Matthew Parsons

  General Notes:

As noted under John Parsons the Elder, the Parsons (and Gardiner) families had been liuving at Chalford in the Parish of Bisley for centuries.



By the early 19th century most of the population were handloom weavers. They were disadvantaged by the replacement of labour by machinery during the industrial revolution. In 1825, riotous mobs assembled at some of the Chalford mills during a
weavers' strike; by 1830, 40% of the population of the parish of Bisley was unemployed. In 1835, the area was further affected when the East India Company ceased selling locally-made cloth to the Chinese market.



At this time the Rector of the Parish, Rev. Thomas Keble (brother of Oxford's John Keble) sought assistance from the Home office under the 1831 Poor Law Amendments to re-settle some of the unemployed in 'the colonies'.



In the mid-1830s the Parish borrowed £200 to fund the resettlement of twelve families. Among those families chosen were those of Matthew and Reuben Parsons (and Reuben's sister- and brother-in-law, William and Esther Peacey). They were
originally intended to go to Canada, but for some reason this was changed to Australia.



The twelve families, comprising 60 people including 22 children under the age of seven, assembled on Eastcomb Common, about 2kms south of Bisley, on the morning of 30 August 1837. They were permitted to take a pair of trousers for each man and
two 'smock frocks' for eaach woman.



They left the port of Bristol on 8 September 1837 aboard the 513-ton barque 'Layton', with a total of 122 adults and 110 children. The 'Layton' had previously been used to transport convicts to Van Diemen's Land. For most of the time the
passengers were confined below decks, as the upper deck was not conducive to walking around. An outbreak of measles during the voyage claimed the lives of Matthew's and Reuben's children.



The 'Layton' arrived in Sydney on 19 January 1838 after a voyage of 133 days.



At the Immigration Centre in Sydney, the Parsons were engaged by Hannibal Macarthur (nephew of John) to work on the 'Camden Park' estate. Matthew commenced work as a carpenter on 1 February 1838 at a salary of £20 per annum plus free lodging.
Puah worked preparing corn, potatoes and tobacco.



The Parsons family left Camden Park in April 1839, arriving at Wollongong on 24th of that month. Matthew initially worked on 'Glen Glosh', a property at Garden Hill (and is recorded as living there at the time of the 1841 Census). In 1843 he
obtained a 6-year lease of 30 acres in the same area. In 1849 the family moved to Fairy Meadow. Matthew worked as a master carpenter and shingler. On 29 May 1858 he bought a 29-acre lot at Fairy Meadow for £450.



Matthew sold the house at Fairy Meadow in 1885, and went to live in a house built by his son Henry at 66 Keira Street, Wollongong, where both Matthew and Puah died, in 1901 and 1902 respectively, each aged 92.



Matthew and Puah were married for 71 years and 17 days. At the time of their platinum (70th) wedding anniversary their marriage was regarded as the longest documented in human history.



Excerpt from "Old Pioneer's Reminiscences of Illawarra 1820s-1930s" (Illawarra Historical Publications 1989):



Matthew Parsons arrived at Wollongong in 1844, and settled at Carter's Lane, Tarrawanna, as a carpenter and shingler ...



Matthew Parsons was somewhat more retiring than his brother Reuben, and although he went into the country on arrival in the district he nevertheless fulfilled a successful career and reared a splendid family of four sons and two daughters.



Matthew Parsons resided for many years at Carter's Lane, Fairy Meadow. He moved there upon arrival in Wollongong eighty years ago. For a time he lived in a small house on a fairly large area of land, facing Carter's Lane. He then started
the erection of a large cottage. He was an experienced carpenter. The old house of eighty years ago still stands today. Like most of the old houses of the period it contains an attic roof and two attic windows face the road. Mrs. Simpson is
now the owner and occupant, and the old place with its great peat trees tells a story of the days of yore.



Matthew Parsons was the first shingler of Illawarra. He was a master at the trade, and there are yet a few old houses whose moss-covered roof holds off the rain after a period of eighty years. Of Matthew Parsons' sons, Ira (now dead) lived in
Flinders Street, Wollongong. He, like his father, was a carpenter and a good man with the shingling hammer. Alfred (also dead) lived in Campbell Street, Wollongong. He was a painter. His was a splendid character. William is still alive,
living comfortably at Bellambi and much respected.

Henry, the youngest, lives at Keira Street, Wollongong, and is a man of high character and well liked and respected. The two daughters are Emily and Emma. Emily is married to John Shipp and Emma is married to Nathan Shipp. Both are highly
respected. Mr Robert Shipp, late Mayor of Central Illawarra, is a son of John Shipp and grandson of Matthew Parsons. The late Mr Joseph Parsons was a son of Aquilla and grandson of Reuben Parsons. From the two brothers who landed in
Wollongong eighty years ago the family has spread out, but for honesty of purpose and clean character the family stands well today.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Master carpenter and shingler.

• Religion: Arrived at Sydney 19 January 1838, aboard the barque Layton.

• connection. The connection between Ruth Eslake & myself is as follows:

Ruth Eslake (nee Parsons) (1929) married Edward Eslake (1925)
Her father was Leland Parsons (1892) & he also had Lois Parsons (1937) who married Kevin Nelson (1939)
His father was Laurence Nelson (1918) who married Doris Brannigan (1919)
Her father was William Brannigan (1897) who married Thomasina Emery (1899)
Her father was John Emery (1867) who married Phoebe Davies (1876)
Her father was Joseph Davies (1852) & he also had George Arthur Davies (1894)
He had Colin Davies (1925)
He had me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

& Ruth Eslake 's link to Robert through Dawes line is as follows:

Ruth Eslake (nee Parsons) (1929) married Edward Eslake (1925)
Her father was Leland Parsons (1892)
His father was Henry Parsons (1849)
His father was Matthew Parsons (1809)
His father was John Parsons (1777) & he also had Reuben Parsons (1805)
He had Enos Parsons (1847) who married Emma Dawes (1847)
Her father was George Dawes (1802)
His father was Aaron Daw (1779) & he also had Edward Bannister Dawes (1813)
He had James H. Dawes (1843)
He had Annie Florence Dawes (1873) who married Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Matthew married Puah Gardiner, daughter of Mark Gardiner and Sarah Matthews, on 3 Mar 1830 in All Saints, Bisley, Gloucestershire England. (Puah Gardiner was born on 13 Aug 1808 in Chalford Lynch, Gloucestershire England, christened on 9 Oct 1808, died on 20 Mar 1901 in 66 Keira St, Wollongong, NSW Australia and was buried on 22 Mar 1901 in Wollongong Cemetery, NSW Australia.)