The Trelfords' of Canowindra
If all else fails, I will retreat up the valley of Virginia, plant my flag on the Blue Ridge, rally around the Scotch-Irish of that region, and make my last stand for liberty amongst a people who will never submit to British tyranny whilst there is a man left to draw a trigger.
George Washington, at Valley Forge.
Considerable mythology has been written on the Scots Irish Diaspora a period covering two centuries in which there was a great movement many peoples from many nations throughout the earth , the Irish as usual have created many mythical creatures and heroes. Part of this great people movement was the mass emigration of the Ulster-Scot or as the American call them the Scots Irish. This has been well documented in American History, with many Presidents of the United States of America being descended from these resilient peoples.
One such publication being
“God’s Frontiersmen”
The Scots-Irish Epic,
by Rory Fitzpatrick!
God's Frontiersmen tells the dramatic story of the Ulster-Scots, or Scots-Irish as they are also known - Scottish Presbyterians who came to the north of Ireland in the seventeenth century and who constitute the dominant strain among Ulster Protestants today. Aptly called the 'Frontiersmen of God', they brought with them their Calvinist beliefs, a stern work ethic and a fiercely independent spirit. Economic hardship and religious discrimination led thousands to cross the Atlantic where they formed the vanguard of the great army of pioneers who pushed the frontier westwards.
Many of the famous names in American history came from Ulster stock: the frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Kit Carson, the Civil War generals Stonewall Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, and, in the world of business, the millionaire dynasties of the Gettys and the Alellons. The Scots-Irish played a leading role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. Ten United States Presidents were of Scots-Irish origin, including Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson.
To the developing lands of Canada, Australia and New Zealand the Ulster Scots sent farmers and engineers, doctors and clergymen, who played a major role in forging these new societies.
In Ulster the book charts Belfast's rapid economic growth in the nineteenth century, due largely to the entrepreneurial skills and energy of the Ulster Scots, and examines the deepening religious and political divisions leading to the partition of Ireland in 1922. A companion volume to the major Channel Four television series of the same name, the book offers a greater understanding of an often misrepresented people who have helped shape Western society and who now in their Ulster homeland face the greatest crisis of their existence.
Rory Fitzpatrick is the Senior Producer at Ulster Television. Born in Dublin, the son of an army officer, he spent much of his youth in Northern Ireland. Although he belongs to a Catholic nationalist family, he was educated at Ballymena Academy, among Protestants of the Scots-Irish tradition. He read history at Queen's University, Belfast, and afterwards worked as a newspaper journalist in Ireland and Scotland. He has been in television for over twenty years and has written and produced many documentaries for the British independent network including The Longest Decade, an analysis of the first ten years of the Northern Ireland troubles; Sentry Hill, the story of an Irish farm; and Conor, a critical biography of Willie Conor, the outstanding painter of Ulster's working class. Rory Fitzpatrick is married with three children and lives in Belfast.
Jacket Illustrations
Front Wagon trains nearing the Rocky Mountains (Reproduced by permission of the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth) Back Eighteenth-century view of Belfast High Street (Reproduced by permission of the Ulster Museum, Belfast)
20 colour and 100 black and white illustrations
While an excellent and informative publication it contains only one chapter in relation to Australia.
One family who made this journey were the Trelfords from Belfast's Shankill Road and here we have some information as provided from one of his descendants Mr. Anthony Trelford
As far as we know Adam Trelford lived in county Antrim North Ireland in a section of Belfast called Whitesidetown- Shankhill Road.
The "Travel Certificate below indicates he was a member of :
"Falls" Loyal Orange Lodge No. 498
Adam Trelford also received a glowing letter of reference from his brethren of "Falls" Loyal Orange Lodge No. 498 , a copy of this is below.
Medallion
Adams parent's were James Trelford and Elizabeth Woods.
After their Farwell , the Trelford's - Adam and Louisa and children ; Elizabeth Woods 15 years old, James Trelford 14 years old, Thomas Trelford 10 years old, Sophia 8 years old, Louisa 6 years old and William 4 years old .They travelled to London where they boarded the steamer the CHIMBORAZO .
It had a French Captain and departed on June the 25 in the year of 1880, 8 days after their farewell .After a voyage of 7 weeks they arrived in Sydney 14 August 1880. Louisa and 5 of her children ( Elizabeth, Thomas, Sophia, Louisa, and William.) travelled 3rd class. Adam Trelford and his son James travelled Steerage class. They were unassisted passengers ( they paid their own way )
The ship also called at Adelaide and Melbourne.
Records show that there was one male deceased - probably their first child in Northern Ireland.
Eventually Adam and his family took up 640 acres of land at Nyrang creek Canowindra district.-Off Mogong road. The property was named Sommerville and cost half a crown an acre. They had to pay off 28 pounds a year which included interest.
We believe from information provided by my sister Anne that in Northern Ireland Adam Trelford was an accountant, but we are not to sure of that. The property "Sommerville " stayed in Trelfod hand's until the early 1960's when it was sold to the Truman's from Sydney.
By then it was about 1200 acres all up.
Adam Trelford died from congestion of the lungs in June the 11th 1887.
He is buried at Nyrang Creek Cemetery on the Eugowra road just out of Canowindra.
Benjamin Hopkins , 400 Bourke Street , Surry Hills NSW 2010
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