Norton Smith & Co. papers of John Oxley and the Oxley family, 1810-1871

A 5322

fonds

1810-1871

422056

Microfilm : Items 1-47).
Microfilm : Items 48-56).

2 boxes of textual material

John Oxley (1783-1828), naval officer, surveyer and explorer, was born at Kirkham Abbey, Yorkshire, England, son of John and Isabella Oxley. He arrived at Australia in 1802 and engaged in coastal survey work before returning to England in 1807. He returned to Australia in 1808 having obtained an order from the Colonial Office for 600 acres of land on the Nepean River. Lieutenant-Governor Paterson granted him 1000 acres which he had to forfeit in 1810. Governor Macquarie granted him 600 acres near Camden which he named 'Kirkham'. By 1815 Oxley had increased the land to 1000 acres. Oxley was appointed Surveyor-General in 1812. In 1821 John Oxley married Eliza Norton (1798-1885) by whom he had two sons, John Norton Oxley (1824-1891) and Henry Molesworth Oxley (1826-1867). After their father's death John Norton Oxley and Henry Molesworth Oxley received jointly a grant of 5000 acres of land in recognition of their father's services. The grant, Wingecarribee, was located near Bowral. [ref: ADB 2]
John Norton Oxley and his brother Henry Molesworth Oxley were both born at 'Kirkham, Camden, NSW. They were both educated at The King's School, Parramatta. John Norton Oxley was elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of West division of Camden (1856-1857) in the first parliament after responsible government. Henry Molesworth Oxley was elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Camden (1859-1860).

[A 5322/1, Items 1-47: CY Reel 3658]: The collection includes documents re land including estate deeds, grants, a lease to William Newman, 1866, and documents re James H. Rose's grant, 1840+; personal papers including will of Margaret Molesworth, 1799, and papers of John and Emma Oxley. The collection includes the probate of the will of John Oxley, 1830 (A 5322/1, Item 29 and CY Reel 3658, frames 92-94) and of William Taylor, 1854. There is also the correspondence of John Oxley, 1822-1827, and Emma Oxley, 1829-1849. [A 5322/2, Items 48-56: CY Reel 3659]: Instructions, memoranda and commissions of John Oxley, 1805-1820. Correspondence and legal documents are also connected with Sir John Jamison, Thos. Macvitie, John Tooth, David Allan, John Macarthur, John T. Bigge, Rev. Samuel Marsden, Jeffrey H. Bent, Garnham Blaxcell, Aaron Arrowsmith, Frederick Drennan and Alexander Lockaye.

Information upgraded from Manuscripts Leaf Catalogue No. 1 (5-234B) as part of the eRecords Project, 2011-2012

A 2pp. contents list is filed at the beginning of box A 5322/1.
This collection forms part of Norton Smith & Co. Papers. Clients' Documents. When in Norton Smith's possession this collection was kept in Tin 8.
The collection was copied onto preservation microfilm in April 1997.

This collection was listed in 2005 as part of the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in NSW 1856-2006 Project.

The Governor: Lachlan Macquarie, 1810 to 1821 - State Library of New South Wales (5 July - 10 October, 2010). Applies to: Vol. 48, pp. 47-49