Charles Simpson – Scone, NSW

Marriage, Magistrate and Justice of the Peace

Charles Simpson – Scone, New South Wales

The arrival of ‘Mr Simpson’ on the ‘Frankfield’ on 3 July 1841 taken alongside the advertisement of a property just outside Scone where we know Charles Simpson was living in 1842 with the addition of C Simpson living at the residence by March 1842 indicates a time frame consistent with this being his likely arrival in the colony. This is not to say that if new records can be found that they can also be considered in relation to when Charles Simpson arrived may have arrived in the Colony but sometimes it is important to document what has been found to this point.

It is often interesting to see the connections between people in the early colony in this case Stephen Coxen and his brother Charles were the brothers of Elizabeth Gould nee Coxen the wife of John Gould. In 1839 John and Elizabeth Gould visited Yarrandi where they stayed with Elizabeth’s brothers. In 1841 Stephen Coxen advertised ‘Yarrundi (now known as Yarrandi) on the Dart Brook which is 7km west of Scone. At one time it was the largest sheep farm in New South Wales’ in ‘preparation of his leaving the Colony‘. It included the sale of his stock and the lease ‘for a TERM OF SEVEN YEARS’ of his farms and land which made up his Yarrundi Estate. Part of this included: ‘A SMALL AGRICULTURAL FARM OF ONE HUNDRED ACRES, situated at Red Bank, and known as ‘Smart’s Farm,” with a neat Residence, and several other conveniences. The Proprietor of Yarrundi, in offering these Estates, as Family Residences, wishes the Public to be informed that they will, although a hundred miles from the sea coast, have an opportunity of enjoying all the advantages of civilized society, among which advantages will shortly be a well-regulated Police. STEPHEN COXEN.’ The final advertisement for this land was on 7 August 1841 ¹

When he further advertised the properties on 7 March 1842 it appears it is the ‘Smart’s Farm’ residence that Charles Simpson had leased with the surrounding farmland then being offered to ‘be let in either ten or twenty-acre Farms.’ ²

Looking at the above time frame when advertisements were in newspapers, it seems most likely that Charles Simpson leased the residence of Stephen Coxen after the 7 August 1841 and before 7 March 1841. Given the arrival of the ship ‘Frankfield’ and the report below with a cheque belonging to C Simpson reported as stolen in January 1842, this fits this time frame.

There is an initial record for C Simpson in the Scone area where he appeared to first live and work. The Scone Mail was robbed in January 1842 by some rather well dressed and polite bushrangers. C Simpson lost a Bank of New South Wales cheque for £1 9s but ‘Mr Simpson’ of Singleton took off after the bushrangers from Singleton. This may or may not have been Charles as there were other Simpson’s living in the area.

Marriage – Charles Simpson and Eliza Harriet Darby nee Browne

One thing that is defintinive is that Charles Simpson was living in Scone when he married in July 1842 and the property he was living in August was ‘Kareen’ just west of Scone.

Eliza Harriet Darby nee Browne

Eliza Harriet Darby nee Browne was the daughter of Michael Thomas Trenchard Browne and Elizabeth “Eliza” Chepmell. Her sister Mary Anne Browne married Sydney Hudson Darby, another sister Caroline Lucy married Edmund Browne and Eliza married Lieutenant Charles Darby. Charles Darby was stationed in India and unfortunately for Eliza it appears he was known for his ‘intemperance’. Eliza came to New South Wales in February 1841 following her sister and brother in law. Sydney and Mary Darby and their family arrived on the ‘Florentia’ in January followed by Eliza with her daughter Ellen arriving on the ‘Posthumous’ in February, they settled at Cressfield Station north of Scone.

Eliza and Charles Daby’s daughter Gertrude was born in Bengal, India on 2 Apr 1837.³

We gain an insight into Eliza’s marriage with Charles Darby by reading the accounts of his death which occurred on his immigration to New South Wales in August 1841. Darby was an alcoholic, delusional, abusive and suicidal, he had to be restrained with handcuffs on board the ship to protect himself and others, but eventually escaped immediately jumping overboard and was last seen swimming away from the ship. Despite turning around to look for him he was not found. NA inquiry into his death was held in Sydney.

Sydney Hudson Darby and John Howard Goldfinch

It is unclear if Charles Simpson knew the Darby family before coming to the new colony and Scone but there was likely some connections for Charles Simpson for him to come to the Scone area after he arrived.

Sydney Hudson Darby and John Howard Goldfinch mentioned above in relation to ‘Cressfield’ station took up large holdings at Tiengha on the Bundunrra River just outside Inverell and were well known in the area. Their home known as ‘The Grove’ was moved into Inverell and is now a tourist attraction at the Inverell Pioneer Village. It was not long after 1842 that the Darby family along with John Howard Goldfinch moved to Bundarra River with Mary Anne leaving behind her sister Eliza Harriet new husband and niece Gertrude with her new step father, Charles Simpson.

Of note is that in 1869 John Howard Goldfinch had been appointed to the Commission of the Peace and became Charles Simpson’s Power of Attorney, he helped settled land transactions for Charles Simpson so must have been a trusted friend.

Charles Simpson – Magistrate – First Appointments Scone 1844

Charles Simpson was first appointed to the Public Service of the Courts in Scone in the County of Northumberland in 1844 when he was made a new Magistrate and Commissioner of the Court of Requests. This role meant he heard disputes up to £10 in the Court.

Role of Magistrates and Court Officials

The role of magistrates and court officials was not always an easy one especially with the new courts being set up. There were not always dedicated rooms or buildings with ‘many of them rented rooms, often in the local pub, using borrowed chairs’ ⁴ Hilary Golder in her book on the early governance of New South Wales paints a picture of the local courts and magistrates: ‘the real problem was mustering at least two magistrates on a regular basis, The unpaid justices were often too busy … After 1832, a full-time police magistrate became a valuable fixture, because he could attend all the courts within riding distance and make it easier for them to assemble a quorum. In the 1830’s, for example courts of petty sessions had been proclaimed at Merton, Muswellbrook and Invermein (Scone), and the police magistrate, E D Day, circulated between the three sites. It was a cost effective solution, although hard on Day and his horses.’ ⁵

In relation to Charles Simpson and his next appointment, it seems he was to extend his area of employment beyond just the Scone district.

References

1. _{NLA Trove – Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 – 1848) Saturday 7 August 1841, page 1 Classified Advertising}
2. _{NLA Trove – Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1831 – 1842), Monday 7 March 1842, page 2 Classified Advertising}
3. _{“India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGZB-K2G : 5 February 2020), Gertrude Darby, 1837.}
4. _{‘Politics, Patronage and Public Works, The Administration of New South Wales Vol 1 1842 – 1900’ by Hilary Golder p59}
5. _{‘Politics, Patronage and Public Works, The Administration of New South Wales Vol 1 1842 – 1900’ by Hilary Golder p59}