Whilst looking for something else I came across the introduction for an assignment I did for Uni a few years ago. We had to look at the history of a piece of land from it's beginnings until the 20th century. I chose the piece of land known as "Half Moon Farm" which is situated on the Hawkesbury River. This was land owned by the Pendergast family (my ancestor as well as some others on the list) I thought listers may be interested in a bit of the introduction........There is also a small private cemetery situated on this site. For more information you can see www.hawkesbury.net.au/cemetery/half_moon_farm/index.html Cheers Michelle Nichols European Settlement Governor Arthur Phillip discovered & named the Hawkesbury River and planned a settlement for the area. However, it was actually established by Lt.-Gov. Major Francis Grose, after Phillip returned to England in 1792. The exact date of settlement is not known but David Collins in his “An Account of the English Colony in NSW” reported in January 1794 that the settlers had picked out their plots. The rich fertile plains quickly produced crops and it was the major contribution of the Hawkesbury that allowed the colony to stabilise. By 1795 the settlement had stretched along both sides of the riverbanks and the population grew quickly. A number of skirmishes between the settlers and the aboriginal tribes in the district were reported, with deaths occurring on both sides. After a numerous confrontations between the local Dharug aboriginal tribe and the settlers, a detachment of the NSW Corp was sent to mediate. In 1802 Governor King interviewed several natives from the Hawkesbury, and they explained “that they did not like to be driven from the few places that were left on the banks of the river, where they alone could procure food”. King promised not to establish any more settlers lower down the Hawkesbury River, in return the aborigines promised to be amicable. (1) However there were still problems a few years later. On the 24th August 1804, Private Thynne Adlum(sic) was discharged from the New South Wales Corps. He had enlisted in Britain and arrived in the colony in 1792. On the 11th August 1804 Adlam was granted 80 acres on the Upper Half Moon Reach of the Hawkesbury River. Forty other grants were recorded in the Register for the Hawkesbury District on the same day. The grant stated that : “Feen Adlam - 80 acres in the District of Mulgrave Place, bounded on the west, east and south by the river and on the north by a line west 20 degrees, south 36 chains - Quit Rent two shillings after 5 years”. The grant was signed by Governor Phillip Gidley King and witnessed by John Palmer and David D. Mann. (1A) On the 12th April 1805 a series of barbarities were practised...by banditti. Three settlers, including Feen Adlam were murdered by aborigines led by the notorious "Branch Jack". The farm house was burnt and Adlam and his servant came to an unfortunate end. It was reported “...they had shared a merciless fate, a part of their Relicks being found among the ashes, and the remainder scattered piecemeal...from which circumstance it is probably conjectured, that after the ill-fated people had been inhumanely murdered, their limbs were severed and wantonly scattered”. (2) Sergeant William Day administered Adlam's estate and he sold two of Adlam's properties in November 1805. Buncker's Farm of 25 acres was sold to Reverend Samuel Marsden for £55, and Adlam's Farm of 80 acres was sold to James McGlade, the amount on the original document is illegible. (3) James McGlade was reported in the newspaper in 1806 as being convicted of stealing promissory notes valued at £14 and was sentenced to death. Fortunately he was reprieved but absconded from custody five months later.(4) Sometime between McGlade's purchase in November 1805 and 1808, Adlam’s Farm was acquired by John Pendergast. John Pendergast was a convict who arrived on the “Minerva” in 1800. He was convicted in Dublin in 1798 and was sentenced for a term of seven years for his misdemeanour.(5) According to the 1802 Muster, Pendergast was renting 30 acres in the District of Mulgrave Place with James Clark, a fellow convict from the Minerva and was achieving reasonable results. (6) By 1806 he is listed with a purchase of 115 acres, employing two indented prisoners and Jane Williams as his housekeeper. (7) Jane was also a convict arriving on the “Nile” in 1801. She was convicted in Bristol for stealing women’s clothing. There is no record of John and Jane marrying but they lived together as man and wife. The Pendergast's had at least four children all born in the Hawkesbury district, James born 1803, Thomas born 1805, Sarah born 1806, William born 1808 and Bridget born 1810. (In earlier research it was assumed that Charlotte who was listed on the 1828 Census was Bridget’s sister, possibly twin. However recent research shows that this was more likely Charlotte Hancey, Bridget’s sister in law) John's eldest son, also called John, was born in 1800, prior to Jane’s arrival. There is speculation about his mother but at this stage, it is not known. (8) In 1806 Hawkesbury River flooded three times and losses were extremely high. The whole district was plunged into debt and Pendergast, like many of the small settlers experienced financial difficulties. The Provost Marshall was instructed to sell by Public Auction in 1808 “...Two Farms, situate contiguous to Cornwallis known by the name of Pender's ; containing 60 acres more or less, with about 40 acres of growing wheat thereupon...Likewise a farm situate down the Hawkesbury River, formerly Adlam's Farm, The whole the property of John Pender”. (9) He obviously came good with the money, as neither of the properties were sold at this time. 1. HRNSW, Vol. 5, p. 513 1A. Land Grant Register, Book 3 p. 158. Land Titles Office, Sydney NSW 2. The Sydney Gazette, 21st April 1805. p. 2b 3. Old Register No. 1 /Vol. 1 no. 653 - 654. Land Titles Office, Sydney NSW 4. The Sydney Gazette, 14 September 1806, p.4; 28 September 1806 p. 2; 12 October 1806 p. 1 & 15 March 1807 p.1. 5. Principal Superintendent of Convicts : Bound Indents 1799-1801, SR Fiche 625 pp. 355, 363 & 367 6. Musters & lists NSW & Norfolk Island 1800-1802/Baxter (1988) p. 84 7. Musters of NSW & NI 1805 - 1806/Baxter (1989) pp. 57, 71, 83. 8. The Pendergast Family /M. Nichols (1984) Unpublished thesis for Dip. F.S., Sydney : Society of Australian Genealogists) pp. 1-3. Personal research (author) 9. Hawkesbury 1794 - 1994/Barkley & Nichols (1994) p.24 & The Sydney Gazette, 23 October 1808 p. 1

Michelle In the clip below from your summary of Half Moon Farm, you refer to recent research suggesting that the Charlotte Pendergast listed in the 1828 Census was actually Charlotte Hancey... Could I ask what research this is/was? However, I must admit the idea that she was really Charlotte Hancey makes a lot of sense, and would resolve questions such as why we've never found any other trace of a Charlotte Pendergast. Cheers Mary ___________________________________ DJ & MT Boddy 2 Lansbury Close ADAMSTOWN HEIGTS NSW 2289 Ph: 61 (0)2 4943 8788 0417 238 20 www.theboddys.com -----Original Message----- From: Michelle Nichols [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, 19 February 2006 5:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Half Moon Farm & two early owners - Adlam & Pendergast Whilst looking for something else I came across the introduction for an assignment I did for Uni a few years ago. We had to look at the history of a piece of land from it's beginnings until the 20th century. I chose the piece of land known as "Half Moon Farm" which is situated on the Hawkesbury River. This was land owned by the Pendergast family (my ancestor as well as some others on the list) I thought listers may be interested in a bit of the introduction........There is also a small private cemetery situated on this site. For more information you can see www.hawkesbury.net.au/cemetery/half_moon_farm/index.html Cheers Michelle Nichols ...<snip> (In earlier research it was assumed that Charlotte who was listed on the 1828 Census was Bridget's sister, possibly twin. However recent research shows that this was more likely Charlotte Hancey, Bridget's sister in law) >......snip