The Field Family Newsletter, Edition 12

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The FIELD Family Newsletter

12th Edition, November 2002, Edited by Dorothy Cefarin
Reprinted here with permission

OBITUARY

Gordon Alfred Wilcox
10/8/1913 - 23/9/2002

Our sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the late Gordon Wilcox. Gordon was born at Canowindra to Alfred and Edith Wilcox. He is survived by his two sisters Pan Wilcox of Strathfield and Ruby Olsson of Trundle, also his two children Gwenda and John and families. Gordon has left 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

He was laid to rest in the Dubbo Lawn Cemetery and is now -
"SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS"

This next story goes to show how a hobby can take over ones life, I and many others am very pleased that he has chosen our Family Tree to do it with. David Rawsthorne has published books, discs, and the web site. His story:

When my wife fell pregnant with our first child in 1996, I decided to start a family tree to hand down to the children when they were older. Like most ideas, this progressed from a small project, into taking thousands of hours over the last six years, and will probably take thousands more in the coming years.

Once the family tree was started, I decided to do something different - go and take photographs of graves. Initially this was an additional source of information for the family tree, but it grew from a few photographs into many hundreds in a quick period of time. I decided to purchase a digital camera to reduce the cost of all these photographs, as well as allowing me to easily add the photographs to a website. About this time I put the family tree on the internet for the first time, and was inundated with requests for photographs. These requests urged me to get busy and visit more and more cemeteries throughout the state, and those few hundred photographs grew into a thousand and more fairly quickly, and all have been placed on line at http://www.davidrawsthorne.com

During the trips to cemeteries many odd things have happened. I have met relations tending their loved ones graves (Forbes), been chased by snakes (Parkes), had my son get his first tooth at a graveyard (Woronora), sinking in wet slushy ground, and even waiting for a funeral service to be over so I could take a photograph of that grave (Orange). To top things off, I have even found myself getting lost looking for my car in Rookwood Cemetery. I have also spent many a day eating lunch in a distant graveyard with my family close by. I have even spent my 30th birthday in a cemetery at the Field reunion on 14th February 1998.

The time spent searching for graves has been fun, and very much a learning experience for both myself and family. I have seen graves that are well over a hundred years old that look like they were erected yesterday, and some that are only a few years old that are badly weathered and damaged. From babies and children, to people over 100 years old, I have seen and photographed them all. Walking about cemeteries, using my own children to mark graves found by my wife until I get close enough to photograph them, this has been a team effort by my family, and it has given us an interesting, maybe unique, perspective on death, graves, and cemeteries in general.

To quote the grave of Queenie Clothier:
"Those we love never go away,
They walk beside us every day".

David Rawsthorne has our Family Tree and Photographs on:
http://www.davidrawsthorne.com

I received an email from David about a month ago, quote:

"Just got back from a small trip out West doing a Cemetery run, 900km in 2 days and over 500 photographs of graves, needless to say I am b... and busy downloading the camera."

Thank you David it was very touching and pleasing to be able see Albert and Vera Pirie's (my parents) graves at Condobolin... Dorothy

A request from a reader

I was wondering if there is anyone who may be in possession of photos of Sophia Fahy (Field) daughter of William Field and Margaret McMahon, or her immediate family.

I would dearly love to find some to add to my family files, and would be prepared to pay any expenses involved. My contact phone number is 02 6352 1002 or 33 Sandford Ave Lithgow 2790 NSW or else email me at audreystaines@ozemail.com.au.

I have in my possession a photo of Sophia's son Michael John Fahy if there is anyone that might like a copy.

Audrey Staines

Some background information on Sophia Field, she Married Michael Fahy (this is spelt Fahey in most places, was it changed at some time?) in Forbes in 1873 and they had four children, three of them Arthur, Eliza and Robert were born in Boyd Creek NSW and John Michael who was born in Forbes in 1884.

Following this story is a photo of the first page taken from the original ship's Bible (which Beryl Trotman has) believed to have belonged to Phillip Stickland and brought out on the ship he arrived on. Previous to this photo is a transcript of the next five pages in the Bible as I found these difficult to copy.

Phillip Stickland was born at Corfe Mullen, Dorset, England in 1784. He was baptised at Corfe Mullen on 1st August 1784, son to Richard and Miriam Stickland.

Phillip Stickland was tried before the Dorset Lent Assizes held at Dorchester on Friday 13th march, 1801, with breaking and entering the dwelling of Thomas White at Corfe Mullen and stealing three gold coins , one pound sugar, one pound pork, and a silk purse to the value of four pounds, six shillings and eight pence, He was found guilty and sentenced to be hung, but reprieved to be transported to the Colony of New South Wales, or some other of the islands adjacent, for the term of his natural life. He was then 17 years of age.. During the time served in gaol in England he was employed as a hatter.

A decision to establish a penal colony at Port Phillip was put into effect in 1803. The expedition was under the command of Lieut. Colonel David Collins. Collins had served as Judge-Advocate under Phillip in the First Fleet. He returned to England in 1779.

Phillip Stickland arrived in the Colony as a convict on HMS 'Calcutta' at Port Phillip on 9th October 1803, this settlement proved to be unsuitable because of scarcity of water and poor soil and timber. In 1804 with other members of the Collins expedition Phillip went to Van Dieman's Land and thus became one of the party which established Hobart, Tasmania. He was the aged 19 years.

Sometime after his arrival in Hobart, Phillip was given a position in the household of the Governor, David Collins. In 1807 he was arrested and charged with stealing goods the property of the Governor. Probably because he was serving the life sentence for stealing, commuted from a sentence of death, and no doubt believing he was certain to hang for this second offence, he turned King's evidence. He implicated others in the commission of the stealing offence and as well, those involved in receiving the stolen goods. As a consequence those implicated threatened his life for informing. The threats were taken seriously and he was sent by the whaling ship Albion to Sydney arriving on 21st September 1807, being the only sure way of saving his life. (Ref. Rev. Knopwood's diary 1807)

In the Colony of New South Wales, Phillip Stickland became known as Phillip Strickland. (His birth name was Stickland not Strickland, and he was also married under this name, but all his children and death are spelt the latter way).

On 4th September, 1811, at St. Matthew's Church, Windsor, at the age of 27 years, he married Mary Collits, aged 15 years, the daughter of Pierce and Mary Collits, nee Hardwick, (ref. NSW RG 1811, No. 1274, Vol. 3) Pierce Collits arrived in the Colony as a convict in 1801.

Phillip and Maria had three children: Pierce b.1811, Josiah b. 1813, and John b.1815.

On 31st January 1813 Phillip Strickland was granted a Pardon by Governor Macquarie.

On 6th November 1816, Phillip Strickland died aged 31 years, believed to have been shot by a bushranger whilst carrying out his duty as a police constable. He is buried in the Old Castlereagh Church of England Cemetery next to his wife Maria. The epitaph reads:
'Prayer was my portion
Physic was my food
Christ was my physician
Those drugs done me no good
But Christ was my physician
He knew which way was best
He eased me of my tifflick and
took my soul to rest.'

After Phillip's death Maria's parents Pierce and Mary Collits, her brothers and sisters helped look after her three sons, the youngest being only six month old. On 6th October 1817 she married Edward Field Jnr. The children were raised by Edward and now feel they are part of the Field Family as they never really knew Phillip Strickland. Edward and Maria had another 7 children. Maria died 21st September 1829 and is buried at the Old Castlereagh Anglican Cemetery. She is buried between her two husbands with Eliza Field aged ten.

Below are some of the pages from the Bible, on page 2 the surname was unreadable, something like Pinnut. If the names are familiar to you please let me know.

Page 2.
George P born April 23rd 1805

Sophia P born May 17th 1810
married June 28th 1830 by Rev Fulton at Castlereagh

Mary Ann P born June 27th 1831 died Feb. 5th 1889

William P born March 4.. 1833

Louisa Ann P born August 24th 1835

James G.. P born April 10th 1837

George P born Dec.20th 1840 died June 1.., 1841

Page 3
Henry Field born June 3 1845

Maryan Wilson born June the 24 1849

Edward Field and Esther Lees married
October the 18, 1830

Esther Field born January 12th, 1812

Maryan Wilson born June

Rubin Henry K Weeks born June 6th 1893

John Field born September 28 1866

Page 4
Lucyann Field born December 23.. 1826

Edward Field Jnr born 17 September 184-

John Field born March the 23., 1833

Eliza Field born July 31..1835

Pierce Field born 5 August 1837

Josiah Field born 30 November 1839

Henry Field born June 3 1845

Page 5
Edward Field born September 16.. 1797

Maria Collits born September 1.. 1796

Edward Field and Maria Stickland
October 7.. 1817 married
and wife departed September 21.. 1829

Thank you Beryl Trotman for the photos and to Pan Wilcox and Judith Strickland for the story about Phillip Stickland. Judith has written the full story about the Stricklands in the book "The Pioneers of Castlereagh Anglican Cemetery" printed by The Friends Of Castlereagh Cemetery. This book contains a list of those buried in the cemetery, about 350 listed, and many stories about them. It is available from June Bullivant, 50 Dawn St., Greystanes, NSW 2145 at a cost of $10 plus $3-90 postage. Phone & Fax: 02 9631 0216
E-Mail: bullivan@ozemail.com.au

I wish you and those you love a very blessed and peaceful Christmas filled with lots of happiness and joy. Dorothy
"Jesus Is The Reason For The Season"

Please encourage other to join our Field Family Newsletter for only $5.00 per year. Enclosed is an information sheet regarding the newsletter that I would like you to pass on to one of your relatives. Subscriptions are now due for the year 2003, so please fill in the form below and forward your $5.00 or cheque made out to:
Dorothy Cefarin
24 Eggleton Street,
Blacktown. 2148

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