The Family Crest & Arms
The Derwent crest is a cinquefoil (five leafed clover
shape) and is used in the coat of arms shown above, painted by Brian Hayes.
The College of Arms (founded 1483) describes the coat
of arms as ‘Argent two bars gules on a canton of the second a cinquefoil
of the last’. These terms mean: Argent: silver, Gules: Red, Canton: a square division
in the upper dexter (right hand of the bearer) corner of an escutcheon etc.
Cinquefoil: five leafed clover shape.
The surname ‘Derwent’ may have been
derived from the location - a chapelry in the parish of Hathersage, County
Derbyshire and a place name in County Cumberland. In early times men often took their names from the place
where they lived.
The name may also have been derived from the Old
English ‘derewent’ meaning dweller near the river where oaks were
common. Records from 730 mention
Deruuentionis (no surname).
Deorwentan (again with no surname) was recorded in 1000. William de Derwent of county
Lanchashire was listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332.
DERWENT FAMILY
REUNION
150 YEARS IN AUSTRALIA
OCTOBER 1852 TO OCTOBER 2002
3rd
Edition – May 2002
Your forum for contact with the extended Derwent
family.
Can you help?
Once
again we welcome your participation in the reunion. Please let us know if you
would like to contribute to organizing the reunion or participating in the
entertainment – music, dance, poetry, short stories; games and activities
for young and old. Your ideas
about how to make this a success are welcome.
We are happy to
publish your contributions - family events and achievements (past and recent),
anecdotes and tales including copies of letters that have been passed down for
generations. So much information
is already lost, so please share those things that make being part of the
Derwent family so important.
The Big Weekend is Getting Closer!
Book a table of 8 now
Sat.
5 October 2002: Dinner at Oatley RSL and Community Club, with a variety of
entertainment from family members.
Sun.
6 October 2002: Lunch at the same venue. Display of the family tree,
memorabilia (photos etc), entertainment. - Games, see the old Derwent homesites and visit Woronora
Cemetery with at least 33 family graves.
Make sure you are booked in.
Will you provide some entertainment?
Let us know what you have in mind.
The Family Tree - Andrew Binns Derwent
The first of a series
we will present with details of the family tree. Next we will look at the life
of John Derwent.
Andrew Binns was born on
1 March 1852 at Staleybridge, Lancashire the son of James and Mary (nee
Wright). ‘Binns’ is
the maiden name of his grandmother Martha. He was a few months old when the family immigrated to
Australia. We do not know
much of his younger years and welcome any information about his schooling
etc.
He was a keen fisherman
and for many years engaged in commercial fishing. He also worked Thomas Holt
who unsuccessfully experimented in oyster cultivation using
‘claires’ at Gwawley Bay.
At that time wild growing oysters were harvested from estuary beds (from
rocks and by diving – including the ‘hard hat’ diving suit).
He was 25 when he
married Margaritti Hill, the
daughter of William Hill and Elizabeth (Betsy) Ballard. Hill was transported to Hobart in 1845
in the “Lady Franklin”.
We understand he had served with the army and his crime was to challenge
his adjutant to a duel. Betsy,
sentenced for stealing 34 sovereigns, arrived in Hobart on the “St
Vincent” in April 1950. The Hills married in 1852. Betsy and her 4 children arrived in
Sydney before 1877 but we are unsure as to the fate of William.
Andrew and Margaret
moved to Neverfail Bay, Oatley in 1885.
Their home has stayed in the family since then.
Andrew and
Margaret’s sons Andrew William, James Wright, Charles John and Leslie
Clement followed their father into commercial fishing including at Ballina from
1909 to 1913. Their fishing is now
considered a mix of arduous work and adventure. It required hanging, tarring
and mending nets, enduring cold, wind and rain and trying to get a decent price
for the catch when refrigeration (ice) and transport were ‘basic’
at best. It included sailing
their small boats along the coast – Charles John (Chub) is known to have
sailed from Botany Bay to Narrawallee Creek and, after meeting the Garratt
family, walked home! This was not
a task for the faint hearted!!
While the sons came back
and stayed at Oatley, daughter Margaret (Dora) spent much of her life at
Gunnedah. Martha married George Edwards – with a number of their family
entering the fish and oyster industries.
Margaret died in November 1902. In 1904 Andrew Binns married Nellie
Thompson, who had been born in Manchester but by then was the girl next door
and sister of his fishing mate.
They had four children - a total of 10 for Andrew.
By the early 1920s the oyster industry was
growing rapidly. It was then that
Andrew Binns and his family made the move from commercial fishing into oyster
cultivation in the Georges River.
Later they also had leases in several other estuaries. Andrew Binns is credited with
developing the tray method of culture.
This is still a major method used in the industry and offered several
advantages to maximise growth and survival of stock. Andrew Binns, and four generations to follow have farmed oysters
from Neverfail Bay.
Andrew Binns
Derwent lived to be 88 and Nellie died in December 1947 aged 89. Think about the changes he saw
from early in the industrial revolution to the early stages of WWII. He knew life before so many of the
things that we now take for granted - electric light, radio, motor cars and
planes. Such was the life of a
baby brought in the ship to Sydney in 1852.
There is so much more to be said about Andrew Binns
and his limb of the Derwent family. If you can offer further information or
photos, please do so. We hope that
it can all be presented at the reunion.
Notices: Please let us know of
any special events in the family.
Marriages
Amie Derwent married Richard Bone on 23 March 2002. Amie is the
daughter of John and Roslyn of Oatley.
Deaths
Allan Edwards: Grandson
of George Alfred and Martha Hildred Edwards (nee Derwent). Allan was our main
contact with the Edwards family and very keen about the family reunion.
Doug Littlejohn: Family and friends farewelled Doug on Friday 15th
February this year.
Many will remember Doug who married Shirley Bearman -
grand-daughter of John Derwent ,
first Australian born
Derwent. Shirley and Doug, would
have celebrated 60 years of marriage on the 4th July, this year. Doug was born in Crookwell and worked
many years in the family motor garage at Lidcombe. During WW11 he served in
Australian Army in the Middle East and later at New Guinea.
Shirley and Doug
moved to the Henry Kendall Village at Gosford five years ago. Doug's happy and friendly disposition
made him a very popular member of the village community.
Doug will be
sorely missed by Shirley, sons David and Richard and families.
Happy whistling
Doug!
The further back you look,
the farther forward you are likely to see.
Winston
Churchill.
A letter from Aunty Dora
Among the papers we have unearthed in our search for
detail of the Derwent family is a letter from ‘Aunty Dora’
(Margaret Dorothea Derwent) to ‘Frank’ (Derwent) dated 19.6.62 when
she was 84. In her letter
Dora says:
“I seen a small bible years ago that had
been presented to Grandfather Derwent when he was leaving England. I’ll write the inscription that
was writen (sic) in it.” On
another page she writes:
Presented to James Derwent by Babs Kershaw
on the occasion of his leaving England
for South Australia June 26th 1852.
Dora went on in her letter to say, “I never heard if they went to South
Australia they did speak of living at North Shore. Never heard how long or what
Grandfather worked at while living on North Shore”.
We understand that in
1854, the family settled in a new subdivision of Dr Robert Townson’s
estate. Kenneth Lander in
“History of the Subdivision Pattern of the St George Area”. pp
36-37 reports there were 3.5 and
8.7 ha lots. With a high demand for food during the goldrush years the family
established an orchard and a home ‘Derwent Leigh’ in Salisbury
Street. They are remembered there
by Derwent Street, South Hurstville.
Steering Committee: Derwent
Family Reunion, 7 Dinjerra Crescent Oatley, NSW 2223
Beth Hayes (02)
4981 0246 (h) beth37@nelsonbay.com
Laurie Derwent (02) 9580 2664 (h), (02) 8437 4973 (w)
mderwent@optushome.com.au
Ian Frames (02)
9525 4926 (H), 0403 064 864 ian.frames@bigpond.com
Margot Derwent (02)
9579 5214 (H)
Website: derwent.poweringon.com
TIME TO BOOK!
To help us with catering arrangements
please complete this form and post or email it to:
Derwent Family Reunion
7 Dinjerra Crescent
OATLEY NSW 2223
mderwent@optushome.com.au
A.
Booking
for the Dinner - 5 October
2002 At Oatley RSL and Community
Club.
B.
NOTE:
Please book me a table of 8 for the Dinner –
Please list names to avoid double booking etc
OR
Please book me . . . . . . . .
seats for the Dinner. Again
please list names
AND
B.
Booking
for the Luncheon - 6 October 2002 At Oatley RSL and
Community Club
Please book me a table of 8 for the Luncheon
– List names to void double booking etc.
OR
Please book me . . . . . seats for the Luncheon. – list names to avoid double
booking
The estimated cost is $30 per person for the Dinner
( 3 course meal) and $30 for the Luncheon (buffet style). Of course we are planning to
serve oysters with both meals and we are making inquiries about special
‘DERWENT’ wines.
Please do not send money for the meals at this
stage.
However, a small contribution towards postage,
printing etc would be appreciated.
Indicate if you (or one of your family) would like
to present an item of entertainment at either the dinner or luncheon. Details:…………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Do you have any Special Requests or Suggestions: :…………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Name:
Address:
