Profile - RALSTON Agnes 05RAA3

Agnes was also known as Nancy, and like other Scottish women retained her family name after marriage. She used her maiden surname in 1825 when witnessing the marriage of her cousin Margaret Ralston (daughter of Robert Ralston) to Adam Beveridge. Nancy’s date of birth is uncertain. She may be the child (un-named) born and baptised 12 May 1801 Greenwood, Dreghorn, Ayrshire. The inscription on the grave (Seaham cemetery, Porphyry, NSW) indicates she died 20 September 1857, aged 54 – which suggests a birth around 1803. If so, the record hasn’t been found. She was buried 25 September 1857 Seaham, Durham, Hunter region, NSW.

She married 22 September 1822 Maybole, Ayrshire, to James McClement (McClymont). James was born 15 February 1798 Kirkmichael, Ayrshire. James and Nancy arrived in Van Diemens Land per Andromeda 1823. James is said to have died at the Shipp Inn, Newcastle, NSW, and been buried 5 December 1829 Christchurch, Newcastle, NSW.

Nancy had four children by James McClymont: John Piper born circa 1823, died 26 July 1828; Galvin Ralston born circa October 1825, died aged 1 year in NSW, buried 12 October 1826 Newcastle, NSW (NSW RGR); Sarah Ralston born circa 1827, died 23 August 1860, aged 33, married 22 June 1857 her cousin Gavin Ralston*; and William Henry Ralston born 30 May 1828 Newcastle, NSW, baptised 15 November 1828, by first wife (said to be Anne but might be confused with next) he had issue, and by Annie Butler numerous children in NSW. Sarah’s husband Gavin Ralston* was son of Sarah’s mother’s half-brother David Ralston and Janet Ralston; however, some have claimed Gavin was the son of Sarah’s mother’s brother Gavin Ralston and Emily Vardon. That is not possible as the latter couple’s son Gavin died in 1851.

Nancy married secondly 1833 (NSW no 2681 vol 74) Henry Carmichael, from Porphyry, NSW who died at sea [said to be in a shipwreck, Sydney to London] on 28^th June 1862, aged 66. Jennifer Bell (correspondence 1986) said the Reverend Henry Carmichael was known for his attempts at education reform in the NSW education system. She feels Henry is not buried with Nancy, as he died at sea, and it is just his memorial on the grave. Nancy had five children by Henry Carmichael: Henrietta Ralston born 10 September 1834, died 3 August 1894 aged 60; Gavin Thompson born 5 October 1836, died 20 February 1910, he had children; James born and died in 1837; Jeremy Bentham born 29 May 1839, died 1878; George Graham born 22 November 1840, died 6 December 1915 aged 75.

Buried with Nancy Ralston Carmichael are said to be three people: Gavin Dickson Carmichael born 1882, died 1917 (Gavin Thompson Carmichael had a son named Gavin Dixon Ralston who was killed in action in WW1 6 November 1917); Henry David Carmichael born 1880, died 1888; and Ida died 1896. However, with respect to the first mentioned who died 1917, if he was killed in action a question arises as to whether it is his memorial here, rather than body.

Further information is available – add later.

William Henry Ralston McClymont was born in 1828, there are conflicting stories of where he was born, and a birth certificate cannot be found for him in New South Wales. There have been stories of him being born on board a ship on the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania. He was baptised in the Presbyterian Church in Sydney by Rev. John Dunmore Lang.

William’s parents were James McClymont and Agnes ‘Nancy’ Ralston, both originally from Ayrshire in Scotland. They had arrived in Australia aboard the ship Andromeda in 1823. William was the younger brother to John Piper McClymont (1823-1851) and Sarah Ralston McClymont (1827-1860). James and Nancy settled in Newcastle, New South Wales farming the land on their property named ‘Bowthorn’. They also established the first hotel in Newcastle called the ‘Ship Inn’. The family is registered in the 1828 New South Wales census, with James employed as a publican and William being 2 months old. James died an untimely death on the 2^nd of September 1829 at the age of 31. He is buried at the Old Christchurch Cemetery in Newcastle. I believe John Piper and Sarah were then sent to stay with relatives in Tasmania; there is a John and Sarah McClymont arriving in Hobart aboard the ‘Lucy Davidson’ on the 14^th of January 1830, 3 months after their father’s death. There is no record of Nancy or William on board, Nancy is believed to have stayed in Newcastle to organise the sale of the ‘Ship Inn’. Nancy and her 3 children then travelled back to Scotland, but were back in Hobart from Leith aboard the ship ‘Drummore’ in October 1833. They left Hobart on the 28^th of October 1833 aboard the ‘Ann’ for Sydney.

In November 1833, Nancy married Rev. Henry Carmichael in Sydney at Henry’s brother’s house. Henry was a pioneer in education in New South Wales, working with John Dunmore Lang to establish the Australian College in Sydney, and after a falling out with the later, he opened his own school in Sydney ‘The Normal Institute’, and later a school named ‘Lyceum’ in Seaham near Newcastle. Nancy and Henry raised their children Henrietta (1834-1894), Gavin Thompson (1836-1910), James (1837-1837), Jeremy Bentham (1839-1878) and George Graham (1840-1915) at their property ‘Porphyry Point’ on the Williams River at Seaham. Henry also worked as a government surveyor in the Hunter district which allowed him to establish himself on prime land in the Manning district further north of Newcastle in the 1850’s. This is where William would select two blocks of land in 1857 and settle in the district. Nancy died on the 20^th of September 1857 at their property ‘Porphyry’ from a second attack of Apoplexy. She is buried at the Seaham cemetery.

So William settled at Clarkson’s Crossing, now known as Nabiac, on his property ‘Bundacree’ and began working on his land. He was also known around the district as a ‘healer’. It is said William had a good relationship with the local aboriginals, working his land with their help. In 1862 William had a daughter, Sarah Jane, said to be with an aboriginal woman called Sarah Carter who had died. Annie Butler (1843-1922), a young aboriginal woman, the daughter of John and Matilda Butler, was then taken into William’s home to care for his young daughter. William and Annie formed a relationship, no record of a marriage has been found to date but there is a picture of Annie wearing a wedding ring in a family photo. They had the following children:

By the 1880’s William is said to have owned more than 1000 acres in the district, the average landholding in the area was less than 100 acres. Between William and the Carmichael’s they owned land in the Hunter, Wallamba, Manning and Sydney districts. The children attended school at Nabiac, the Cape Hawke School, during the 1880’s. Education would have been very important to William with his family’s history, his father had been a tutor to the Ralston family before his marriage to Nancy, and from letters I have seen that William wrote to government agencies he was a well educated man.

William died on the 18^th of May 1886 in Taree, New South Wales, aged 68 years. Cause of death was inflammation of the liver and lungs lasting 18 days. He was buried at Willow Point Cemetery in an unmarked grave. Family members tried unsuccessfully to locate this cemetery at Nabiac in October 2008. The Great Lakes Council has been contacted and hopefully next time it can be located and in the future a headstone erected.

Annie McClymont (Butler) was left in the same position Nancy had been in all those years before, a widow with young children to raise on her own. But it was different for Annie, she was aboriginal, Nancy has been from a well off family with connections in the right places, and married a second time to a man wealthy in his own right. It is said in a paper written by historian Vicki Grieves that Annie was forced to live on an aboriginal reserve for the first time after her husband’s death, so this is where the younger children would have been raised if true. I have found no record of this, but records of this type are few and far between. The older children had by now begun to marry.

Sarah Jane McClymont, known as Auntie Ginnie, married Walter Hill on the 13^th of December 1887 in Taree. Children of this marriage are-

Walter Hill left Sarah for the goldfields in Western Australia and never came back. Sarah later sued him for desertion. Sarah later formed a relationship with Joseph Dates, I have found no recorded marriage for them. They had one child-

Sarah died on the 18^th of March 1946 at Coolongolook NSW. She is buried at the Coolongolook Cemetery.

Agnes Jessie McClymont married James Fenning on the 4^th of January 1888 in Taree, NSW. Agnes was already pregnant at the time of her marriage. Children of this marriage are-

Agnes died on 28^th of December 1923 in Nabiac NSW. She is buried at Failford Cemetery NSW.

Alice Anne Ralston McClymont had a child in 1888 to an unknown person the child was registered under the name McClymont-

Alice married Thomas William Magnus Riley on the 28^th of April 1890 at Taree, NSW. Children of this marriage are-

5. Arthur Clarence Riley- born 1900, Stroud NSW. Arthur married Margaret Ann Wilkes at Taree in 1926. He died on the 31^st of August 1986 at Taree NSW. He is buried at Redbank Cemetery NSW.

7. Thomas Henry Riley- born 1905, Stroud NSW. Married Jean Livingstone Newell in 1938, Taree NSW. He died in 1967, Newtown NSW.

8. Harriet I Riley- born 1907, Stroud NSW. She married Clarence S Towers in 1925, Taree NSW.

9. Oswald Ernest Riley- born 1909, Stroud NSW. Married Grace Ellen Wilkes in 1939. The marriage is registered in Taree and also in Bowral NSW. Oswald died on the 24^th of March 1987, and is buried at Redbank Cemetery NSW.

Alice Ann died on the 22^nd of July 1938, Taree NSW. She is buried at Redbank Cemetery NSW.

John Alexander McClymont never married. It is believed he fathered a child with Hannah Warrie, she had a son named Richard McClemont. John spent time in prison, and this record provided the knowledge that in 1905 he was a labourer and his native place was Wallamba NSW. He could read and write, was 5ft 91/2 inches tall, weighed 152 pounds when arrested, had brown hair and blue eyes. John died on the 12^th of November 1953 at Koorainghat NSW, at the age of 83. His death certificate states he died from coronary occlusion, coronary sclerosis, hypertension and bronchitis. He was buried on the 14^th of November 1953 at Redbank Church of England Cemetery NSW.

Mary Wilhelmina McClymont married Henry French on the 1^st of May 1894, at the Wesleyan parsonage, Taree NSW. Children of their marriage are-

2. Stanley William French- born 23^rd of May 1896, Stroud NSW. Known as Plugger. No record found of Stanley marrying or having children. He died 19^th of August 1970 at Coolongolook, NSW.

3. Alice May French- born 1^st of December 1897, Stroud NSW. Baptised 9^th of April 1899.

5. George Raymond French- born 16^th of September 1901, Stroud NSW. Known as Pat.

Mary died on the 9^th of January 1944, at 5 Buchanan Street, Hamilton NSW. She was cremated on the 10^th of January 1944 at Beresfield Cemetery, NSW. Cause of death was coronary occlusion and arteriosclerosis.

William Henry James McClymont died on the 26^th of March 1935 at Coolongolook NSW. He is buried at the Coolongolook Cemetery NSW. William never married.

Bernice Matilda McClymont married Daniel Underwood Greenaway in 1900 at Taree NSW. Children of this marriage are-

1. Stanley William Greenaway- born 1900, Stroud NSW. He married Elva G Blanche in 1930 at Gloucester NSW.

3. Gladys Elizabeth Greenaway- born 1904, Stroud NSW. Married Ross Lee Engel 1943, MacLean NSW. (Note: I received an email from Patricia Greenaway informing me that Gladys Effie Greenaway married Archibald Johnson 1945, Wickham - Phil)

5. Aleathea Bertha Greenaway- born 1909, Stroud NSW. Married John Buman 1936, Mayfield NSW.

6. Daniel George Greenaway- born 1911, Stroud NSW. Married Beryl Margaret Wilkinson 1938, Gloucester NSW. Died 1957, Hamilton NSW.

7. Reta Ethel Greenaway- born 1912, Stroud NSW. John Arthur Albert Adams in 1937, Hamilton NSW.

9. Ronald Lance Greenaway- born 7^th of February 1916, Tuncurry NSW. Died August 2007, Taree NSW.

10. Oswald Glen Greenaway- born 24^th of June 1918, Langley Vale NSW. Married Nina Barbara Smith in 1938, New Lambton NSW. Died 21^st of July 1945 in New Britain while overseas in WWII. Cause of death- Illness.

Alethia Catherine McClymont married Walter Edmund Greenaway, brother to her sister Bernice’s husband Daniel. They married at Taree NSW in 1900. Children of their marriage were-

1. William Henry Greenaway- born 9^th of August 1900, Nabiac NSW. He married Florence Beatrice Woollard in 1925 at Taree NSW. William died 6^th of December 1988, and is buried at Redbank Cemetery NSW

3. Eileen Mary Greenaway- born 1903, Taree NSW. She married William J O’Neill in 1929 at Woolahra NSW. Died 1954, Sydney NSW.

4. Walter Clarence Greenaway- born 1905. Married Lucy Lorne Schubert in 1932 at Taree NSW. Died 1964, Taree NSW.

5. Percival Lyle Greenaway- born 12^th of February 1907. Married Elizabeth Margaret Ratcliffe in 1950 at Taree NSW.

6. Herbert John Greenaway- born 4^th of February 1909, Taree NSW. Married Frances Jean Ratcliffe 1953, Taree NSW. Died 1971, Sydney NSW.

7. Ivy Anne Greenaway- born 1911, Taree NSW. Married Arthur Mansell Schofield 1932, Taree NSW. Died 4^th of May 1990, late of Chifley NSW.

8. Doris Althea Greenaway- born 1913, Taree NSW. Married James Edward Styles in1933, Taree NSW. Died 15^th of March 1979, late of East Hills Sydney NSW.

9. Clarice May Greenaway- born 29^th of May 1915, Taree NSW. Married Kenneth James Snodgrass, 1947 Grafton NSW. Died 1972 Burwood NSW.

13. George Clyde Greenaway- born 10^th of July 1924, Taree NSW. Died 28^th of November 1998, late of Waterloo NSW.

14. Clarence Alwyn Greenaway- born 16^th of November 1926, Taree NSW. Married Dorothy Margaret Edmunds in 1951, Redfern NSW. Died 18^th of December 2005, Victoria, Australia.

Alethia died on New Years Day 1944 at Koorainghat NSW. She is buried at Redbank Cemetery NSW, with her husband Walter.

*Bertha Lucy McClymont* married Isaac Morgan French the son of her sister Mary’s husband Henry from his first marriage to Fanny Tinonee Poole who died in childbirth. Bertha and Mary’s children were cousins, but Bertha’s children were also nieces and nephews to Mary’s! Bertha and Isaac married on the 1^st of February 1905 at Saint Paul’s Church of England, Nabiac NSW. Children of their marriage were-

7. Maurice William French- born 24^th of November 1915, Stroud NSW. Died 29^th of August 1920, Coolongolook NSW. Cause of death- Diptheria. Buried at Coolongolook Cemetery NSW.

13. Alison French- born August 1926. Died August 1926. Cause of death- stillborn. Buried at Coolongolook Cemetery NSW. When her sister Dulcie died in 1995, she was buried with her.

Bertha died on the 9^th of December 1970 at the Abiron Rest Home, Mayfield NSW. Cause of death acute pulmonary oedema, congestive cardiac failure, chronic bronchitis. She was buried on the 11^th of December 1970 at Coolongolook Cemetery NSW.

William Henry Ralston McClymont and Annie Butler’s children still have descendants all along the midnorth coast of New South Wales. Six of the seven daughters married non aboriginal men, who were pioneers in farming in the district. Their children were well educated, and mostly respected in the community. They owned large portions of land, but over the years, this has all been sold off. The daughters had domestic help in their homes, even in the 1920’s, so I suppose this says something of the way that they lived. But aboriginality in those years was still something that wasn’t widely accepted.

Annie McClymont (Butler) died on the 30^th of September 1922 at the Manning River District Hospital. She had been admitted to the hospital in July, and remained there until her death. On the hospital admission forms she is listed as Annie McLemont, status married, residence Forster NSW, admitted for carcinoma of the face, remarks Aboriginal. On her death certificate, sadly it is a different story. It states that she was named Anne Butler, not married and no children. I know in hospitals at this time Aboriginals were kept in separate wards. I have heard stories of mixed race women being moved during labour to another ward, as the nurses had believed them to be white on arrival. I do not know if this is this the reason for the discrepancies on Annie’s death certificate, but I assume it is a strong possibility. Annie was at Redbank Cemetery NSW, on the 2^nd of October 1922. Her grave is unmarked. She had lived without her husband for 26 years.