Michael GRIFFIN 1750 - 1833

Michael Griffin was born in Galway, Ireland and was stationed in Gloucester,England in when his daughter Ann was baptised at St Nicholas Church on 4 Aug 1784. No marriage for Michael and Mary has been located in Gloucester. Their second child, Nathaniel was baptised at Dartford, Kent on 17 May 1788 after Michael was transferred there. Michael then enlisted in the NSW Corps at Chatham, Kent, on 28 September 1789 and sailed to Sydney on the Third Fleet ship Britannia in 1791. Thomas was born on the voyage out from England.

Michael's wife, Mary, died 1st of September 1794, six months after the birth of their youngest child, Lydia. Ann was then ten years old, and younger brothers, Nathaniel six, and Thomas three years old. There is no record of who looked after the children after Mary's death, but Nathaniel appears as Drummer on the 1798 pay list of Captain Johnston’s Company, NSW Corps. Thomas also enlisted as a Drummer in 1799 . Ann married emancipist, Thomas Bates, at St.Philip’s Sydney on the 12 May 1800.

Michael was  present on Musters until 1796 for the NSW Corps, then on the 73rd Regiment, Invalid Company 1812 Pay List. He appears on the November 1828 Census as Griffen, M, aged 85, CF (Came Free) Britannia 1791, Protestant, Lodger with John McDonald, Pitt Town, reference G1469.

Michael died on the 20th of February 1833 and is buried at St Mathew's Anglican Church cemetery, Windsor, NSW, with his younger daughter, Lydia and her two husbands, John BENN and John McDONALD, the same cemetery as Dennis' Gt Grandfather, Theodore Trautwein.

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.

Ann BATES, nee GRIFFIN 1784 - 1864

Ann Griffin was an army brat. This unflattering description means that she was born into a military environment, and from her earliest years understood the army culture. She would have been aware of the status and duties of different ranks, and would have been accustomed to moving from one army post to another. No one would know how long the Regiment would be at one post, moves could be sudden, and there could be moves from one country to another. Every army has had its army brats.  Ann’s father Michael was born in Galway, Ireland around 1750, and on 8 August 1762 joined the 42nd Regiment of the British Army, the Royal Highland Regiment. At the tender age of 12 he was already a cordwainer or leather shoe worker but enlisted as a drummer boy, a role that in action was every bit as dangerous as that of a private of the line. He served in all for an incredible sixty years, six of which were before the age of 18.

His service records show the different units he served in and the time he spent in each. Details of his service are shown in the table below: 

Regiment                    Date joined      Date left             Period of service
42nd Regiment          8 Aug 1762      12 Aug 1875     22 years 338 days
2nd Guard &17th       21 Jul 1785      28 Sep 1789     4 years 67 days
NSWCorps&102nd   28 Sep 789      26 Mar 1810     20 years 182 days
NSW Veterans           25 Mar 1810    24 Sep 1823    13 years 184 days

 Unfortunately the records do not tell us of all the places where Michael was stationed, but other information tells us where he was at certain times. The NSW Corps was a unit of the British army raised in England in 1879 for service in the Penal Colony of NSW. It was later known as the ‘Rum Corps’ because many of its officers were involved in the NSW spirit trade and in 1809 it was renamed the 102nd Regiment. There is no record of Michael’s marriage to his wife Mary, whose surname and ancestry are not known, but their first child Ann was baptised on 4 August 1784 at St Nicholas Church, Gloucester. St Nicholas is a 12th Century church located near the river Severn. It is built of limestone and comprises a chancel, north chapel, nave, north aisle and transcript, south aisle with a porch, a west tower and spire, now leaning. The church is no longer in use, but is still consecrated and sometimes hosts special services. Gloucester was built on a Roman Fort and by the Norman conquest in 1066 Gloucester was a royal borough with an important commercial centre and port. Their marriage could have taken place here or in Ireland or elsewhere, but it seems certain that Michael was stationed in England at the time of Ann’s birth.

 The family was still in England when their second child Nathaniel was born five years later. He was baptised in the Holy Trinity Church at Dartford, Kent on 18 May 1788. Dartford was then a market town on the river Darent, 25 kms east of London and close to the Thames River. The Romans built a road from Dover to London which crossed the river at Dartford by ford and the town developed there.  By the time Michael was stationed there, there was a cotton mill and gun powder mill. Dartford had a fire engine and its first public street lamp outside the Parish Church.

Three years later on 27 March 1791 the family departed Portsmouth on the 520 ton Third Fleet ship, the Britannia, arriving in Sydney Cove on 14 October 1791 with 150 male convicts also on board, 21 had died on the journey. The Third Fleet consisted of eleven ships which sailed into Sydney Cove in 1791 with over 2000 convicts and much needed provisions for the settlement. At that time the military barracks were located closer to Sydney Cove and consisted of rough huts and tents, The Wynyard Barracks and Parade Ground were built from 1792 – 1818 and extended from St Philips in the north to Barrack St in the south. It was from here that the NSW Corps marched to Government House to arrest Governor Bligh in 1808, later known as the Rum Rebellion. Ann’s youngest brother, Thomas was born en-route to Australia on 2 April 1791. Ann and Nathaniel were the only soldier children on the 201 day journey on the Britannia, plus an unknown child, ten year old Ann Stoolorn. Two other soldier children were born on board other ships, William Jamieson was born on the Queen and Henry Flemming on the William and Ann. The early dwellings in the colony were made of cabbage tree palm and wattle and daub, boards and twigs plastered with clay.

By the time the Griffin family arrived there were many convicts employed making brick and tiles and more permanent housing was becoming available. Reverend Johnson and his wife Mary had established a school in the first St Philips. Droughts and disease caused many hardships, the lack of fresh vegetables and rampant small pox. Ann’s sister, Lydia was born on the 4 March 1874 but six months later on 1 Sep 1794, her mother Mary died.  Mary’s death was also mentioned in David Collin’s Account of the English Colony in NSW. Michael was out fishing in the lower part of the harbour at the time in order to feed the family. The funeral service was held at St Phillips Church on 2 September 1793 for Mary Griffin, Soldiers wife and she was buried in the Old Sydney Burial Ground. The Old Sydney Burial Ground was Sydney’s first official cemetery. From 1792 to 1820 the principal burial ground for the colony was on the site where the Sydney Town Hall now stands, on the corner of George and Druitt streets. This cemetery is commonly called the Old Sydney Burial Ground, but it was also known as the George Street Burial Ground, the Cathedral Close Cemetery, and (retrospectively) the Town Hall Cemetery.

Ten year old Ann helped her father bring up her two brothers, aged six and three years and baby sister after her mother’s early death, which gave her the skills to manage a household in preparation for her own marriage as a sixteen year old in 1800. Michael was granted 25 acres at Petersham Hill on 14 Mar 1795, but soon sold it. Rent was only 1 shilling a year, commencing after 5 years. Thus keeping the family military connection solid Nathaniel and Thomas also enlisted in the army. Nathaniel appeared as a Drummer on the 1798 pay list of Captain Johnston’s Company in the NSW Corps and Thomas also enlisted in the corps as a Drummer in 1799.   In 1808 they were described as: Nathaniel Griffin, 18 years, height 5ft 4 1/2 ins, long face, dark complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair. Thomas Griffin, 16 years, height 5ft 8in, round face, fair complexion, hazel eyes, light brown hair. Thomas married Sophia GRANDUE at St Philips on 22 Mar 1810, but died the following year. Nathaniel passed away in 1814 and the GRIFFIN family line was not carried on.

Michael was present on Musters until 1796 for NSW Corps, then on the102nd, 73rd Regiment, and Veteran Company pay Lists. On his discharge in 1823 he was described as about seventy three years of age, five feet eight inches in height, with sandy hair, grey eyes, fair complexion, and by trade or occupation a cordwainer. WO 97/1141/115.  Michael appeared on the November 1828 Census as Griffen, M, (sic)  aged 85 CF (Came Free) Britannia 1791, Protestant, Lodger with John McDonald, Pitt Town, reference G1469. On 20 Feb 1833 Michael died at Pitt Town and was buried at St Mathew's Windsor on 11 Sep Michael's age was given as 96 but should have been 83, profession, farmer. The funeral service was performed by the Reverend Joseph Docker. Later a large family tomb was erected and the memorial also lists his younger daughter, Lydia, one of her sons, and her two former convict husband's, John Benn (Gorgon 1791) and John McDonald (Guildford 1812).

From The Bates of Sussex Street © Marie Heilbrunn 2010