On 27 November 1838, Jonas Unicomb and his children arrived in Australia from Ewhurst Sussex in England on board the “Lady Nugent”. His children were George and wife Ann Gutsell, Ann, Caroline and Abraham. His wife Mary Allen had died in 1835.
George and Ann worked firstly for Dr Bowman on his Ravensworth property. Upon the arrival of their first child in 1843 they were living at East Maitland, his occupation was listed as farmer and butcher.
By 1847 they had settled at Bolwarra near Maitland. George purchased 35 acres of land on Jones Island for £367 10 shillings. George and Ann’s son William Henry born 1862 on Jones Island at “Univale” married Emma Ann Tisdell in 1883. They lived 9 years at Woola Woola, 24 years on Jones Island and 17 years at Upper Lansdowne before moving to Newrybar on the north coast. William was a successful farmer and builder.
On William’s farm at Upper Lansdowne all the family did their share of milking. The main source of income from the farm was the sale of cream to the butter factories and the sale of pigs and calves. The cream was hauled by horse and cart to the Lansdowne wharf and from there loaded onto the cream boat and taken to the factory. William and Emma also ran the Post Office at Upper Lansdowne from 9 April 1910 after the resignation of S J Unger. The post office was located on their property. The mail was delivered by horse and sulky. The mailman would start from Coopernook, stop at Lansdowne Post Office, then proceed to Central Lansdowne and Upper Lansdowne.
William’s handiwork as a carpenter could be seen in the local Methodist Church and its rostrum, the Salvation Army Hall and many private homes he had built or helped to build in the district. Some of the homes he built were for Mr James Clinch and Mr George Crittenden.
William was also instrumental in helping to form the Upper Lansdowne Progress Association in 1916.
William and Emma’s children were:
- Sophia Ellen born 1884 died 1972 married George Archibald Minett
- William George born 1885 died 1970 married Gertrude Sheather
- Caroline Emma Margaret born 1886 died 1916 married Christopher Harold Minett
- Jonas born 1888 died 1969 married Florence Eveline Bignell
- Ethleen born 1890 died 1983 married Benjamin Miller
- Caleb Henry born 1892 died 1962 married Florence Matilda Curtis
- Delilah born 1894 died 1980 married George Miller
- Abram born 1896 died 1988 married Martha Ford
- Annie Maria born 1898 died 1997 married Hector Atkins
- Morris Britain born 1900 died 1988 married Beatrice Warburton
- Senai May born 1901 died 1994 married Edward Clarke and then Cecil Kiehne
- Edith Bertha born 1905 died 2001 married Robert Rankin
- Oliver Claude born 1906 died 1992 married Lillian Goudie
- Evelyn Priscilla born 1909 died 1986 married Ernest Albert Oliver
William died on 22 June 1946 and a memorial service was held at the Koppin Yarratt Salvation Army Barracks on 30 June 1946. His wife Emma died in 1930.
Compiled by Gloria Crittenden – February 2025