William Pitt Wilshire (1807-1889)

Obituary
In our notices of death on the 15th instant was recorded the demise of one of our oldest and highly esteemed colonists in the person of Mr. William Pitt Wilshire, the father of Mr. F. B. Wilshire P.M., of Berrima. The deceased gentleman was a native of New South Wales, and was nearly 87 years of age. He had long been distinguished in literature, and held also a good position amongst artists in oil-painting, many of his works being valued for their vivid and critical excellence, and was otherwise esteemed an excellent judge in the arts. He was the eldest son of the late Mr. James Wilshire, who arrived in the colony in 1801 by the Royal Admiral, and was attached to the commissariat department of Sydney then under Governor King, in which capacity he remained thirteen years, when he attained to the position of principal officer in charge, which he held until the arrival of Governor Macquarie, when having embarked in private business he severed his connection with the imperial government. He continued his commercial pursuits with great success and became one of the leading merchants of Sydney. He married in 1801 at Parramattua, Miss Esther Pitt, youngest daughter of Mrs. Mary Pitt (widow), whose maiden name was Matcham, who was connected with Lord Nelson and by whose assistance and interest she emigrated to the colony in 1801, and obtained important grants of land from the crown. Mr. James Wilshire died in 18140, and now (1889) there are over 300 direct descendants living within the colony of New South Wales. His oldest son, William Pitt Wilshire, expired at his family residence, Surry Hills, Sydney, March 13th, 1889. Mr. F. B. Wilshire, our worthy police magistrate and son-in-law of Sir John Robertson, is the second son.—Scrutineer.

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