Second Generation  

2. James Brindley BETTINGTON [18991] (John¹) was born in 1796 and died on 02 Aug 1857 in Plymouth Devon England at age 61.

General Notes: History:

Oatlands house was built in the 1830's by Percy Simpson, former Officer in the Royal Corsican Rangers and one time governor of the Greek Island of Paxos. In Australia he pursued a career as a civil servant and pastoralist. At different times he was Superintendent of the Great North Road, a Police Magistrate and a Crown Lands Commissioner all while building a rural Empire at Oatlands. The next owner was politician-pastoralist, James Brindley Bettington. The last of his line to own Oatlands house died in 1915 and was buried in the family cemetery on the property.

In 1840 Oatlands was sold to James Brindley Bettington, who reached Sydney in 1827 . Brindley was to be provided with funds to make cash advancements to the Colonists on the security of the wool intended for England and to assist the infant settlement to promote the growth of wool in New South

Wales. Bettington started a business in George Street with wharves at Darling Harbour. He became interested in sheep breeding with William Lawson, the explorer, whose daughter he married and who was the first bride to be carried over the threshold of Oatlands House. James Brindley Bettington started a Merino stud with high class Saxon stock, later improved with Silesian Rams. This stud was one of the foundation studs of the Australian Wool Industry. He added to his estates, represented pastoral districts in the Legislative Council and on his death in 1857 his son James Brindley the second inherited his estate. The son and family continued to reside at Oatlands until he died in 1915 at the age of 78.

Oatlands House was originally a low sandstone cottage with flagstone verandahs and courtyards as they exist today. The original kitchen and servants quarters still stand today. In 1840, architect Ambrose Hallen built the two storey addition joining the two buildings. Built by convict labour, the floors are made from cedar grown on the property and the sandstone quarried nearby. Oatlands still uses it's cellars reputedly used for the storage of rum during Rum Traffics Era and one can imagine them also being used for the punishment of difficult convicts. Oatlands appears to have been named after Oatlands Park in England, close to the land of Lord Dundas, after whom this area is named. His memorial stands in St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Theories that the name was derived from the first sowing of the oats grown in Australia is not confirmed.

James married Rebecca LAWSON [18995] [MRIN: 7597], daughter of Lieut. William LAWSON [19004] and Unknown, on 07 Jun 1830 in Castlereagh Colony of New South Wales. Rebecca was born on 17 Jan 1813 in Prospect Colony of New South Wales and died on 25 Feb 1882 in San Francisco California USA at age 69.

Children from this marriage were:

   4 F    i. Ann Brindley BETTINGTON [18997] was born on 22 Aug 1832.

   5 F    ii. Rebecca BETTINGTON [18998] was born on 31 Jan 1834 and died in England.

Rebecca married Capt. Lawrence Hartshorne SCOTT [47309] [MRIN: 16968] on 07 Jun 1859.

+ 6 M    iii. James Brindley BETTINGTON [18989] was born on 01 Apr 1837 in "Veteran Hall" Prospect Colony of New South Wales and died on 22 Dec 1915 in "Oatlands House" Dundas Sydney NSW Australia at age 78.

   7 M    iv. John Henshall BETTINGTON [18999] was born on 10 May 1839 and died on 02 Jun 1861 at age 22.

   8 M    v. William Lawson BETTINGTON [19000] was born on 25 Dec 1842.

   9 F    vi. Susanna Caroline BETTINGTON [19001] was born on 05 Apr 1848.