James Milson

James Milson was an early settler on the North Shore of Sydney, Australia.
He was born on 25 November 1783 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England and died at the age of 88 on 25 October 1872 at Milsons Point, Sydney, Australia.
23-year-old James Milson arrived in Port Jackson on Albion on 19 August 1806 as one of the earliest free settlers in the Colony of New South Wales. His motivation for immigrating was the same as the many who followed him, the promise of free land. He was a native of Lincolnshire experienced in farming and was welcomed by the colonists, desperate for men with agricultural knowledge. He married in 1810 and subsequently raised a family of 6 children.
Milson did well in the Colony of New South Wales, and established a number of prosperous businesses, which included supplying ships with stone ballast, fresh water, and the produce of his dairy, orchard, and vegetable gardens.
In his own words, in the years before 1825 Milson had "principally resided in District of Parramatta".
In the early 1820s Milson settled in the District of Sydney in the vicinity of today's Jeffrey Street, Kirribilli, a Sydney suburb on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour. He was a prominent resident of the area for more than 50 years until his death in 1872 at home at "Gratham" in the modern suburb of Milsons Point in what was then called the Municipality of East St Leonards.
Milson and his sons and grandsons built several homes in the area: "Brisbane House", "Grantham", "Fern Lodge", "Wia Wia", "Elamang", "Coreena", and "Wayala". Milson's son-in-law William Shairp also built "Carabella". Fern Lodge and Elamang were still standing in 2008.
Milsons Point, the headland into Sydney Harbour on which the north pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge stand, and the suburb on this headland to the west of Kirribilli, are both named after James Milson. A retirement village at North Sydney that includes a nursing home is also named after him.
In addition Milson Island on the Hawkesbury River, Milson Passage the passage in the Hawkesbury River between Milson Island and the southern bank, and Milsons Passage the suburb on the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River opposite Milson Island are all named after Milson's son Robert Milson.

Surname

In many records James Milson's surname is shown as "Milsom". "Milsom" was the surname by which James signed letters, in which legal proceedings were transacted, and which appears on early maps such as the 1840s map shown below. By the time that James died in 1872 he was known as Milson, the name by which he and his family are known today.

Family tradition

In the words of the North Sydney Historical society:
There is a Milson family tradition which includes that:

James Milson was "promised" all the land on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour between Hulk Bay and Rainbow Bay by Governor Philip Gidley King. Despite Milson's wife's continuous urging, he did not press the Governor for a written-out grant.
* However, James Milson did not arrive in Port Jackson until after Philip Gidley King had ceased to be governor on 12 August 1806. James Milson arrived on Albion on 19 August 1806 during the period that Captain William Bligh was governor from 13 August 1806 to 26 January 1808. James Milson's arrival and his marriage on 8 January 1810 were both events that occurred after Philip Gidley King ceased to be Governor of New South Wales. Therefore there is no way that Philip Gidley King could have made Milson a land grant, or that Milson's wife could have urged Milson to press Philip Gidley King for a written-out grant. Milson marriage occurred during the time that Lachlan Macquarie was Governor of New South Wales. Lachlan Macquarie was governor from 1 January 1810 to 1 December 1821. James Milson was instead given land by Governor Macqaurie. In James Milson's memorial to Governor Macquarie dated 5 June 1820 it was stated that James Milson was living with his family at Pennant Hills "following agricultural pursuits" on a 100-acre grant previously given to him by Governor Macquarie.
Milson was shown a plan delineating the land in his name and that this sufficed as legal ownership in the early colony.
* However there is no legal precedent for this assertion.
Milson built his house on "Milson's Point" shortly after his marriage in 1810.
* However in the years after his marriage James Milson lived at the "Field of Mars". in addition to the memorial of 5 June 1820 establishing residence for himself and his family at that time at Pennant Hills, in Milson's own words in the years before 1825 he had "principally resided in District of Parramatta". He did not build a residence at Milsons Point in the District of Sydney shortly after his marriage in 1810.
No actual acreage was stated and this fact weakened Milson's case in the subsequent legal dispute between himself and Campbell over title to the land that included Milson's Orchard.
* However this case did indeed mention acreage, and was not about who owned the land. Milson lost his case against Campbell based on non-payment of a lease agreement between himself and Campbell. The case mentioned that Milson leased a farm of from Robert Campbell. In this case Milson did not purport to own the land that he was leasing. Milson instead referred to Campbell's absence of proof of title which made it impossible to ascertain the boundary between the that Milson leased from Campbell, and the adjoining "very large portion of land" that Milson had received as a grant from Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane in August 1824. It is true, however, that Milson did dispute Campbells ownership of the land during the nearly 3 years from 1828 that he ceased paying rent. During this time Milson wrote to the Surveyor-General and Governor Ralph Darling in an attempt to have the land recognised as his own instead of Robert Campbell's. The reply that Milson received on 13 March 1829 was that he could not obtain the land as it was the property of Robert Campbell, and that the land that Milson owned was already measured and marked out.

Versions of this family tradition, or parts thereof, have been repeated as fact in many publications about the life of James Milson. The most common part of the family tradition that is repeated is that the court case between Campbell and Milson was a dispute over land title. Examples of repetition of the family tradition, or parts thereof, are found in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, the publication by Elizabeth Warne, the publication of R.H. Goddard, publications of the North Sydney Council and the North Sydney Historical Society, and the Dictionary of Sydney.

Newspaper report that contains the family tradition

An example of a version of the family tradition follows from the Sydney Morning Herald of 19 May 1926.

Sydney Morning Herald, 19 May 1926	Evidence from documentation
AN OLD FAMILY THE MILSON STORY The death recently of Mr. Arthur James Milson at his residence, Walaya, Milson's Point, removes another link connected with the early days of New South Wales.
His grandfather, James Milson, arrived in Sydney as a free settler in 1804	James Milson arrived aboard Albion on 19 August 1806.
with letters of introduction to Governor King from several influential friends in England.	Governor King was governor when James Milson sailed from England but was not governor by the time he arrived.
On arrival he built a small cottage on the North Shore opposite to Dawes Battery and here cultivated extensive gardens and an orchard at Castle Hill for the supply of vegetables and fresh fruit for the ships in Svdney Cove.	Milson did build a small cottage "on the North Shore opposite to Dawes Battery" but it was in the early 1820s, not "on arrival" in 1806. In the early 1820s he also built there a dairy, orchard and vegetable gardens to supply the ships in Sydney Cove. Milson did not have an orchard at Castle Hill. Milson had grazing land at Pennant Hills, which is close to Castle Hill.
On receiving a "promise of the land fronting Sydney Cove" he remarked that the area was not fit to grow anything as it was nothing but sandstone. The Governor reasoned with him that although he would not be able to grow much then the stone on the ground would certainly be valuable in years to come for building purposes. A prophecy that was true indeed.	The governor being discussed here is Governor King, who was not governor during the time that James Milson was in the Colony. This conversation with Governor King has no basis in fact. Milson did receive land "fronting Sydney Cove", a 50-acre grant from Governor Brisbane in August 1824 that fronted both Lavender Bay and Careening Cove. He established his dairy & orchard on land leased from Robert Campbell.
James Milson held the position of confidential land steward to Governor Macquarie, and had the superintending of the Government Farm.	This has no basis in fact. Lachlan Macquarie ceased being governor on 1 December 1820. In June 1820 James Milson had a memorial written to Governor Macquarie stating that he was living at Pennant Hills on a grant that Governor Macquarie had given him and requesting more land. A referee for this memorial was Robert Campbell. None of this agrees with Milson being a "confidential land steward" or "superintending of the Government Farm " during the time of Governor Macquarie.
Governor Brisbane having known Milson in England, they were fast friends, and he held a similar position in Sir James's household.	It is not known if James Milson knew Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane in England or if they were fast friends. It is true, however, that James Milson was a steward and keeper of Government House in Sydney during the time of Governor Brisbane. Milson's salary as keeper of Government House from the period 22 August 1823 to 27 February 1824 had been £89. In addition his wife received an assigned convict servant, John Wallans on 24 November 1823 when she is recorded as Mrs Milson of Government House. James Milson himself received an assigned convict servant on 17 September 1824 when he was recorded as John Milson of Government House. The servant he received at that time was Edward Sharley. Then on 1 November 1825 James Milson was again recorded as a Steward of Government House.
James Milson married Elizabeth, a daughter of David Kilpack, a member of the New South Wales Corps, and one of the first grantees of land in the Paramatta district, and an early sheep breeder of the colony.	James Milson did marry Elizabeth the daughter of David Kilpack but most of the rest is incorrect. David Kilpack had arrived in the colony as a convict in the First Fleet aboard the Scarborough in 1788. He was never a member of the New South Wales Corps. He did receive an early grant in the Parramatta district receiving his first grant of land in 1794. He died in 1797 after having earlier sold his farm to John Macarthur. He was not involved in sheep breeding like John Macarthur and his friends.
"King's Despatches" mention the number of sheep in the colony in 1805 to be 20,617, and the sheepbreeders were S. Marsden, John Macarthur, R. Hassall, Edward Lamb, T. Rowley, David Kilpack, Edward Robinson, James Sheppard, and Thomas Arndell.	It is well known from Australian History that Samuel Marsden, John Macarthur, Rowland Hassall, Thomas Rowley, and Thomas Arndell were involved in early sheep farming in the Colony of New South Wales. As an ex-convict David Kilpack did not move in this social circle, and did not have enough land on which to graze sheep. Other names are associated in some way with the Milson history. For example James Sheppard was a man with whom James Milson had a dispute over land in the early 1820s; Edward Lamb had worked for Robert Campbell’s nephew Robert Campbell Jnr, and James Milson Jnr had later been a partner in the firm of Robert Campbell Jnr & Co. It is not known who the name Edward Robinson could be referring to, though there was an Edward Robinson who had arrived as a convict on the "Admiral Barrington" in 1791 and who had farmed cattle in the Hawkesbury district. That David Kilpack was a sheepbreeder, or was included in "King's Despatches" with the likes of Samuel Marsden, John Macarthur, Rowland Hassall, Thomas Rowley, and Thomas Arndell has no basis in fact.
Milson's house on the North Shore was the rendezvous of many such gentlemen as Dr. McLeod, Dr Ivory Balcombe, Brabyn, Sir James Brisbane and Judge Bent who would be found there on Sunday afternoons.	It is not known if this has any basis in fact. "The Monitor" of 8 December 1826 states that Milson’s farm on the North Shore of Port Jackson was "a well known resort for Sunday-goers" but no names are given. Again the Governor’s name was Sir Thomas Brisbane. Sir James Brisbane was the Commodore of the British Navy who travelled on his ship H.M.S. Warspite which was in Port Jackson from 19 October 1826 to 30 December 1826 with Sir James Brisbane dying during this time on 19 December 1826 while the ship was in the harbour.
In 1826 bush fires raged over the whole of the North Shore and Milson's house was destroyed. Everything was lost including some valuable mares he had recently imported. The occupants were rescued by officers and men from H.M. S. Warspite.	There were bushfires that raged in 1826 and destroyed Milson’s house. There was no mention of valuable mares in the newspaper report about the effect of the fire on the Milsons. There was also no mention in the newspaper reports of rescue. The H.M.S. Warspite was, however, in Port Jackson between October 1826 and December 1826 and there may be some truth on this part of the family tradition as the family retained the name of this ship and the name of its Commodore Sir James Brisbane.
An account of the disastrous bush fires that occurred on November 28, 1826, appeared in the "Monitor" on December 8 of that year and was recorded as follows:-"It Is our painful duty to record a melancholy instance of the mutability of human affairs. There dwelt upon the North Shore a reputable family named Milsham the heads of whom had long held confidential positions in the households of Governors Macquarie and Brisbane. Having acquired an easy competency they had retired to this sequestrated spot to enjoy the fruits of their labour, a comfortable neatly-furnished dwelling; a garden, cattle, and a well-known resort of Sunday-goers known as 'The Milk House,' which produced a considerable weekly rental, constituted their possessions. Milsham was absent, and his wife and daughter saw with fearful solicitude the distant smoke rising o'er the hill; towards the set of sun the blazing heath presented to their view an appalling prospect. Two male domestics then on the promises made active endeavours to cut off the communication of the flames by clearing a space as ample as time would admit to check its destructive progress, but the attempt was vainly made. The impelling breeze wafted ignited masses through the air and the only recourse now left was to remove the most necessary and valuable portables. The house contained apparel, beds. etc., which wore hastily conveyed to a distance; but the unfortunate owners were compelled to witness the demolition of their peaceful habitation. The small remaining hope of saving the residue of their property was not for long. The destructive element made rapid progress towards the depository of their movables, and quickly was the wreck complete."	The bushfires occurred on 25 November 1826, not the 28th. The report that is quoted from the "Monitor" of 8 December 1826 is not the complete story but was missing the last sentences. Other edits have been made including changing the spelling of the surname from Melsham to Milsham.
The "Monitor," December 1826, reports other serious bush fires: -"The northern point or the hemisphere presented a vivid glare from the conflagration." A similar fire took place at Woolloomooloo.
Governor Brisbane having taken up his residence at Rosehill, he offered Government House to James Milson until he rebuilt.	It is not known if there is any truth in this assertion.
His new home he called Brisbane Cottage, erecting it on the former site, situated just above the new cutting recently made to the Milson's Point vehicular ferry.	A new cottage was built within the bounds of the orchard that James Milson had established on the land that he leased from Robert Campbell and is seen on a map from the 1840s. It is believed to have been called "Brisbane Cottage" and the home that Milson built in 1831 on his own 50 acres granted to him by Governor Brisbane in 1825 was called "Brisbane House".
The late Mr. Arthur Milson, when speaking of the old days of Milson's Point, recalled the small creek that ran through the garden to the west of Brisbane Cottage, emptying itself over a waterfall into this part of the harbour, where ships' boats used to fill their casks when getting supplies of milk, fruit, and vegetables.	This creek can be seen on MAP 3 in this article, a part of a map from the 1840s. The waterfall is on land just outside the area being leased by James Milson in the 1840s.
On the cliff near the waterfall there were several round holes in the rock, and his father told him that the natives in the early days used these holes to mix up a punch, and get intoxicated with the mixture.	It is not known if there is any truth in this assertion.
In these grounds there used to stand three headstones under some lemon trees, marking the position of the remains of the chief officer, surgeon, and one of the crew of the ship Surry, who succumbed to smallpox on August 12, 1814. The authorities would not allow the interment in a public burial ground, and hearing this, Mr Milson allowed the interment to be made in his grounds.	The graves are seen in the orchard on MAP 3 in this article, a part of a map from the 1840s. The people buried were 3 typhoid victims from the convict transport Surry. The notation on the map says "Spot where three of the Surry's crew are interred". James Milson was not living on this land as early as 1814, and the graves were already in place before Milson moved there and began to build his orchard. His permission was never needed to be sought to perform the burials on that land. One of those buried is known to have been the ship's surgeon who attended the typhoid victims.
James Milson was one of the original members of the first Boating Club formed in 1836; Mr. Burton Bradley was the commodore. The Obituary of James Wilson Jnr from 1903 states that it was instead James Wilson Jnr who was one of the original members of the first Boating Club formed in 1836.	-
His Son, James Milson junior, was one of the founders of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in 1862. When the late Mr. Arthur Milson came to reside in Sydney he, like many other members of this old yachting family, took a great interest in yachting. He built the yacht Mischief, which was named after the old boat of the same name owned by his father , and which was well known as far back as the early 'fifties. Mr. Milson did not take an active part in yacht racing, but held office in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, first as rear-commodore, afterwards as vice-commodore, and finally as commodore. He retired from the latter position to offer the position of commodore to Lord Forster.	This appears to be factual.
Referring to the naming of the proposed new railway station at Milson's Point, by the Railway Commissioners, the late Mr. Milson never ceased, up to the time of his death, to draw attention to the obviously unnecessary alteration of the name of Milson's Point.