The Veness Family History

George Perry (1817) & Francies Brooks George Perry was born in Yeovil, Somerset, England, about 1817, the son of Benjamin Perry and Mary Swadich. Frances Brooks was also born there about 1817, the daughter of Samuel Brooks, from Northern Ireland. George and Frances (or Fanny as she was known) married in Yeovil on 3 February 1848. Their first son, Frederick, was born in England in 1849. Around March or April 1850 they embarked for Australia - the voyage was to take more than six months. Early in the voyage it became apparent that Fanny was expecting a second child. They landed at Newcastle on 26 November 1850, and made their way north overland. The next day saw them at Raymond Terrace, where they were forced to stop due to the imminent birth of their second child. Susan Elizabeth Perry was born two days later, 29 November 1850. Lilian Keen writes: “Grandfather Perry went fossicking for gold in that district along the Williams River, north of Newcastle. In this period -- in 1852 -- their daughter Mary Jane was born. George Perry must have done well in panning for gold, as he made enough money to buy a large tract of land on Forest Road, Bexley (the land was bought around 1852). “George continued to spend most of his time away from home prospecting. He went down to Ballarat and Bendigo, and out to Hill End, although nothing matched his initial success at the Williams River. “At home alone with the children, Fanny did a large share of the work: she built a wattle-and-daub home, cutting and splitting saplings and filling the cracks with bark; she split saplings for the fences, and dug a water-hole to water the animals. They kept a horse (for the cart), dogs, a cow and some pigs. She grew beautiful peaches, apricots and grapes, vegetables, corn and hay -- having to live off the land; the surplus she carted into Sydney, 12 miles away (19 kms). “She always took their youngest child, Samuel (b. 1857), to the markets with her; the other three children were locked at home for fear they might wander away into the bush or drown in the water- hole. At this time the surrounds were quite a forest, being part of the tall Blue-gum and Blackbutt forest of Sydney that had once run from Hyde Park to Hurstville.” George Perry died 6 January 1885 at Bexley, while Fanny died there 3 July 1885. Both are buried at St George’s Church of England, Hurstville. The Perry Family passes on a sword which is said to have been at Waterloo. A check of the Muster Roll of men who fought there shows several Perry names. 31 | P a g e