John Sunderland

On January 19^th 1807, at Hilsea Barracks, near Portsmouth in England, John Sunderland enlisted as a private in The New South Wales Corps. John was aged about 52 years of age, so overaged for active service. His record describes him as "dark complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair and long visage".

On May 18th. 1808, John Sunderland embarked for New South Wales with his detachment, the 102nd Regiment, along with his wife and 4 children (George, Rebecca, Sarah and John) aboard the ship "Speke" arriving in the colony 16 or 18^th Nov 1808.

The family lived for 5 years in Sydney (1808 -1813) and acquired a house and premises at no.5 Kent Street.

In 1809 just a few months after arriving in Australia John and Mary Sunderland's youngest child John jnr died, aged 2 in Sydney. He was buried on November 7. The loss of this child was followed two months later by the arrival of a daughter Mary, born on January 5, 1810 and baptised on May 20, 1810 at St Phillips.

The Rum Rebellion 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's history. The Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh, was deposed by the New South Wales Corps under the command of Major George Johnston, working closely with John Macarthur, on 26 January 1808, 20 years to the day after Arthur Phillip founded European settlement in Australia. Afterwards, the colony was ruled by the military, with the senior military officer stationed in Sydney acting as the Lieutenant-Governor of the colony until the arrival from Britain of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie as the new Governor at the beginning of 1810.

• The New South Wales Corps were then recalled and re-designated as part of the 102^nd Regiment. Governor Macquarie's regiment the 73rd, took over garrison duty and the 102^nd Regiment was ordered to return home.

As John Sunderland had only just arrived in the colony a few months prior, he did not want to return to England so he volunteered to join the 73rd regiment. The Governor made provision for long serving soldiers with an option they join an Invalids Company (Veteran Company) for the service of the colony. John Sunderland joined their ranks. A list of this Company made on March 25, 1810 notes that John Sunderland was then aged 50 and was a very experienced soldier having served 31 years in his majesty's army. The Regiment Company was divided into detachments and posted to various settlements.Their duties ranged from town guard to supervising work parties of convicts. The muster of the Company taken from 1811 till early 1814 suggest that John Sunderland remained in Sydney. They show too that he was sick for four months in 1811.

Early in 1814 the Veterans Company was moved to Parramatta and John Sunderland sold the Sydney property and purchased property along The Dog Trap Road which ran between Parramatta and Liverpool, where he lived until 1822.

Colonial Secretary Index (NSW) :

SUNDERLAND, John. Corporal of the Guard

* 1815 Sep 3 - Evidence at inquest on Bartholomew Cooney (Reel 6021; 4/1819 p.96)

SUNDERLAND, John

* 1821 Jan 24 - Store receipts of for fresh meat paid at Parramatta (Reel 6051; 4/1748 p.144)

* 1822 Feb 25-Mar 27 - Of Dog Traps. Moses Harper convicted by Court of Criminal Jurisdiction of stealing from Sutherland (Reel 6023; X820 p.45)

* 1822 Apr 28-May 9- Of Dog Traps. George King and James Riley convicted by Court of Criminal Jurisdiction of breaking into and entering Sutherland's house (Reel 6023; X820 p.49)

* 1822 Jun 1-18 - Of Dog Traps. James Dowden convicted by Court of Criminal Jurisdiction of stealing from Sunderland (Reel 6023; X820 p.53)

* 1822 Jul 30 - His dwelling house was burgled by George King and others (Reel 6053; 4/1756 p.48)

SUNDERLAND, John. Former Private, Royal Veteran Company

* 1823 Oct 28 - To receive a grant of 100 acres of land in any part of the Colony already surveyed (Reel 6011; 4/3509 pp.484,485)

* 1823 Nov 5 - Certificate of entitlement to land (Fiche 3263; 4/7015.2 p.57)

In January 1822, the new Governor, His Excellency Major General Sir Thomas Brisbane wrote to the War Office renewing an earlier request by Macquarie to disband the Veteran's Company. There was no response from London and the Veterans Company was allowed to diminish through either death or, ill health. On September 24th 1823 the Veterans Company was disbanded.

On the 1st of October 1822 a son is born to Rebecca Sunderland and her husband William Townsend. He is christened John after his grandfather, John Sunderland in St. Johns church Parramatta, and is John and Mary Sunderland's first grandchild.

On November 5th 1823, the Governor granted former Private John Sunderland of the Royal Veteran Company, a certificate of entitlement to land. Both John and his eldest son, George Sunderland received grants of land. John received a hundred acres and George sixty acres in adjacent grants in the area now known as Lidcombe, adjoining Rookwood Cemetery.

John and Mary were still in Parramatta district in March 1824 and it is not known whether John ever resided on this land. In the November 1828 Census the Sunderlands were located at Richmond.

On February 22^nd 1830, the old soldier died in Richmond, New South Wales. Inscription on his headstone reads: -

Affliction Soar Long time I bore

Physicians was in vain

Till God Did Please To Give Me Ease,

And Free me from My Pain

Mary Sunderland died at Spring Grove, Cox's River, New South Wales on 21 April 1862 , aged ninety, and was buried on 24 April 1862 at Church of England Cemetery, South Bowenfels, New South Wales, Australia.

As referenced earlier, this story is told in more detail by others online and I refered you to Rootsweb for their sites; note - John Sunderland and Mary Burton .

John Sunderland and Mary Burton had 8 - 12 children..