George Edward Nicholas Weston (1796-1856)

Alternative Name
George Edward Nicholas Weston was also known as Edward Weston. Many references to him in newspapers of the day refer to him as Edward Weston. The records of birth for 2 of his children are under the name of Edward Weston. The record of death for his eldest child, Emma Pryce nee Weston shows her father's name as Edward Weston.

Sorting Fact from Fiction
Of what is written about George Edward Nicholas Weston, some is fact, some if fiction, and some needs further research before a decision of fact or fiction can be made.

Fiction

 * It has been said, in relation to today's suburb of Weston in the A.C.T. named for a land grant in the area of today's Canberra owned by George Edward Nicholas Weston, that "Captain Edward Weston" was Superintendant of the Hyde Park Barracks . This is not true. Many references in the newspapers of the day to the man who was Superintendant of the Hyde Park Barracks show his name to have been John Weston, a different man to Captain Edward Weston (George Edward Nicholas Weston). These newspaper references include a birth announcement for a son born to "Mrs Weston, wife of Mr John Westom, Superintendant of Hyde Park Barrackes" on 16 Aug 1830, a time when Edward Weston (George Edward Nicholas Weston) was in India. In relation to the land grant in the area of today's Canberra, George Edward Nicholas Weston did own a land grant there from 31 Oct 1831 to Aug 1834 when he sold the land grant to Francis Mowatt. During the time of ownership he was virtually an absent landlord.


 * It was been said that George Edward Nicholas Weston was a Major . This is not true. George Edward Nicholas Weston served in the Honourable East India Company's Forces. In May 1829 when he married Blanche Johnston in Sydney he held the rank of Lieutenant (records re his marriage ). When he returned from India in Jul 1831 after nearly 2 years there from about Sep 1829 to about Apr 1831 he had obtained the rank of Captain (records re the "Caroline" on which he and his family returned ). He never obtained the rank of Major.


 * It has been said that George Edward Nicholas Weston served as a judge in India . This is not true. On 23 Jan 1818 there was a Lieut. Weston, of the 14th Regt. of the Native Infantry of the East India Company's Forces, who was made a Deputy Judge Advocate General, initially at Calcutta . On 19 Mar 1823 he was also to act as secretary and Persian interpretor to Colonel Adams during the absence of a Captain Beckett . Then on 1 Oct 1828, now a Captain (and now of the Saugor division), he was absent from his duties and replaced during his time of absence by a Capt. J.T. Croft . It is clear that this Captain Weston is not George Edward Nicholas Weston as he was still a Lietenant in October 1828. It becomes even clearer that these are 2 different men when Capt. Weston, Deputy Judge Advocate General to the Saugor Division, fathers a daughter born in India on 8 Aug 1829 (when George Edward Nicholas Weston would still have been at sea travelling from Sydney to Calcutta with his new bride), and he is identified as Capt. H.J.S. Weston . Further references can also be found in The Asiatic Journal & Monthly Register and The Oriental Herald, which use both the other man's initials of H.J.S., J.H.S., or J. and his job title, to this man's transfer from the Calcutta to the Saugor Division, his marriage, births of other children, and his continuation of service in India after George Edward Nicholas Weston is living in Australia. Applying references of Lieut. Weston without initials, and then Capt. Weston without initials, to the wrong man (in this case George Edward Nicholas Weston) without first checking if these references belong to another is inappropriate, but unfortunately a common genealogical mistake.


 * It is said that George Edward Nicholas Weston arrived in Sydney on the "Vesper" from Mauritius via Hobart on 14 Mar 1829 or this claim can be condensed to his arrival in Sydney in 1829 . This is not true. The man who arrived on the "Vesper" was variously described as "Major Weston of the Bengal Army" or "Captain Weston and lady" . This is not George Edward Nicholas Weston who at that time was a Liuetenant and unmarried. There is no known record of when George Edward Nicholas Weston, on furlough from the East India Company's Forces, arrived in new South Wales. His most likely reason for having taken a furlough from his military duties was the death of his brother William Francis Weston (1793-1826) on 26 April 1828 at Dapto near Wollongong. After receiving word of his brother's death (a letter would have taken at least 3 months to reach him) he would have had to request a furlough to come to New South Wales to assist his sister-in-law (leaving behind his Indian mistress and his 2 daughters, 1 of whom may have still been in the womb) and then obtain passage to Sydney (again at least 3 months). The earliest that he could have arrived in New South Wales under these circumstances is near the end of 1826. (However, as furloughs were usually for 2 years, allowing only 18 months in New South Wales after taking off sailing time at both ends, he could well have arrived 12 months later than this.) That Lieutenant George Edward Nicholas Weston was already in New South Wales on 14 Mar 1829 when the "Vesper" arrived is evidenced by his marriage just 2 months later on 19 May 1829 in Sydney. He then almost immediately sailed back to India to resume his military service.


 * It is said that George Edward Nicholas Weston lived in a large Indian tent during the time that his house at Horsley Park was being built in 1832, that he had "brought a number of servants with" him from India, and that he was "tended by many Indian servants" whilst living in the tent The first part, about living in a tent whilst the house was being built, is correct, and is verified in an article written shortly after the death of his wife Blanche in 1904 (see entry for Blanche Johnston (1806-1904)). The part about bringing a large number of servants from India with them, and then being attended by them whilst they lived in the tent, is incorrect. When "Capt. Weston, Mrs Weston and 2 children" (his 2 half-indian illegitimate daughters Emma & Mary) arrived in Sydney on 31 Jul 1831 aboard the "Caroline" they had with them "1 servant" . Subsequent research (refer to the entry of Alexander Davidson (c1792-1856)) reveals this to be a male native servant from India. That there was only 1 Indian servant is also verified in the article written shortly after the death of his wife Blanche in 1904 (see entry for Blanche Johnston (1806-1904)). This article refers to the time after the house was completed and only mentions the 1 Indian servant. Specifically referred to is a punkah (a large Indian fan) attached to the ceiling of the house that was kept constantly moving by a "black boy", with "black" referring to the colour of his skin (but not aboriginal as the same article refers to aboriginals as blackfellows), and "boy" being the patronising way of refering to a adult male servant.

Requires further research

 * It is said that while living in the house at Horsely Park that the family of George Weston was attended by "a team" of Indian servants, or alternatively that "Mrs Blanche Weston...employed a retinue of Indian servants at Horsley" . The reference given in one case for this claim is the article written shortly after the death of his wife Blanche in 1904, which makes no such assertion (see entry for Blanche Johnston (1806-1904)). The article instead talks about the many servants that she had in her employ for long periods of 20, 30 or 40 years with no mention of any of these servants having come from India. Based on this article alone the claim is unsubstantiated. If the family did employ more Indian servants than the 1 adult male that they brought out on the "Caroline" with them in 1831 they would have to have been imported for the family on later ships. Further research needs to be undertaken to ascertain if servants would or could be imported from India, and if this claim of many Indian servants being employed by the Weston family at Horsley Park is correct.


 * It is said that prior to joining the forces of the East India Company that George Weston joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman and was serving on the warship "HMS Shannon" when it engaged and defeated the American ship "Chesapeake" in a violent sea battle off Boston in 1813 (when he would have been 16 years old). It was not usual for a navy man to transfer to the army, and may even have been impossible. This could be a mixing up of the details of two different individuals, a common genealogical mistake, and requires further research.