WILLIAM BURSILL

William Bursill

Source: Austcemindex

William and Hannah Bursill of Legacy House, Campbelltown
Source: June Braby in unknown publication

William Bursill married Catherine Mackeray and had the following children with her before her death on 10 Dec 1833 (NSW BDM 1340/1834 V18341340 18).

• WILLIAM BURSILL Jnr
• BURSILL MARY ANN - 577/1833 V1833577 17

William Bursill then married Hannah Smith in 1834 at St Peters C of E Campbelltown (NSW BDM 1340/1834 V18341340 18). Hannah was the daughter of two transportees. She married the widowed William, when his children were aged 4 and 17 months.

The new Bursill family were largely based in Campbelltown until at least after the 1859 Census. However they must have travelled at times as births were recorded in Wollongong and Sofala.  

William died in Redfern on 10 Apr 1872 at the age of 69 (NSW BDM 2422/1872). Hannah arrived in Gulgong in 1872 having raised 2 step-children and given birth to 12 children. They included:

• BURSILL SARAH J - (NSW BDM 668/1835 V1835668 19) - birth registered St Peter's C of E, Campbelltown. 

[Sarah Jane married William Cooper in 1852 and one of their many children, Clarissa Cooper (born 1855) married Mathew Pitman Homer.

Sarah Jane married a 2nd time to Joseph Sturch (1833-1914) in 1873.]

• BURSILL FRANCES - (NSW BDM 935/1837 V1837935 21) - birth registered St Peter's C of E, Campbelltown; died 1837 (NSW BDM 3170/1837 V18373170 22)
• BURSILL CHARLETTE - (NSW BDM 4190/1839 V18394190 45B and NSW BDM 923/1839 V1839923 47) - birth registerered "Presbyterian, Wollongong".
• BURSILL ELIZABETH - (NSW BDM 1402/1841 V18411402 25A) - birth registered St Peter's C of E, Campbelltown
• BURSILL ANNE/ANNA - (NSW BDM 416/1843 V1843416 124 and 309/1843 V1843309 124) - birth registerered "Presbyterian, Parramatta".
• BURSILL MARTHA - (NSW BDM 512/1847 V1847512 49) - St Peter's Presbyterian, Campbelltown
• BURSILL SAMUEL - (NSW BDM 830/1850 V1850830 50) - St Peter's Presbyterian, Campbelltown
• BURSILL TIMOTHY - (NSW BDM 407/1852 V1852407 159) - born at Sofala; birth registered "Wesleyan/Methodist Bathurst/Hill End
• BURSILL THOMAS - (NSW BDM 6145/1858) - Campbelltown
• BURSILL JOHN - (NSW BDM 6444/1861) - Campbelltown; died 1864 Campbelltown (NSW BDM 3400/1864)

At Home Rule Charlotte used her birthing experience to work as a midwife. Meanwhile, seven of her children mined for gold in the area. Five of her children married at Home Rule. Two of Hannah's daughters went on to be midwives.

Source: Austcemindex

Miners display a pan of nuggets from a new strike (see flag left) with Clerk of Petty Sessions, L.S. Donaldson (straw hat) to check the claim while butcher Leggatt sits on his cart, Gulgong area
Source: SLNSW

Timothy Bursill (far right check shirt) identified by relative June Braby of Albany, WA. The family (including 15 children) lived at Home Rule
Source: Australasian photo-review. Vol. 61 No. 2 (1 February 1954