William Wentworth Bucknell - 'Ledger No. 1 Phoenix Park', 1839-1858, ca. 1890

MLMSS 6856/Box 1X

fonds

1839 - 1858, ca. 1890

402990

0.16 metres of textual material (1 outsize box)
Textual Records - (manuscript)

William Wentworth Bucknell was born in London in 1814, the eldest son of William and Martha (nee Wentworth) Bucknell. The family emigrated to New South Wales in 1826. By 1828 William Wentworth Bucknell was living at 'Elms Hall', his father's grant of land on the Paterson River which was formally leased to him in 1830; here he raised cattle and grew corn and wheat with a work-force of assigned convict servants. In 1838 he opened a store at 'Elms Hall' where the locals could obtain their provisions. During the 1840s - 50s he held licenses for various crown land cattle runs in the Gwydir region of north west NSW and employed stockmen to take cattle out to these runs, including two of his younger brothers, Charles and Adrian.
William Wentworth Bucknell married Susannah Barker (employed as a housekeeper at 'Elms Hall') in 1841; they had two sons, Thomas and Arthur. In 1856 Susannah and her children left Australia with three Morman elders, sailing on the 'Jenny Ford' bound for San Francisco. William sought assistance from the government to trace their whereabouts, but nothing could be done. In 1857 he married Susan Hopkins; they had eleven children, eight of whom survived. [Source: Waddingham, T & B. 'The descendants of William and Martha Bucknell: Elmshall, Paterson River, NSW' (ML Q929.20994/B925.5/1)]

1839-1858, ca. 1890; Journal recording the accounts of William Wentworth Bucknell's customers for goods purchased from his store at 'Elms Hall', with index; records of cattle owned by the Bucknell family, including returns, description of brands, memoranda concerning stock movement on the various runs leased by Bucknell; record of employees' wages and rations; also contains 'Yarawa: record of season [from March 1888] up to '90 flood by A.W. Bucknell'