parish maps, that Chambers probably purchased the land following the subdivision and sale of Devine’s estate. Although the Primary Application (no. 11531) to bring the property under the Torrens Title system states that Chambers was granted the land in 1843, he was in possession of the land prior to then. In 1840, David Chambers signed a lease agreement with William a’Beckett for the land and house at £197.12 per quarter. This was to increase by £7.18 on the issuing of a grant to Chambers over the land on which the house stood. This indicates that The Grange had been constructed prior to 1840. It remains unclear, however, whether it was constructed for David Chambers as a residence for himself or as speculative venture or by another. The lease gave a’Beckett the option to purchase the property, the price being fixed at £1823.10.5. a’Beckett took up the option in 1843, under several mortgages between then and when he sold the property in 1857 (Primary Application 11531). William and his wife Emily were in residence at The Grange in May 1840, as the newspaper of 2 May records in the ‘Births, Deaths and Marriages’ the birth of a son to the couple at the house on the previous day (Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 2 May 1840:3b). A’Beckett remained at The Grange until at least June 1841, when The Australian (3 June 1841:3c) records the death of Emily in the house at the age of 31. There is a gap in information regarding the occupancy of the house until July 1845, when The Sydney Morning Herald (30 July 1845:4a) announces the birth of a daughter to Mrs Robert Johnson of The Grange, Newtown. Mrs Robert Johnson had a son in 1849 (The Sydney Morning Herald 14 May 1849:3d). In November the paper records the birth of a still born daughter to Mrs John Thompson of The Grange (The Sydney Morning Herald 4 November 1850:3e), indicating the Johnson’s had made way for the Thompson’s. The Thompson’s seem to have been in residence for little more than a year, as The Sydney Morning Herald of 16 July 1851 announces the birth of a daughter to Mrs James Dawson of The Grange. The Dawson’s happiness was reasonably short-lived, their daughter, Eliza, died in November of 1852 (Empire 25 November 1852:2a). The couple remained at The Grange until 1856, when the Empire (8 January 1856:4d) advertises an auction of household furniture, a pianoforte, china, cut glass, platedware and saddelery at the House. In 1857 Felix Wilson, a prominent local and resident of the adjacent Pine Villa, purchased The Grange, apparently leasing it out. After Wilson’s death in 1865, the property was managed for a number of years by trustees, who continued to lease the premises. In May of that year the death of Mr A. Lyons 1 at the house of Louis and Saul Samuels (brothers) indicates the house was not vacant for long (The Sydney Morning Herald 8 May 1857:8c). Nor was it empty for long – Saul and his wife Henrietta Matilda had five children between 1858 and 1864 (The Sydney Morning Herald 4 October 1858:1a; The Sydney Morning Herald 16 December 1859:1a; The Sydney Morning Herald 21 January 1861:7d; Empire 30 April 1862:1a; and The Sydney Morning Herald 31 May 1864:1a) Henrietta did not recover from the birth of her last child, a son, and she died at The Grange on 5 June 1864, aged only 26 (The Sydney Morning Herald 6 June 1864:1a). Saul Samuel held extensive pastoral property on the Macquarie River. He was the first Jew to become a magistrate (1846), NSW Member of Parliament (various years and seats in the Bathurst and Orange areas between 1854 and 1880) and Minister, becoming colonial treasurer in 1860 (Bergman, 1976). Samuel returned to England (having been born there in 1820) to take up the appointment of agent-general for NSW. He was knighted in 1882 and created a baronet in 1898 (Bergman, 1976). The occupation of The Grange becomes somewhat confused between 1865 and 1875. The Sands Directories (see Table 2) for various years are listed alphabetically by surname, rather than by street and it is therefore difficult to identify changing occupation patterns. For 1865, there is no listing that can be firmly attributed to The Grange. The Directory for 1866 lists Captain Elliot as occupying The Grange. The following year there is no entry that can be firmly tied to The Grange, as the name of the property was not always listed. In 1868 Saul Samuel is again listed as living in Wilson Street, although it is not clear if his residence was The Grange. 1 Louis (or Lewis) and Saul’s mother’s maiden name was Lyons, indicating the brothers were probably caring for their elderly uncle. 24 July 2012
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