Lydia McDonald nee Griffin 1794 - 1864
Lydia was the second daughter and final child for Michael GRIFFIN, soldier and his wife Mary. She was born on Sydney on 4 March 1794 when the early colony of NSW was barely beginning. She was baptised at St Philips at three weeks old on 25 March 1794 as Lydia GRIFFITHS. Lydia’s mother, Mary died on 1 Sep 1794 when she was only 6 months old. Lydia was Ann BATES nee Griffin, younger sister and the only surviving sibling. It’s believed that her brothers Nathaniel and Thomas, also died at a young age, but no burial record for either has been located in the church registers. Thomas married Sophia GRANDUE at St Philips, Sydney on 22 Mar 1810, but there were no children of the marriage.
Lydia GRIFFIN married John BENN, a seven year convict, by then a landowner of 90 acres in Mulgrave Place and Pitt Town, 16 August 1814 at St Matthews, Windsor under the name Eliza. The witnesses were Thomas ROSE, one of the first free settlers in the colony, Sarah BARTLETT, Charles WALKER and Elizabeth WARD. Lydia and John were only married for just over a year when John died from a fall from his horse on 10 Dec 1815 on his way home from Parramatta. John BENN, Alias Venham or Venman, commonly known as Big Ben was sentenced in New Sarum, Wiltshire, England 5 July 1789 to seven years servitude. He was transported on the Gorgon on the 15 March 1791, arriving in Sydney 21 Sep 1791.The HMS Gorgon was a frigate with 44 guns and commanded by Captain Parker RN, she sailed from England on 15 March 1791 with 31 convicts, all male on board. If allowance is made for six weeks she spent in Capetown to embark livestock, Gorgon was by far the fastest ship to leave England for Australia, taking 190 days to arrive in Port Jackson on 21 September 1791, having lost only one convict on the voyage.Ryan, R.J. The Third Fleet Convicts, Sydney, Gordon & Gotch Limited 1983
John’s obituary was published in the Sydney Gazette on 10 Dec 1815: DIED - On Sunday, evening last, at Hawkesbury, owing to a fall from his horse, which is supposed to have been instantly fatal, Mr JOHN BENN, Settler, and a resident of this Colony for the long space of 25 years. The deceased left Parramatta for his own farm, which is two miles from Windsor, between four and five in the evening of Sunday, and passed through the gate at Rouse Hill about an hour after, saying he had rode very quick. It did not appear that he was afterwards seen alive by any person. That same evening his horse was found in a corn field near his house, and a search was in consequence made for the rider, who was unhappily found dead upon the road leading to the farm: about a mile and half distant. The deceased always bore the character of a very respectable settler, and had accumulated by his industry a very considerable property, a part of which he latterly employed in maritime speculations, in which he was also fortunate. His remains were interred at Windsor on Tuesday: and were followed by a very numerous retinue of friends, many of whom came from Sydney and Parramatta.
On his Tomb at St Matthews Anglican Church, Windsor NSW, the following inscription can still be found:Sacred to the Memory of JOHN BENN Who Departed this lifeDecember 10th 1815Aged 46 Years.
Lydia and John McDonald were married at Castlereagh in August 1817, shortly before their first child was born. Lydia's first three children, John, William and Margaret were all baptised on the same day, 2 Sept 1822 at St Mathews Windsor by Reverend John Cross. In 1840 Margaret later married William CROSS, the son of John CROSS and Ann CROSS nee DAVIS at Port Macquarie. John stated his occupation was farmer. Lydia McDonald nee Griffin died 16th July 1866 aged 68yrs from Congestion of the Lungs and was buried at St Matthews Cemetery at Windsor on 21 July 1864. The inscription on her tomb at St Matthews, Windsor is inscribed with these words: Sacred to the Memory of LYDIA MCDONALD who died July 16th 1864 aged 68 years. Lydia's death certificate states that her children George and Margaret were living and she had two deceased male children, John Thomas (1830) and William James.
John McDonald 1791 - 1874, Lydia’s second husband, was transported on the Guildford on 18 Jan 1812, His trial took place in Ayr, Scotland in 1810 and he was sentenced to 7 years transportation. After being released from quarantine in January 1812, John was assigned as a labourer on a farm at Pitt Town NSW owned by John BENN, a former convict. John received the princely sum of £1/10 per week without rations, apparently as a wheelwright, which had been his previous profession. John became the owner of Mulgrave Park at Pitt Town, near Windsor, after marrying Lydia. The farm was later renamed Lynwood. The McDonald family, (also spelt MacDonald) one of the oldest families in the lower Hunter, founded one of the valley’s most famous vineyards and wineries, Ben Ean. But they sold it to Lindeman’s after owning it for only twenty seven years.
Little remains of the family’s identification with Ben Ean, except for McDonald Road which passes the winery. John explored the areas to the north and in 1822 selected in Black Creek in the Pokolbin area which he called Glenmore. In 1825 Governor Brisbane allowed him to purchase 1,000 acres at five shillings an acre. By the end of the 1820s he was described as ‘an opulent man’ and was deservedly respected for his moral worth. Some say that the MacDonald Valley and MacDonald River in the Hawkesbury area were named after him, but others claim they would never have been named after a convict.
In the 1830s he bought Phoenix Park Farms in the bend of the Hunter River, just below Morpeth, on the Hunter River, some of the richest agricultural land in Australia and cradle of the famous Hunter River lucerne. At this time he ventured into flour milling at Morpeth, as well as Windsor and Pitt Town. In 1840 he also became involved in the formation of a local bank and later sold fine furniture, antiques and farm equipment . John McDonald died 19 Dec 1874 Royal Hotel Sydney cause of death ‘fit during sleep’. The death certificate states that he was buried 21Dec 1874 at Rookwood, but the family tomb at St Matthews Windsor bears this inscription: Sacred to the Memory of John McDonald who died December 19th 1874,aged 83 years.
The old brick McDonald family home is still stands today, the current address of Lynwood is 41 Pitt Town Road, Pitt Town, NSW. Some of John and Lydia McDonald’s descendants moved to the Hunter Valley of NSW and became well known there. Their daughter Margaret married William CROSS, son of the Reverend John CROSS, at Port Macquarie on 5 Sep1840 and had five children. A notable descendant is the well known painter, Margaret Olley.
Lydia GRIFFIN married John BENN, a seven year convict, by then a landowner of 90 acres in Mulgrave Place and Pitt Town, 16 August 1814 at St Matthews, Windsor under the name Eliza. The witnesses were Thomas ROSE, one of the first free settlers in the colony, Sarah BARTLETT, Charles WALKER and Elizabeth WARD. Lydia and John were only married for just over a year when John died from a fall from his horse on 10 Dec 1815 on his way home from Parramatta. John BENN, Alias Venham or Venman, commonly known as Big Ben was sentenced in New Sarum, Wiltshire, England 5 July 1789 to seven years servitude. He was transported on the Gorgon on the 15 March 1791, arriving in Sydney 21 Sep 1791.The HMS Gorgon was a frigate with 44 guns and commanded by Captain Parker RN, she sailed from England on 15 March 1791 with 31 convicts, all male on board. If allowance is made for six weeks she spent in Capetown to embark livestock, Gorgon was by far the fastest ship to leave England for Australia, taking 190 days to arrive in Port Jackson on 21 September 1791, having lost only one convict on the voyage.Ryan, R.J. The Third Fleet Convicts, Sydney, Gordon & Gotch Limited 1983
John’s obituary was published in the Sydney Gazette on 10 Dec 1815: DIED - On Sunday, evening last, at Hawkesbury, owing to a fall from his horse, which is supposed to have been instantly fatal, Mr JOHN BENN, Settler, and a resident of this Colony for the long space of 25 years. The deceased left Parramatta for his own farm, which is two miles from Windsor, between four and five in the evening of Sunday, and passed through the gate at Rouse Hill about an hour after, saying he had rode very quick. It did not appear that he was afterwards seen alive by any person. That same evening his horse was found in a corn field near his house, and a search was in consequence made for the rider, who was unhappily found dead upon the road leading to the farm: about a mile and half distant. The deceased always bore the character of a very respectable settler, and had accumulated by his industry a very considerable property, a part of which he latterly employed in maritime speculations, in which he was also fortunate. His remains were interred at Windsor on Tuesday: and were followed by a very numerous retinue of friends, many of whom came from Sydney and Parramatta.
On his Tomb at St Matthews Anglican Church, Windsor NSW, the following inscription can still be found:Sacred to the Memory of JOHN BENN Who Departed this lifeDecember 10th 1815Aged 46 Years.
Lydia and John McDonald were married at Castlereagh in August 1817, shortly before their first child was born. Lydia's first three children, John, William and Margaret were all baptised on the same day, 2 Sept 1822 at St Mathews Windsor by Reverend John Cross. In 1840 Margaret later married William CROSS, the son of John CROSS and Ann CROSS nee DAVIS at Port Macquarie. John stated his occupation was farmer. Lydia McDonald nee Griffin died 16th July 1866 aged 68yrs from Congestion of the Lungs and was buried at St Matthews Cemetery at Windsor on 21 July 1864. The inscription on her tomb at St Matthews, Windsor is inscribed with these words: Sacred to the Memory of LYDIA MCDONALD who died July 16th 1864 aged 68 years. Lydia's death certificate states that her children George and Margaret were living and she had two deceased male children, John Thomas (1830) and William James.
John McDonald 1791 - 1874, Lydia’s second husband, was transported on the Guildford on 18 Jan 1812, His trial took place in Ayr, Scotland in 1810 and he was sentenced to 7 years transportation. After being released from quarantine in January 1812, John was assigned as a labourer on a farm at Pitt Town NSW owned by John BENN, a former convict. John received the princely sum of £1/10 per week without rations, apparently as a wheelwright, which had been his previous profession. John became the owner of Mulgrave Park at Pitt Town, near Windsor, after marrying Lydia. The farm was later renamed Lynwood. The McDonald family, (also spelt MacDonald) one of the oldest families in the lower Hunter, founded one of the valley’s most famous vineyards and wineries, Ben Ean. But they sold it to Lindeman’s after owning it for only twenty seven years.
Little remains of the family’s identification with Ben Ean, except for McDonald Road which passes the winery. John explored the areas to the north and in 1822 selected in Black Creek in the Pokolbin area which he called Glenmore. In 1825 Governor Brisbane allowed him to purchase 1,000 acres at five shillings an acre. By the end of the 1820s he was described as ‘an opulent man’ and was deservedly respected for his moral worth. Some say that the MacDonald Valley and MacDonald River in the Hawkesbury area were named after him, but others claim they would never have been named after a convict.
In the 1830s he bought Phoenix Park Farms in the bend of the Hunter River, just below Morpeth, on the Hunter River, some of the richest agricultural land in Australia and cradle of the famous Hunter River lucerne. At this time he ventured into flour milling at Morpeth, as well as Windsor and Pitt Town. In 1840 he also became involved in the formation of a local bank and later sold fine furniture, antiques and farm equipment . John McDonald died 19 Dec 1874 Royal Hotel Sydney cause of death ‘fit during sleep’. The death certificate states that he was buried 21Dec 1874 at Rookwood, but the family tomb at St Matthews Windsor bears this inscription: Sacred to the Memory of John McDonald who died December 19th 1874,aged 83 years.
The old brick McDonald family home is still stands today, the current address of Lynwood is 41 Pitt Town Road, Pitt Town, NSW. Some of John and Lydia McDonald’s descendants moved to the Hunter Valley of NSW and became well known there. Their daughter Margaret married William CROSS, son of the Reverend John CROSS, at Port Macquarie on 5 Sep1840 and had five children. A notable descendant is the well known painter, Margaret Olley.
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