The Gurn is delighted to publish Frank Wilkinson's article that details his findings from research into the life and times of William Nairn born at Kildrummie in 1791.
My search for the birth place of my great, great
,great, grandfather William Nairn (known as Billy), started at the Family
History Centre Inverness. They provided me with what they thought was a record
of his birth at Delnies, January 8th 1791.
A trip to the Nairn Museum and the help of
the ladies on the front counter led me to local historian Alan Baron; he soon
sorted out the truth of Billys’ birth.
Like many Scots was a practical man, his
many skills devoted to helping his family and friends.
He
was born on the Rose Estate at Kildrummie on the 1st of January 1791
and christened in Denise.
Following
an old Scots tradition many of the men present had the same name as the newly
christened William.
Somewhere between 1805 and 1825 he entered an apprenticeship to train as a
whitesmith (tinsmith) he may have had to move from Kildrummie to acquire those
skills peculiar to white smithing.
Many
years later we find him with his own business in High St Stepney. How he
arrived there still needs further research.
Undoubtedly
his business prospered, marrying Mary Ann Rawlinson and fathering four children
a son 12yrs James, Margaret 5yrs, Charlotte 3yrs and baby William 1.
The family attended St Dunstan’s church on
the High St every Sunday.
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| William Nairn |
Unfortunately
the area around Stepney was heavily bombed during WW2, no evidence of a
workshop or residence is evident.
In
1829 many businesses were bankrupt white smithing as a trade was being replaced
by machine made goods.
Recently
returned from the antipodes Captain James Stirling approached the English
Government with the proposition to set up a colony on the West coast of
Australia, his argument was that the French had been there and had laid claim
to the Southern most portion, some to this day have French names e.g. Cape
Bouvard, Cape Naturaliste, Cape Clairault, Cape Mentelle and Pt D’Entrecasteaux.
To
finance this venture the English Govt would offer land grants and what we would
call today Real Estate Developers, made up of those with sufficient capital.
Colonel
Peter Latour of the 11th Dragoons (retired) was one such a person he
employed 27year old Richard Wells a manager of two farms for Latour, he in turn
looked to Robert Menli Lyon to be his administrator. His real name was Robert
Milne who claimed he came from Inverness and was an ex-army Lieutenant, who on
retirement had become an agriculturalist.
Latour
made a short list of the many applicants, Billy was on that list.
Although he did not include many of his
skills in the application, only those he considered appropriate to such a
venture whitesmith/blacksmith.
January
1829,snowing and bitterly cold Menli Lyon approached the Nairns’ with an offer
too good to refuse.
In
what is now called Gage Roads at 6pm .23August 1829 the Marquis of Anglesea dropped anchor. Billy, Mary Ann, James, Margaret,
Charlotte and William had arrived in what was then called the Swan River
Colony.
Due
to the treacherous nature of the reefs lying off the west coast, the settlers
were forced to camp on Garden Island in huts made from the timber in plentiful
supply on the island.
Billy made good use of the tools and
provisions they had brought with them.
On
the 4th of September during a violent storm the Marquis of Anglesea ran aground at the mouth of the Swan River.
Fortunately she remained intact and possessions preserved.
Billy built a hut for his family, later he
extended it to include a small workshop however his services as a smithy were
seldom used.
The
situation for the settlers was fast deteriorating, many who believed they would
be coming to a settlement like that of the eastern states, claimed for
settlement in 1788 already had a head start of some 40 years.
In
the early days all the major schemes for settlement collapsed. This meant little
to Billy; the failure of the schemes was such that he was no longer obligated
to carry out the wishes of Latour.
He was now free to go into business for
himself. He was given a parcel of land in what is now King St stretching from
what is now St Georges Tce. to Hay St .King St as yet had not been planned, as
a consequence he forfeited a third of the granted land. He was compensated with
a further grant in Adelaide Tce.
The
trip up the Swan River to Perth in April 1830 was made on a flat bottomed boat
loaded with all they possessed. Billy used a stout pole to propel the boat
while Anne steered.
Once
in Perth, Billy with the help of Anne and James built a humpy, and occupied it
till their house was built. Tradesmen were in great demand, however being himself
a tradesman brought him in contact with the right people that and the fact that
he got on well with everyone, the house would be built he would see to it, he
drew up the plans. Billy continued his trade as a blacksmith/whitesmith,
helping out with the building of the house when needed.
Mid
1831 the house was far from complete to make the matter more urgent Anne was
pregnant with her fifth child Jane born in January 1832.
The family could not have been happier with
the newborn, secure in their newly completed home and Billys’ thriving
business.
James became apprenticed to his father,
working 9 hours a day, spending Sundays up river to greener country, until he found
a scene that attracted him-a fresh setting for a new watercolour, his unrealised
ambition was to become an artist.
On
Sundays the Nairns’ attended the Rush Church built by the troops of the 63rd
Regiment, it was timber framed with rushes interlacing the upright poles.
For seven years it was the colonies only
Church of England, a church on Sundays a court on Saturdays and for the
remainder of the week a school.
Billy
by now was a respected member of the community; he and James were keen
cricketers and played regularly for the Sons of Australia Benefit Society
formed in 1837. Billy a staunch Anglican was a member of the committee that chose
the permanent site for St Georges Anglican church situated on St Georges Tce,
it was to be recognised as a cathedral in 1858.
Blessed with another son Charles in 1834 Billy began to wonder if he’d
made the right choice in coming to Australia would his children have had more
opportunities back in Stepney would all the boys choose to become smiths, not
likely?
Not a problem for the girls, for the most
part depended on the marriages they made.
James
bought land at auction on Adelaide Tce in December 1838; the same year that his
sister Ellen was born .Billy assisted James in financing the building of a
house, completed early in 1840. Billy applied for a new building block grant as
compensation for the land that was resumed for the construction of King St
this’ block was on the west side of James’ block.
In
March 1841 James married Sarah Pettit, in that year Billys’ family home was
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| Margaret Nairn |
completed .Margaret was the next Nairn to leave home marrying Thomas Grigson in
1842. Billy gave the block on King St to Charlotte who was engaged to be married
to Walter Padbury later to become Western Australias’ first millionaire, they
married in April 1844.Jane married Thomas Roach 28May 1850.William Jnr married
Jane Graves, Charles unmarried lost his life when the ship Emma was lost at sea in 1867.
Emma married James Ougden and Ellen married
James Grieves after the death of Grieves married Richard Meares. Billy was a
family man, gregarious, enterprising and generous.
The colony was small and Billy new everyone
that could assist himself and his family prosper. I suggest that the Nairn
motto “Touch not the cat without a glove” could be”It’s not only what you know,
but who you know, that makes one a success”
My
line in the family of Nairns’ comes from my mother, through her mother, my
grandmother Margaret Sheppard nee Nairn, her father was Frank, his father
James, his father Billy .Billys’ father James, James’ father Hugh, Hughs’father
John born in 1702 married Anna Rose 28th October 1729.
Many thanks to Nairns’ local historian Alan
Baron for tracing the records this far..
My
name is Francis John Wilkinson (aka Frank)
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| Frank left, pictured in Nairn meeting well kent local history experts Alan Barron and John Urquhart |
