Our earliest traceable ancestor was George Barden, born in Hooe, Sussex in 1705. At the age of 21 years, on 31/1/1726, he married Mary Martin of Battle, Kent. (Note here that this was long before William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066, yet there was already a place called Battle in Kent! Almost prophetic.)
George and Elizabeth stayed in Hooe where they proceeded to have five children, namely:
Of interest to us is George who married Elizabeth Evenden at Guestling, Sussex on 23/11/1775. Elizabeth had been born in Guestling on 23/4/1753. George died in Guestling on 23/11/1775.
George and Elizabeth resided in Hooe where they spawned seven children:
Again, we are only interested in George who married Elizabeth Carey at Hooe on 3/6/1788. Elizabeth had been born in Hooe in 1776, and here you will begin to notice that the Bardens didnÕt stray too far from their birthplaces. And if youÕre also thinking that they didnÕt have much imagination when it came to naming their offspring - then wait till later generations!
George was a carpenter and wheelwright, and they were both Church of England.
After 20 years of marriage, this Elizabeth died in Icklesham, Sussex on 24/7/1850, and George followed her on 8/2/1832 at the ripe old age,for those times, of 67 years.
They had lived in Icklesham (near Pett - see the maps) and managed to produce no fewer than eleven children:
This time, we are interested in Levi, for it is with him that the story begins to unfold. On 19/12/1827, at the age of 24, Levi married Mary Davies at Pett, Sussex. Mary came from Winchelsea and was a dressmaker by occupation. Levi was a carpenter/sawyer.
The couple lived in Icklesham and by 1842 had produced eight male children at which time they decided to migrate to Australia and departed London on the ship, 'Earl of Durham', on 17th February, 1842 arriving in Sydney on 11th July 1842.
Acknowledgements | Origins of the Barden Surname | The Earliest Bardens | The Reasons for Migration
The First (Barden) Arrivals | The Bounty Migrants | Down to the Beautiful Valley
Publicans, Butchers, Produce Merchants and Landholders | A Family Business | The Barden Hotels
Items from Newspapers | Australian Men of Mark | Sidney Barden | Joseph Thomas Barden
Cooks River - A History
©2007 Peter Noone