This is the first instalment of The Brickmaker's Legacy
Timothy Willis was born in Kent, England in 1809, and died September 13, 1888, in Bowral.
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His father was Timothy, and mother Rebecca Knowlden.
Timothy Willis and his sister Eliza set sail for Australia on May 12, 1839 on the ship “Cornwall”. The ship carried 374 emigrants and 55 officers and crew.
Timothy and Eliza were among the last to immigrate under a scheme financed by the British Government. They set sail from the port of Gravesend near London on the Thames River.
The voyage to Australia took 112 covering more than 1300 nautical miles.
Brick making was a family tradition back in England and it was Timothy’s uncle Jess Knowlden who taught him both brick making and brick laying trades.
Upon his arrival in Australia Timothy was to try various occupations.
The family was living in Camden NSW until 1864, when he moved to Bowral to make bricks for Mr. W. Charker. He became the first brick maker in Bowral, and manufactured bricks for the 1,800 foot long Bowral railway tunnel between Bowral and Mittagong.
Timothy was to marry Sarah Jeffress on 19th October, 1844 at St Peters Anglican Church, Cooks River, NSW.
They had 12 children in all. Sarah was born on January 15, 1826, in Deptford, Kent, England and died December 23, 1880 in Bowral, NSW. She arrived with her family on board the ship “Ann Gales” on July 12, 1841.
Children of Timothy and Sarah were:
- Rebecca b.1845 Canterbury (Died 1928 Marrickville, m. William Poll 1864, Berrima).
- Sarah b.1847 Canterbury (Died 1933 Bowral, m. Henry Paine 1871, Sydney).
- William b.1849 Canterbury (Died 1924 Wagga, m. 1871 Caroline Allen, Wagga).
- Emma b.1851 Canterbury (Died 1932 Sydney, m. 1873 John Burton, Sydney).
- George b.1854 Canterbury (Died 1934 Bowral, m. 1877 Emma Flint).
- Charles b.1856 Camden (Died 1946 Crookwell, m. 1881 Mary Hannah Irvine, Big Hill).
- John Thomas b.1858 Camden (Died 1940 Crookwell, m. 1877 Ann Maria Gilby, Cwl).
- James Jeffress b.1860 Camden (Died 1938 Glbn, m. 1882 Joanna Irving, Marulan).
- Jonathan b.1862 Camden (Died 1934 Bowral, m. 1884 Emily Tickner, Glbn).
- Henry b.1864 Camden (Died 1941 Canberra, m. (1) 1886 Lavina White, m. (2) 1913 May Hilda Leman.
- Elizabeth b.1868 Bowral (Died 1868 Bowral).
- Samuel b.1871 Bowral (Died 1950 Sydney, m. (1) Jane Izzard 1891, m (2). Zoe Botham 1907 Leichhardt.)
Timothy’s sister Eliza was born January 17, 1821, in Woodchurch, Kent, England, she died on August 16, 1892 in Greendale, NSW.
Eliza married George Skinner who was born March 4, 1815, Kent, England and died 28th May, 1889 in Bondi NSW. They married on November 13,1843 in St Paul’s Church, Cobbity, NSW. He had arrived on the same ship as Timothy and Eliza. They had 6 children: Charlotte, Henry, Thomas Huntley, George Neil, Charles and Maria.
Timothy’s sons: George, Charles and John Thomas, carried on the family tradition of becoming brick makers.
Charles was to move from the manufacture of bricks to the constructive art of laying bricks. He was to gain a position with the Department of Railways, becoming Inspector of Bricks, and eventually moved to Crookwell in 1886.
John Thomas made bricks for the Tarago Railway, and for Goulburn Jail. He then set up a modern brickyard in Crookwell. His business thrived and some of the finest buildings in Auburn Street Goulburn were constructed using bricks from his kiln.
Two of John’s sons followed the family tradition. Walter Richard and Ned learnt the trade from their father in Crookwell. In 1925 Walter and Ned moved to The Rock and established brickworks which lasted until 1935, when they went their separate ways.
Ned moved to Tumut and set up brickworks there and also one at Cootamundra. These two yards were later run by Ray Willis, his son.
