James Milson (1783-1872)

James Milson (25 November 1785 – 25 October 1872) was an early settler in Sydney, Australia.



Milson arrived in Sydney on the Albion in 1806. He was a Lincolnshire farmer and was welcomed by the colonists, desperate for men with agricultural experience. Milson initially found employment further up the north shore on a farm at the "Field of Mars" (near Ryde).

Milson did well in Sydney, he married his employer's daughter Elizabeth Kilpack on 8 January 1810 and established a number of properous businesses. He settled in the vicinity of Jeffrey Street and was a prominent resident for many years. Over the following decades, Milson and his sons built several large homes in the immediate area: Grantham, Wia Wia, Elamang and Coreena. Some of these buildings survive and are listed as heritage items.

James Milson subsequently received a land grant of 50 acre, making him one of the area’s most prominent landholders and businessmen. This later grant was at the northern end of Kirribilli.

Milsons Point, the neighbouring suburb to the west, was named in his honour.

Family tradition
It is a Milson family tradition that Milson was "promised" all the land between Hulk (Lavender) Bay and Rainbow (Neutral) Bay by Governor Philip Gidley King. But despite Elizabeth's continuous urging, he did not press the Governor for a written-out grant. The tradition further claims that Milson actually was shown a plan delineating the land in his name and that this sufficed as legal ownership in the early colony.

The tradition also states that no actual acreage was stated and this fact weakened Milson's case in the subsequent legal dispute between himself and Campbell.

The tradition also implies that Milson built his house on "Milson's Point" some time after his marriage in 1810.

Property
In 1821 or 1822, Milson leased land from Campbell in the area of the modern day Jeffrey Street (some sources state he was given the land). Milson was a friend of Campbell having sailed on the same ship to Australia.

Milson settled in the area in about 1824 (if not earlier). The terms of the gift have been described as a promissory note, therefore not strictly a contract of sale or land grant. The transaction was however officially sanctined (to a degree) because Milson was provided two convicts to assist with clearing the land. Milson had a good business supplying ships in Sydney Harbour with fresh provisions, milk and water, as well as ballast from a quarry near Careening Cove.

Some accounts suggest that the legal dispute with Capmbell commenced as early as 1821.

Devastating bushfires occurred in 1826. The Australian Dictionary of Biography reports that his house burnt down in a bush fire in November 1826 and the title deeds of his land at Castle Hill and Hunter's Hill were destroyed. Some reports state that the bushfires also destroyed his house called the "Milk House". It is highly probable that this is the same "Milk House" indicated on the 1840s map below. The loss of documents resulted in land disputes between Milson and Campbell. Milson and Campbell disputed each other's title to the land. Campbell was eventually recognised as the owner without registered title and Milson the permissive occupant. An early sketch map (date unknown but likely to be about 1820) shows the approximate extent of "Mr Milson's Residence" in the exact location of the modern Jeffrey Street close to the heritage listed Bratton.

The legal dispute with Campbell ended in a Supreme Court action on 12 August 1831, brought by Campbell against Milson for trespass on his land. Despite Milson's resurrection of Governor King's "promise", the Court found for the plaintiff and awarded £25.17.6 costs against Milson. Milson was thereby forced to enter into a lease with Campbell to remain on what he (Milson) regarded as his own property.

Campbell's success in gaining ownership of Milson's land is reflected in the title claim and it is by Campbell's will dated 11 October 18?? (unreadable) that Campbell's property in Kirribilli (Ryan's original grant) was broken up into areas that can be readily compared with modern maps. Campbell bequeathed to his children vast landholdings throughout New South Wales. Among his properties was a small bequest to his daughter Sarah, the wife of Arthur Frederick Jeffreys. By a deed of partition dated 15 APril 1848 and conveyance of 28 February 1854, Jeffreys received the area bounded by the modern Willoughby, Carabella, Fitzroy and Broughton Streets (including Burton Street).

Arthur Jefferys subsequently disposed of varius portions of his holding and in 1873 he sold 2 rods, 6 perches to jont purchasers Henry Hocke Bligh of North Shore and Neil Stewart of Parramatta. This is the area of the modern Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre.

At this time Sydney was still a very small colony and the two new owners were connected to Milson by marriage. Stewart's sister had been the second wife of Milson's eldest son, James Milson junior, and Bligh had married Elizabeth Milson Shair, Milson's grand-daughter.

Early maps


The earliest proper map of the area dates from about 1840 and is held by the National Library of Australia. It shows that Milson had an orchard in the vicinity of Jeffrey Street. Few modern landmarks can be positively identified on the map other than the shoreline which has changed somewhat since 1840. The map focusses on the area of Jeffrey Street as well as what is now known as Kirribilli House and Admiralty House, the other parts of the map have streets and property boundaries shown but are otherwise largely blank.

Other features of the map in the vicinity of Jeffrey Street are as follows:
 * The shape of the shoreline has not changed significantly since 1840, the variation is due to the construction of ferry landings in the vicinity of the Jeffrey Street Wharf over the past 100 years and also the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the 1930s.
 * The Sydney Harbour Bridge is now located at the base (south) end of the point.
 * The large building shown at the top of the map marked as having "Milking Bails" and a "Calf Pen" is close to Bratton, a Victorian Italianate style heritage listed building at 38 Pitt Street Kirribilli.
 * The small stream marked at the south east corner of the "Orchard occupied by J. Milson" is most probably the site of a small timber decked simple steel bridge in what is now called "Captain Henry Waterhouse Reserve".
 * The map identifies graves for three typhoid victims, from the ship Surry, and the attending physician (see above).
 * Many of the streets and some property boundaries can be readily compared with modern maps.

An 1860's map shows the boundaries of Milson's Orchard, essentially unchanged from the 1840s map in the immediate vicinity of Jeffrey Street.

Property development
Over the following decades, Milson and his sons built several large homes in the immediate area: Grantham, Wia Wia, Elamang and Coreena. Some of these buildings survive and are listed as heritage items.

Land grant
James Milson subsequently received a land grant of 50 acre, making him one of the area’s most prominent landholders and businessmen. This grant was at the northern end of Kirribilli, the map refers. His other land holdings included: 1600 acre at Hunters Hill, 220 acre at Castle Hill, 640 acre at Wollombi, 50 acre on the North Shore and 5 acre at Neutral Bay.

Milsons Point
The modern suburb of Milsons Point was named in his honour.

Milson died in 1872.