William Ogilvie - Settler
Merton - Map 6
William Ogilvie was born in 1782 at Holborn Hill, England. He arrived as a free settler in 1825 on the convict ship Grenada with his wife and four children. Soon after arrival, and accompanied by ship surgeon Peter Cunningham, William Ogilvie sailed up the coast to Newcastle before travelling further up the valley to select land. After making his selection, he brought his family to Newcastle while he returned to Merton to establish a dwelling for them.
Merton Estate
Peter Cunningham described William Ogilvie's Merton estate in his publication 'Two Years in New South Wales; a Series of Letters, Comprising Sketches of the Actual State of Society in that Colony; of its Peculiar Advantages to Emigrants' : -'Mr. Ogilvie possesses here six thousand acres, consisting of alluvial flats and lightly timbered forest land backwards, bounded by a moderately high ridge. A plain of fifty acres of rich land (without a tree upon it) is situated in the middle of the grant, overlooked by a beautiful swelling hill, equally clear, of the finest sort of garden mould, and covered with luxuriant grasses. The Goulburn River enters Hunter's River opposite to the bottom of Mr. Ogilvie's grant, the plains on each side being hemmed in by woody ridges of moderate elevation, toward which the back land gradually rises. Contrary to what is generally found in other parts of the country, the ridges upon the upper part of Hunter's River are almost uniformly flattened at the top, forming little miniature hills and valleys covered with fine soil of moderate depth, and bounding in grass, which makes them the great resort of the kangaroos and cattle in the winter season.'
The House at Merton
A description of the first house at Merton written by Ellen Ogilvie (Bundock), daughter of William Ogilvie:'The house which our father had prepared for us at Merton was a small four roomed cottage, whitewashed nicely, as pipe clay was found close by - white and buff. Our mother was greatly pleased and very happy at Joining our father in this little house, which was charming. Small as our home was, there was room to receive constant visitors. Our mother had the knack of making all around her charmingly pretty and picturesque, as well as fresh and clean. At first, we had only earthen floors made by Irishmen, who broke up the earth until it was powdered and then, when whitewashed, it made good firm flooring but was very troublesome to keep clean. Subsequently the floors were laid down in wood and by degrees the house was added to.'
Aboriginal Tribe
In Squatter's Castle, George Farwell describes the relationship between the Ogilvies and the Aboriginal tribe of the district - The area was heavily peopled with Aborigines at that time and the Ogilvies treated them well and encouraged their children to do the same, a habit Edward (Ogilvie) throughout his life. It was here that he learnt the natives' language, a fact that was to save his life on at least two occasions.Peter Cunningham, described an incident in 1826 when Mary Ogilvie confronted the natives :
Acquaintance George Wyndham
The Ogilvies were acquaintances of George Wyndham and his wife Margaret and often visited them at Dalwood in the early 1830's. George Wyndham kept a Diary in the years 1830 - 1840 and there are many mentions of the Ogilvie family. e.g., ...On 12th September 1830 George Wyndham and William Ogilvie embarked on an excursion from Merton to Holdsworthy Downs and then to the Burning Mountain at Wingen. They returned via Segenhoe, St. Heliers and Merton and George Wyndham remarked that he was home at Dalwood by the 18th September 1830.Assigned Convict Servants
The following convicts were assigned to the Merton estate over the years -Albert, Robert
Recovery 1819; bullock driver
Allen, Margaret
Earl of Liverpool 1831; cook
Barker, Joseph
Asia 1832
Bath, John
Prince Regent 1824; shepherd
Bayley, William
Blenheim 1834
Beacher, Richard
Burrell 1830; seaman
Beer, William
Burrell 1830; ploughman
Birtles, James
Dunvegan Castle 1830; cow boy
Bouchell, Patrick
John 1832; tailor
Boulter, Richard
Burrell 1830
Bowden, Samuel
Claudine 1829; cabinet maker
Brian, Patrick
Mangles 1826; weaver
Briant, John
Albion 1827; shoemaker
Brown, Sarah
Sovereign 1829; servant
Browne, Morgan
Speke 1826; groom
Bryce, George
Clyde 1832; cabinet maker
Burke, Penelope
Almorah 1824
Butts, Edmund
Portland 1832
Cannon, Mary Ann
Henry Wellesley 1837
Capps, Robert
Bussorah Merchant 1828; insurance broker; tutor
Carroll, Hugh
Dick 1821
Carroll, Patrick
Asia 1831; ploughman and groom
Cheeseman, Ann
Princess Royal 1829
Clayton, William
England 1826; scourger
Clegg, William
Lady Feversham 1830
Connolly, Michael
Eliza 1827; labourer
Connors, Thomas
Medina 1823; shepherd
Conway, John
Blenheim 1834
Copas, Henry
Speke 1826; labourer
Corcoran, James
Mangles 1826; shepherd
Cottar, John
Lonach 1825; stockman
Cummane, James
Eliza 1827; shepherd
Curtis, John
Morley 1828; shoemaker
Dawkins, John
Asia; overseer
Denney, William
Captain Cook 1833
Donnelly, Michael
Asia 1825 (1); labourer
Donnelly, Patrick
Asia 1825 (1); stockman
Donovan, Patrick
Norfolk 1832; blacksmith
Dout, John
Java 1833; soldier; farm labourer
Dowley, Robert
Waterloo 1833
Duncalf, William
Strathfieldsaye 1836
Eaton, Phillip
Bussorah Merchant 1828; shepherd
Enwright, Daniel
Adam Lodge 1840; emigrant
Fleming, William
Java 1833
Ford, John
Mangles 1833; garden labourer
Fox, John
Regalia 1826; tanner
Freeth, John
Dunvegan Castle 1830; brushmaker; stableman
Gallagher, Thomas
Isabella 1832; plasterer
Glass, John
General Hewitt 1814; sawyer
Gilham, Elizabeth
Burrell 1832; laundress
Gillman, Charles
Claudine 1829; copper plate printer
Green, Michael
Asia 1831; soldier
Hall, Robert
Hebe 1820;
Hand, William
Waterloo 1831; baker and soldier
Hannan, Bernard
Hooghley 1825; reaper; labourer
Harris, John
Medina 1826; came free; labourer
Haynes, James
Marquis of Hastings 1828; labourer
Healey, Maria
Kains 1831; pastry cook
Heywood, Daniel
Dunvegan Castle 1830; ploughman
Hoyle, Patrick
Isabella 1822; fencer
Harrup, Thomas
Strathfieldsaye 1836
Horton, William
Planter 1832
Hulbert, Edward
John 1832
Innman, Thomas
Marquis of Hastings 1828; pigman
James, Mary
Hooghley 1831
Jennings, John
Morley 1828; ploughman
Lewis, John
Asia 1825 (111); bullock driver
Malone, Francis
Andromeda 1830; baker
Masterton, Edward
Borodino 1828; ropemaker
Maw, Robert
Parmelia 1832
McKay, Angus
James Moran 1839; emigrant
McLaughlin, James and Patrick
Adam Lodge 1840; emigrants
McLaughlin, Michael and Mary
Adam Lodge 1840; emigrants
McLeod, Alexandeer
James Moran 1839; emigrant
McMahon, Nicholas
Mangles 1826; ploughman
McNamara, Thomas
Mangles 1826; dairyman
Mitchell, Edward
Waterloo 1831; stone cutter
Moore, Jane
Grenada 1825; milks; makes butter
Moore, Michael
Governor Ready 1829; labourer
Morgan, William
Lord Melville 1830; ploughman
Morris, Robert
Parmelia 1832
Needham, John
Prince Regent 1820; constable
Newman, Robert
Guildford 1824; labourer
Newton, Gumaliel
Andromeda 1833
Oliver, Robert
Minerva 1821; shoemaker
Partridge, Ellen
Brothers 1824; housemaid
Ponting, Joseph
Asia 1820
Poole, James
Georgiana 1831
Quinn, Patrick
Ferguson 1829; cooper
Redhead, Charles
Florentia 1830; shoemaker
Reilly, Peter
Roslin Castle 1833; labourer
Riley, Richard
Jane 1831; spadesman; reaps, sows
Roberts, Robert
Florentia 1828; carpenter
Rose, George
Asia 1832; ploughs, milks
Salmon, William
Lord Melville 1830; music printer
Shanahan, Michael
Governor Ready 1829; shepherd
Sherwood, Robert
Georgiana 1831; ploughs; carter
Simpson, William
Speke 1826; tailor; publican
Smith, George
Jane 1831
Spicer, George
Employed as a fencer
Stack, Robert
Mangles 1826; farmer and soldier
Stapleton, Samuel
Asia 1825 (111); fisherman
Stephenson, John
Florentia 1828; butcher
Taylor, John
America 1829
Thomas, John
Countess of Harcourt 1828; farm servant
Tobin, Martin
Hercules 1830; plaisterer
Tripp, James
Isabella 1832; groom
Turner, Charles
Burrell 1830; carrier
Wadey, Henry
England 1835
Waldon, William
Three Bees 1814; Constable
Walsh, James
Forth 1830 (1); labourer, reaps
Wantling, George
Exmouth 1831; tailor
Waters, George
Morley 1828; house carpenter
Waterworth, Mary
Diana 1833
Wilks, Oliver
Guildford 1824; blacksmith
Woods, John
Florentia 1830; carpet weaver
Wright, Ann
Wanstead 1814; laundress
Death
William Ogilvie died 10 March 1859 at Wooloomooloo and the Merton estate passed into the hands of the White family.Notes and Links
1). Find out more about Merton Homestead at NSW Heritage2). Memoirs of Ellen Bundock
3). A visitor to Merton in 1895 described the cellars. They were almost unchanged from the days of William Ogilvie -
A portion of the original convict-built buildings still remain, though the bulk of them of recent years, has been demolished. It is wonderful, looking at the solid cellars built in those days, now over 60 years ago, to note how true and faithful they are in construction, so good in fact that they are almost as perfect as the day they were finished, putting all the modern work quite in the shade. The Merton cellars, for example, into which Mr. White took me, show nothing more in the way of decay, after sixty years, than one crack in the wall. These cellars were used in Capt. Ogilvy's time for the purpose of storing wine, an extensive vineyard in those days being a feature of the place - Strolling round with Mr. Reginald White many things at Merton arrest one's attention, recalling the days when Captain Ogilvy was in occupation. Among the old land-marks is a sundial which was the only recorder of time to ring the consigned servants up and send them to meals, and bed again, whilst alone the dial hangs the Old Bell that is used even to the present day for the same purpose....- Maitland Weekly Mercury 2 November 1895
