Mr George Best This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. arthurparis.topcities.com

   arthurparis.topcities.com/Pari - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/6/2001   Last Visited: 5/3/2002

   George Best and Martha Chamberlain
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   GEORGE BEST
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   George Best was born about 1756 in Kent, England. Prior to arriving in Australia, he was a farmer in Sussex, England. In 1790, at the age of 33, he was convicted at the Kent Assizes of stealing a silver watch and other goods to the value of £5-1-3.
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   George was sentenced "to be hanged by the neck until he be dead", however he was reprieved and sentenced to transportation for life.
   
   Australia Bound George arrived in Australia on board the William & Ann on the 25th of August 1791. Almost immediately, he was sent to the prison farm at Toongabbie where he became an overseer and seedsman. After only five years of good service there, he was granted an absolute pardon on the 1st of May 1797.
   
   George improves his lot George married Martha Chamberlain, another convict, on the 17th of September 1797 in St John's C of E, Parramatta, NSW.
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   On the 30th of December 1796, George was granted 30 acres of land in the district of Toongabbie. He was required to pay rent to the Crown of 1 shilling per year commencing after 10 years.
   
   By 10 April 1802, George was of such good character, that he was permitted to possess one gun.
   
   On the 9th of August 1803, he was granted a further 185 acres in the district of Toongabbie. He was required to pay rent to the Crown of 3 shillings per year commencing after 5 years.
   
   George was a competent and industrious farmer. In his diary dated Tuesday 11th December 1810, the NSW Governor, Lachlan Macquarie wrote:
   
   "...I proceeded to visit those remaining farms in the Baulkham Hills and Toongabbee Districts, which I had not seen in my first excursion to these districts at the commencement of my tour of inspection in November. These farms are in general poor ones and not productive, but I was highly gratified with the appearance of two of them, namely those belonging to Best and Pye, two very industrious respectable settlers, who have their farms well cultivated and in most excellent order, with good offices, and comfortable decent dwelling houses."
   
   By 1820, he had cleared one hundred and sixty of the four hundred and sixty-five acres he had accumulated at Toongabbie. By that time, four convicts were working for him on his land, while he was paying two free workers to put up posts and rails, one free man as a shepherd and two ticket-of-leave men to clear stumps.
   
   But George was not happy with the amount of property he had, for he petitioned the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie for more land. The petition read:
   
   "To His Excellency, Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, Captain General, Governor, and Commander in Chief ~
   
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   "On Sunday evening, the 24th, the dwelling of Mr Best, settler at Toongabbee, was entered by seven armed ruffians, who plundered the house of the following articles; viz. 3 black jackets, a blue coat and jacket, a black coat, 2 black waistcoats, a silk ditto, a jean ditto, a belveteen ditto, 2 pieces of swansdown, 3 pair of black trowsers, a pair of blue ditto, a pair of nankeen ditto, a pair of velveteen ditto, 3 shirts, a piece of nankeen, 2 white gowns, 2 printed ditto, 2 beaver hats, 2 black silk handkerchiefs, 1½ chest of tea, a bag of sugar, a basket of tobacco, a bed-tick; a fowling-piece, maker's name George Touse, Coventry; a silver watch, maker's name John Anderson, No. 489; 2 gallons of rum, a powder-horn, 3 pair of white stockings, a pound of thread, and 12s. in copper coin. No violence was resorted to. A pistol was discharged in the air as soon as the act of plunder terminated. We rejoice to say, owing to the immediate alarm that was made, two, if not three, of the offenders were apprehended shortly; and, being identified, were fully committed."
   
   The following excerpt from the Sydney Gazette, dated Friday, October 4, 1822 relates to one of those charged:
   
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   Mr. Best, after contending for some few minutes with the stream, disappeared to rise no more; and both horses were also drowned. The man providentially gained the opposite bank. Every effect to recover the body proved unavailing; and Mr. Best has to deplore the loss of an excellent son."
   
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   George and a number of other settlers wrote to Charles Throsby, Magistrate:
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   George Best
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   In 1824, the Colonial Secretary's Office forwarded this letter to George, Hugh Kelly, John Williams and Jonas Bradley.
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   This was followed by another letter in September forwarded to George and John Williams... George Best and John Williams.
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   George used the wealth of the land, his industry, and his sobriety to pass from servitude to respectability.
   
   There is a tradition within the Best family that in the presence of their ancestors, the local Aborigines pointed to crows flying overhead and uttered the words "Wagga Wagga", the name they then gave their pastoral run. "Wagga" is said to mean "a crow" in the Wiradjuri language.
   
   George died on the 3rd of July 1836 in Seven Hills, NSW, Australia. On the 6th of July 1836, he was buried at St John's Cemetery, Parramatta.
   
   His headstone reads:
   
   "George Best who departed this life July 3rd 1836 aged 73 years".
   
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   Grave of George Best and Martha Chamberlain
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   "Sacred to the memory of George Best who was unfortunately drowned in crossing Whollondary River June 26 1823 aged 22 years" "Also of Martha Best who departed this life March 14th 1833 aged 55 years" "Also of George Best who departed this life July 3rd 1836 aged 73 years"
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   George and Martha had ten children.
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   3. George Best, born 29th of November 1801 at Castle Hill, NSW and died 26th of June 1823 on the Wollondilly River, NSW. He was buried in St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. His headstone reads: "Sacred to the memory of George Best who was unfortunately drowned in crossing Wollondilly River June 26, 1823 aged 22 years".