Catherine Martha (Ferdinand) Bens-Benns (1838 - 1920)

Born 13 Oct 1838 in New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Joseph (Diercknecht) Benns — married 1874 in New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 May 1920 at age 81 in Manly, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Beverley Melchior [send private message]

Biography

Catherine (Ferdinand) Bens-Benns is an Indigenous Australian.

Catherine Martha was born October 13, 1838, the fifth child of Sarah and John.

Birth Rego#1408/1838 V18381408 31A FERDINAND CATHARINE Lewis Sarah

Records indicate she gave birth to only one child, in 1862, a daughter Emily Mary Ann Elizabeth, whose father is said to be one Eugene Stevens, a water policeman, although 'Sanville' appears a little further on as her surname.

In 1874 Catherine Martha and Emily were living on the island with Catherine being midwife to many local families. Her grandmother's 'Queen' title, and her reputed bright, intelligent and certainly a dignified nature earned her the title of 'The Queen of Scotland Island':

In 1874 Catherine married Joseph Benns, a Belgian master mariner born around 1816 in Brussels.

He changed his name from Ambrol Josef Diercknecht, possibly due once again to people here being unable to pronounce names correctly (?) and leased Scotland Island for seven years in 1855.

Marriage 590/1874: BENS JOSEPH SANVILLE CATHERINE - SYDNEY - NSW State Records - Births, Deaths Marriages

Here too was an abundance of peach trees! Mr Benns is credited with rebuilding the house of Andrew Thompson. He also owned the “William and Betsy” which foundered off Port Stephens and then “The Lady and the Lake” which was wrecked off Long Reef. Both of these traded up and down the Hawkesbury so that may have been where he first met Martha:

Catherine Ferdinand, marries Joseph Benns, a Belgian. They settle on Scotland Island, Pittwater.

Martha becomes known as the ‘Queen of Scotland Island’, and also becomes a famous midwife.

Today descendants of Catherine, James, Mary Ann and Thomas still live on the land of their ancestors on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

On 31 January 2015 it will be the 200 years anniversary since the establishment of Bungaree's Farm at George’s Heights, Mosman. This was the first land grant by colonial authorities to an Aboriginal person in Australia. For more information on various events from December 2014 to February 2015, please go to the link below.

events.mosman.nsw.gov.au/events/988/bungaree‐the‐first‐australian

Sources

http://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/sarahabiddylewismarthacatherinebensmatriarchs.php

• http://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/bungaree-was-flamboyant-by-neil-evers.php