Gustavus Richard Glasson

  General Notes:

Jim Fletcher notes:

I live along the Wallamba River downstream from Nabiac and have been researching the families who took up land on the Wallamba in the 1860s and early 1870s. One of my families, that of Henry and Mary Ann Alway, had 100 acres of land at a bend in the river called Willow Point which the left in the mid-1870s and returned to Sydney. Henry died after an accident in the early 1880s and I have an intriguing reference to Mary Ann selling their 100-acre block at Willow Point to Gustavus Richard Glasson who you have on your website as an ancestor. I can't imagine there would be more than one Gustavus Richard Glasson.

It does not appear that Gustavus came to the Wallamba as a farmer, so that I was wondering if you had any information that might shed light on why he bought the land. I have attached a recent photo that shows part of the land he bought, a rather nice block, subject to flooding in parts of it.

Gustavus bought the 100-acre block in 1885 some 10 years before he died and I have no details of whether it was inherited by one or all of his children. The land is currently owned by a couple who have a farm in the Maitland area. They still run cattle on the 100-acre block which is managed by a brother of the couple. The place is rented out.

Jim Fletcher later wrote:
Gustavus is not a main character in the work I am doing but when he buys 100 acres of land on the Wallamba in 1885, he gets involved with the people I am researching. He bought it from Mrs Mary Ann Alway, a widow in Sydney, who with her husband had lived on the block from 1864 to about 1875, then moved to Sydney where her husband died in 1881. She is someone Gustavus is unlikely to have met when he was at Wingham, but may have known from earlier days at Bathurst.

I have tried to see where he made connections with the Willow Point people, so did a little digging, and found him a very interesting man, but could not connect him to the Always prior to his appointment to the Wingham circuit.

I have the feeling that in the early 1860s Henry and Mary Ann Always met and befriended Gustavus for the couple of years they were in the Bathurst area. This assumption is based on little evidence and a lot of guesswork. The Always were staunch Wesleyans as were their relatives the Nixons, as were the Glassons. The Always called their first child Augustus, a form of Gustavus. It's drawing a long bow, but a descendant of the Alway family has always thought that the names they chose for their children were not 'family' names. And finally buying the Alway land seems an odd thing to do for a minister who is constantly on the move around the colony. He appears to have allowed the Nixon family to continue living on it.

Gustavus Glasson (1839-94)
Land On 16 March 1885 Mary Ann Alway, widow of Henry Alway, sold 100 acres of land on the Wallamba River to Gustavus Richard Glasson. This was CP64/1867, portion 17 Parish Tuncurry, Co Gloucester. A final certificate was sent to Glasson in March 1895 by which time he was already dead. [I am looking at the records of this land and hope to find out who acquired it after the death of Gustavus.]
1839 Gustavus R Glasson born 1839 in the colony, BDM and died 1894 BDM, parents Richard and Emma. (In his mother's obituary it says that the Glassons came to the colony in 1839 with 2 children. I can't find them in the assisted passenger shipping list.)
1853 G. Glasson was one of a number of pupils examined at Beauclerc House Academy, and did well enough to secure a prize. They are examined by Revs. Thos Sharpe, KD Smythe and. S Wilkinson. Among the pupils was W. Tom and G. Glasson, both of whom were in the 4^th and 3^rd classes. Bathurst Free Press & Mining Journal, 18 June 1853, p.2, from Trove. The W Tom is most likely Wesley Tom, born 1837, the brother of Ann Tom.
1853 BEAUCLERC HOUSE, BATHURST. ~ ACADEMY FOR YOUNG GENTLEMEN, conducted by Mr. BEUZEVILLE, and the REV. CHARLES CUTCLIFFE, B.A., Oxon. The duties of this Establishment will be RESUMED on MONDAY, 24th JANUARY. For cards of terms apply at the Academy, Piper-street, Bathurst. - Empire, 3 June 1871, p. 4, from Trove. It's a school for both day pupils and boarders - Bathurst Free Press, etc, 7 August 1852, p.1 Trove.
1862 There is a G Glasson with a cattle [?] run in 1862 at or near Blayney, that has animals impounded. Bathurst Free Press & Mining Journal, 18 January 1853 p.1, from Trove.
1862 Gustavus married Ann Tom in 1862 in the Orange district, probably at Byng where she lived. Ann(e)was born 1840 in the colony to William and Ann. In BDM Gustavus is listed as George Flason (the handwriting must have been almost unreadable and she is Anne Tom. They have a daughter, Anne, in 1865, in the Bathurst district, a son Edmund in 1867 in Bathurst, and another son (unnamed in BDM) in 1869 and probably not christened, also in Bathurst district.
1871 Gustavus is at Burnt Yards (off the road from Bathurst to Cowra on the BurntYards/Mandurama Road, nearest small town is 11 km Mandurama and the nearest big town is 33km Blayney) at the opening service of the Wesleyan Chapel there, Mr G Glasson [could be his father] is the chairman of the proceedings and of the building committee. It was a wooden building with a galvanised iron roof. It was to be used by the Wesleyans and Presbyterian ministers in future instead of the school building in the past. [The school only opened in June 1870 as a Provisional School.] They had an afternoon tea and swings and games for the children. Empire, 3 June 1871, p. 4, from Trove
1872 Ann Tom dies in 1872 after long illness. (parents William and Ann) in Bathurst district.
1874 He is the minister at Brewarrina and comes back to Orange for the induction of the new Presbyterian minister at St Johns. Gustavus is not of that persuasion, he says, so he's still Wesleyan. Empire, 11 July 1874, p. 3 from Trove
1874 Brewarrina " We were glad to welcome this week the arrival of the Rev, Mr. G. R. Glasson who has been for the past two months absent on business of circuit. The rev. gentleman is now in the back country on a ministerial tour." -- Australian Town and Country Journal, 15 August 1874, p.35 Trove.
1874 "The concert in aid of fencing the general cemetery, will take place positively on the 4th of next month. On the following evening the Rev, G. R. Glasson, President of the School of Arts, will give a lecture, Subject--"Curious Doings." Judging from this gentleman's last lecture on Homer's work, a great treat is in anticipation for our town people and visitors." Empire, 24 November 1874, p.4 from Trove1875 Brewarrina "A cricket match was played on Easter Monday at Brewarrina between 11 Married v. 11 Single men. The former were captained by Mr. B. Robinson, the latter by Mr. G. Glasson. The married men scored 28 first innings, and 45 second innings. The single men scored 63 first innings and 11 the second, thus winning with 7 wickets to fall. The match now remains in abeyance as the married won the match on Anniversary Day and the single men won the last match; the final one will be decided on Queen's Birthday." - Australian Town and Country Journal, 10 April 1875, p.30 from Trove
1876 Rev. G R Glasson who had been at Brewarrina for the last 3 years, was given a rousing farewell and presented with a purse of sovereigns and the congregations' best wishes. He was also farewelled by the local cricket club which he had captained and won the trophy for the highest run scorer. There is no mention of a wife or children in all of this. Were the children being looked after by his parents? - Australian Town and Country Journal, 1 March 1876, p.11 from Trove
1877 Gustavus is in Sydney for the Wesleyan Methodist conference and during the proceedings is given leave to return to his circuit, which would appear to be Yass as he intends to give a lecture there at the Masonic Temple in June that year. - Australian Town and Country Journal, 3 February 1877, p.8 from Trove
1877 Gustavus marries Emma Louise Tyrrell, in 1877, in Sydney district, BDM. They have a number of children in different parts of the colony: Harold 1878 at Yass district; Emma 1879 Yass; Lisle 1883, Wingham district; Violet 1885 at Kiama; Eric 1886 at Kiama; Nellie in 1889 at Tamworth; Herbert in 1891 at Tamworth; and Gustava in 1894 at Liverpool district. So what was he doing buying land on the Wallamba, but he was in Wingham district at least in 1883 and perhaps to 1885, he would have seen the land when he came out to conduct services at Willow Point and decided to buy it while he was there.
1880-1 Glasson is working the Grafton circuit.-- Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser, 2 April 1881, from Trove. This also agrees with the arrival by ship in the Clarence River district of Rev Glasson, Mrs Glasson and 3 children, in the same newspaper the year before, 17 April 1880
1882 Glasson delivered a lecture on cricket which he thought was a good game for boys but carried too far if played by grown men; he was against dancing as it was not done for the love of dancing that men and women engaged in it; gambling he thought led to many dire and miserable family conditions. He also spoke on Good Templarism which for him meant total abstinence which the Good Templar Lodge had ignored to their peril. [I wonder if the comment of cricket was tongue in cheek given that he had played it successfully for years, and continued to do so in Kiama. - Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser, 18 March 1882, p.3 from Trove.
1882 In the departures section from Grafton we have Rev G Glasson, Misses Glasson, and masters Glasson (2) - Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser, 8 April 1882, p.4
1883 Rev. G Glasson officiates at the wedding of Donald Lobban and Louisa Robinson at Wingham. - SMH, 22 February 1883, p.13.
1884 Glasson is giving an address at the flower show in E Maitland - Maitland Mercury, 21 October 1884, p.5
1885 He is conducting service at Gerringong and Foxground in April 1884 according to the Kiama Advertiser; The Kiama Advertiser and Shoalhaven Independent, 10 July 1885, p.3 has the Rev. Glasson giving an address at the 12 July celebrations in Kiama, which indicates the family was there by July 1885. Trove And the same paper, 29 May 1885 also gives an account of his lecture on 'Woman's Work' which went on for an hour and a half.
1885 "Wesleyan Sabbath School Anniversary. On Sunday last special services in connection with the 27th anniversary of the Kiama Wesleyan Sabbath School were held in the church -- the morning service being conducted by the Rev. Mr. Orton, and that of the evening by the Rev. Mr. Glasson -- both of which were very impressive and appropriate, and were attended by large congregations. In the afternoon of the same day the children, with a goodly number of visitors and friends, assembled in the school-room, where the usual examination of the scholars took place. Mr. Glasson, who conducted the examination, catechised the children on various scriptural subjects, in each of which they acquitted themselves very creditably. On Wednesday the usual picnic was held at Kendal's beach. The children, to the number of about 250, after assembling at the school-room, proceeded to the place of rendezvous, headed by their banner and accompanied by the Revs. Glasson, Orton, and Branch, the superintendent, secretary, teachers, and friends, The day was cloudy and a very slight sprinkling of rain fell early in the morning, though not sufficient to mar in the least the pleasure of the occasion, the coolness of the day on the contrary rather tending to enhance the enjoy." --The Kiama Advertiser and Shoalhaven Independent, 27 November 1885, p.2
[This goes on to give a much much longer account of the day, but doesn't mention Glasson again.]
1887 There an article about a funeral in The Kiama Advertiser and Shoalhaven Independent, 8 March 1887, p.2 for George Somerville, at which the Revs. Glasson or Orton performed the funeral rites. [So he's still in Kiama in 1887] And in March 1888 he was bowled, last man in, for a duck, playing for Kiama against Albion Park. And he also preaches on the Bulli mine disaster in March
1888 There is a valedictory farewell to Rev Glasson and Rev. Bowes, who were both leaving the Circuit and moving on. - The Reporter and Illawarra Journal, 31 March 1888, p.2. It's a very long article and the two men are praised for their work in the church. The SMH has a brief sentence about the Rev Glasson being replaced by Rev. W George, Wesleyan, in April 1888, p.8

1889 Glasson is advertised as taking the service at the Hay Street, Sydney, Wesleyan church at Pyrmont. SMH 26 January 1889, p.4 Although is April the same year he is preaching in Kiama Lodge -- Illawarra Journal, 10 April 1889, p.2

1891 Glasson attends the funeral of his mother, of Guyong. Rev G Glasson is said to have come from Tamworth, and his brother Mr J H Glasson of Godolphin, and two married sisters, Mrs Hartley of Sydney and Mrs Treweeke of Queensland. "The late Mrs. Glasson arrived in the Orange district with her husband and two children early in January, 1839, and for rather more than eight years lived at Byng, then known as the Cornish settlement. The family then took up their residence at Guyong where Mrs.1 Glasson lived for over 44 years." - Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 5 December 1891, p.2 from Trove

1893 The SMH reported that since Rev G Glasson's appointment to Liverpool he has instituted regular meetings for the spiritual benefit of the inmates of Liverpool Asylum.
1894 GR Glasson dies in Liverpool on 11 July 1894 according to State Records Deceased Estates register. BDM agrees, with correct parents Richard and Emma.
1894 "LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY. The funeral of the Rev. G R. Glasson took place this afternoon in the Wesleyan section of the new cemetery. It was largely attended" - SMH, 14 July 1894, p.10
"DEATH OF THE REV G. R. GLASSON. The many friends in this district of the Rev. G. R. Glasson will regret to learn of his death, which occurred on Wednesday night last at the Wesleyan Parsonage, Liverpool, near Sydney. The deceased gentleman was attacked by influenza some short time ago, which developed into pleurisy, and ultimately culminated in his death in the prime of his manhood, his age being 55 years. The late Mr. Glasson had charge of the Wesleyan Church in this district some years ago, where himself and family made many friends who now sorrow at his departure from his sphere of Christian usefulness, and sympathise with his widow and large family who are so suddenly bereft of their beloved parent. The deceased clergyman was a devout and sincere exponent of the gospel, a true friend of the sick and afflicted, and one who identified himself in no small degree with everything calculated to advance this district socially and spiritually. His death will be especially painful to those whom he was instrumental in directing to the path of goodness and right, and many will be with us in saying that be has gone to receive the blessed reward of his labours, which will be that of the faithful servant of a just and Bountiful Master." -- Kiama Advertiser and Shoalhaven Independent, 14 July 1894 p.2

Maitland Mercury, 27 March 1873
SERIOUS BUGGY ACCIDENT.-- An accident of a very serious nature happened on Saturday evening to Miss E. Bray, daughter of Mr. S Bray, of Bathurst, while proceeding in a buggy, in company with Mr. Gustavas Glasson, to Grove Farm. They had turned off the Orange road on to the road leading to the Cornish Settlement [Byng], and were about twenty-one miles from Bathurst, when Mr. Glasson thought he heard something crack under the seat, and turned round on one side to see what was the matter, when the buggy suddenly lurched on one side, and Mr. Glasson was pitched out on his head, carrying the reins with him and startling the horses, who increased their speed. Hearing Mr. Glasson groaning, Miss Bray immediately jumped out. After leaping from the buggy, Miss Bray says when she attempted to get up she felt as if she had lost one of her legs, and tried to stand but fell down again In this condition she crawled on her hands and knees to Mr. Glasson, whom she found quite insensible. She then commenced cooeying, and happening to be within hearing distance of Mr. John Tong's, she was heard by a young man named Nicholls, who immediately came to the relief of the sufferers. A stretcher was procured, and the young lady was conveyed to Mr. Tong's house, a messenger being immediately dispatched into Bathurst for Dr. Machattie, who afterwards attended her. Dr. Machattie states that the leg was broken above the ankle, while the ankle itself was also dislocated. The bone was protruding from a wound which he thinks even more serious than the fracture, however, he has used his utmost skill in reducing the fracture and dressing the wound, and strong hopes are entertained of the patient's speedy recovery. We are happy to hear that the young lady is progressing as favourably as could be expected. Mr. Glasson, though much shaken and somewhat bruised, was, we are glad to find, comparatively uninjured, though he is suffering from the effects of the fall.--Western Independent (Bathurst), March 11.


Stephen Crawshaw notes:
Post Office directory shows him living as a squatter in Bundella, Cadia in 1872. In Jan 1873 was accepted as a candidate for Wesleyan ministry. Wesleyan minister at Gunnedah, NSW. Was minister in Armidale in 1892. Lived in Qld at one time. Jim Fletcher notes that Gustavus bought a 100 acre block of land at Willow Point on the Wallamba River, downstream from Nabiac, NSW in 1885. Jim also notes that the Glassons were in Wingham area for the birth of Lisle in 1883 and in Kiama in 1885. Eric Hylton Glasson was the subject of legal proceedings in 1918. He was a soldier in the AIF when extradited from NSW to the Solomon Islands charged with the murder of a native boy while he was a plantation manager for Lever Brothers. He was found not guilty after a trial in Fiji.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. Stephen Crawshaw's links with Robert are as follows:

Stephen Crawshaw (c1940)
His father is Milton Crawshaw (1912)
His father was Conrad Kraushaar / Crawshaw (1885) who married Fanny Lister (1883)
Her father was Thomas Lister (1840)who married Emily Tom (1856)
Her father was John Tom (1820)
His father was William Tom (1791) & he also had Annie Tom (1840) who married Gustavus Glasson (1839)
His father was Richard Glasson (1813)
His father was John Glasson (1777) & he also had William Glasson (1811) who married Susan Russell (1811)
Her father was James Russell (1781) who married Susanna Reed (1789)
Her father was Joseph Reed (1752)
His father was Richard Reed (1720)
His father was Joseph Reed (1672)
His father was John Reed the Younger (1632) & he also had Nicholas Reed (1679)
He had William Reed(1729)
He had Nicholas Reed (1755)
He had Nicholas Reed (1788)
He had Nicholas Reed (1818)
He had James Reed (1850) who married Elizabeth Boskano (1852)
Her father was Thomas Boskano who married Susannah Polkinghorne (1817)
Her father was William Polkinghorne (1785)
His father was William Polkinghorne (1759)
His father was Stephen Polkinghorne (1723)
His father was Stephen Polkinghorne (1689)
His father was Alexander Polkinghorne (1664) & he also had William Polkinghorne (1687)
He had Jane Polkinghorne (1716) who married William Jory (1710)
They had William Jory (1734)
He had Edward Jory (1763) who married Jane Landeryou (1763)
Her father was Peter Landeryou (1738)
His father was John Landeryou (1706) & he also had Blanch Landeryou (1741)
She had Robert Landeryou (1768)
He had John Landeryou (1803)
He had Sarah Landeryou (1826) who married Thomas Bray (1821)
They had Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) 1950)

• connection. Jim Fletcher writes:
I live along the Wallamba River downstream from Nabiac and have been researching the families who took up land on the Wallamba in the 1860s and early 1870s. One of my families, that of Henry and Mary Ann Alway, had 100 acres of land at a bend in the river called Willow Point which the left in the mid-1870s and returned to Sydney. Henry died after an accident in the early 1880s and I have an intriguing reference to Mary Ann selling their 100-acre block at Willow Point to Gustavus Richard Glasson who you have on your website as an ancestor. I can't imagine there would be more than one Gustavus Richard Glasson.
It does not appear that Gustavus came to the Wallamba as a farmer, so that I was wondering if you had any information that might shed light on why he bought the land. I have attached a recent photo that shows part of the land he bought, a rather nice block, subject to flooding in parts of it.

He later added:
I spent a couple of days at the State Records repository in Kingswood last week and examined the deceased estate files of Gustavus (1894) and Annie Glasson (1918) hoping I might find out what he did with the land at Willow Point near Failford that he purchased in 1885. I found the files of no use in this respect but I thought you might like to have copies of what I photographed. Gustavus's file is accessed by quoting the number Z03106 and the box number, 19/10195; Annie's is at the date duties were paid 03/02/1918 and box number 19/10250. There are a number of names and properties in the files of those I am sure you will be familiar with.

Something dire appears to have happened to Gustavus in 1893 and 1894 because he suddenly is unable to pay his debts and is technically insolvent although not legally so. Possibly the purchase of the Marrickville house has pushed him over the financial edge and he borrows in all directions in 1894 and accrues debts he is unable to pay. Your family may know happened. It doesn't concern me, but I find it sad that towards the end of a very good life where he has lived up to the standards of the Christian life he preached, he deteriorated so rapidly.


Gustavus Richard Glasson's links to Robert are as follows:
Gustavus Richard Glasson (1839)
His father was Richard Glasson (1813)
His father was John Glasson (1777) & he also had William Glasson (1811) who married Susan Russell (1811)
Her father was James Russell (1781) who married Susanna Reed (1789)
Her father was Joseph Reed (1752)
His father was Richard Reed (1720)
His father was Joseph Reed (1672)
His father was John Reed the Younger (1632) & he also had Nicholas Reed (1679)
He had William Reed(1729)
He had Nicholas Reed (1755)
He had Nicholas Reed (1788)
He had Nicholas Reed (1818)
He had James Reed (1850) who married Elizabeth Boskano (1852)
Her father was Thomas Boskano who married Susannah Polkinghorne (1817)
Her father was William Polkinghorne (1785)
His father was William Polkinghorne (1759)
His father was Stephen Polkinghorne (1723)
His father was Stephen Polkinghorne (1689)
His father was Alexander Polkinghorne (1664) & he also had William Polkinghorne (1687)
He had Jane Polkinghorne (1716) who married William Jory (1710)
They had William Jory (1734)
He had Edward Jory (1763) who married Jane Landeryou (1763)
Her father was Peter Landeryou (1738)
His father was John Landeryou (1706) & he also had Blanch Landeryou (1741)
She had Robert Landeryou (1768)
He had John Landeryou (1803)
He had Sarah Landeryou (1826) who married Thomas Bray (1821)
They had Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) 1950)

Gustavus married Annie Tom, daughter of William (Parson) Tom and Ann Lane, on 19 Jun 1862 in Springfield, near Bathurst, NSW Australia. (Annie Tom was born on 29 Feb 1840 in Springfields Cornish Settlement, near Bathurst, NSW Australia, christened on 22 Mar 1840 in Cornish Settlement District Of Orange, NSW Australia, died on 10 Dec 1872 in Hathrop, NSW Australia and was buried in Byng, NSW Australia.)

Gustavus next married Emma Lavinia Tyrell, daughter of Thomas Tyrell and Unknown, on 3 Apr 1877 in Wesleyan Church, Bourke St, Sydney, NSW Australia. (Emma Lavinia Tyrell was born on 21 Aug 1850 and died on 7 Mar 1922 in Sydney, NSW Australia.)