History Notes - family connections in late 1800s

History Notes

This week has been busy with visitors looking for family history as well as visitors to the museum collection. The Corcoran, Natty, Connors family took up most of one morning with lots of photos and memories shared.

While looking for a topic for this week's notes I have found myself noting the families of the same names living in the Black Springs area in the 1860s and 1870s. Probably the first family to settle in Black Springs were the Orchard family who had arrived in Sydney in February, 1855. They were Jonathon and Martha Orchard nee Collett, with probably 5 or 6 of their children. Their last child, David, was born at Muswellbrook in 1855/6.

Staying in England was daughter Rebecca who had married Henry Currell in 1853, and was expecting her first child, Charles. He was born after her parents had arrived in Sydney. She went on to have seven children although only five grew to adulthood. Sadly, Henry Currell died in early February 1870 leaving Rebecca to rear the family alone.

Thomas Johnson lived at Little Horwood and had lost his wife in 1869 leaving him with ten children. Thomas and Rebecca married in 1871 and sailed for Australia with 5 Currell and 5 Johnson children. They arrived in Brisbane in 1873 with 11 children - Stephen Abbott Ramsay Johnson was born at the Cape of Good Hope early in 1873.

On arrival in Brisbane the 4 Currell boys explored Queensland before joining the blended families at Black Springs. Thus, there were Orchards, Currells and Johnsons all living around Black Springs in the 1870s and 1880s.

The younger Orchard daughters married - Louisa married John Madden at Tamworth in 1868 and later John Johnson in 1876. Martha Ann married Charles Byrnes in 1861 and then Frank Collins. Mary Ann Currell married Francis Clark.

The original Orchard parents died in 1875 (Martha) and in 1881 (Jonathon). Both are buried at Black Springs. Their eldest son, Samuel Orchard, also died at Black Springs in 1886 at the age of 55 years. He had a mysterious disease which the 2 or 3 doctors who saw him could not name. The youngest Orchard child - David - grew up to live most of his life at Black Springs. He married Mary Lang/Barnes at Bingara and died at Barraba in 1947 at the age of 91 years. He is buried in Barraba.

The Johnson children all married, in fact Thomas married three times -to Susannah McNeil, then Sarah McGregor and then Annie Jessup. Emily Johnson married Francis Bush, Joseph married Theresa McNeil, Eliza Sarah married Thomas Hayes and Rose married Alfred Godfrey Haydon. The Hayes family fell on hard times -there are records of the children missing school to help their father. The Haydon family ran the public house on the way to Manilla.

Old Jo Johnson, son of Thomas Johnson and Eliza Gibbs lived at Cobbadah for many years becoming well known for his vegetable garden and orchard in his retirement in the village. He managed/worked on several local properties in the Cobbadah area.