Thomas Best

  General Notes:

Thomas & Mary Raised their family of ten at Dural.

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Brian & Lee-Anne Kenane (nee Moloney) & http://www.easystreetretreat.com.au/australianroyalty where it is noted:
Prior to 1828,Thomas was left land 'between Castle Hill and Portland Head', apaprently at Middle Dural by his father George. Thomas received a grant of his own and by the 1828 census, he had 210 acres, with 100 cleared and 40 under cultivation. He owned 200 sheep, 50 horned cattle and five horses.
After 1827, the Great Northern Road brought large parties of convists into the district. The building of the road gave Best the idea of opening an Inn to serve the passing travellers.
In 1828 he forwarded a submission to the Magistrates at Parramatta:
'That your memorialist is a native of the Colony (30 years of age) is married and his wife is also native born and has five children.
'That your memorialist has a farm at Dural leading on the New Castle road, where he now resides and is building an extensive house containing six rooms at a heavy expense on the side ofr the New North Road, leading to New Castle.
Best went on to apply for a free licence for the inn. The correspondence indicates that the building was completed in 1928, but that Governor Darling presented obstacles in the granting of the licence, largely on complaint of Mr Wiseman, who stated that he had been unable to obtain breakfast there. In 1832, the New South Wales Calendar and Post Office Directory contained the entry 'On the right, Best's inn, a comfortable and convenient half way place between Parramatta and Wiseman's.' Perhaps the result was not worth the effort. In the 1835 edition of the Calendar and Post Office Directory, a entry proclaimed: 'on the right, Best's Cottage, till lately an inferior sort of inn half-way between Parramatta and Wiseman's.'
A correspondent to the Sydney Morning Herald in 1831 did enjoy the hospitality of Best's Inn. He had this to say:
' It is much to be regretted there is not another inn, or some sort of accommodation for travellers between Best's and Wiseman's; it's a long ride with no other refreshment than an elegant water-hole affords, which I was informed the other day, I should find at the Finger Board, about 10 miles from the latter place. A licenced house about there, I think, would aNew South Waleser well, now the Great Northern Road is open and so much frequented. The accommodation at Best's is certainly of the first order, and the amiable hostess never fails by her polite attention and urbanity of manners, to give the greatest satisfaction to all her visitors.'
The Cumberland Times of 17 Jan 1846 reported that Thomas Best's horse 'Bailey' had successfully competed against Mr Coulton's horse. Coulton owned an inn called the 'Horse and Jockey' at Baulkham adjourned to the public house.

• fact. Birth Reg:V1799817 1A1799 Thomas became a pasturelist and orchardist in the Parramatta area.

• connection. ⁵⁴⁵ Maureen Clare Feher's connection to me is as follows:

Maureen Clare Feher . . .
Is linked in some way to . . .
George Best (1758) who married Martha Chamberlain (1778)
They had Thomas Best (1799)
He had Mary Best (1820) who married Daniel Brien (1817)
His father was Brien (1769) & he also had Sarah Jane Brien (1825) who married Benjamin Warby (1825)
His father was also Benjamin Warby (1805)
His father was John Warby (c1767) & he also had Elizabeth Warby (1802) who married James Layton (1804)
They had Eleanor Layton (1821) who married James Keighran (1808)
They had John Joseph Keighran (1845)
He had Joseph William Keighran (1879)
He had Leslie William Keighran (1904)
He had Mary Keighran (1927) who married Mervyn Collins (1925)
They had Les Collins (1950) who married me Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

• reunion. ⁵⁷⁶ 2019 marks 200 years since Thomas Best (1799-1874), son of emancipist George Best and his wife Mary Becket (1800-1857) settled in Middle Dural. They are reportedly the first family to farm in Middle Dural and Tangmangaroo, Yass District. Descendants of Thomas will be holding a celebrating in Middle Dural in early September. They would love to hear from fellow descendants and extend the invitation to them. If you are interested in this celebration and / or have family history records or information pertaining to Thomas and Mary please email johambrett@gmail.com

Thomas married Mary Beckett, daughter of James Beckett and Ann Calcut, on 16 Feb 1818 in St Johns C of E, Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Australia. (Mary Beckett was born on 6 Apr 1800 in Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Australia ²⁵⁰, christened on 31 Jul 1801 in Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Australia, died on 2 Dec 1857 in Dural, Sydney, NSW Australia and was buried on 4 Dec 1857 in St Johns, Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Australia ²⁵⁰.)