THE BARDENS OF COOKS RIVER TEMPE

The First (Barden) Arrivals

The first ÔBarden" to arrive in N.S.W. was Emma who arrived on 8/9/1835 on board the "Canton". She was a simple girl, aged 19, a native of Middlesex, and to be employed by a Mrs. Bell of Bellmont. Emma married a James Taylor in 1840.

Next came Benjamin, a farm labourer aged 20 and his wife Sophia aged 21. on board the "Westminster" on 26/6/1838. They settled in the Goulburn district and had five children; Charles, Edwin Alfred, Charlotte, David, and Benjamin. Benjamin died at Tarago on 7/7/1860, and Sophia 31/7/1895. She is buried in the R.C. section of Currawong Cemetery near Goulburn. They had five children: Charles, Edwin Alfred, Charlotte, David, and Benjamin. Benjamin was born in 1860 and in 1914, then aged 55, put his age back to 45 so as to be accepted by the War Department and serve in the first World War in a munitions plant. Returning from overseas, he resided with the Cobb family in Mandurama. He accompanied them when they moved to Orange in 1945 where he died in 1951, at the age of 92 years, following a long illness.

The next to arrive were Charles and Thomas Barden and their respective families on 2/10/1838 on board the "Coromandel". Both were listed as natives of Icklesham, Sussex and with the occupation of "farm labourer".

Charles and his wife Caroline apparently settled in Maitland where Charles operated a carrying business. When Charles died in 1881, the executor of his will was his son Henry Charles, a saddler of West Maitland. The Barden Saddlery was erected at 473 High St. in Maitland in 1887 and is one of the oldest commercial building in the town. It closed in 1977. A permanent preservation order was placed on the building and it has now been restored and converted into a restaurant. What happened to Thomas Barden and his wife Sarah is unknown at this date.

Shortly after this, on 11/12/1838, arrived Charles and Harriet Barden on the "James Pattinson". Charles was a farm labourer from Winchelsea, Sussex, and Harriet was from Icklesham. It is possible Charles and Harriet moved north to the area around Singleton as their son William married Ann Tulloch at Red Post Hill, Falbrook in 1861.

Next was Isaac Barden from Sussex who arrived on 6/12/1838 on board the "Fairlie", and who married a Mary Gannon at Yass in 1845. Isaac died in 1899 at Binalong, N.S.W.

Susan Barden, also a native of Icklesham, arrived 13/10/1841 on board the "Lady Kennway" in the care of a George Clark and his wife. her destiny is not known although a Susannah Barden married a William Windsor in 1848.

As if this wasnÕt enough Bardens from the now impoverished town of Icklesham, Sussex, the largest contingent was yet to come. On 11/7/1842, Levi and Mary Barden arrived on the "Earl of Durham" accompanied by their eight sons.