John Crawford


John Crawford (1840-1919)	Jessie Stuart nee Crawford (1872-1924)

Eliza Jane Crawford nee Allen (1845-1923)	L to R Douglas McDonald, Annie Crawford (1866), Jessie Crawford (1872) and Sarah Mary Crawford (1883)

David Crawford & Annie Seears 40th wedding anniversary 21/8/1934

The above photos were contributed by John Eppulstun [jseppo-at-bigpond.com]

The following photos were supplied by Michael Povey <mpovey-at-tpg.com.au> 25.08.11

Patrick Crawford was born July 1827, and came to Australia from Fife Scotland at the age of 19 years. He was accompanied by his brother and two sisters on the Bermondsey in 1848.

First we know of Patrick was that he was a stockman for O’Hares of ‘Curry Flat’, Nimmitabel and was there until after his eldest child John Patrick was born in 1859.

Patrick Alexander Crawford married Maria Collins of Braidwood at Nimmitabel in 1848.

Patrick and Maria went from ‘Curry Flat’ to Kalkite , then to Leesville just out of Jindabyne, where they managed the pub for awhile, then to Guises Lake, where my mother, the ninth and last child was born. They then had another move to the Boloko area. Both are buried in the Boloko Cemetery. Patrick Alexander died in 1915, and Maria in 1928.

Jessie Crawford who was Patrick Crawford’s niece, came on the same ship the Bermondsey in 1848 from Scotland when she was 6 years old with her parents David Crawford and Janet (nee Fyfe). Jessie later married George Williams. Jessie was Jack Williams’ ( Steeple Flat Nimmitabel) grandmother. After being at Port Jackson they went on to Twofold Bay.

Robert Crawford who was born in Scotland ran away from home at a very early age, with his parents not hearing from him for some time. He joined the British Army, and was in the north of Ireland with his regiment where he was married. His regiment was ordered home shortly afterwards, then ordered out to the Rock of Gibraltar where Robert Henry Crawford was born in 1844, his mother died when Robert Henry was six years old, his brother and Robert Henry were sent home to Scotland to their grandparents John and Ann (nee Elder) Crawford.

In the meantime two uncles Patrick and David (married Ann) and two aunties Livia and Ann had come to Australia. Patrick and David sent money home to bring us out to Australia. We left the village of Daisse in the County Fife on New Years Day 1855, on the ship ‘Lightning’ under Captain Enright.

Later the family went to Twofold Bay, by this time grandfather, John was very short of cash, but during the trip he got in conversation with a Mr Hepburn who owned ‘Mahratta’ Station near Bombala. An uncle David Crawford was shepherding sheep for him. He financed us for the journey to Bombala, but we had to walk it. My uncle had raised a team of bullock and a dray carrying from Twofold Bay to different parts of Monaro, but had left the Bay two days before we arrived. When Mr Hepburn who was on horseback, caught up with uncle, he came back and met us; our first ride in Australia was in a two wheel cart drawn by seven oxen. We landed at the sheep station A1.

Robert Crawford served his apprenticeship at shepherding sheep, out every day – rain, hail or snow – 364 and a 1/2 days a year. We had a privilege of yarding the sheep at dinner time on Christmas Day, and that was the only holiday we got in twelve months, and still people talk about the good old days. The only education I got in this country I taught myself.

My Uncles took separate stations, Uncle David with a family of five, (4 boys, 1 girl) took one sheep station, and Uncle Pat another two flocks each (Uncle Pat mentioned was Rose Golby’s grandfather)

Grandparents, John and Ann Crawford, brother Francis and Robert Henry had another flock for 12 months, David took up a small station on his own, and Pat took charge of a small cattle station called ‘Curry Flat’, four miles from Nimmitabel, owned by the O’Hare brothers, who also owned ‘Coorawang’ Station, the two stations being about forty miles apart.

Francis did not stay long with us as he got work with the O’Hare brothers droving and so forth. Pat married Maria Collins at Nimmitabel and stayed at ‘Curry Flat’ for six years.

In the meantime John and Ann died and were buried in the Nimmitabel Cemetery. John died in Feb 1862, Ann died 22 Feb 1863, they had been at ‘Curry Flat’ until their deaths.

For four years of the six Robert Henry worked for his keep, the last two years he was supposed to be getting 30 pounds per year, but when we came to settle up, he had no money to draw.

Pat bought a team and started carrying, and later on selected 100 acres over in the Jindabyne district. Robert Henry worked with him for two years, then decided to have a go on his own.

He met and married Miss Kitty Gorman in May 1871. Then he went to work for John Barry of Moonbah. He also tried his hand as a publican, which was not profitable. In 1890 with a family he moved to ‘Wallwa’, went to several places gold digging but died at Albury. Robert Henry Crawford died at the age of 89 years in 1933.

Descendants of John Crawford

Kerry Donaghy - <kdo94407-at-bigpond.net.au> 11.07.06
Recompiled from the new Monaro Pioneers database: 5.05.08
with additional information supplied by:
John Eppulstun [jseppo-at-bigpond.com] 4.07.07
Judy McCutcheon [judymcc-at-aapt.net.au] 2.06.08
John Eppulstun [jseppo-at-bigpond.com] 4.11.08

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