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Edward Powell was born about 1762 at Lancaster, Lancashire, England.
Edward Powell had been a seaman on the Second Fleet convict transport Lady Juliana to New South Wales in 1790. The Lady Juliana is known as the original 'Love Boat' due to her extremely long voyage and that 'every crew member and soldier took a wife from among the convicts'. Edward fathered a son to Sarah Dorset; named Edward Dorset Powell and christened in Sydney on 13th June 1790. He, however, was committed to the return voyage to England with the Lady Juliana.[1]
Liking what he saw regarding potential, he placed matters in order upon his return to England and, as a free settler and aged just 30 years, he migrated to the penal settlement aboard the Bellona, departing the Thames 28th July 1792 and arriving at Sydney Cove on 16th January 1793. He was listed as being a farmer and fisherman, skills sorely needed. One commentator who was a steward aboard the Lady Juliana, John Nicol, suggested in his memoirs in 1822 (some thirty years later) that Edward returned with the intention of marrying Sarah Dorset. That may or may not be correct, however, Edward did court by the traditional method this time.[2]
Eight days after making port, on 24th January, Edward married fellow Bellona passenger, Elizabeth "Betty" Fish in St Phillip's Church of England, Sydney.[3] Together with the other other settlers from the Bellona, the couple immediately selected land in Sydney's Homebush-Strathfield area, mid-way between the two major settlements of Sydney and Parramatta. The group of settlers named the area Liberty Plains. Edward was granted 80 acres of land and, shorthly afterwards, another another 60 acres closer to the Parramatta River (in today's Concord). By 1796 Edward had moved his family to the fertile Hawkesbury Valley, where he purchased a farm at Cornwallis.[4] By 1799, Edward had been appointed a constable at the Hawkesbury. It was in this role that he was involved in a group charged with the 'murder' of two Aboriginal boys who were carrying weapons taken during a murder of a settler days before. The five men were found guilty, however no punishment appears to have been decreed. Edward lost his appointment as constable, however.[5] In 1802 the five men were pardoned by Lord Hobart due to the elapsed time and divided opinion of the court. By that time Edward had moved his family to a 100-acre farm on slightly higher ground (the Hawkesbury Valley was subject to severe flooding) at Richmond Hill. He named the property, Curryburry. He owned at the time 30 goats and 25 pigs and was supporting his family and four assigned convicts 'off stores'. By the 1806 Muster, he had 20 pigs, two horses and two cows, and twenty acres in wheat, seven in maize, five in barley and was supporting his family of eight, an assigned convict and two emancipated convicts. However, a noxious week had recently killed 51 pigs.
He brought his family 'home' to Liberty Plains in 1806. After burying out the land grants to their Bellona friends, Edward and Betty established a 475-acre farm with an inn and accommodation for travellers known as 'The Halfway House'.[6]
Edward passed away, about 52 years of age, in October 1814 at Liberty Plains.[7] It is said that he was buried at 'The Halfway House' and that his tombstone could be seen from passing trains until 1887.[8]
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