George Lucas

George Lucas Born 8th May, 1800. By Richard Hodgetts, Tasmania.

George Lucas was the ninth child of Nathaniel and Olivia Lucas. He was born on the 8th May, 1800 on Norfolk Island, and his baptism was registered at the Church of St. Philip, Church Hill, Sydney, New South Wales. On the 24th February, 1823 he married Elizabeth Hodgetts at the Church of St. John, Launceston, Van Diemen's Land. George and Elizabeth had known each other from childhood, having grown up together on Norfolk Island and later New South Wales.

The two families remained close, George's sister Olivia having married Elizabeth's brother, John. Two other Lucas children, William and Mary Ann Lucas married Sarah Squire and Samuel Cox, from other families connected to the Hodgetts. For the first years of their marriage George Lucas worked as a carpenter as had most of his brothers. He was granted 260 acres on the Longford to Cressy main road and here he and Elizabeth built their first home, a small weather board house. Their first child, Elizabeth, was born here and a string of sons soon followed.

In 1831, land near the Lucas grant became vacant and following regulations, George submitted a formal application for land as follows: Sir, I request you will be pleased to submit to His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, through the proper channel, this my application for an additional grant of land without purchase. I am in possession of 260 acres by grant of which 75 are under cultivation. I posses 21 head of cattle, no sheep, 2 horses. I have erected a weather boarded house of 3 rooms and a weather boarded kitchen. I employ one convict servant.

List of George Lucas's effects.

17 milch cows with calves

working bullocks

mare and foal

450 bushels of wheat

200 bushels of oats

Dwelling house and kitchen

Two miles of three railed fencing

54 rods of paling fencing around house and garden

36 rods of paling fence around stock yard Cart, plough and harrows

35 0 0 post and rails for fencing 60 0 0 Cash on hand

42 10 0 4

30 0 0 1

80 0 0

90 0 0

35 0 0

110 0 0

114 0 0

20 0 0

15 0 0

3000

100 0 0

He also supplied the following testimonials.

We the undersigned do hereby testify that Mr. George Lucas is of respectable character and we have with every reason to believe the statement in this letter to the Surveyor General of his stock and effects, the value of improvements made on the land he holds and the quantity of fencing completed thereon, is true and correct.

James Hortle and Wm. Brumby April 23rd, 1831

I have the honour to certify for the information of his Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, that the applicant George Lucas is a married man of sober and industrious habits and altogether a most deserving character.

Malcolm Smith. Police Magistrate

A report from the Lands Board on his application:

Mr. George Lucas who attended the Board is a native of Norfolk Island, received from Governor Macquarie a grant of 260 acres situated at Norfolk Plains of which 75 acres are under tillage, the whole of which will be fenced in the course of ten days. He has erected a weather boarded house and made other improvements as stated in his letter of application. Is married and has four children. The township (Longford) adjoins his present land and he believes there is some vacant land near him.

The Board assenting to the excellent character of the applicant and in consideration of the improvements which he has effected upon his grant, and his being a native of these colonies, recommends that the land be granted to him on the usual conditions of such location.

Lands Board Office, 30th May, 1831.

Elizabeth and George Lucas received their grant of further land and immediately began to excavate the site for a new brick house, starting with a deep underground cellar. Elizabeth and George worked very hard throughout the following years, completing their new house, establishing a first class farm and all the while, adding to their family.

The census of December 31st, 1842, showed that they were proprietors of a fine brick house, had 8 children living with them and were employing 4 ticket-of-leave men. The name of the house and the property was and is still known as "Kelton". "Kelton" was built of locally made bricks (the pit can still be seen), hand-made nails, cedar doors and window frames, banisters and skirting's. It had a Georgian front with a cedar door and fan light, a long brick kitchen with a bread oven and colonial fire place.

There was an outside door leading down to the extensive cellar which had wide shelves around and which was used as a dairy. Two deep wells and windmills supplied the homestead with water.

On the 2nd July, 1845, "Kelton" was robbed by the bush ranger, Priest. He had waited until the men had left the house and then managed to hide himself in the cellar. When night came he pushed open a trapdoor which led into the storehouse. He replenished his food supply and without notice he slipped away to continue his life of crime. In fact it was said of Priest that there were no acts of violence attributed to him and that he only begged at farms. He had been at large for three years and three months and not long after robbing "Kelton", he was journeying over rough country in the Longford district when his gun went off, its contents lodging in one of his feet. He crawled for three miles into Longford and surrended to the police. He was sentenced to death, but, as the result of petitions, this was commuted to transportation for life, ten years to be past on Norfolk Island.

George and Elizabeth Lucas at this time had just completed their large family of 11 children, 10 still alive.

Social life was restricted to visiting close family and neighbours, with so few people living in the district. Many of George and Elizabeth's children married their first cousins because of this social restriction. George and Elizabeth Lucas were respected as great pioneers of the Longford district and they survived the terrors of bush rangers, droughts, depression and sickness.

It is said that a sister of George Lucas was murdered by the Aborigines and her twin babies taken by them, being reared unsuccessfully on dissolved brown sugar. This sister was most likely Sarah Lucas who had married James Hortle

George and Elizabeth Lucas remained at "Kelton for the rest of their days where George died on the 23rd of July, 1868, and Elizabeth died on the 23rd November, 1887. The property passed to their son Edward who continued to farm it successfully until shortly before his death. "Kelton" was sold to the Walker family in 1901 and it remains in their possession to this day.

The original weather board house fell down in the 1920's. The brick Georgian house has been added to, over the years and its original front has been covered over, however, the house still retains a character that is easily identifiable with the pioneering family that built and lived in it.

The sale of "Kelton" saw the last of the Lucas family in Longford, however, "Kelton" remains as a tribute to a hard working and enterprising pioneer family. George and Elizabeth Lucas arrived in Longford when it contained a few small cottages and an inn, surrounded by a handful of settlers trying to scratch out a living on their small grants of land.

When George and Elizabeth died, Longford had grown to be one of the main centres for agriculture in the north of the State. The Lucas family was one of many that helped Longford develop from a hostile environment to be one of civilized development and prosperity.

Children of George and Elizabeth Lucas.

A. Elizabeth G. Charles

B. George H. Adelaide

C. Thomas I. Edward

D. John J. Emily

E. William K. Albert George

F. Daniel