Margaret Francis (Fanny) Brown

  Research Notes:

Tim Hill notes:
Margaret was born on Thursday, 14 May 1818 at Stirling, Scotland. She was the daughter of John Brown and Margaret Miller.
At the age of 20 Margaret emmigrated from Liverpool, England on 28 February 1839 on the 'Heber' with her parents and siblings. The ship embarked with 178 emmigrants. The family was brought out by Donald McIntyre of Invermein, one of a number of private Scottish emigrant operators who had settled in Australia - he brought out 57 emigrants on the 'Heber', nearly all country people from the Highlands; shepherds and labourers and their families. After a voyage of nearly 6 months Margaret arrived at Botnay Bay on 27 July 1839 with her parents and siblings. The ship's first port of call had been the Cape of Good Hope, where they embarked a further two passengers. They left the Cape on the 28th of May 1839. The trip was not without tragedy; 5 children died on the voyage.
Margaret lived in March 1841 at P:arramatta, NSW Donald, her future husband was also residing in Parramatta at this time. He was to remain a carpenter and joiner for all of his working life.
They married in a Presbyterian ceremony at Free Presbyterian Church in Pitt Street on Friday, 19 March 1841 at Sydney. He was 29 and his wife Margaret was 22. After their marriage Donald and Margaret lived in Parramatta at least until the start of the new year. Witnesses to the wedding was thomas MacKenzie. Donald Nicholson was a witness at the wedding of John Chalmers and Jessie Brown at St. Andrew's Scots Presbyterian Church on Monday, 7 June 1841 at Sydney. Donald, aged 29 and Margaret Brown, aged 23 became the parents of Malcolm Nicholson on Thursday, 30 December 1841 at Parramatta, NSW. Donald's child Malcom received his baptism at St. John's on Sunday, 2 January 1842 at Parramatta Presbyterian. This seems to be the first baptism of the year in the church. Donald Nicholson was a carpenter in January 1842 at Parramatta and was to remain at this trade (sometimes calling himself a joiner or house carpenter) for all of his working life.¹² Donald's child James received his baptism at St. Andrew's Scots Presbyterian Church on Friday, 5 May 1843 at Sydney.
Within two years of their marriage, Donald and Margaret's growing family had moved to Balmain. Also in Balmain were Margaret's family and their growing families. Donald and Margaret lived in 1844 at Waterview Bay, Balmain. Waterview Bay (now called Mort Bay) is an area of Balmain where a few boat builders had established small businesses along the waterfront. There is a Nicholson Street, leading down to the edge of this bay in East Balmain that has been there since the 1880's at least. Donald's child Donald received his baptism on Wednesday, 5 August 1846 at Sydney.
Another two years found them in the Yass district at Archibald MacCallum's "Good-Hope" homestead. They became close to this family in some way, naming their daughter Susannah after the MacCallums recently died teenage daughter (and later Susannah was to also name her children after this family too). Donald's child John received his baptism at Bungonia on Tuesday, 30 May 1848 at Goulburn, NSW.
Donald and Margaret lived in June 1850 at the country town of Bowning, NSW. Donald's child Susannah received her baptism on Sunday, 16 June 1850 at Yass, NSW. Donald's child Mary received her baptism on Sunday, 10 October 1852 at Yass. She was baptised in a Presbyterian ceremony. Donald and Margaret lived in October 1852 at Yass.
Donald's child Charles received his baptism on Sunday, 18 February 1855 at Yass. Donald provided information for the birth of Frances Nicholson on 30 November 1856 at Yass at the age of 44. Donald's child Frances received her baptism on Saturday, 21 March 1857 at Yass. It is unusual that she was baptised as Church of England - the other children of Donald & Margaret were baptised as Presbyterians. They remained in this district, later at Bowning. Donald provided information for the birth of Daniel Malcolm McBean Nicholson on 6 January 1859 at Limestone Creek in the District of Yass at the age of 46. The 'McBean' part of his name was due to a grazier named William McBean who settled in the Yass area. He along with several others including Daniel's father Donald were the main instigators in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Yass (where Daniel was baptised). Donald and Margaret lived in January 1859 at Limestone Creek. Donald and Margaret lived in October 1865 at South Lead in Forbes, NSW. Donald and Margaret were to remain residents of the town for at least three years.
Donald, as the father of the bride, along with Margaret attended Margaret Nicholson's and Hugh Jones' wedding at the house of Donald Nicholson on Tuesday, 31 October 1865 at Forbes. Hugh was a wheelwright from Scotland.
Unwed daughter Susannah gave birth to a son, Fredrick Hilton Nicholson. She was 19. Donald Nicholson and Margaret Brown moved with their younger children to Bushman's Lead, NSW in 1871. They made the move just after gold had been discovered, when the town consisted of a butcher's shop, a bakery and a few houses which the hardy pioneers had constructed from the timber around them. By the middle of 1871, Donald and Margaret's son Donald had moved to Sydney, and had there married Annie Smyth in a Church of England ceremony. Two months later another son, James, married Lydia Hosnell in Bathurst in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Donald and Margaret lived in September 1872 at Bushman's Lead, NSW. Donald, as the father of the bride, along with Margaret attended Mary Jane Nicholson and Henry Olliver's wedding at her father's house on Sunday, 8 September 1872 at Bushman's Lead.
Margaret died 22 May 1874 at the age of 56. Margaret had been involved in a carriage accident some 3 weeks earlier, but had deteriorated rapidly in the days before her death. Margaret's death would have been about the time that their daughter Susannah found out she was pregnant again - and still unmarried.

Margaret married Donald Nicholson, son of Donald Nicholson and Mary Margaret MacDougall, on 19 Mar 1841 in Scots Presbyterian Church, Pitt St, Sydney, NSW Australia. (Donald Nicholson was born on 12 Jan 1812 in Assynt, Sutherlandshire, Scotland UK, christened on 31 Dec 1812 in Assynt, Sutherlandshire, Scotland UK and died on 3 Nov 1899 in Byrock, near Cobar, NSW Australia.)