Rebecca Best (1834-1921)

Immigration
Rebecca 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 Robert Best (c1810-1868) was still living in Compton Dundon, while her mother Mary Clements (c1790-1854) was recently deceased. Her only sibling, her older half-sister Frances Godfrey (1828-1887) was recently married. (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.)

Obituaries
Rebecca had 2 Obituaries printed in the newspaper after she died on Friday, 21 January 1921 at the age of 86.

The first obituary was published on 22 January 1921, the day after Rebecca died, in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post:


 * OBITUARY


 * The death is announced of Mrs.


 * Rebecca Lansdowne, who figured so


 * prominently amongst the old people at


 * the Centenary celebrations, her age be


 * -ing stated to be 100.

The Centenary Celebrations for the city of Goulburn had been held less than 3 months earlier on 25-31 October 1920. At that time Rebecca was no where near 100 years in age. The above then introduces one of Rebecca's qualities that was described in the second obituary published just a couple of days later, on 25 January, in the same newspaper, that being that Rebecca was a story-teller:


 * The old lady, in later days, was fond of relating this story...To the last she was active, her memory being remarkable, and her fund of humourous stories being remarkable.

The second obituary, which incorrectly calls her Harriet Lansdowne, recounts some of the stories that Rebecca told about her life. Many of the details in the obituary about her life were incorrect, and the stories that she told are therefore also called into question. Incorrect details include her age which was stated to be 104, the year that she was born which was stated to be 1817, that she had left England at the end of 1838, and that the ship that she had arrived on, the "Gilmore" had arrived in Botany Bay in 1839. This last is incorrect on two counts, as immigrant ships did not anchor in Botany Bay but sailed direct to Port Jackson. Other incorrect details include that she married Thomas Lansdown before 1868.

When Rebecca arrived in Goulburn

 * Story: When Rebecca arrived in Goulburn the old military stockade at Towrang was a hive of industry, and the Goulburn Plains were a wide expanse of bushland dotted here and there with the huts of pioneers.
 * Fact: This story accurately describes Goulburn in 1839 when the obituary saya that Rebecca arrived, but not in 1855 when Rebecca actually arrived. The military stockade at Towrang was active from 1833 until the 80th Regiment was recalled in August 1844. During the period 1833-1844 about 250 convicts were housed at the stockade. From 1828 large land grants had been given to men who wanted to farm the Goulburn Plains, and these men and their families had begun to settle the area. In 1855 the area was becoming more settled and men were now buying smaller plots of land from the government for £1 an acre.

Travel from Sydney to Goulburn

 * Story: Rebecca secured the position of a housekeeper/domestic on the property of a Mr Butcher, "Bronti", near Windellama via Goulburn (Windellema is 40km south of 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.

Life with Thomas Lansdown
By July 1857, when their first child was conceived, Rebecca Best became involved with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) after Thomas' relationship with Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) had broken down.

On 12 April 1858 Rebecca and Thomas' first child Henry Thomas Best Lansdown was born at "Springfield", Tirrannaville, Goulburn. 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 at the Weslyan Parsonage in Goulburn. Rebecca and Thomas Lansdown did not marry until 1873 after the death of Jane Kelly (c1830-1872), Thomas Lansdown's former partner. Rebecca was shown as single, and Thomas was shown as a widower.

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.

Thomas Lansdown's death & Rebecca's life as a widow
Rebecca's husband Thomas died on 24 August 1885 at Towrang, 15 kilometres 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.

In July 1886 Rebecca was charged with ill-treating a bull, but was acquitted.

RABBITS.

''NINE rabbit-scalps were brought to Mr. Roberts today by Mrs. Lansdowne of Boxer’s creek, She says the first one appeared there about slx months ago; but that now they have become numerous, and about four or five o’clock may be seen playing about in groups. It is possible that a shooting party may be formed an a means of lessening the evil.''

(Goulburn Herald, 5 February 1896)

In about 1891 Rebecca turned the farm into a dairying operation, which she managed, with the help of her family, for about the next 30 years.

Life with Michael Vaughan
Nearly 20 years after Thomas's death Rebecca secretly married Michael Vaughan on 21 Septmeber 1903 at Moss Vale. That the marriage was secret was revealed in a court case in 1906.

A Peculiar case

''Michael Vaughan and Mrs. Landsdowne were yesterday separately charged at Goulburn with having meat in their possession supposed to have been stolen. The case against the woman broke down when it ivas found that for many yenrs she had been Vaughan's wife, a fact of which her own friends were ignorant.''

(Barrier Miner, 10 November 1906)

GOULBURN POLICE COURT

MONDAY.

Before the Police Magistrate.

CHARGE OF CATTLE-STEALING.

Michael Vaughan, about 60, was charged with that he did, between 1st April, 1906, and 16th September, 1906, steal eight head of cattle, valued at £26, the property of James Hogan at Spring Ponds, Bungonia.

Sergeant Wood deposed that about 12.30 on 28th instant in company with Constable Thompson he arrested accused and charged him as above; witness applied for a remand for the production of evidence.

Accused desired to make a statement, but the P.M. said he could do so later in the case.

Remanded till Monday next.

''In answer to the P.M,. Senior-sergeant McHardy said the police did not object to bail after Wednesday.''

(Goulburn Herald, Monday 29 October 1906)

CHARGE OF CATTLE STEALING

AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT.

GOULBURN, Friday.

''There was a most unusual termination to a case yesterday in the police court. Michael Vaughan, who reserved his defence, was committed for trial on a charge of stealing four head of cattle. On a further charge of having in his possession portion of one heifer reasonably suspected to have been stolen he was fined £50 with costs or six months hard labour In Goulburn gaol. The property was found on the premises of Mrs Lansdowne, Boxer’s Creek where defendant had lived about four years. Rebecca Lansdowne was charged with having in her possession the carcasses, of four cattle reasonably suspected to have been come by dishonestly. A second charge was also preferred regarding the beef from two heifers. A surprise was caused in the court when Mr Betts, defendant’s solicitor, stated that the accused was the wile of Michael Vaughan. He took the point that the propertv in question must be held to be in the possession of her husband and not hers. The case, he added, could also be defended on its merits on the ground that the defendant knew nothing whatsoever of any cattle having been killed except her own. The cases were withdrawn. “Mrs Lansdowne” was married to Vaughan, it transpires, three years ago. Outside the court some of the members of her family met her and expressed their surprise that the defendant Vaughan was her husband. Mr Betts himself did not know of the marriage till the previous night. Throughout the case against Vaughan “Mrs Lansdowne” was referred to under that name, and the name of Lansdowne also appeared in the charge book.''

(Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 12 November 1906)

Death & Sale of the farm
Rebecca died on 20 January 1921 at Towrang, Goulburn. Her death was registered under the name Rebecca Vaughan.

OBITUARY.

The death is announced of Mrs. Rebecca Lansdowne, who figured so prominently amongst the old people at the Centenary celebrations, her ago being stated to be 100. (She was only 86.) (Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 22 January 1921)

Under the terms of the will of her late husband Thomas Lansdown, on Rebecca's death the farm was to be inherited by their son Robert Best Lansdowne. The farm, instead, was sold at auction by Rebecca's Estate.

WOOD & CO.

''HAVE received instructions from the Executor in the Estate of the late Mrs. Lansdowne Vaughan, to sell by auction, on Saturday, 21st May at 12 o'clock sharp, at the Town Hall, Goulburn, that Snug Little Grazing Property known as Shaw's Creek, at Boxer's Creek, 4 miles from Goulburn, comprising 255 Acres of Good Grazing Land, which will be submitted in two lots; viz., 224 Acres Homestead and 31 Acres which does not join the homestead. This property has all conveniences for carrying on a dairy or trading depot, in easy distance of factory and market, and can be a suburban home, half mile from school; mail passes every other day; very sound country; well watered, and richly pastured; has been used chiefly for dairying for the past thirty years.''

Terms and full particulars at sale.

(Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 14 May 1921)