James Milson | |
---|---|
Born |
James Milson 25 November 1783 Grantham, Lincolnshire, England |
Died | 25 October 1872 Milsons Point, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia |
(aged 88)
Residence | Milsons Point, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia |
Nationality | English |
Occupation | Farmer |
Known for | Milsons Point named after him |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Kilpack (1793–1850) |
Children |
Sophia Milson (1811–1877) |
Sophia Milson (1811–1877)
James Milson (1814–1903)
David Milson (1817–1890)
Elizabeth Milson (1819–1872)
John Milson (1821–1891)
James Milson (25 November 1783 – 25 October 1872) was an early settler on the North Shore of Sydney, Australia.
He was born on 25 November 1783 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England and died at the age of 88 on 25 October 1872 at Milsons Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
23-year-old James Milson arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney) on Albion on 19 August 1806 as one of the earliest free settlers in the Colony of New South Wales. His motivation for immigrating was the same as the many who followed him, the promise of free land. He was a native of Lincolnshire experienced in farming and was welcomed by the colonists, desperate for men with agricultural knowledge. He married in 1810 and subsequently raised a family of 6 children.
Milson did well in the Colony of New South Wales, and established a number of prosperous businesses, which included supplying ships with stone ballast, fresh water, and the produce of his dairy, orchard, and vegetable gardens.
In his own words, in the years before 1825 Milson had "principally resided in District of Parramatta" (more specifically in the area in the District of Parramatta then called the "Field of Mars").
In the early 1820s Milson settled in the District of Sydney in the vicinity of today's Jeffrey Street, Kirribilli, a Sydney suburb on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour. He was a prominent resident of the area for more than 50 years until his death in 1872 at home at "Gratham" in the modern suburb of Milsons Point in what was then called the Municipality of East St Leonards.
Milson and his sons and grandsons built several homes in the area: "Brisbane House" (James Milson), "Grantham" (James Milson), "Fern Lodge" (James Milson), "Wia Wia" (John Milson), "Elamang" (James Milson Jnr), "Coreena" (Alfred Milson, son of James Milson Jnr), and "Wayala" (Arthur Milson, son of James Milson Jnr). Milson's son-in-law William Shairp also built "Carabella". Fern Lodge (heritage listed) and Elamang (in the grounds of the Loreto Convent) were still standing in 2008.
Milsons Point, the headland into Sydney Harbour on which the north pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge stand, and the suburb on this headland to the west of Kirribilli, are both named after James Milson. A retirement village at North Sydney that includes a nursing home is also named after him.