Many thanks to Ian Wright for most of the details on this page.

Stephen WHITEMAN (1797-1890)

and Ann Maria ELDRIDGE (1798-1877)

Stephen Whiteman and Ann Maria Eldridge married by banns on 10 June 1820 at the parish church of St. Mary's in Udimore, Sussex.  They were married by the curate John Myers.  The witnesses to their marriage were William Eldridge (marked), Ally Petter and John Grant (parish clerk).  (They were not my direct ancestors.  Stephen was the nephew of my 4x Great Grandmother.)

Stephen Whiteman was baptised on 1 January 1797 in Udimore, Sussex.  He was the son of William Whiteman (1773-1852) and Mary Davis (c1767-1847).  He died aged 98 years (as per his death certificate and headstone) on 4 June 1890 at Speed Street in Liverpool, Sydney, Australia and was buried at the Wesleyan Cemetery (now Pioneer's Memorial Park) on 6 June 1890.  His headstone was still standing as at 1999 and is just off Macquarie Street.  His cause of death was senile decay and the informant of his death certificate was his granddaughter Emily Green.  From 1843 to 1844 Stephen was the publican of the "Cottage of Content" in Liverpool, NSW.  Then from 1845 to 1848 the was the publican of the "Union Inn", Bigge Square, Liverpool, NSW.  Between 1868 and 1890 he was bricklayer, plasterer and builder in Liverpool, NSW.  He made his will on 2 May 1872.

Ann Maria Eldridge was born on 4 November 1798 in Icklesham, Sussex.  She was the daughter of William Eldridge (1759-1838) and Ann (c1753-1830).  Her mother was a widow when she married William in 1788.  Ann Maria died on 3 July 1877 at Whiteman's Building, Liverpool and was buried the next day at the Wesleyan Cemetery, Parramatta.  William H. George officiated at her funeral.  Her death was registered by her granddaughter Emily Gilbert.

The couple emigrated to Australia on board the barque "Augusta Jessie", arriving in Sydney on 11 October 1837.  Also with them were 5 of their children:  Ann Maria, Thomas, Eliza, John and Emily Elizabeth.  Stephen's brother John and his family were also with them.

Please click on the above photographs for a larger view.  They have been provided by Ian Wright.

From left to right, reputed to be the Whiteman's, but Ian has no way of checking;  the next three photos were taken by Ian and are of Stephen's headstone; St. Luke's Tower; and the interior of St. Luke's.

Stephen Whiteman and Ann Maria Eldridge had 8 known children:

1. Ann Maria Whiteman was baptised on 15 October 1820 in Udimore, at which time her father was a labourer.  It was noted in the "Augusta Jessie" surgeon's log that she was suffering from "Fibrus Continua" from 5 to 10 July 1837.  She was named as a beneficiary in her father's will.

   Ann Maria married John Gilbert by banns on 21 February 1839 at St. James Church of England in the County of Cumberland, Sydney, Australia.  John was then a widower and Ann Maria a spinster and they were both of the parish.  They were married by Edward Rogers the officiating minister.  The witnesses to their marriage were Stephen Whiteman and Eliza Whiteman who were both of the parish and living in Elizabeth Street, Sydney.

   John and Ann Maria had the following children:

   1. Helen Eliza Gilbert was born on 3 February 1840 at St. John's, Parramatta.

   2. Charles Henry Gilbert was born on 28 November 1841 at St. John's, Parramatta.

   3. Emily Matilda Gilbert was born on 19 January 1843 at St. John's, Parramatta.

   4. John W. Gilbert was born on 8 March 1844 in Sydyney.

   Between 1859 and 1872 Ann Maria married Mr. Lavender.  (Ian has checked the NSW BD&M records and nothing was found.)

2. Thomas Whiteman was baptised on 3 February 1822 in Udimore, at which time his father was a bricklayer.  He married Sarah J. Weeks in 1841.  (They have their own page.)

3. Harriet Whiteman was baptised on 1 February 1824 in Udimore and buried there on 9 January 1825, aged 11 months.  The baptism register recorded that her father was a labourer.

4. Eliza Whiteman was baptised on 27 February 1825 in Udimore.  She died on 11 July 1896 in Dungog and was buried on 13 July 1896 at C/E Sect. Anley's Flat Cemetery, Dungog, NSW.  She was named as a beneficiary in her father's will.

   Eliza married Stephen Neate Dark on 19 February 1841 at St. Luke's Church of England in Liverpool, New South Wales.

   Stephen was born in 1814 and died in 1872.  He was the son of Stephen Dark and Sarah Neate.  He was a miller.

   From 1842 to 1848 the family lived at "Gostwyck", Paterson river, North of Paterson, NSW.  Between 1849 and 1855 they living in Dungog, NSW.  Then from 1855 to 1863 they lived at "Hua Tsa", 132 King Street, Clarencetown, NSW.  From 1865 to 1872 they were at Store, Cnr Dowling and Mackay Streets, Dungog.

   Stephen and Eliza had the following children:

   1. Catherine Emily Dark was born on 5 December 1841 and baptised on 7 January 1842 at St. Lukes in Liverpool, NSW.

   2. Stephen Whiteman Dark was born on 10 February 1844 at "Gostwyck" at Paterson River.

   3. John Brougthon Dark was born on 19 August 1845 at "Gostwyck".

   4. Sarah Eliza Dark was born on 24 January 1847 at "Gostwyck".

   5. Ann Elizabeth Dark was born on 3 May 1849 in Dungog, NSW.

   6. Ebenezer Dark was born on 26 May 1851 in Dungog.

   7. Henry Charles Dark was born on 4 May 1853 in Dungog.

   8. Albert Edward Dark was born on 7 February 1855 in Dungog.

   9. George Neate Dark was born on 2 October 1857 in Clarencetown, NSW.

5. John Whiteman was baptised on 17 December 1826 in Udimore.  He died on 23 October 1886 at Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney and was buried on 25 October 1886 in the Church of England Section of the Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.  He was named as a beneficiary in his father's will.

   John was the father of:

   1. John Whiteman was born on 3 November 1857 in Liverpool, Sydney.

   John married Patricia Brodie on 11 April 1868 at the Wesleyan Church in Chippendale, Sydney.  He was then a builder and living in Liverpool.

   Patricia was born in 1840 and died in 1921.  She was the daughter of Peter Duff Brodie and Matilda Hayend.

   John and Patricia had the following children:

   1. Arthur Eldridge Whiteman was born in 1869 at St. George, Sydney.

   2. John N. Whiteman was born in 1871 at St. George, Sydney.

   3. Frederick Brodie Whiteman was born in 1873 at St. George, Sydney.

   4. Stephen Neate Dark Whiteman was born in 1875 at St. George, Sydney.

   5. Myra Matilda Ann Whiteman was born in 1877 at St. George, Sydney.

   6. Clara Gertrude Whiteman was born in 1880 in Newtown, Sydney.

6. Jane Whiteman was baptised on 9 August 1829 in Udimore, and buried there on 12 March 1830, aged 8 months.

7. Emily Elizabeth Whiteman was baptised on 22 December 1833 in Udimore.  She died on 29 November 1928 and was buried the next day in Woolongong, New South Wales.

   Emily married Thomas Henry Allen on 21 February 1851 at St. Peter's Presbyterian, Campbelltown in Sydney.

   Thomas was born in 1825 in Erniskillen, Fermanagh, Ireland and died on 22 June 1908 in Woolongong.  He was the son of John Allen and Margaret Wallace.

   Thomas and Emily had the following children:

   1. Emily Mary Ann Allen was born on 28 December 1851 at Pyrmont, Sydney.

   2. Sarah Theresa Allen was born on 26 March 1853 in Prymont.

   3. Eliza Jane Allen was born on 19 January 1855 in Pyrmont.

   4. Rebecca L. Allen was born in 1857 in Sydney.

   5. Margaret A. Allen was born on 31 August 1858 in Sydney.

   6. Thomas Henry S. Allen was born on 6 June 1860 in Petersham, Sydney.

   7. Louisa Blanch Allen was born on 2 February 1862 in Wollongong, NSW.

   8. Jessie Maud Allen was born in 1863 in Wollongong.

   9. Stephen John Allen was born on 3 April 1865 in Wollongong.

   10. William Percy Allen was born in 1867 in Wollongong.

   11. Annie T. Allen was born in 1869 in Wollongong.

   12. Arthur S. Allen was born in 1871 in Wollongong.

8. George Whiteman was baptised on 14 June 1835 in Udimore and buried there on 29 January 1836, aged 9 months.

From Ian Wright:

 The "Augusta Jessie" was a barque of 380 tons, built in Sunderland, England in 1834.  She was approximately 105 x 29 feet.  Like many other Merchant vessels of the day, she was used as a convict transport on 3 voyages to Australia.  The first direct from Portsmouth to Hobart in 1835, under the command of Captain Hy Edenborough, with 210 male convicts was made in 115 days; a good passage time for the era.  The second voyage, under the same Captain, also to Hobart and also with 210 male convicts, was made in 114 days, late in 1838; after the 1837 voyage which delivered the Whiteman family to Sydney.  Interestingly on that 1837 voyage, she carried some 250 immigrants, mainly from East Essex, many of whom would have been children.  They left Portsmouth on the 13th of June.  The third and final convict voyage was made in 1839, under the command of Captain J.S. Sparke, when she left Dublin on the 11th of November with 161 male convicts, arriving in Sydney on February, 25th, 1840, coincidentally the day before Stephen (Neate) DARK arrived on the "Bengal".  After unloading just 34 convicts in Sydney, she delivered the remainder to Norfolk Island; being only the second convict transport to visit the island.

(Charles Masters and his wife Philadelphia (nee Pain) were also on board the Augusta Jessie when it sailed in 1837.)

From Ian Wright:

St. Lukes which claims to be the oldest Church in Australia in terms of continuous use for Divine Service, is still in use, although it's grounds are now (1999) hemmed in by suburbia.  The Church was built by convicts to a design by the Colonial Architect Francis Greenway.  The foundation stone was laid by Governor Macquarie himself on the 7th April, 1818 and the first service was in 1819 not long after the shingle roof was completed in March; but due to the many vexations which beset the Colonial building industry, the church was not completed until mid 1824, and through some bureaucratic Church 'oversight' was not consecrated until the 11th of March 1856!!  One convict-builder hanged himself in the tower during it's construction; three others were killed by lightning whilst sheltering from a severe storm on the 17th of January, 1823, no doubt aided by the fact that the convicts always worked in chains, sometimes even double chains.  St. Matthew's at Windsor, also by Francis Greenway, had it's foundation stone laid on the 11th of October, 1817, was completed in September, 1821; spurred on by bonus payments and was consecrated on the 18th of December, 1822, all earlier than St.Luke's.

Dianne Stirton provides the following information:

The book "Coburg - between Two Creeks" by Richard Broome, mentions a John Whiteman, farmer, testifying in court about a matter concerning cows and a broken fence in 1847.

1851 baptism at the Wesleyan Chapel in the County of Bourke, of Thomas Whiteman son of John and Mary Whiteman of Pentridge, John was a labourer.

ELDRIDGE          WHITEMAN