NEWTON

John Howe jbh@bordernet.com.au

Edward Thomas NEWTON

Trace back of the Newton family to:-

EDWARD THOMAS NEWTON, Snr (c.1813 – 1882)
It is thought (oral history) that Edward Thomas NEWTON (ET) arrived in Van Demons Land (Tasmania) in 1832. He was born on 28th November 1813 in the parish of St George in the East, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex (London), in England. He was the son of Thomas Edward and Sarah NEWTON. He had a sister, Sarah born in 1811. Edward was baptised on 26th December 1813 in the above parish, the family was living in the Ratcliff Highway and his father was a Slop seller. I do not know anything else of his early life.
There is a reference to a "Mr. Newton", who claimed to have friends in high places, Lord HOWICK, and expected a government appointment, in a letter from Under secretary A.H. HAY, to Governor ARTHUR of Van Dieman’s Land, dated 27th July, 1833.
According to an advertisement in the Cornwall Chronicle, Launceston (Tasmania) on 24 October 1835, Edward Thomas Newton and Peter Sinclair set up business as Custom House Agents and General Dealers, on the wharf at Launceston, on 17 Oct 1835. Then in the Cornwall Chronicle of 19 August 1837 it is reported that, Peter Sinclair and Edward Thomas Newton of Launceston was declared insolvent.
By March 1837 Edward Thomas Newton was in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales (now the State of Victoria), working for John Batman (one of the founders of Melbourne) on his sheep station at the Deep Creek, about 15 or 20 miles from Maribyrnong, on the Saltwater River. On 1st November 1837, he purchased at the 2nd land auction in Melbourne, Allotment 14 of Block 21, for 35 pounds. This block fronted Lonsdale Street and Little Bourke Street, between Elizabeth and Swanston Streets. (In the 1960’s, The Myer Emporium Ltd paid a small sum to Newton’s descendants to formalize a re-survey of a portion of this land, known as Lynch Alley) During the same month in 1837 he was superintending the shearers in a shearing shed owned by Mr. Joseph SOLOMON, a squatter at Cut-paw-paw.
ET Newton was included in the General Census of Port Phillip held on 12 September, 1838. By at least November this same year, he was acting as agent for John BATMAN. He seems to have been managing Batman's various business affairs, and after his death on 6th May 1839, he acted in the legal proceedings as trustee to Batman's will.
On 3rd November 1840, Edward Thomas NEWTON and Eliza MARTIN were married at Mona Cottage, New Town (now Fitzroy), by the Rev. Waterfield, who was the first Protestant Dissenting [Congregational] minister in the Port Phillip District.
Edward is listed as a commission agent in the 1841 and 1842 postal directories, (at "Darabin - creek"). He had a house in Stephen Street, Gipps Ward according to the 1842 list of burgesses in Melbourne. (Stephen Street is now known as Exhibition Street)
By December 1843 Edward, his wife Eliza and young family were at Alberton in Gippsland, where he had a store and auction room. Eliza’s brothers (Martin) had already established themselves in the Port Albert district after having lost their land at Brighton. Edward then set up as an agent for Orr’s Survey of Gippsland. On 22nd November 1847, the Rev. Edward Gifford PRYCE baptised their four young children, on one of his visits to the district. In the list of electors for the District of Port Phillip in 1849 he is shown to be of Tarra Ville, Alberton District. He had a brewery in partnership with his brother-in-laws (the Martins) in 1850. He was Postmaster at Alberton in 1859. The Postal Directory of 1868 lists him as an agent at Alberton, and in 1880-1 as a vine grower. He operated his Ebon Ebon vineyard in his latter years producing both red and white wines. ET Newton held a seat on the Alberton Shire Council for many years and was President for four successive years from 1869 to 1873.
Edward Thomas Newton died on Friday night, 17th June 1882, at his home "Ebon Ebon" at Alberton aged 67 years (according to his death certificate). He was buried on 20th June at Alberton. Eliza lived for another 21 years and died on 24 July 1903 at Alberton and buried there on the 26th she was 86 years of age. Their eleven children were:

1. Edward Thomas NEWTON, Jnr was born on 27th January 1842 at Melbourne. He married on 20th November 1873 at Alberton to Annie Elizabeth McELGUNN (cl853-1918). They were living at "Fernside", Albert River, South Gippsland, in 1882 at the time of Edward’s father's death. They had 12 children – Ralph John (1874 – 1957); Elizabeth Jane (1876 – 1947); Edward Thomas (1977 – 1952); Alfred Lenard (1879 – 1959); William Harold (1882 – 1968); Arthur Patrick (1883 - ?); Claude Henry (1885 – 1939); Annie Gladys (1887 – 1986); Alfred John (1888 – 1946); Stephen Arnold (1890 – 1982); Kathleen Mary (1892 – 1928) and Walter Roy (1895 – 1914).
2. Eliza NEWTON was born on 4th May 1843 at Melbourne married George William CONNOR (1842-1873) on 13th July 1870 at Alberton. She died in 1913. They had 3 children George Stanley Newton (1871-1951); William Edward Ernest (1872-1960); and Georgina Alice (1873-1904).
3. William Robert NEWTON was born on 22nd October 1844 at Alberton, married Eliza Jane NICHOLSON. Living at Glenview Orange, Monaro, N.S.W., in 1882. William leased 4030 acres near Wonboyn Lake (now the Nadgee Nature Reserve) on the south coast of NSW. He died in Sydney in 1936. They had 8 children, Marie Ida Cherrie (1874 – 1956); William (1875 – 1875); Elisa Violet Annette (1876 – 1965); Lydia Pearl Victoria (1878 – 1920); Daisy Ada L (1880 – 1958); John Nicholson (1881-1958); Adela Emily Alice (1883 – 1964); Beatrice Evelyn 1885 – 1955) and Lizzie (l887- unk).
4. Alfred John NEWTON was born on 12th November 1846 at Alberton, and living there in 1892 when his father died. He married Mary Elizabeth HUTCHERSON in 1885. Alfred died at East Melbourne in 1887. They had one son, Harold Edward Shields Newton (1886 – 1934)
5. Emma Sarah NEWTON was born c1848 at Alberton, died 18th June 1911.
6. Henry Blott NEWTON was born c1850 at Alberton, married Elizabeth Emma LUCAS (1857-1940). Living at Sale in 1882. He died 27th February 1929 at "The Cottage", Alberton. Their 4 children were Elsie Emiline (1877-1963); Coral (1879 – 1966); Bertha Una (1881-1949) and Grace Mary (1884 – 1968).
7. Mary Martin NEWTON was born c1852 dead by 1862.
8. Frederick Jacob NEWTON was born in 1855 at Alberton, died on 10th September 1855
9. Alice NEWTON was born in 1857 at Alberton, died on 28th June 1911.
10. Arthur Edgar NEWTON was born in 1859 at Alberton and living at Tumbarumba, NSW in 1882. He married Kathleen Julia ROBINSON in 1892 at Young. They had 2 children- Kathleen Thelma (1893 – 1955) and Edric Hastings (1897 – 1940).
11. Walter Ernest NEWTON was born on 22nd January 1862 at Alberton. He still lived there in 1882 he later moved to the Nadgee area near Wonboyn Lake on the south coast of NSW. He died at Eden in 1939.

McElgunn family page

Martin family page

Blott family page

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