Joseph Nix Priestley (1846 - 1927)

Born 1846 in Heckington, Lincolnshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Smith) Priestly — married 1872 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 1927 at about age 81 in New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Nix [send private message]

Biography

Joseph Nix Priestley (or Priestly) is born in Heckington Fen, Lincolnshire, England probably in the late summer or early fall of 1846. His parents are George Priestley (1811-1894) and Mary Nix (1814-1888). He is baptised on November 16, 1846, in St Andrew church in Heckington [1]. Heckington is a village just to the southeast of Sleaford, Lincolnshire and only a few kilometres east of Heydour parish where Mary Nix was born. This is about 130 kilometres by road north of London.

The Priestley family – the family that emigrates from England to Australia -- lives in Heckington Fen, on the outskirts of Heckington, and all children –- the eight born in England (four of whom died in childhood) -- are baptised in Heckington. Joseph’s father, George, is an agricultural labourer who moves around the countryside in work gangs employed by a gang master who, in turn, makes contracts with landowners.

In 1848 George Priestley and Mary Nix sail on a ship named “Equestian” to Australia with four children [4]. They sail as “assisted immigrants” which means their passage is subsidized. They arrive in Sydney on July 16, 1848, after a difficult 122-day voyage from Plymouth, England. Joseph is one year old when he arrives in Australia.

There is confusion about the spelling of the surname. The marriage record for Joseph’s parents, the baptism records for all the children, the 1841 census record in England and the Australian immigration records of 1848 all show the spelling as “Priestley.” However, at some point after arriving in Australia, some family members change the name to “Priestly.” Joseph Nix Priestly (1846-1927) is one branch of the family that makes this change – his headstone in the Sandgate cemetery in Newcastle shows "Priestly" -- although his marriage registration uses “Priestley.” To add to the confusion, some of his children use the original name, "Priestley." One factor leading to this confusion about spelling is that Joseph Nix Priestly never learned to read or write [8].

After arriving in Australia, the family settles for a while in Raymond Terrace, New South Wales. . “Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales . . . about 26 km (16 mi) by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers. The town was named after Lieutenant Raymond, who had explored the Hunter River in 1797 . . .” [5]. The townsite of Raymond Terrace had only been surveyed in 1822-1823 and land sales began in 1838 [6]. So, when the Priestley family arrive in about 1848, or shortly thereafter, this is relatively new county. Whether the father, George Priestley (1811-1894), ever acquires his own farm or whether he simply continues as an agricultural labourer is not known. Whatever he does, George Priestley (1811-1894) and Mary Nix (1814-1888) have four more children in Australia, all born near Raymond Terrace. Joseph’s uncle, Mary’s younger brother, Thomas Nix (1820-1909) probably also settles in the same area sometime after 1853.

On December 24, 1872, Joseph marries Rebecca Smith (1853-1917) in Taree, New South Wales [2][3][7]. Taree is about 146 kilometres by road north of Raymond Terrace. Joseph’s younger brother, Charles, will marry Rebecca’s sister two years later.

Joseph and Rebecca have twelve children. In the following list the surname “Priestly” is shown unless information has been found to indicate the individual used “Priestley.” This list is tentative and there are likely errors.

• George Priestly 1872-1895

• Susan J. Priestly 1875-1876

• Mary Ann Priestly 1877-1951 + (1899) Edward William Bourke 1871-1956

• Rebecca Jane Hughena Priestly 1880-1922 + (1907) Andrew Northam 1882-1959

• James Joseph Priestley 1882-1949 + (1920) Ruby Pearl Duck 1900-1966

• Charles William Priestley 1884-1940 + (1910) Mary Jane Keating 1878-1958

• John Thomas Priestly 1886-1965 + (1913) Hannah Mabel Tiernan 1889-1958

• Florence Agnes Priestly 1887-1976 + (1909) William Ross ?-?

• Francis Alfred Henry Priestley 1890-1969

• David Edward Priestly 1892-1966 + (1922) Katherine May Brown 1894-1975

• Ernest Stanley Priestley 1893-1957 + (1914) Minne Bertha Octavia Eldridge 1891-?

• Robert Clarence Priestly 1895-1917

The following shows where the 12 children are born:

• George – 1873 – Failford - registered in Manning River District (Taree)
• Susan J. – 1875 – Failford – registered in Manning River District (Taree)
• Mary Ann – 1877 –Failford – registered in Manning River District (Taree)
• Rebecca Jane Hughena – 1880 - Terrigal, registered in Manning River District (Taree)
• James Joseph – 1882 – Failford – registered in Wingham
• Charles William – 1884 - Wingham – registered in Wingham
• John Thomas. – 1886 - Failford – registered in Taree
• Florence Agnes – 1887 - Failford – registered in Taree
• Francis Alfred Henry 1890 – Failford – registered in Taree
• David Edward –1892- registered in Taree
• Ernest Stanley – 1893- possibly in Failford or Possums Brush – registered in Taree
• Robert Clarence . 1895 – Stroud

As shown, Joseph and Rebecca spend most of their early lives in or near Taree (Wingham is next door, Failford is 25 kilometres south). They live at Possum Brush for several years. Possum Brush is on the north side of the Pacific highway and Failford is on the south side of the highway. When Joseph lives there, what is to become the Pacific Highway is called the Taree Road. This is about 25 kilometres south of Taree and just north of Nabiac. Joseph’s brother Charles Nix Priestly (1851-1930) also lives at Possum Brush. Joseph is described as a “timber getter” in one reference.

Probably by about 1895 they have moved south to Stroud which is about 100 kilometres south of Possums Brush. One son dies in Stroud in 1895 suggesting the family is living there. Rebecca dies in about 1916 in Stroud (her grave site has not been found). Joseph dies in early 1927 and is buried in Sandgate Cemetery in Newcastle on March 3, 1927 [9].

Sources

[1] www.freereg.org.uk Joseph Priestley, baptised 15 Nov 1846 in St Andrew church, Heckington, Lincolnshire, England. His parents are George Priestley, a labourer, and Mary Priestley.

[2] Newlin-Noakes family tree at https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ shows Joseph Priestly born Nov 1846 in Heckington, Lincolnshire. England. His parents are George Priestly (1811-1894) & Mary Nix (1814-1888). In 1872 Joseph marries Rebecca Smith. No further information – parents of Rebecca, birth/death years, children of Joseph.

[3] Stuart Gregory at http://stuart.scss.dyndns.info/FamilyTree/ He shows Joseph Nix Priestly born Nov 17, 1846 in Heckington, Lincolnshire, England. His parents are George Priestley (1811-1894) & Mary Nix (1814-1888). [Note that the son’s surname is spelt differently than the father’s.] Joseph marries Rebecca Smith on Dec 24, 1872 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia. Rebecca was born on April 15, 1853 in Hawksbury River, NSW. Her parents are James Smith (1828-1903) & Hughena McKay (1927-1917). Rebecca’ sister, Helena, marries Joseph’s brother, Charles Nix Priestley. Joseph and Rebecca have 12 children (the surnames of all children are spelt “Priestly.”): (1) George (1873-1895), (2) Susan J. (1875-1876), (3) Mary Ann (1877-?), (4) Rebecca Jane Hughena (c1880-1922), (5) James Joseph (1882-1949), (6) Charles W. (1884-?), (7) John T. (1886-?), (8) Florence A. (1887-?), (9) Francis Alfred H. (c1890-c1969), (10) David Edward (c1892-c1966), (11) Ernest Stanley (c1893-c1957) & (12) Robert C. (c1895-c1917 ). Rebecca dies in c1916 in Stroud, NSW. Joseph Nix dies c1927 in Newcastle. He is buried in the Sandgate General Cemetery in Newcastle. One of Stuart’s sources for all of this information is a “Smith – James” a descendant report: “Descendants of James Smith (1784-1957)” This book was emailed to Stuart Gregory on 27 July 2012. The email was from Len Smith.

[4] The voyage of the Equestrian arriving in Sydney on July 16, 1848, is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald July 17, 1848 (thanks to Jenny Nancarrow).

[5] Wikipedia (Feb 2024)

[6] Raymond Terrace – historical information: The Sydney Morning Herald, February 8, 2004, “Raymond Terrace.”

[7] NSW BDM registration # 2620/1872 the marriage of Joseph Priestley and Rebecca Smith was registered in Manning River in 1872.

[8] Sessional Papers, 1911, Legislative Assembley, New South Wales, No. 1, Weekly Report of Divisions, in Committee of the Whole, pg 42 – reference is made to the fact that there were two Joseph Priestly who voted in an election. One of them is a Joseph Priestly of Possum Bush (sic). According to an R. Sheridan, Senior Sergeant, Superintendent of Police, Maitland, Joseph Priestly was a hard-working man of good character. (The other Joseph Priestly lived in Nabiac.) Further down in the document, a Charles Wilson, deputy returning officer at the Goolongoolok, states that he remembers when Joseph Priestly (the one from Possum Brush) voted because Joseph had said “I cannot read” so he was allowed to vote in an “open vote.” In Joseph Priestly’s own testimony, he says that “I resided up to within the last eighteen months at Possum Brush, on Taree Road, near Failford.” He also states that the other Joseph Priestly is his brother’s son and that this other Joseph Priestly (23-24 yrs old) is a teamster living within 2 miles of Nabiac. [on Google Maps the name is spelt “Possum Brush.”

[9] http://sandgate.northerncemeteries.com.au Joseph Priestly, buried 1927-03-03, Catholic Section, Section 27, lot 70.

Acknowledgements

This biography was prepared by Fred Nix, originally in 2018, with several revisions thereafter. Fred and Joseph are first cousins, three times removed.