John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley (1784 - 1828)

Born 6 Jul 1784 in Kirkham Abbey near Westow, Yorkshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Emma (Norton) Oxley — married 31 Oct 1821 in Sydney, Colony of New South Wales

Descendants

Died 26 May 1828 at age 43 in Kirkham, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

John Oxley is Notable.

John Oxley was an Australian explorer.

Letter to the Editor of the SMH from H. M. Oxley re John Oxley family, 1937
JOHN OXLEY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Sir,-Statements have appeared in Queensland and New South Wales papers by people claiming descent from Lieutenant John Oxley, Surveyor-General, through a first marriage to a Miss Thorpe In England, by which they state he had two daughters, one of whom married Alexander Waugh. This ls entirely incorrect. Oxley was married once only. That was to Emma Norton on October 31, 1821, and he had only two children-John Norton and Henry Molesworth. The registration of that marriage held in the office of the Registrar-General, Sydney, describes him as a bachelor. No record of an earlier marriage is held by any member of his family. In the library of the late Miss Elizabeth Betts was a copy of "Burke's English Gentry," in which tho only marriage recorded of John Oxley is that to Emma Norton.
I am, etc.,
H. M, OXLEY
(Grandson of John Oxley). Wingecarribee, Bowral, Oct. 7.

• List of Oxley descendants, Northern Star, Saturday 19 July 1924

• Australian Dictionary of Biography. Online edition. [database - on-line]. Canberra: Australian National University, 2006

Text: John and Charlotte didn't marry but had 2 daughters in 1813 and 1815

• 1799 joined the as midshipman in the Venerable.^[1]
• 1801 November transferred to the Buffalo as master's mate and sailed to Australia.^[1]
• 1802 October arrived in Australia, where he was engaged in surveying the coast.^[1]
• 1804-05 part of an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05.^[1]
• 1805 appointed acting lieutenant in charge of the Buffalo.^[1]
• 1806 commander of the Estramina on a trip to Van Diemen's Land.^[1]
• 1807 returned to England. 25 November commissioned as lieutenant.^[1]
• 1808 returned to Sysdney, as agent for the Transport Board in the convict ship Speke. Aboard the Speke he shipped goods worth £800 as an investment. ^[1]
• 1808-1810 He had also obtained an order from the Colonial Office for a grant of 600 acres (243 ha) near the Nepean River. He was awarded 1000 acres, which he had to surrender in 1810, but was again granted 600 acres near Camden.^[1]
• 1808 November first lieutenant on H.M.S. Porpoise.^[1]
• 1815 his granted land was increased to 1000 acres. He named this place Kirkham.^[1]
• 1809 sailed on the Porpoise with deposed Governor William Bligh.^[1]
• 1810 wrote a report on the settlements in Van Diemen's Land, then sailed for England in the Porpoise in May. In London, he applied for the post of Naval Officer in Sydney, and twice sought appointment as surveyor-general. ^[1]
• 1811 retired from the navy.^[1]
• 1812 he became engaged to Elizabeth Macarthur, but the engagement was broken when her father discovered the extent of Oxley's debts.^[1]
• 1812 Oxley's second application for the surveyor-generalship had been successful.^[1]
• 1812 May sailed for Sydney in the Minstrel to take up his new duties. The next years were filled with exploring and surveying.^[1]
• 1815 George Evans, assistant to Oxley, discovered the Lachlan River and reported good country south-west of Bathurst. ^[1]
• 1817 March Oxley lead an expedition to exploring the region of the Lachlan. The group followed the Lachlan for two months trying to determine it’s course, but were stopped by impassable marshes. At that point they went northward to the Macquarie River, tracing it back to Bathurst. Oxley was highly praised for his 'Zealous, Indefatigable and Intelligent Exertions' and was given £200 for his services.^[1]
• 1818 28 May Oxley led another expedition. It left Bathurst, followed the Macquarie River until it became 'an ocean of reeds', proceeded north-east discovered the Castlereagh River, turned east, found the Liverpool Plains, came upon and named the Peel River, crossed the southern part of the New England Range near Walcha, found the Hastings River, followed the Hatings to its mouth, Port Macquarie and finally traveled along the coast arriving in Newcastle in November.^[1]
• 1819. He charted Port Macquarie, reporting it as favorable, and made a trip by sea to Jervis Bay, reporting that it wouldn’t make a very good settlement.^[1]
• 1820 published Journals of Two Expeditions Into the Interior of New South Wales giving readers a detailed description of the Australian interior.^[1]
• 1823 October he sailed to Port Curtis, and explored Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River.^[1]

Oxley also had business interests, in land, cattle, sheep. He was a director of the Bank of New South and in 1826 he was one of the founders and first directors of its rival, the Bank of Australia. However, when he died his circumstances were so bad that the Executive Council recommended special assistance to his widow and children.^[1]

Oxley did not neglect the public and cultural life of the colony and was an officer of the Bible Society, was appointed to the committee of the Female Orphan Institution, the Male Orphan Institution and the Public School Institution. He was a member of the Philosophical Society, St James's Church, and the Scots Church. He was a magistrate, and a member of the original Legislative Council in 1824.^[1]

Birth
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley, son of John Norton Oxley and his wife Isabella Margaret (Molesworth) Oxley Isabella, was born at Kirkham Abbey near Westow, Yorkshire, England.^[1] He was baptised at Bulmer on 6 July 1784.^[1][2] His mother Isabella was related to the Irish Viscount Molesworth, giving John one of his middle names.^[1]

Children of John and Charlotte Thorp

• Jennet Oxley, baptized 25 Jul 1813, at St. Philip, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, daughter of John and Charlotte Oxley^[3]
• Frances Oxley was born 19 Jan 1815, at St. Philip, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, daughter of John and Charlotte Thorp^[4]

Child of John and Elizabeth Marmon

• Louisa Oxley was born 21 Mar 1821, at St. Philip, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, daughter of John Oxley and Elizabeth Marmon^[5]

Marriage
John Oxley married Emma Norton 31 Oct 1821, at St. Philips, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.^[6]

Children of John and Emma

• John Norton Oxley b. 1824^[1]
• Henry Molesworth Oxley was born 10 April 1826 and baptized 16 Aug 1826 at St. James, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, son of John William Molesworth Oxley and Emma.^[7]

Death
John Oxley died 26 May 1828 at Kirkham, near Camden, New South Wales, Australia, at the age of 42.^[8][9][10] He was buried in the Devonshire Street cemetery in Sydney.^[1][11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29} Dunlop, E.W. "Oxley, John Joseph (1784–1828)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Originallly published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, (MUP), 1967.
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBSW-BDS : 30 December 2014), John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley, 06 Jul 1784; citing BULMER,YORK,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 918,416. Note that the index lists his mother as Arabella.
3. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT6H-6PV : 11 December 2014), John Oxley in entry for Jennet Oxley, 25 Jul 1813; citing ST PHILIP, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA; FHL microfilm 993,949.
4. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT6H-N7M : 11 December 2014), John Oxley in entry for Frances Oxley, ; citing ST PHILIP, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA; FHL microfilm 993,949.
5. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT6H-N73 : 11 December 2014), John Oxley in entry for Louisa Oxley, ; citing ST PHILIP, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA; FHL microfilm 993,949.
6. ↑ "Australia Marriages, 1810-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCT-V4N : 12 December 2014), John Oxley and Emma Norton, 31 Oct 1821; citing St. Philips Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, reference ; FHL microfilm 993,949.
7. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCX-PTB : 11 December 2014), John William Molesworth Oxley in entry for Henry Molesworth Oxley, 16 Aug 1826; citing ; FHL microfilm 993,949.
8. ↑ NSW BDM death registrations 1001/1828 V18281001 12, 1195/1828 V18281195 12, and 7871/1828 V18287871 2C, all showing 'age 42'
9. ↑ Death notices: The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Wednesday 28 May 1828 p 3, and The Monitor (Sydney, NSW : 1826 - 1828) Wednesday 28 May 1828 p 8
10. ↑ Government notice re acknowledgement and replacement: The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Wednesday 28 May 1828 p 1
11. ↑ Press report of funeral: The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Wednesday 28 May 1828 p 1

• Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, Australian Explorer.
• John Oxley a New Perspective by Rob Tickle Published by Veritas Archaeology and History Service. ISBN 978-0-6483470-0-2