George Edward Nicholas Weston (1796 - 1856)

Born 29 Nov 1796 in West Horsley, Surrey, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Blanche (Johnston) Weston — married 1829 in St James Church of England, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1856 at age 59 in Prospect, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

George Edward Nicholas Weston was also known as Edward Weston. Newspapers referred to him either as "Edward Weston" or "Captain Weston". He was a Lieutenant in the East India Company when he married Blanche Johnston in 1829 in Sydney. Soon after his marriage, he and his wife returned to India where he was promoted to the rank of Captain. They returned to New South Wales in 1831 where he farmed his wife's property "Horsley" near Sydney and became a Magistrate.

Birth: George Edward Nicholas Weston was born on 31 October 1796, the fifth son of Henry Perkins Weston Esq of West Horsley, Surrey, England and Jeanne Marie (Mary) Bergier du Mont of Lausanne, his second wife.^[1] Although his birthplace was given as West Horsley in his death certificate, it appears he was actually born in Lausanne in Switzerland. He was certainly baptised there on 29 November 1796. The register of St Mary, West Horsley has the following entry in 1800:

"At the request of Mr Weston, the birth and baptism of another son are inserted, by way of reference, as in the former insertion namely, baptised at Lausanne in Switzerland November 29th 1796 George Edward Nicholas son of Henry Perkins Weston Esq and Jeanne Mary his Wife, born October 31st 1796, both which are certified by an Extract of the Register of Lausanne signed by the Minister and Magistacy of Lausanne aforesaid".^[2]

George was a Lieutenant in the East India Company when he travelled to New South Wales on furlough, possibly to assist his brother's wife after his brother William Francis Weston's death in April 1826.^[1]

Marriage: On 21 May 1829 George Edward Nicholas Weston married Blanche Johnston at St James Church Sydney. The church register recorded that George was aged 29 years, a bachelor, and was a Lieutenant in the East India Company Service. Blanche was recorded as aged 21 years, a spinster. Witnesses were Julia Johnston, and Robert Johnston of Annandale.^[3][4]

Marriage notice: Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, Saturday 23 May 1829, page 2:^[5]

MARRIED,

By Special Licence, on Thursday last, at St. James's, Church, by the Venerable the ARCHDEACON, GEORGE EDWARD NICHOLAS WESTON, Lieutenant in the Hon. East India Company's Service, to BLANCHE, youngest daughter of the late GEORGE JOHNSTONE Esq, of Annandale.

Soon after their marriage George took his bride to India aboard the merchant vessel Reliance which left Sydney on 2 June 1829. During the voyage, on 29 July 1829, the Reliance sailed into Raffles Bay at the top end of the Northern Territory, to obtain a supply of water. While there, George drew some sketches which were later published in a book, Narrative of a Voyage round the World by Thomas Braidwood Wilson in 1835: "Dance of the Aborigines at Raffles Bay", "Wreck of the Ship 'Governor Ready’ in Torres Straits", and "Jolly Boat’s Crew Soliciting To Be Received into the Long Boats".^[6][1]

They returned on the barque Caroline in March 1831: the Shipping Intelligence of the Sydney Gazette listed as passengers "Captain Weston, Mrs. Weston, 2 children, and 1 servant".^[7] The two children were George's Anglo-Indian daughters from a previous liaison.

His wife Blanche was the daughter of Major George Johnston and the land was a grant to him by Governor King which he named "Kings Gift". Blanche inherited the property after her father's death in 1823, and George named the property "Horsley". George and Blanche built a house which still stands, now in private hands.

He received a grant of two thousand five hundred and sixty acres, at Yarralumla in 1831 (deed officially given in 1841).

In the first land sale at Balmain in October 1836, he purchased Lot 3, an area of two and a half acres.

(See Familypedia for more land holdings)

Death: George passed away on 25 November 1856.^[8]

Death notices, The Empire'' and Sydney Morning Herald 27 November 1856.:

"At Horsley, on the 25th instant, George Edward Nicholas Weston, Esq., aged 56 years"

Bell's Life in Sydney & Sporting Reviewer 29 November 1856:

"On the 25th instant, at Horsley, George Edward Weston, Esq, aged 56 years."^[9]

The Sydney Morning Herald 27 November 1856:

FUNERAL.—The friends of the late Captain WESTON are respectfully informed that the funeral will take place on SATURDAY next, the 29th instant. The procession will form in the immediate vicinity of Prospect Church, at 2 o'clock p.m. JAMES WILLIS, undertaker. Parramatta, 26th November, 1856.^[10]

Burial: 30 November 1856 at St Bartholomew's Cemetery, Prospect.^[11]

The family vault has the inscription "Sacred to the memory of George Edward Nicholas Weston, Esquire, of Horsley, who departed this life 25th November, 1856, aged 56 years."^[12]

After George's death in 1856, Blanche managed the property until her own death in 1904, at the age of ninety eight.

More biography is at:

Familypedia

Horsley Homestead

Obituary of Blanche Weston

Friends of St Bartholomew's Church

The Peninsular Observer , Dec 1993

Some photographs of Horsley:

• Horsley Homestead, Horsley NSW, Fairfield City Heritage Collection https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1416?keywords=weston&all=&whole=
• Panoramic view of Horsley Homestead, Horsley Park NSW, Fairfield City Heritage Collection https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1096?keywords=weston&all=&whole=

Family Myths

There are several inaccuracies in some trees and published biographies. There is an excellent discussion about this in Familypedia

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Community contributors, "George Edward Nicholas Weston (1796-1856)", Familypedia database https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/George_Edward_Nicholas_Weston_(1796-1856) (accessed 30 April 2023)
2. ↑ Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 for George Edward Nicholas, West Horsley, St Mary 1755-1812 Ancestry.com sharing link
3. ↑ St James' Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; State Library of NSW ref: Reel SAG 61-62
4. ↑ New South Wales. Department of Justice and Attorney General. NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. Data-base on-line Marriage V182968 149 NSW and V1829778 13 NSW
5. ↑ 1829 'Family Notices', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 23 May, p. 2. , viewed 27 Oct 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2192497
6. ↑ Thomas Braidwood Wilson, Narrative of a Voyage round the World, Sherwood, Gilbert, & Piper, London, 1835
7. ↑ 1831 'Shipping Intelligence.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 2 August, p. 2. , viewed 29 Oct 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201851
8. ↑ New South Wales. Department of Justice and Attorney General. NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. Data-base on-line Death 1856 # 2985.
9. ↑ 1856 'Family Notices', Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer (NSW : 1845 - 1860), 29 November, p. 3. , viewed 27 Oct 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59763007
10. ↑ 1856 'Family Notices', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 27 November, p. 8. , viewed 27 Oct 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12989449
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199858539/george-edward_nicholas-weston: accessed 30 April 2023), memorial page for MAJ George Edward Nicholas Weston (31 Oct 1796–25 Nov 1856), Find a Grave Memorial ID 199858539, citing St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church Cemetery, Prospect, Blacktown City, New South Wales, Australia; Maintained by Heather Stevens (contributor 49419837).
12. ↑ 'Weston, Blanche (1806–1904)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/weston-blanche-19466/text33993, accessed 27 October 2020.