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- The Camden district near Sydney, is closely associated with the earlyhistory of New South Wales. The loss of the early colony's cattle in1795 resulted in the discovery of the Camden area when a party wassent by Governor Hunter to investigate rumours of the location of thestrayed cattle. The area was given the name "Cowpastures". To protectthe wild cattle, a constables house was built in 1805 abutting theNepean River and the then Governor King instructed a survey of theroad from the crossing at the Nepean to Prospect, now the line of theOld Hume Highway. John Macarther had brought a number ofDutch-Spanish sheep from South Africa and established a small stud atElizabeth Farm at Parramatta. In 1801, Macarther sent samples of woolto England for testing, where British woollen manufacturers found thewool to of a similar quality to the Spanish merino wool which had amonopoly on the English market. In 1803 after submissions byMacarther, the Colonial Secretary, Lord Camden, ordered Governor Kingto grant Macarther "not less than 5000 acres of land..." and allowedthe export to Australia of the first pure bred merinos to leave theRoyal Stud at Kew. Since that time, Macarther's Camden Park Estate hasbecome part of Australian history as the foundation stone of it's woolindustry. After considerable difficulties, the opposition of the newGovernor Bligh, disease, isolation and the killing of sheep byaborigines - the industry prospered and by 1839, Camden Park comprisedsome 28,000 acres. Camden, the town, was proposed in 1830 but wasnot proclaimed until after the death of Macarther, in 1836. By 1840the "first commodious hotel.." was in construction. Sites for theRoman Catholic and Presbyterian Churches were selected, a schoolopened and a post office established. By 1847 an Episcopalian Churchwas in build and the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was complete. The townincreased dramatically through 1860. Camden Park Estate introduceddairying in 1826 with the employment of 14 female convicts, andviticulture in 1838 - activities which continue today. Wool productionrose from 245lbs in 1807 to an immense 3,776,191 lbs. in 1835 but inthe early 1840's the whole district turned to wheat growing. By 1850,with the indomitable spirit of the pioneering farmer, wheat (and oats)became the predominant activity which was reaped before the almostannual onset of rust in the grain. In order to expand production,large areas of the estate were subdivided in various areas and leasedfor 13 or more years to settler farmers. Most leases required all orsome land to be cleared - hence the common name "clearing leases". Tofind experienced farmers, the estate established agents in England whotoured the midland farm areas to entice farmers to emigrate toAustralia as assisted migrants, with a guarantee of a land lease. Withthe then tough conditions and with all the family males being at onetime or other listed in English records as agricultural labourers ortenant farmers, the engagement was easy with almost the whole familyagreeing to leave England forever. The family paid the notinsubstantial sum of £1.00 for each adult male, £2.00 for each adultwife and £1.00 for each child. Transport from Southampton by ship,provisions, basic requirements on arrival together with assistance toCamden, were provided. North Cawdor Estate was one such leasesubdivision, comprising many largely 100+ acre lots in excellent wellwatered but only partly cleared country, a few miles from Camden. Theland was intersected by the Cobbity Creek and the Mt. Hunter Creekfurther north and was bounded by the Nepean River to the east. It wasalso commonly known as Cobbity Paddock. Adjacent were such estates,all part of Camden Park Estate as Macquarie Grove, Wivenhoe, MountHunter, Brisbane Farm, West Camden and Kirkham. Around 1853 somethirty lots were leased to immigrants including Charles Loiterton(noted as 'Literton') over two lots; Samuel Sheather; Edward & JohnSheather; Henry, William & George Loader and the Bugden family - allof whom had children who would later marry into the Loiterton family. The family now comprising · Charles Snr., Susannah and fivechildren - Mary Anne, Charles Jnr., Sarah, John and Elizabeth·Elizabeth and husband Richard Marshal and four surviving children and· Adam and Annleft in February 1853 from Southampton, England on the"Harriet" via Cape Town. After a delay in quarantine, the shipdocked in Sydney on 11 June 1853 at Farm Cove, Sydney. Disembarkationdid not take place until 4.00pm on 16 June, 1853. The families weremet, along with a large number of other assisted immigrants, by theMacarther agents. Temporary accommodation in the woolsheds near SydneyCove was provided for a few days whilst basic requirements wereassembled, formalities completed, leases signed and notarised andtransport organised. The group left Sydney Town after church onSunday, 19 June for the four day walk to Camden. Whilst bullock-drawndrays were provided by the Macarther agents to transport the basicnecessities and the children, it rained almost as soon as they leftand the four days became a miserable six days. The weather, beingmid-winter, was cold with daily fogs and drizzle. They arrived at thepromised lands late in the afternoon of Saturday, 25 June 1853,arriving in brilliant sunshine and moved in with pre-arranged existingfamilies until slab houses could be built on their selections. Overthe next month or so basic accommodation was built with not only theassistance of neighbours but with labour provided by the paternalisticMacarther family, anxious to settle their new tenants as quickly aspossible. Charles Loiterton Snr. leased land on the south side ofthe Cobbity Creek for 13 years at £30.0.0 per annum commencing on 16July 1853, the lease commencing exactly one month after arrival. Nineyears later, in 1862, the account books of Macarthur Estate show thatCharles Loiterton (spelt as 'Literton') was a tenant farmer, holdingportions 53 and 54 situated at Cobbity Paddock, covering an area of141 acres, 40 of which were described as "cleared and arable". In thatseason, a sowing of 38 acres yielded 100 bushels of wheat. In1861, the dreaded wheat rust ruined that year's crop, causing a severesetback in wheat farming. With the loss of crops, farming came to astandstill, the Thompson and other local flourmills supplying flour toSydney, were laid idle. Many who first considered the rust to beseasonal pest, tried again and again but saw their livelihoods dwindleto nothing as yeilds tumbled. With another devastating rust outbreakin 1863 and the ruin of the crops again, Charles, along with a numberof the other tenant farmers handed in their hard won land and movedwith their families, westward, foregoing the balance of the leases.Although the thirteen-year lease would not have expired until June1866, the last mention of any family in Camden was in July 1864. Onthis date, Susannah was a witness to a marriage at the residence ofthe Rev. Charles Waters at Camden, presumably of the fledglingPrimitive Methodist Church. Whilst some moved to Yass, Cootamundra andYoung, Charles Snr. and his family moved to Wingecarribee now the areaof the southern highlands comprising Berrima, Moss Vale, Sutton Forestand Bowral. The family religion was shown on manifests as Baptistbut all appear to have joined the Primitive Methodist Church inAustralia. As the church used in England by Charles and family atLutton was used for both Baptist and Methodist worship, the move wasnot unusual. Records show that they were members of the PrimitiveMethodist Church in Cobbity Paddock in 1859 during the ministry of theRev. Jabez Langford.The extensive obituary notice at the death ofSusannah (wife of Charles Snr.) in May 1895, published in an unknownMethodist Church newspaper, The Union Signal, stated:"In the absenceof a more suitable building, Mr. and Mrs. Loiterton gladly openedtheir humble dwelling for the purpose of public worship. A SabbathSchool was also established in the same place, with our late sister assuperintendent. Mrs. Loiterton made it a practice to rise every Sundayat 4 o'clock so that the work may be done and the children and thehouse got ready for School and Church. She and her husband wereuntiring in their labours for the cause of God, and most generous intheir hospitality to the servants of the Lord." The statementspresumably refer to West Jindalee. A number of the childrenmarried, and grandchildren born, at Camden including Mary Ann, theeldest daughter of Charles Snr. and Elizabeth, who was married atCobbity Paddock to John Campbell on 17 March 1859 by a WesleyanMethodist minister, Rev C. W. Rigg. Charles Jnr., the eldest son ofCharles Snr., married Ellen Sheather at Cobbity Paddock on 4 June 1861which union resulted in eleven children, with John (1861) and Charles(1864) born at Camden. Sarah remained at Camden and was married on 7December 1870 in the Primitive Methodist Church, Camden to CharlesNew, (son of James and Mary New nee Lane), born at Camden Park on 10July 1844.
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Our Family
1842 - 1930 (88 years)
