George Cowden, Free Settler "Beejapore" 1853

Born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, 1815, he was married to Mary and lived in the Renfrewshire area as a weaver (1841 census). In the 1851 census, he had married his second wife, Agnes, and still lived in Renfrewshire. They sailed for Australia from Liverpool on 12 October 1852 aboard the notoriously overcrowded ship Beejapore (which I have written up here: https://www.geni.com/projects/Bad-ship-Beejapore/54438), which suffered numerous deaths aboard and many more once ashore in Australia, in quarantine.

The massive ship underwent the longest regular oceanic voyage during the age of sail, direct from the UK along a far southerly route exploiting the trade winds of the roaring forties -- actually along latitude 50 degrees. It made record time on the passage, 86 days, carrying 967 immigrants, including 342 children, 55 of whom died during the voyage, but not the four children that George Cowden brought, aged 11 (daughter Jane from his first marriage), Agnes 4, George 2, and the infant Isabella. When they docked at Spring Cove, the authorities gingerly received the ship's papers with tongs and put them in a sealed tin. The passengers were crammed into a camp built for 150 persons; it contained more than 1,000 people; a further 52 children and ten adult passengers died during the 35 days they were kept there under armed guard.

Records reflect that George and his wife Agnes were hired at the rate of £35 per annum for the pair, with double rations, by Mr. Henry O'Brien of Yass, and they must have moved there with the four children who had accompanied on the voyage, and fortunately survived it (Source: http://www.pastkeys.com.au/files/Beejapore-Scottish-weavers-1853_wo...). Before long, George took work as a laborer in Bathurst, as reflected in the baptismal records of his sons William and Alexander. He acquired the capital and skills to become a farmer, and his death certificate records him as a farmer at Browning. Parish records of the 1890s show his ownership of various parcels of land in and around Browning, along Limestone Creek. After Browning, he lived on his Watervale Farm, near Murrumburrah / Harden. George & Agnes retired to Binalong Street, Murrumburrah, leaving his son George to manage Watervale Farm, which was still being operated by the Cowden family as of 2013.

His daughter Margaret (b.1855) married David Reid, while her youngest brother, James Cowden married David Reid's niece, Mary Ann Jones, daughter of Elizabeth Reid. His son William (b.1854) married Anne Coggan; her brother Philip Coggan married William's sister Elizabeth.

The surname of Agnes Patterson presents some problems (notes on this are available). She was known to have been born in Paisley.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Dec 20 2023, 11:05:14 UTC