On 13 December 1840, 3 Crittenden brothers and their families left London onboard the Bussorah Merchant arriving in Sydney Australia on 6 April 1841. The Crittendens originated from Hollington, Sussex, England.
They were:
Samuel and his wife Eliza (Knight). This family had no children and appeared to have settled in Sydney.
Thomas, his wife Eliza (Briggs), his children Frances aged 10, Harriett aged 8, Charles aged 7, Robert aged 6 and Edward aged 3. This family went on to have a further 4 children. These children appear to have been born at Parramatta.
Robert, his wife Elizabeth (Ransom), his sons George aged 4 and Robert aged 2.
After arriving in Australia they settled in the Paterson/Bolwarra area where the following children were born: Frances Elizabeth (1842), Eliza Ann (1844), James (1846), John (1848), Elizabeth (1850) and Thomas (1852). Robert died in 1859 and it appears that after his death the majority of the family moved to the Manning.
- George (1837-1920) m Prudence Elizabeth Strummy – 10 children (settled in Singleton area)
- Robert (1839-1913) m Mary Maher – 7 children (settled in Upper Lansdowne area)
- Frances Elizabeth (1842-1928) m John Bowman (1828-1890) (settled in Manning area)
- Eliza Ann (1844-1940) m George Robert Avery (1836-1916) – 11 children (settled in Manning)
- James (1846-1909) m Maryann Moran (1847-1897) – 12 children (settled in Manning)
- John (1848-1930) m Mary Ann Smith (1848-1912) – 9 children (settled in Sydney area)
- Elizabeth (1850-1935) – 2 children to Edward Blore (settled in Manning area)
- Thomas (1852-1890) (settled in Sydney area)
The second son Robert who married Mary Maher on 10 April 1860 in Cundletown took up farming at Taree Estate. They had 7 children:
- Robert (Robbie) (1861-1924) m Johanna Catherine Cleary (1874-1964) – 2 boys
- Mary Ann (1862-1926) m Donald McDonell (1859-1930) – 5 boys, 2 girls
- Elizabeth (1864-1949) m Charles Bryant Justinian Payne (1866-1930) – 2 boys
- George (1866-1953) m Annie Amelia Unger (1871-1929) – 2 boys, 5 girls
- Michael (Mick) (1868-1927) – never married
- James (Jim) (1870-1951) m Catherine Agnes Unger (1873-1944) – 6 boys, 3 girls
- Thomas (Tom) (1872-1964) m Annie Elizabeth Royan (1882-1961) – 6 boys, 5 girls
Robert, his wife Mary and family moved to the Upper Lansdowne in the late 1880s and commenced dairy farming at Central Lansdowne.
Horse races were often held in Crittenden’s paddocks.
Robert Crittenden senior held the contract to build the Upper Lansdowne School of Arts in 1900. He was also a wonderful violin player and would often play at the balls held in aid of the Piano Fund.
Where Crittenden’s bridge stands today was still only a crossing up until 1898 when a £100 grant was approved for the erection of a low-level bridge. Tenders were called in November 1898.
Story below told by Robert Joseph (Bob) Crittenden
Grandson of Robert Crittenden and Mary Maher
When Robert died in 1913 he left his property to his 3 eldest sons Robert (known as Robbie), George and Michael (known as Mick) to be divided in equal shares.
Corn was the main enterprise or crop at this time and the Upper Lansdowne farm had good corn country. Dairying became very strong by 1890 and Crittendens were to the forefront. The early dairymen set the milk in containers, skimmed the cream, made the butter and sent it by ship to Sydney to be sold. In the late 1890s the Australian Dairy Company supplied Crittendens and other farmers with a separator – 6 or 7 dairies brought their milk to be separated, cream sent by boat from Lansdowne to Sydney and milk taken home for pigs and calves.
History of course shows Dairy Co-ops were built locally, each farm had their own separator and the cream sent to the factories and the milk to feed calves and pigs. Meanwhile Crittendens on their 750 acres set up headquarters near Crittenden’s bridge. Robbie’s house was downstream on the river and gully, George was further downstream, Tom over the river on Lemon Tree Hill. Mick at home.
The men were encouraged to have a trade. Robbie was the farmer plus carpentry. George set up the first butchery on the Lansdowne and presumably, all helped on the dairyfarm. They had the first milking machines on the Manning powered by a steam engine. It was claimed that it was a full time job for someone to keep the wood up to the steam engine!!
Before the farm was divided between the 3 eldest brothers, the other 2 boys Tom and Jim had to be set up on a farm.
Tom bought a couple of miles down the road eventually moving to the Hunter about 1924.
Jim bought at Upper Lansdowne where the hall now stands. He borrowed money from Doctor Gormley, a well known Doctor at the time. When Jim repaid the money, Dr Gormley is supposed to have said “That’s the fastest any one has repaid me money”. In 1921 Jim purchased Fotheringham’s Hotel in Taree.
Apparently Jim was a good dairyman and could milk a cow anywhere – a rule came in that cows had to be milked on concrete and neighbours said “Jim would find that very hard”. He was also very industrious and worked very hard to help set up the Co-op factory at Purfleet in 1905/06, set up the store at Upper Lansdowne, a sawmill and bought bobby calves locally.
Jim left the farm and went into Fotheringham’s pub in Taree and then onto Maitland – into pubs.
Robbie had 1st pick when the farm was split and chose the block with the best corn soil. He was a good farmer i.e. cropman, but was also highly respected as a man. Robbie was on the building committee for the Upper Lansdowne School of Arts along with his brother Mick. He was also a trustee of the School of Arts. Robbie died aged 63 in 1924 and Aunt Kate leased the farm for many years to Clarrie Drury. His son Greg, his wife Kath and son Robert came home in 1953 and took over the farm and ran a dairy. Greg and Kath had 3 children: Robert born 1952, Annette born 1955 and Peter born 1956. Greg’s son Robert and wife Gloria purchased the farm from Greg and Kath in about 1980. They continued on dairying for about 6 years and then ran a Murray Grey Stud until 2001. The 130 acres on the corner of Upper Lansdowne Road and Central Lansdowne Road was purchased by Les Page about 1988. The 106 acres near Crittenden’s bridge was first sold to Norman and Glenda Crittenden in 2001 and then to Adrian Drury.
George had 2nd pick which has only recently been sold. As “grass” became the main crop, this farm would be the pick of the 3. Besides a dairy, there was the butcher’s shop with slaughter house, pig stys etc. Until recently there were still cement troughs (for pigs) on the hill opposite where Gloria Crittenden lives today.
George was a successful cattle dealer and ended up buying cattle country on the Upper Manning (Bakers Creek), getting to know the country on buying trips for the butcher shop. Again he was told he would go broke.
No doubt the railway coming in 1913 helped with cattle movement. George supplied Lansdowne village and would often have dinner or lunch with an Aunty married to a Salter. The Baker Creek country is still family owned.
George lived in a modest shack refusing to build anything better “for some fool to burn down”. He also didn’t have a gate into the garden “for some fool to leave open and let the rabbits in”.
In 1925 George built a bungalow style house containing four rooms and kitchen at what is now known as 8 Flett Street, Taree. This house still exists today.
George’s son Leo (my father) took over the dairy farm at Central Lansdowne during the depression in the 1930s. Eventually George retired to Bakers Creek where he remained until about 1950. He then moved to Taree and lived with his daughter Molly in Flett Street until he died.
Leo inherited the Bakers Creek property in lieu of work he had done for his father over the years. When I turned 21 my father Leo transferred one paddock at Bakers Creek over to me because of probate. Then in about 1960 when Brian turned 21, the Bakers Creek paddock was transferred back from me to Brian and I inherited the Central Lansdowne property which I continued to run as a dairy farm. I eventually retired to Bakers Creek with my wife Margaret and my sons ran the Central Lansdowne farm for many years until Norman and his wife Glenda purchased the farm from me. They ran it as a dairy farm for many years until they retired to Taree and leased the farm to Adrian and Stella Drury.
Michael (Mick), because he was the gentleman and apparently did little work had 3rd pick, a good farm but not developed or improved as much as the others. He spent the last years of his life with his sister Mary Ann McDonell at Kolodong. He left the farm to nephews JJ and Allan McDonell. JJ and Allan McDonell had the farm leased and were living in the old house. JJ said “It will be alright when we get into the new house, there’s Allan sleeping with his feet on the wall so they don’t fall on him”. JJ McDonell built the house which still stands today just before you cross Nellies Bridge. JJ McDonell bought his brother Allan’s share, married Johanna Treacy in 1917 and had 10 children. Eventually this farm was sold to the Barlin family. This farm has since been divided and one part is currently owned by Les Page and the other by Rita and John Daher.
The 1922 Dawson Parish Map shows the land which Thomas Crittenden owned near Yarratt Road. George Crittenden also owned land adjacent to Tom.
James (Jim) Crittenden purchased land from James Clinch in about 1908 which is where the Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall stands and also across the road near the Upper Lansdowne School.
Jim donated a small section of this land to the community to allow the Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall to be built in 1925. He also continued leasing land to the Upper Lansdowne School after his purchase. The school eventually purchased this land (approx. 4 acres combined) from Jim Crittenden in about 1912/1913.
Robert and Mary are buried in the Lansdowne Cemetery along with many descendants.