My Family Tree

John was born on Norfolk Island on 21st December 1796. Although he was the seventh child of Nathaniel and Olivia Lucas to be born on Norfolk Island, he was the first one to be entered in the Government Victualling Book as Lucas instead of Gaskins. He was eight years old when the family moved back to Sydney.
On 5th April 1807 John advertised in the Sydney Gazette for “presentation of claims requested” as he was leaving the Colony. This was a trip to van Dieman’s Land in the “Santa Anna”. Children of the Colony had to take on responsibilities at an early age in those days; John was just over ten years old at the time.
He married Mary Rowley at St. Philip’s Church, Sydney, on 10th March 1817. Mary was born in 1800 at Kingstown, New South Wales, the daughter of Thomas Rowley, a soldier in the New South Wales Corps (Rum Corps) and Elizabeth nee Selwyn a convict.
In February 1821 John was granted a license for “The Black Swan Inn”. He then applied for a spirit license, which was grant in 1822.
In 1822 John built his first flour mill at Harris Creek. In 1825 John wrote to Governor Brisbane requesting a land grant in addition to his 150 acres at Harris Creek. The reason being that he wanted to build a second mill and the land at Harris creek was unsuitable to sustain a second mill. The request was denied, the reason given was that he already 650 acres. However 500 acres of this was not his land but had been his father’s.
John applied again for the grant, this time the application was accompanied by a reference from William Moore. This time the land was granted. John promised to have the mill working within six months of receiving the land. After he had built the mill he requested that he call the mill after Governor Brisbane. The Governor granted the request.
This second mill had permanent water because it was on the upper reaches of the Woronora River at the head of the tidal waters. John stated that there was enough water to grind one thousand bushels a week. After he built this second mill John was known as John the Miller. With this Lucas mill operational, shallow draft boats laden with wheat, were able to sail up the Woronora River to the mill. Here the wheat was ground into flour without custom and wharfage fees, which were levied at Sydney. Unfortunately the mill was destroyed by fire in the 1830’s and to discourage John from rebuilding, a Customs officer was stationed Botany Bay to intercept boats bound for the Woronora River. Therefore it was not economical to rebuild and pay duties. The mill estate was offered for sale by auction on 14th March 1843 but was not sold. John abandoned the site in 1843. It is now the site of the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.
Mary died at Nanima, New South Wales, on 4th May 1869 and was buried at Gundaroo Cemetery. John died at Murrubateman, New South Wales, on 5th June 1875 and was buried at Gounyan Cemetery. John and Mary had eleven children.
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Child 7 John Lucas Born 21st December, 1796. By Betty Taber.
John Lucas was born on Norfolk Island on the 21st December, 1796. This made him one of the new breed, born in the Colony, called “Currency Lads “. Although he was the seventh child of Nathaniel Lucas and Olivia Gascoigne (Gaskins) to be born there, he was the first to be entered into the Norfolk Island Victualling Book as Lucas instead of Gaskins. His mother also started to call herself Olivia Lucas about then. This was not because Nathaniel and Olivia had a temporary or de facto marriage but the custom of the Marine Corps was to register all the children under the name of their mother.
This practice was emphasized in a letter written by Andrew Miller, Commissary of stores and Provisions, to Lieutenant Gidley King in May, 1789 --- “The Children of Convicts who are born here, I call after the Mother's names (they give them what Christian name they please) otherwise it would be impossible to know, hereafter, who was the Mother of a Child, should it be necessary.” “The convicts who are married here, I never alter their names. There would be no end to it. The names they were convicted by in England are the names they should go by here.”
John was not baptized until 18th April, 1802 at Norfolk Island. Although his baptismal certificate does not mention who officiated at the ceremony it was Re. Henry Fulton who had been appointed Chaplain to Norfolk Island on 21st August, 1801.
John spent his childhood at Norfolk Island. He moved to New South Wales, with his parents, on the “Investigator” arriving on the 11th March, 1805 at the age of eight years. This was the commencement of the Island’s first evacuation. It appears the family resided at Pitt’s Row. Then in 1806, Nathaniel had the base, for 14 years of Lot 93 Church Hill near St Philip’s Church, Sydney. On the 5th April, 1807 John Lucas advertised in the Sydney Gazette for “presentation of claims requested” as he was leaving the Colony. This was a trip in the "Santa Anna" to Van Dieman’s Land. Children of the Colony had to take on responsibilities at an early age in those days, John being just over 10 years old at the time.
John’s father, Nathaniel Lucas, had established himself as a carpenter, joiner and businessman. In the "Sydney Gazette" dated 26th February, 1809 he advertised that he had boats to be viewed by prospective buyers. He advertised the auction of his post mill (now the site of Shakespeare’s Memorial in front of the Mitchell Library, State Library of N.S.W.) in the "Sydney Gazette" on the 23rd July, 1811 “a decree in the court of Jurisdiction in the cause of Nathaniel Lucas against Henry Cable and James Underwood of Sydney”. He was also paid from the Police fund for erecting a Toll-house and Watch-houses on the 2nd April, 1811 and a fence for the Police on the 26th October, 1811. Nathaniel was granted a Wine and Spirit License on the 26th February, 1809.
In the Wentworth Papers there is an autographed receipt for two hundred pounds as a part payment of his contract for erecting the parsonage at Liverpool dated the 19th October, 1815. During this time John worked with his father at Sydney and Liverpool. The Liverpool headquarters being the lease land granted to Nathaniel of 500 acres in the District of Minto on the 1st January, 1811.
John married Mary Rowley at St. Philip’s Church, Sydney on the 10th March, 1817 by Banns. The officiating clergyman was William Cowper and the witnesses were Richard Shaw and Eliza Rowley. Mary’s sister Eliza, only made her mark x and was about 14 years of age. Captain Thomas Rowley of the Marine Corps was the father of the two girls.
John and Mary Lucas had 10 (or 12) children. John and Mary Ann No 1, the two eldest, were born at Kingston (Thomas Rowley’s home near Annandale next to Camperdown) and baptized at St. Philip’s, Sydney. The next four were born at Liverpool and the second (or third) youngest were born at Burwood.
In 1822 John Lucas built his first flour mill at Harris Creek and his second mill at Woronora in 1825. This gave him the name of John the Miller. John wrote a memorial to Governor Brisbane in 1825 requesting land in addition to his 150 acres at Harris Creek. He wanted to build his second mill and found the land at Harris Creek unsuitable. This request was denied because he already had 650 acres. However, 500 acres of this was not John’s land but had been his father Nathaniel’s.
John again applied for the grant and this was accompanied by a reference from William Moore. This time the land was granted. John promised to have the mill working in six months after receiving the land. After he built the water mill he requested Governor Brisbane to call the mill after him as it was the first mill to be erected after Brisbane’s arrival in the Colony. Brisbane allowed the mill to be called after him.
This second grant had permanent water because it was on the upper reaches of (an unnamed river) now the Woronora River at the head of the tidal waters. This site was adjacent to the old ford. John stated that there was sufficient water to grind one thousand bushels weekly.
In 1826 Surveyor Dixon was instructed by Governor Macquarie to survey and mark the boundaries of the grant.
Wheat was being grown by this time, at the Five Islands and with the Lucas Mill operational, shallow draft boats were able to sail into Botany Bay and up the Woronora River to the new mill. Here the wheat was ground into flour without custom or wharfage charges which were levied at Sydney Cove. Unfortunately the mill was burnt down in the late 1830’s and to discourage Lucas from rebuilding, a Customs Officer was stationed at Botany Bay to intercept any further boats. Therefore it became uneconomical to rebuild and pay duties. The Mill estate was offered for sale by auction on the 14th March, 1843 but failed to arouse interest and was abandoned. Lucas Heights in named after John and his mill.
On the 13th July, 1821 John signed an autographed welcome to Governor Macquarie on his return to Sydney from Van Diemans Land.
By 1818 all the Lucas family except John and Nathaniel (Senior) were in Van Diemen's Land in the vicinity of what is now new Launceston. Olivia took George, Sarah, Mary, Charles, Thomas accompanied by Nathaniel Junior on the “John Palmer”, a schooner, sailing for Port Dalrymple in September, 1818. Nathaniel Senior had died in April, 1818 so Olivia took the youngest members of the family and settled.
James and Nathaniel Junior had already been in Van Diemen's Land and Olivia and Ann, two married daughters and William also joined them within the next four years. Several members of the family, including Olivia, received land grants as a reward to all who had left Norfolk Island. John was a regular commuter between Sydney and Launceston.
On the 22nd of December, 1821 John was assigned servants and paid an amount of money to the Colonial Secretary. In February of the same year he was granted a license for “The Black Swan”, Sydney. He also applied for a Spirit License and this was granted in 1822.
John issued Isaac Nichols a challenge, that his horse would beat Mr. Nichol’s horse. Mr. Nichols had one of the finest horses in the Colony and won easily. This was the 25th April, 1825.
John and Mary were living at Liverpool with five of their children at the time of the 1828 Census. They had nine servants mentioned in the Census at John’s flour mill and two of them were mentioned in the Inn at Botany. Olivia was visiting them at the time and was also listed.
John and William Lucas entered into a contract for erecting a Court House at Liverpool in 1827 and obtained an advance of 500 pounds. There seems to be problem regarding the Court House. William drowned at Parsley Bay, Sydney in July, 1828. John advertised that he was missing from his home for several days on the 30th July, 1828. He was not found so that left John with the Court House.
On the 30th April 1844, Gipps wrote to Lord Stanley that he was enclosing Queries fro the Commissioners of Audit on the accounts of New South Wales for the year 1833, but having reference to a transaction in the year 1827, “by which the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds was lost to local government. A contract was entered into by Messes. John and William Lucas for the Court House at Liverpool, but, after obtaining an advance from the Government of 500 pounds, the contractors failed to complete their agreement, and became Insolvent. A verdict was obtained against them for the balance of 350 pounds, due to the government, but no portion of it was ever recovered”.
When Mary Lucas's father, Thomas Rowley, died on the 29th May 1806 Major George Johnston and John Harris were made executors of Rowley’s estate as his children were still minors. Johnston went to England for his trial for the mutiny against Governor Bligh and Harris went as witness. In their absence Governor Macquarie appointed Thomas Moore “to manage the estate and the effects of the late Thomas Rowley during the further absence of George Johnston and John Harris Esquires and to be guardian of the Rowley children.
He was not to sell or dispose of any of the real estate without application to the Judges of His Majesty’s Court of Civil Jurisdiction. However, the Burwood Estate was sold, by auction on the 31st August, 1812, and purchased for 520 pounds by Alexander Riley. He built a substantial cottage on it and called it “Burwood Villa”. He lived there until 1817 when he departed for England. Several others rented from Riley.
In February, 1830 Surgeon Harris instituted legal proceedings to have Burwood Farm, which it was claimed Moore should not have sold, restored to the children of Thomas Rowley and Elizabeth Selwyn their mother. Isabella having died on the 16th October, 1808, her claim lapsed. There were two sons Thomas Jnr. And John. The entitlements of the other daughters, Mary and Eliza, were passed to their husbands, John Lucas and Henry Sparrow Briggs. The Court found in favour of the family on the 24th November, 1832 and ordered Riley’s ejectment.
John Lucas received 213 acres of land in 1834 subdivided it with a view to sell. John retained 100 acres himself and proceeded to sell the remaining subdivided blocks ranging between 4 to 19 [probably 1/2] acres and auctioned them on the 24th November, 1834. This was the beginning of closer settlement for the suburb now known as Croydon but is still in the Burwood Municipality.
In making the subdivision Lucas Road marked a part of the boundary. This road gave access to the two main highways of the Colony and is still known as Lucas Road, Burwood. Other roads named after the Lucas family are at Richmond, Moorebank, Five Dock, Camperdown, Emu Plains, Panania, Lalor Park and Cronulla.
Many of John and Mary Lucas’s descendants have Burwood as their middle names including my great grandfather George Burwood Lucas who was John and Mary’s son and the first to have the name.
Advertising the sale of John Lucas’s land the "Sydney Morning Herald" described it as so well timbered that “firewood alone would amply renumerate purchaser for their outlay” and it went on to appeal directly to the market gardeners and nurserymen because of “the facility with which produce can be sent to market”. As for the larger blocks: “they are particularly adapted for Settlers bringing cattle for sale for the interior, as they might be left upon these allotments until disposed of, which is much preferable to driving them into town at once by which the Settler is frequently compelled to sell at a sacrifice”.
Mrs. Carole Tasovac, the Chief Librarian for Burwood-Drummoyne Public Library, States in a letter to me “I can find no evidence that John Lucas Senior lived in the Burwood area although he owned land here”. However, his two youngest children George Burwood and Edwin Charles were born there in 1836 and 1838.
A family exodus to Cundaroo seems to have taken place in the early 1850’s. I state this period because Nathaniel Thomas, the fourth child of John and Mary Lucas was married at Brisbane Waters on the 1st November, 1842, Nathaniel’s three elder children were born at Paramatta and Ashfield but Louisa, his fourth child at Namina. He was also a sawyer there in the 1850’s. George Burwood Lucas was married at Yass 1856 as was Edwin in 1860. The four boys, Nathaniel, William Henry, George Burwood, and Edwin Charles settled in the district and many of their children married in the area.
Mary Rowley died at Namina on the 4th May, 1869 and was buried at Gundaroo Cemetery. John Lucas died at Murrumbateman on the 5th June, 1875 and was buried at Gounyan Cemetery.
Children of John and Mary Lucas.
A. John G. Caroline Isabella
B. Mary Ann H. Charles
C. William Henry I. Mary Anne
D. Nathaniel Thomas J. George Burwood
E. Eliza Jane K. Edwin Charles
F. Charlotrte