| [Index] |
| Caroline MIDDLETON (1810 - 1863) |
|
| b. 31 Dec 1810 at London, Middlesex, England |
| m. (1) 1826 Michael BRENNAN (1803 - 1892) at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Australia |
| m. (2) 14 Apr 1828 Thomas MCALISTER (1802 - 1875) at Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia |
| d. 25 Apr 1863 at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia aged 52 |
| Parents: |
| William Henry MIDDLETON (1774 - 1828) |
| Sarah GUNNER (1775 - 1836) |
| Siblings (1): |
| Jemima MIDDLETON (1803 - 1839) |
| Events in Caroline MIDDLETON (1810 - 1863)'s life | |||||
| Date | Age | Event | Place | Notes | Src |
| 31 Dec 1810 | Caroline MIDDLETON was born | London, Middlesex, England | |||
| 12 Jan 1814 | 3 | Immigration | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | per 'Kangaroo' Free | |
| 1826 | 16 | Married Michael BRENNAN (aged 23) | Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 30 May 1826 | 15 | Birth of daughter Eliza Middleton MCALISTER | Appin, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 20 Jan 1828 | 17 | Death of father William Henry MIDDLETON (aged 53) | Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 14 Apr 1828 | 17 | Married Thomas MCALISTER (aged 26) | Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 10 May 1830 | 19 | Birth of daughter Elizabeth MCALISTER | Darbalara, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 21 Jun 1832 | 21 | Birth of son John James MCALISTER | Murrumbidgee River, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1835 | 25 | Birth of daughter Mary Henrietta Middleton MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 1836 | 26 | Death of mother Sarah GUNNER (aged 61) | |||
| 20 May 1838 | 27 | Birth of son William Henry MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1840 | 30 | Death of son William Henry MCALISTER (aged 2) | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 10 Sep 1840 | 29 | Birth of daughter Charlotte MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 10 Sep 1842 | 31 | Birth of son Robert MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 19 Nov 1844 | 33 | Birth of son James MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 02 Sep 1846 | 35 | Birth of daughter Jemima MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 24 Jan 1849 | 38 | Birth of son Thomas George MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 19 Sep 1850 | 39 | Birth of daughter Sarah MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 27 Jun 1852 | 41 | Birth of daughter Rebecca MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 12 Nov 1854 | 43 | Birth of son George MCALISTER | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 25 Apr 1863 | 52 | Caroline MIDDLETON died | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Personal Notes: |
|
From ‘Relict of ‘ Book
CAROLINE MCALISTER nee Middleton By George and Lois Stathers There are many written accounts of famous or influential people from the early days of the Colony of NSW but far fewer concerning women from humble origins. This is the story of one such woman. In many ways she was a victim of the harsh social and economic conditions of the Industrial Revolution, in other ways she rose above these misfortunes of birth to forge a new life and family in a frontier society. Caroline Middleton was her name and she was born in London around 1810. The family consisted of her mother Sarah, father William, and two older sisters- Jemima and Sarah. Her father, a carpenter, was sentenced in 1812 to be transported to Botany Bay for 14 years. Her mother was pregnant for the fourth time at the time of the sentence and a boy was born in February, 1813. By a twist of fate her mother was able to obtain permission from the Government to join her husband, and she and the children sailed on the Brig, Kangaroo in June 1813. The journey was long and tough, taking 7 months and 8 days, going by Madeira and Rio de Janiero. At the Cape of Good Hope they were delayed by the need for extensive repairs to the ship owing to storm damage. Sarah’s little boy died on board during the voyage. This whole saga and the circumstances of the Kangaroo’s voyage is described at length by Portia Robinson in her book “Women of Botany Bay.” Caroline was about 4 years of age when she arrived in the brash town of Sydney. Her father was soon given a Ticket of Leave and took up his trade as a carpenter. By 1820 Sarah, his wife, had obtained a grant for 60 acres of land at Appin, south of Sydney. William was assigned to her. The grant was just north of the little village next to John Oxley’s grant. It was not easy land to farm and life must have been difficult at best. There, two more children were born, making eight mouths to feed. The neighbours were mainly Irish, mostly with a convict past. By 1821 William Middleton was noted to be “off stores” and Jemima, Caroline’s eldest sister, married William Warby in the St. Luke’s Anglican Church at Liverpool. William Middleton appears to have achieved early success as he obtained land grants at Airds (Campbelltown) and for a period ran an Inn at Appin. By the mid 1820s the Middleton family had assigned servants which probably made the work on the farm easier or perhaps gave more mouths to feed. There was a severe drought in 1826. Then a tragic phase in their lives was entered. Caroline became pregnant at age 16 to a Michael Brennan from Appin, and a daughter Eliza, was born in May 1826. They did not marry and the baby stayed with the Middleton family. Also William Middleton, Caroline's father, died in 1828. Caroline married Thomas McAlister in the St.Peter's Anglican Church at Campbelltown on 14 April 1828. She went to live in a hut with Thomas and his mates at Bulli near the Five Islands ( current Wollongong). One can only imagine the circumstances of her life there. Thomas was a wild Currency Lad and his friends were of doubtful character. After three local robberies, which involved serious threat to life, two of them were convicted and given capital sentences on the information given by Thomas. Unfortunately Caroline's mother, Sarah Middleton, was also convicted as being a "receiver" of goods, especially a watch, and was sent for 14 years to Moreton Bay. During the time of the trial Caroline delivered a baby which, not surprisingly, died within two days. Life has many twists of fate. By this time Caroline's sister Jemima and husband William Warby had taken up a land warrant, at a site known as Darbalara, on the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Tumut rivers. This was beyond the borders of defined settlement. No better place to escape to could be afforded to Thomas and Caroline. Thomas's life would have been in danger as an informer and the Middleton family was fractured. This must have been an epic journey through the rather primitive towns of Bungonia, Goulburn and Yass. Their rough life would have prepared them and given them necessary survival skills. They also possibly had with them young Eliza, aged 3, and the two younger Middleton children. At Darbalara a farm had been laid out. There was a stock yard, wheat paddock, and a settler's cottage, as described by a Dr. Bennett in a book written about his wanderings in NSW in 1832. Sturt also had passed through earlier in 1828 and described meeting Warby and being given provisions and milk by him. There were bell-birds, abundant fish and water fowl. Dr. Bennett noted that Aboriginals were employed at the station, particularly for their ability to track lost cattle. After "working their way down the river" it was to this idyllic spot that the young family came, and where, on 11 June 1830, a child Elizabeth, was born to Caroline. This child is reputed to be the first baby born of a white woman in the Tumut district. It must have been very lonely for a young woman. There were few neighbours and these were usually ticket of leave men. It is likely that Caroline only had her sister Jemima, and perhaps older sister Sarah, as white female companions in the vast district. (Mrs Amelia Shelley, wife of George Shelley, came to Bombowlee Station in 1835.) However Caroline must have been busy, she had a new baby, other young children to care for, plus all of usual domestic chores of a woman living in a frontier settlement. They stayed at Darbalara until 1835 when another personal tragedy eventuated. William Warby was convicted of “receiving” cattle and was transported to Tasmania in 1835. Jemima followed him but could not tolerate the cold, returned to Sydney where she died in 1839, aged 36 years. Two more children were born at Darbalara before they moved to the area known as Gilmore Creek. There Thomas grew the first saleable wheat in the district. In 1835 the Yass Church Register records the birth of William, son of Thomas and Carolyn MacAlister, farmer, Gilmore Creek, Tumut River. William however died in infancy. Then the family moved to Shelley’s farm at Bombowlee where three children were born between 1840 and 1844. Caroline was now 34 years of age. It was around this time that Eliza Middleton-Brennan, Caroline’s first child, married William Eggleton, probably in the first church at Tumut. By 1842 Thomas appears to have become more affluent and purchased two properties, Westwood and Wereboldera, in Tumut. Five more children were born at “Wereboldera”, the last, George, was born 12 November 1854, when Caroline was 44. From a frontier community Tumut was assuming the characteristics of a town. The McAlisters were associated with the Anglican Church and a donation by them to support the Rev. Thomas Wilkinson is on record. The last 18 years at Wereboldera must have been years of relative peace, living in such a beautiful area so close to the Tumut river. Caroline lived to see Elizabeth marry John Wilkinson in 1847, John James marry Ann Joint in 1857, and Mary Henrietta marry Henry Wilkinson in 1857. At the time of her death on 26 April, 1863, aged 53 years, she still had five children under the age of 17 years. She was buried in an unmarked grave in the Tumut Pioneer cemetery. These are merely the chronicles of Caroline’s short life. They give glimpses of a life lived in harsh and unforgiving circumstances. She was obVIously tenaCIous, tough and loyal. What we can say is that she represents characteristics which have allowed Australia to prosper and her descendants should be proud that she is their forebear. Acknowlegement; To Mrs, Val Wilkinson for giving the encouragement, knowledge and insights to allow preparation of this story. Prepargd by George apnd Lois Stathers- LOIS is a great, great, grand-daughter of Caroline: March,2001. |