TRAVELLING THE MID NORTH COAST

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CONNECTIONS FROM MURWILLUMBAH AND THE TWEED – BELLS, BIGNELLS, LAURIES AND MORE

NORMAN BELL was the older brother of JOHN BELL wife of MARY ANN MCNEIL. They had adjoining land at CONDONG on the TWEED.

Their parents were JAMES AND WILHELMINA as noted elsewhere. James was the housebreaker transported from Glasgow in 1831 on the YORK and WILHELMINA was the daughter of WILLIAM MCLEOD and JANET MACKAY who came on the JAMES MORAN in 1839. They married in 1839 at MAITLAND when WILHELMINA was 17 years old. Check in the search engine to the right for further details. It appears at this time that the Mcleods and Mackays came as a result of the ruthless clearances of the Sutherland Shires in the HIGHLANDS of Scotland. In the 1860s the BELL boys have land on the TWEED. The NSW BDM records indicate that their father JAMES died in 1859( to be verified). I do not know what brought the boys ( and perhaps more members of their family north from the Maitland Area). Land is also indicated to belong to WILHELLMINA BELL – mother ? sister ? daughter ?

NORMAN BELL was born 1845 and died 15 June 1924 . He is buried in BARRINGTON CEMETERY. His occupations are listed at TWEED RIVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY as farmer/grazier. Whilst on Tweed he was resident at CONDONG. Norman married in 1870 at DUNGOG NSW. His wife was AGNES FRASER HIGGINS and her mother was JANET LAURIE. As my mother used to tell me the BELLS and the LAURIES were ‘tied in somehow”. Her father was JOHN HIGGINS. Agnes Higgins was born at Pt Stephens in 1846 and died in CHATSWOOD, SYDNEY in 1929.

Their children;

names	birthdate and place	marriage date and spouse	death date and place
JANET LAURIE	1871 TWEED RIVER	1898 GEORGE BIGNELL MURWILLUMBAH
WILLIMINA A	1872 TWEED RIVER	JOHN A. GUNN COPELAND 1895	1911 STROUD NSW
JAMES WALTER	1874 PORT STEPHENS		15-8-1886 NSW
AGNES MARY	1876 PORT STEPHENS	GORDON A D CLARK STROUD 1915
ELIZABETH J	1878 PORT STEPHENS	JOHN STACE	PORT STEPHENS 1903
MARGARET CHRISTINA	1881 BARRINGTON	THOMAS FARLEY CRICK SYDNEY 1907
MARY HENRIETTA	1883 COPELAND	WILLIAM JAMES MARTIN STROUD 1907	22-8-1938 KRAMBACH NSW
JOHN JAMES	1889 COPELAND		1923 BARRINGTON
NOREINE F	1893 COPELAND

From these dates it appears Norman left the Tweed district by the early 1870s whereas John’s Children are born on Tweed between 1879 and 1890 with the youngest being born at Laurieton in the early 90s. Hmm. A rethink required again.

THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS THAT NO 49 IS JOHN BELL’S LAND . ( YET TO BE VERIFIED AS ONE MAP INDICATES CONDONG AND ONE IS FURTHER ALONG NEAR STOTTS CREEK)

 

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GEORGE  BIGNELL. IN 1898 AT MURWILLUMBAH MARRIED JANET LAURIE BELL DAUGHTER OF NORMAN BELL WHO WAS BROTHER OF JOHN BELL, GRANNY’S HUSBAND.  http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=22518

 

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FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA HISTORIC NEWSPAPERS

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1368785 There is mention of a MR BELL managing the ABBOTSFORD SUGAR MILL on the TWEED.

 

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MURWILLUMBAH LINKS

http://www.mit.edu/~dfm/genealogy/sercombe.html Sercombe Families

AUSTRALIAN FLOTILLA

• The History of Morpeth and it’s Public School

           http://www.morpeth-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/History.htm

 

• http://www.flotilla-australia.com/nsw-other.htm 

          Minor shipping lines and Ship owners  registered in NEW SOUTH WALES

AHA ! MCLEODS AND MACKAYS ON THE JAMES MORAN

JAMES BELL ,28, from Gallowsgate , Glasgow , Scotland transported for housebreaking. Tried in Glasgow. 7 years. Arrived on the YORK on 7-2-1831. Assigned to Paterson River. Certificate of freedom – 9.8.1838

WILHELMINA MCLEOD emigrated from Sutherland Shire Scotland, with her mother JANET MACKAY , two sisters and a brother on the JAMES MORAN arriving Sydney 11-2-1839. The family moved to the Hunter.

James and  Wilhelmina married on 29-9-1840  at the Scots Church Paterson.

THERE WE ARE ! What a difference one letter makes. Forget the WAVERLEY except for general interest. The ship we are looking for is the JAMES MORAN which arrived in SYDNEY in FEBRUARY 1839.

THE MACKAY FAMILY STORY

• http://fawcetts-mackays.info/angus.html
• http://fawcetts-mackays.info/mackays_page1A.html

 

The James Moran, a ship of 600 tons, sailed under Captain Ferguson and Dr McNee. It left Loch Inver and Loch Broom, on 21st October, 1838, and arrived at Port Jackson on the 11th February 1839. When it arrived, 210 passengers disembarked, including infants born on the voyage
Most of the 229 passengers on board were clearance victims. They came to Australia under Rev John Dunmore Lang’s Bounty Scheme. 2 people died on the voyage to Australia. The voyage took 113 days, sailing directly to Cape Town, where it arrived 26th December, 1838. 20 passengers left the ship there on New Year’s Day. The Jamnes Moran was apparently lost in the ice of the North Atlantice ca. 1857.
NOTE: “clearance victims”. For those interested – there is an excellent book called “The Highland Clearances” By John Prebbles.  One should be able to get it via a library.

• http://home.iprimus.com.au/pjmg/familyhistory/james_moran_passengers/single_female_passengers.htm

     James Moran Passengers 

Most of the 229 passengers on board were clearance victims. They came to Australia under Rev John Dunmore Lang’s Bounty Scheme. 2 people died on the voyage to Australia. The voyage took 113 days, sailing directly to Cape Town, where it arrived 26th December, 1838. 20 passengers left the ship there on New Year’s Day.

      2 of the 18 single female passengers on the “James Moran”

Surname Christian Name Native Place Calling Age Religion By whom engaged Wages Per day, week or year Whether with or without rations Name Address Pounds Shillings Pence

McLeod Whilimima Sutherlandshire Servant 16 Presbyterian Mr David McKenzie 15 – – Year With

McKay Janet Sutherlandshire Servant 41? Presbyterian Not stated

 

 

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2548299

The Sydney Gazette and… Tuesday 12 February 1839, page 3. News

By the James Moran we receive the
following information. The British
King, with emigrants for this Port, was

to leave Lochenvar on the 1st November.

The Christina and Potentate were laid
on at Greenock, with merchandise for
this Colony ; also the Meta, Walker, via
the Mauritius. The Asia, with emigrants,
left Simons’ Bay, for this Port, two days
previous to the James Moran. The
James Moran spoke the Medusa in Bass’
Straits on the 9lh instant, bound to Java,
10 days from Sydney.

• Articles were published in the Grafton “Daily Examiner” by G. Dennes dealing with Clarence River families who had come out 100 years earlier from Scotland on the “William Nicol, Midlothian, Brilliant, St George, Boyne, James Moran and Lady MacNaughton” The original bound copies of the :Daily Examiner” are held at the Clarence River Historical Society in Grafton.Some early copies are in microfiche. Enquire at your nearest library with a F.H.Section.  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswbelli/transcripts/publications.html

 

• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUSSIE-GEN-RESEARCH/2004-09/1094518390

Ship, Scottish Port of Origin and Date of Arrival in NSW
‘John Barry’ from Dundee 13/07/1837 ‘Hero’ from Leith 26/9/1839
‘William Nicol’ from Isle of Skye 27/10/1837 ‘Ariadne’ from Greenock 29/9/1839
‘Portland’ from Greenock 3/12/1837 ‘Glenswilly’ from Greenock 28/10/1839
‘Midlothian’ from Isle of Skye 12/12/1837 ‘Palmyra’ from Greenock 15/12/1839
‘Minerva’ from Greenock 23/01/1838 ‘Superb’ from Greenock 16/1/1840
‘Brilliant’ from Isle of Mull 24/01/1838 ‘Charlotte’ from Leith 19/1/1840
‘Duncan’ from Greenock 30/06/1838 ‘George Fyffe’ from Tobermory 25/1/1840
‘Lady Kennaway’ from Leith 12/08/1838 ‘Portland’ from Greenock 7/2/1840
‘William Rodger’ from Greenock 26/09/1838 ‘Henry Porcher’ from Isle of Skye 21/2/1840
‘Saint George’ from Oban, Scotland 15/11/1838 ‘Isabella Watson’ from Leith 20/9/1840
‘Portland’ from Greenock 22/12/1838 ‘Perfect’ from Greenock 26/12/1840
‘Boyne’ from Cromarty 2/01/1839 ‘Herald’ from Greenock 15/7/1841
‘Catherine Jamieson’ from Leith 19/01/1839 ‘Percy’ from Greenock 28/8/1841
‘Lady McNaughton’ from Cromarty 28/01/1839 ‘James Moran’ from Greenock 6/10/1841
‘James Moran’ from Loch Inver 11/2/1839 ‘New York Packet’ from Greenock 23/10/1841
‘British King’ from Tobermory 28/2/1839 ‘Trinidad’ from Greenock 6/11/1841
‘Asia’ from Cromarty 10/5/1839

ARCHIBALD REYNOLDS http://www.monaropioneers.com/reynolds-a.htm

Archibald married Flora Fraser, daughter of William Thomas Fraser and Catherine McGregor, September 21, 1840 in Jerrabomberra, NSW.³ Flora was born in 1815 in Lochbroom, Rosshire, Scotland, was baptised April 12, 1816 in Lochbroom, Rosshire, Scotland, died September 18, 1911 in “Kyloe” Adaminaby, NSW ⁴ at age 96, and was buried in Adaminaby Old Cemetery, Adaminaby, NSW.

More about Flora :

• Arrived: per ship ‘James Moran’, assisted immigrant, February 11, 1839, Sydney, NSW.

 

• CLAN MUNRO http://www.electricscotland.com/familytree/newsletters/munro/Clan%20Munro%20Newsletter%2015.pdf

          the story of William Munro & Ann MacKay who came to Australia on the James Moran in 1839.

 

• WILLIAM FRASER On the 22nd October, 1838, the ship “JAMES MORAN”, set sail , for Australia on board were William, Catherine and their six children http://www.monaropioneers.com/fraser-wt.htm

 

• NLA MENTIONS OF JAMES MORAN 1838-39
• http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2548302  The Sydney Gazette and… Tuesday 12 February 1839, page 2

The emigrant ship James Moran is discharging her stores.

 

 

TWEED RIVER

THANKS TO THE TWEED RIVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, I HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BELLS ON THE TWEED. AT CONDONG CREEK.

TWEED RIVER AT TUMBULGUM NEAR THE BELL LAND.	MT WARNING FROM BILAMBIL.	TUMBULGUM STORE.

 

James Bell’s widow, Wilhelmina Bell (b 1820) did not remarry. She died in 1903 under the name Bell as a widow. She was 83. She was the daughter of William McLeod and Janey McKay. She died on the 2nd March 1903. She married James Bell at age 17 years at Maitland.

At the time of her death her children were:

Mary (Laurie) 57	Wilhelmina (Dinsey) 56
Norman 54	John 52
Margaret (McEachran) 50	Elizabeth (Walker) 48
Christina (Quirk) 47

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Now John it was who was married to Granny Bell ( Mary Ann Mc Neill) . He had land on the Tweed from 1869 till app 1890 when they went South and Laurieton became the centre of our Bell universe. My own Grandfather Mick Bell ( William Allen) was one of their children. Mick ( Poppa Bell) and Jessie Sarah Ready ( Nana Bell) spent most of their married lives in Redfern and then in TWEEDMOUTH Avenue , ROSEBERY . Coincidence ?

Now in the 21st Century , Lynne Bell Sanders, lives in Bilambil on the Tweed and lived from 2002-2005 in TUMBULGUM which is within 5 kilometres of where the 3 BELLS had their land grants . That was Norman, John and Wilhelmina. Susan Sanders Pomroy lives in Port Macquarie within kilometres of LAURIETON. ( Note that Mary Bell married a LAURIE) . 

https://lynnesheritage.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/bells-and-dinseys-and-tweed-pt-2/

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THE TWEED FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY AUSTRALIA NEWSPAPERS DIGITISATION PROJECT.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2186819 SYDNEY GAZETTE 1826	It is thought by some, that the river lately discovered by Captain Logan, 50 miles to the South  of Moreton-bay, and immediately under Mount Warning, designated the DARLING RIVER, is the same of which the late Mr. Uniacke speaks, in Judge Field’s compiled work on this Colony Mr.Uniacke accompanied Mr. Oxley in a tour to Moreton-bay, and it appears that they fell in with a bay, or river, to the south of Moreton-bay, to which the name of the Tweed was given, but we cannot bring ourselves to believe that the Tweed and the Darling are one and the same, READ ON.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2188791 THE STORY OF CAPTAIN LOGAN’S EXPLORATION SOUTH OF MORETON BAY AND DOWN TO MT WARNING The Sydney Gazette and… Friday 17 August 1827, page 2	June 13th. Continued my route eastward, over a very diflicult and mountainous country ; at length perceived Mount Warning, direct in my course   READ ON
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2193237 The Sydney Gazette and… Saturday 22 August 1829, page 2.	EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF CAPTAIN BARBUS HM COLONIAL SCHOONER “ALLIGATOR” : AS HE SEARCHES IN 1827 FOR THE WRECK OF THE “ELIZABETH”, POWDITCH. BETWEEN CAPE BYRON AND THE SOLITARY ISLES. COMING ACROSS  RIVER ENTRANCES AND BARS AND NOTING THE LATITUDES ETC. THE HEADLANDS OF CAPE BYRON AND POINT DANGER PROVIDE THE PRIMARY SIGNIFICANT LANDMARKS FOR THESE RIVER MOUTHS.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2193497 The Sydney Gazette and… Saturday 26 September 1829	THE CONCLUSION OF AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY A MEMBER OF CAPTAIN LOGAN’S PARTY  EXPLORING THE NORTHERN RIVERS. HE TELLS OF PIERCING COLD AND A PLAIN COVERED WITH EMU.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201896 The Sydney Gazette and… Saturday 26 December 1835, page 2.	A PROSPECTUS IS ISSUED FOR A COMPANY WHICH ENCOMPASSES MUCH OF THE NORTH. “……..the territory within the limits specified in the Prospectus, possesses no less than five large beautiful rivers; viz. the M’Leay, or the Trial of Cunningham, the Brimbo, or the Big River, the Brisbane, one unnamed as yet, which empties itself into the sea near Double Point, and the Boyne, besides the Tweed, and a multiplicity of minor ones; and that it possesses numerous harbours, bays, and roadsteads for the anchorage of shipping; some of them as yet but very imperfectly known ” READ ON This article has implications for many matters including immigration which is the method by which Wilhelmina Mcleod and her mother Janet Mackay later came from the SUTHERLAND SHIRE ( arriving in 1839 ) . THIS IS THE STORY OF A GRAND VISION.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article678614 The Maitland Mercury… Wednesday 28 January 1846, page 3.	The Barque, GOLDEN FLEECE, 120 tons , CAPTAIN JOHNSON,arrived in Sydney from the RIVER TWEED with 70,000 feet CEDAR.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article680149	The steamer, THISTLE, making its way between SYDNEY and MORETON BAY spotted a large boat on the beach. Unable to land a boat due to conditions the Thistle proceeded into Moreton Bay to discover that two of the crew had arrived there. The boat belonged to Mr Burgess and had been making its way from TWEED to MORETON BAY. READ ON
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article682934 The Maitland Mercury… Saturday 11 July 1846,	THE death of two sawyers is reported on THE TWEED RIVER. A murder it was. READ ON
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article683611 The Maitland Mercury… Saturday 8 August 1846, page 2	THE barque Golden Fleece and the cutter Catherine still remained bar-bound at the Tweed ; the crew of the latter had been overland to Brisbane to obtain supplies.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article684452 The Maitland Mercury… Wednesday 2 September 1846, page 2	Loss of the ” Coolangatta.”-The Tamar, steamer, which arrived on Sunday from Moreton Bay, brought intelligence of the loss of the schooner Coolangatta, which vessel was driven ashore from her anchors in a gale of wind a short distance to the northward of the River Tweed
1846	ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY Golden Fleece, barque, 120 tons, Captain Collins, from the Tweed, with a cargo of cedar.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article696503 The Maitland Mercury… Saturday 9 February 1850, page 4	A NUMBER OF NEW POLICE DISTRICTS ARE FORMED. ONE OF THESE IS : 47:  Tabulam-In the squatting district of Clarence, and embracing the county of Rous, and part of the county of Richmond, bounded on the north by the range dividing the waters of the Logan, and other rivers from those of the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed Rivers, from Point Danger to the great dividing range , on the west by the great dividing range, and a Line bearing south crossing the Rocky River at a point where the banks close in abruptly, about miles east of “Frocester,” Mr Bloxsome”s station, to a line bearing east from the Bolivia Range , on the south by that line to the Clarence River, thence by a line bearing north-east to the range dividing the waters of the Clarence and Richmond Rivers, and by that range to the sea , and on the east by the sea to Point Danger aforesaid
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article680846 The Maitland Mercury… Saturday 23 August 1851, page 3.	The Effort, from the Tweed River, reports the Ocean Queen, schooner, ashore on the North Head of the Tweed Bar, on the 12th instant, and not likely to be got off
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article679073 The Maitland Mercury… Wednesday 8 October 1851	ARRIVALS OF STEAMERS IN SYDNEY Naughten, from the Tweed River, with 34,000 feet cedar
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article667445 The Maitland Mercury… Saturday 28 May 1853,	ARRIVALS OF COASTERS. Flirt, from the Tweed, with 30,000 feet cedar ;
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article682053                        1853	EXPORTS TO LONDON FROM THE NORTHERN RIVERS
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2458489 The Courier (Hobart,… Saturday 21 March 1857, page 2.	LOSS OF ANOTHER SHIP ON THE TWEED BAR – THE “FAVOURITE ” .
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1279444 The Brisbane Courier Saturday 30 September 1865	A HARD CASE – A story  of mistaken identity as Mr William Smith of the TWEED RIVER assists a friend in tracking down a horse thief.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1302592 The Brisbane Courier Saturday 24 April 1869, page 4.	The ketch Maid of the Mill has arrived, with a small parcel from the Tweed River
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1297593 The Brisbane Courier Saturday 2 October 1869, page 4.	CLEARANCE. October 1.-Sarah and Jane, cutter, 15 tons, Captain W. Griffin, for the Tweed River. Passengers : Mr. and Mrs. W. Jones and family (3), Mr. and Mrs. Hy. Carey and family (4).
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1297561 The Brisbane Courier Saturday 2 October 1869, page 4.	THE MAIZE TRADE BECOMES BIG ON TWEED
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1303128 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1300217	THE KETCH MAGGIE LOGAN 1869
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1302073 The Brisbane Courier Saturday 20 November 1869, page 4.	Maize maintains its price, but the supply seems to be small The shipment from the Tweed River by the Sarah and Jane realised 4s 3d per bushel

 

 

https://lynnesheritage.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/bells-and-dinseys-and-tweed-pt-2/

FREE SETTLER OR FELON

http://www.jenwilletts.com/huntermaplge3.jpg

FREE SETTLER OR FELON. FAMILY HISTORY OF THE HUNTER VALLEY.

MAPS AND RECORDS . CHECK FOR BELLS , MCKAYS, MCLEODS.

BELLS

north tumbulgum historical cemetery

WYNTER MEMORIAL IN TAREE

HURRELLS FROM TRISH GRIFFIN

THE MATILDA

https://archive.org/stream/historyofnewsout00barrrich#page/n0/mode/2up

THOMAS SANDERS

BELLS

north tumbulgum historical cemetery

WYNTER MEMORIAL IN TAREE