Elizabeth (Taylor) Bean (1754 - 1818)

Born 1 Jan 1754 in Middlesex, England

Wife of James Thomas John Bean — married 6 Feb 1780 in Piccadilly, London, England

Descendants

Died 2 Oct 1818 at age 64 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Elizabeth Taylor, always called Betty, was born in 1753 to John & Sarah Taylor of Field Lane, London. She was christened at St Andrew’s, Holborn on 23 Dec 1753.

Elizabeth married James Thomas John Bean on 6 Feb 1780 at St James Church, Westminster, London by banns. Richard Hainsby was curate and witnesses were Charles and Elizabeth Kirshaw. Both James and "Bettey" signed their names. He was 28 and she 26.

They had 9 children, all born prior to their emigrating to Australia. Two were christened at St James with no further record, so we must assume they died in childhood.

1. Rosetta b 23 Sep 1781 London, died before the family's emigration to Australia in 1798

2. Elizabeth b 31 Dec 1782 London – m William Shelley 1801 Parramatta – d 1878 Parramatta

3. James b 5 May 1784, probably died in infancy, before birth of the second James in 1788

4. Rose b 22 Jan1786 London – m Thomas Dunn 1804 Parramatta – 8 children – d Nov 1831 Parramatta

5. James Thomas John Bean (Jnr) b 1788 London – m Esther Short 1814 Campbelltown – 8 children – d 1859 Gunning

6. Ann b 12 Nov 1789 London – m Samuel James 1808 Parramatta – 12 children – d 2 Mar 1854

7. William b 1792 – d 1834 Botany Bay

8. Joseph b 1794 – d 1857 Botany Bay

9. Sarah b 1795 – did not marry – d 1858 Camperdown

Her husband J.T.J. Bean and 3 other carpenters signed a “Terms of Settlement” in London on 10 Jan 1798, agreeing to emigrate to the fledgling colonial settlement of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia and the family sailed from London at the end of 1798, aboard the HMS “Buffalo.” They arrived in Port Jackson on 3 May 1799.

It is not known where the family lived upon their arrival in May but on 12 Nov 1799 James (age 47) was granted his promised 100 acres to the south west of the Government Farm in the district of Toongabbie (actually Castle Hill, where Gilroy College now stands on Excelsior Avenue to the western side of Old Northern Road).

By 1802, James had 12 acres cleared for pasture and a further 12 acres were in wheat and maize. He had 1 sheep, 5 goats, 8 hogs and a family of 7 living off stores. But they struggled to make a living on the land, especially with drought conditions prevailing over 1802-1803. They were mentioned in the letter of Rowland Hassall to William Shelley in Nov 1802: Mr Bean & family find it hard work to live. She has been very ill this past week, & is now supposed to have miscarried. He is now at work for me on which account I let them have what meat I can spare with 2lbs of bread each day out of my rations & intend to do so till harvest. They wish to be remembered to you both.

James relied on additional carpentry work to supplement the meagre farm harvest and also joined the Loyal Parramatta Association, a volunteer armed militia, where in exchange for military duty, he obtained provisions. They continued living on government stores to 30 June 1805.

On 15 Feb 1803 the Bean and Bradley family (neighbours) had their farmhouses invaded by 15 escaped convicts. They discharged a pistol in the face of Mrs Bradley's servant man, causing ghastly disfigurement, and raped some of the women, including 17 year old Rose Bean.

In July 1811 James Thomas John Bean was engaged by the contractors, Messrs Riley, Blaxcell & Wentworth, as Superintendent of Carpenters for the General Hospital in Macquarie Street at a salary of £250 per year. The southern wing of this building remains as the NSW Royal Mint while the front of the northern wing was kept as the façade of the NSW Parliament House. The building was popularly known as the “Rum” Hospital” because it was funded by granting the developers a licence to import 45,000 gallons of rum, formerly the province of the NSW “Rum” Corps.

James and Betty took up residence at 22 York Street.

The Sydney Gazette carried an advertisement for an auction to be conducted at their home in York Street on 25 Sep 1818. This was just before Betty's death.

Betty Bean died on 2 Oct 1818 aged 64 and was buried on 4 Oct in the old Sydney Burial Ground. When the neglected cemetery was resumed in 1901 for the new Sydney Town Hall, all interred remains were moved to unmarked graves in the Pioneers Cemetery at La Perouse.

Betty (Taylor) Bean came free to the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Sources

Birth & baptism

London Metropolitan Archives, St Andrew Holborn, Register of baptisms, 1739/40 - 1761, P82/AND2/A/001/MS06667, Item 010

The National Archives of the UK (TNA) 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 21-28);

Find A Grave: Memorial #87682192

Marriage

Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 FHL Film Number: 1042317

Family emigration to Australia

Ancestry.com.1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy)

The National Archives of the UK (TNA)1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 21-28);

Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825 printed countersigned copy of Proclamation on the accession of King George IV; at Parramatta, page 129

Death

NSW BDM 8137/1818 V1818813 7

• Elizabeth "Betty" Taylor 1754–1818 from the Australian Royalty website at: https://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I53&ged=purnellmccord.ged

• Elizabeth (Betty) Taylor from the Tree of Us website at: http://www.thetreeofus.net/5/157185.htm

• Elizabeth "Betty" Bean, Free Settler "HMS Buffalo" 1799 on GENI at: https://www.geni.com/people/Elizabeth-Betty-Bean-Free-Settler-HMS-Buffalo-1799/6000000014537118286

• Elizabeth “Betty” TAYLOR 1754–1818 from the Mid North Coast Pioneers website at: http://stuart.scss.dyndns.info/FamilyTree/individual.php?pid=I12075&ged=Gregory-Hudson.ged
• NSW Government. Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages (accessed 03 Dec 2022). Death Index, Index entry for BEAN BETTY; Died: AGE 64 Parent: Not Named ; District: CA (Sydney, St Phillips); Registration Number: 4129/1818 V18184129 2B

• Australian Royalty Website. Accessed 3 Dec 2022. Elizabeth Taylor

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87682192/elizabeth-bean: accessed 03 December 2022), memorial page for Elizabeth “Betty” Taylor Bean (1754–2 Oct 1818), Find A Grave: Memorial #87682192, citing Devonshire Street Cemetery (Defunct), Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Maintained by elizabeth (contributor 47692192) .