The Story of John Britty North 1831-1917

Sources: Trove, City of Sydney Archives; State Archives; Sands Directory, HLRV (Historic Lands Record Viewer), ARHS The Railway Archives NSW, Hazlett information Services, Burning Mists of Time [Pells & Hammon], State Library, AA Prof. Carol Liston AO, Patsy Moppett, John Brock – Licensed Surveyor, Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADoB), https://wheelerfamilyhistory.net/north-family/ ; https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/north-john-britty-4308 ; Brian fox, Ann O’Connell – Ashfield Historical Society, Helen Wood – Tambaroora Gathering Group, Ancestry.com.au., Mitchel Library

I have created a “Rabbit Holes” which are the historical tangents which you may peruse at the end of the document without interrupting reading the story.

One hundred and ninety years have passed since his birth, and ferreting information is not easy, but I’ve done my best.

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The story of Portion 64, Parish of Megalong, County of Cook is one of dubious land dealings and high finance. But we do have to follow the “Trove Trail” to keep up with John Britty North and the NSW Land Registry Services Historic Land Records Viewer, to reveal his myriad of dealings. I shall refer to John Britty North as JBN.

Rabbit Hole #1 – Stephen Nutter – good friend and business associate of JBN, and David Jones his uncle by marriage. >>>>>>

Firstly, a little background: –

JBN’s father, also called John Britty, (JBN Snr.) ^{Note 1} born in Taunton UK in 1800, died in JBN’s house in Falcon St North Sydney in 1889. Married to Mary Willie in 1828, he had three surviving daughters, one born out of wedlock in 1818, and one son, JBN.  In the 1871 UK census he was living with his youngest married daughter Ellen Grabham as, his wife Mary, had died on 10^th June 1855. – Ellen and Charles Grabham and 6 children left for the USA in 1873, probably shortly after JBN (Snr) went to Australia. They arrived in Sydney with 6 children aboard IVANHOE on 1st June 1878, after a 5 year stay in the USA. The Ivanhoe left New York Feb 24^th 1878.

The immigration page for the Grabhams arrival is interesting.  Charles is listed as a Farmer from Somersetshire, and his brother in Law is John Britty North – Sydney.  Ellen is listed as aged 37, also from Somersetshire, and her “parent’s names and if alive their residence”  as “John B North Sydney”. This implies that JBN Snr was already in Sydney in 1878. I cannot find his arrival details in that period 1871 to 1878.

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Fortunately for us, JBN was a firm believer in always using his full title J. B. North both in official correspondence and in advertising in the press. This does make it easier to follow his career.

JBN was born 31^st August 1831 in Taunton UK, which is in the SW of England halfway between Southampton and Plymouth. He died in Wahroonga, Sydney 14^th October 1917 ^{Note 2}.

He showed up in the 1841 UK census as a student at St James Church School, Taunton, moving with his family to London in 1840.  When he was 13, he went to work as a warehouseman for Self, Coles & Co. until aged 20, coming to Australia onboard the barque “Senator” of 350 tons out of Portsmouth on 21^st October 1851, non-stop in 114 days.

JBN was married to Clarissa Mary Hack in the Pitt St Congregational Church Sydney on Tuesday 13^th February 1855. Clarissa, a year younger than JBN, had come out to Australia in 1851, and JBN arrived aboard The Senator on 18^th Feb 1852. Their first son, John George North was born in December 1855 in Newcastle. They went on to have 10 children, 8 of them surviving into adulthood.

1831 –              John Britty North        Taunton UK     Died Wahroonga NSW 1917

1832 –              Clarissa Mary North    Aldgate UK      Died Wahroonga NSW 1906

1855    –           John George North      Newcastle       Died Roseville NSW 1939

1857    –           Stillborn                       Newcastle

1858    –           Ernest William            Newcastle       Died Sydney 1859

1860    –           Clara Minnie               Chippendale    Died Manly 1939

1862    –           Ellen Mary aka Nellie  Chippendale    Died Manly 1936

1865    –           Lilla Mander                Surry Hills        Died Nth Sydney 1938

1868    –           Alfred Herbert Phillip  Brisbane Qld.   Died Killara 1941

1870    –           Emily                                                   Died Torquay UK 1928

1872    –           Ethel Susie                   Glebe               Died Chatswood 1947

1875    –           Lucy Grace                  Concord           Died Manly 1944

When John Britty North died in 1917, aged 86, Clarissa had predeceased him by 11 years. He was living in “Lynton”, Lane Cove Rd Wahroonga, with 4 of their daughters, Clara, Ellen, Emily and Ethel. He had 15 grandchildren.

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Once in Sydney JBN launched himself into society very quickly, being admitted to the Levee for the Queen’s Birthday in Sydney in 1854, donating 10/- to the patriotic Fund in 1855, 10/- to the Colonel Macpherson Testimonial, and supporting Edward Flood for election in the North Eastern Borough. This may have had something to do with Clarissa North’s uncle being David Jones, of Sydney department store fame. He was married to Clarissa’s maternal aunt, Jane Mander.

The history of the Pitt Street Uniting Church (as it is known today) lists David Jones as one of its early parishioners, so it is no surprise that JBN was married there. (See Stephen Nutter Rabbit hole #1) David Jones, Merchant, was one of the witnesses of the marriage.

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EARLY BUSINESS DEALINGS

In 1853, twenty-three-year-old JBN visited London with £1000 to buy goods for North, Rutherford & Wilson, of Sussex St North, Iron store, drapery and liquor merchants, a partnership he joined that year. He returned to Sydney in the Windsor on 2 November closely followed by 7 cases on board the “Cheapside” on 9^th Dec and 5 cases on the “Dominion” 12^th Dec. addressed to North Rutherford and Co. ^{Note 3} In 1855 he left the firm before it was declared bankrupt in 1856 and North, who had contributed little capital, received a certificate of discharge in 1857. (ADoB)⁴

JBN moved to Newcastle soon after his marriage [probably at the suggestion of Stephen Nutter] where his first son John George North, was born in December of 1855. In Feb of 1856 he advertised Apartments for let and in March his Auction Mart which included a warehouse at the wharf end of Watt St., where today is a busy roundabout. He styled himself as an “Auctioneer and Commission Agent” storing agricultural goods prior to shipment out of Newcastle Port, “free of all expense except freight and cartage”.

In 1857 Clarissa’s second baby died at birth, and her second son, Ernest William North died in 1859, he only survived one year.

In September of 1857, JBN leased a steam powered flour mill from James Steele and proceeded to upgrade it and by December 1857 he had added a sawmill to the premises. [His friend Stephen Nutter had bought a steam flour Mill in Queanbeyan in 1852.] But, disaster struck, in April 1858 one Thomas Pearson “misappropriated my monies”. A polite way of saying that he was an embezzler and thief. As a result, JBN was unable to honour his debts and was declared bankrupt. A notice in the Maitland mercury of 24^th June 1858 reveals that JBN’s creditors were Stephen Nutter, P.N. Russel &Co, Robert Scott Ross and Bingle & Son.

In May 1858 the business advertised the lease of the mill at £125 a year, and cottages adjoining the mill for £52 a year. Guess who the Trustee for this assignment of debts was, Stephen Nutter! I assume that the bankruptcy closed the Auction Mart/Warehouse in Watt Street ^{Note 4}.

So, then the Norths moved back to Sydney to start again!

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