Rebecca Best (1834-1921)

Rebecca had arrived in Sydney on 18 October 1855 on the "Gilmore" as a single female immigrant at the age of 21. The ship indent shows her to be illiterate, a general servant, from Compton Dundon in Somerset. She had no relations in the colony and arrived in good health. She had paid the assisted passage fare of £1. Her father Ribert Best was still living in Compton Dundon, while her mother Mary Clements was deceased. (Rebecca is found in the 1841 and 1851 censuses at Compton Dundoon with her parents and elder half-sister Frances Godfrey (1828-1887), the daughter of her mother's first marriage.)

Rebecca secured the position of a housekeeper/domestic on the property of a Mr Butcher at Bronte via Goulburn. Unable to afford the expensive Cobb and Co coach fare from Sydney to Goulburn, Rebecca stored her heavy luggage to be picked up later, and decided to walk. This was not an uncommon practice at the time as Carolyn Chisholm regularly walked female prisoners from Sydney to Goulburn to find them work on properties in the area. It was, however, a daunting task for an unaccompanied young woman unfamiliar with the area to undertake. During the trek Rebecca was forced on several occassions to find refuge from the elements and wandering tribes of aboriginals (of whom she was afraid) in hollow logs. She also frequently lost her way in the Shoalhaven Mountains. By good luck she came across a friendly oxen teamster who took her to the Butcher property.

Rebecca Best became involved with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) in 1857 after Thomas' relationship with Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) had broken down. Thomas Lansdown had purchased his first land, 55 Acres, at Boxers Creek (aka Shaws Creek) in the parish of Towrang, on 3 April 1856, but in 1856 he was also leasing land at "Springfield", Quialigo. Thomas had begun a relationship with Rebecca by about July 1857.

On 12 April 1858 Rebecca and Thomas' first child Henry Thomas Best Lansdown was born at Quialigo. Henry was followed by Frances Mary Best Lansdown on 7 April 1860, Susan Best Lansdown on 10 May 1862, and Robert Best Lansdown on 1 August 1864. Three more children followed, all born at Goulburn: Emma Best Lansdown 1 June 1866, Frederick Best Lansdown 27 September 1868 (he died in 1869), and Edith Best Lansdown on 17 March 1870.

Thomas Lansdown and Rebecca Best then married on 10 April 1873 in Goulburn. Rebecca and Thomas did not marry until 1873 after Jane Kelly (c1830-1872), Thomas Lansdown's former partner, had died. Due to the recent death of Jane Kelly, Thomas was recorded as a "widower". Thomas had been sued for maintenance by Jane Kelly in December 1857, after Rebecca had begun her relationship with Thomas. Therefore to Rebecca's knowledge Thomas was married to Jane Kelly. (However, no record of a marriage between Thomas Lansdown and Jane Kelly has been found.) Rebecca would not marry Thomas until after Jane Kelly's death. Despite this precaution, Rebecca's marriage to Thomas was still bigamous as Thomas's first wife Sophia Dorothy Todd (1831-1916) was living in Victoria.

Their marriage certificate from 1873 and newspapers of the day reveal that Thomas and Rebecca were living at Boxers Creek (aka Shaws Creek), 6 kilometres east of Goulburn in the latter years of Thomas' life. In 1879 he won a tender to plant trees for the local government, in 1882 he received a license to slaughter, and in 1884 he posted a reward for the return of a dog.

Rebecca's husband Thomas died on 24 August 1885 at Towrang, 15 kilomtres north-east of Goulburn, just 2 months after the death of their youngest daughter Edith at Boxers Creek.

After Thomas' death Rebecca took over management of the farm at Boxers Creek.

Nearly 20 years after Thomas's death Rebecca married Michael Vaughan on 21 Septmeber 1903 at Moss Vale.

Rebecca died on 20 January 1921 at Towrang, Goulburn.