George Albert Shadlow

George Shadlow - Born 1830 - Died 15th June 1920 aged 90

George Shadlow was the third of seven children of Thomas and Louisa (Lucy) Shadlow.

George was assisting his father at his farm "Eagle Farm" Castlereagh until his marriage to Elizabeth Sara Marsden on 6th February 1855 at the Church of England "Magdalene" St Marys. Elizabeth was the daughter of Charles M Marsden of "Clydesdale" Marsden Park which was a horse stud of Clydesdale Horses. The Rev Samuel Marsden (known as "the flogging parson" as he would prescribe floggings to offenders in his role as a magistrate) was Elizabeth's grandfather.

The two Shadlow brothers married the two Marsden sisters. George's brother, Thomas married Elizabeth's sister Martha.

George and Elizabeth took over the farm "Shrivenham" from her father Charles and farmed the property as general farming. With the help of Charles Marsden, George built up a horse team. They were all Clydesdales. He also acquired a Bennett Horse Wagon. They started a carrying business, which ran from St marys to Bathurst making one trip a week. They used a team of ten horses, changing the team every morning using 30 horses each way.

The business expanded to two teams with an assistant. The wagons were fitted with a screw handled brake operating on the four wheels.of the wagon with a seat fitted on the side of the wagon. Slides were fitted under each wheel which were made of steel were fitted under each wheel. These slides were made by a local blacksmith to the shape of the wheel and lowered to the ground and the wagon was driven over them and were kept in place by chains in order to allow descent of the steep mountains. One of the steepest being Mt Victoria. When not in use, the slides were chained under the wagon.

George purchased land for two night stopovers and team changes. The first purchase was at Wentworth Falls and the second at Sodwalls, via Lithgow and at Bathurst he had a depot. His team of horses used soon grew 60. At a purchase price of 50 pounds each, he had 3,000 pounds in working livestock and 10 spares at St Marys. The wagon all up weight was 22 and a half tons, including wagon weight of 2 and a half tons which earned him a pay load of 5 pounds per ton equal to 100 pounds per wagon.

He did not have any trouble with bushrangers as they ordered and he delivered supplies to them at his depots and between, as required, mainly supplying tea, sugar, flour, salt bacon and tobacco.

George and Elizabeth had six children:-

Arthur - born 1856

Henry - born 1857

Charles - born 1860

Elizabeth - born 1863

Annie - born 1867

Mary - born 1870

All the clildren were born at Shrivenham, Badgery Creek (later to become St Marys). Elizabeth was a very good home manager and with the aid of her children, took over the farm as she grew the oats, corn, wheat and feed for the horses and general produce for marketing at Bathurst. After Elizabeth's death in 1882, her daughter Elizabeth, now aged 19, took over the running of the house and Henry and Chrales managed the farm. They then purchased a farm in what is now the township of St Marys, where a home depot was established aloongside of the railway station, which was at that time the end of the train line from Sydney.

On the route to Bathurst, George's first stop for lunch and to rest the horses was Springwood. It was there that he met Rachel Lees who lived in Springwood. A relationship developed and George married Rachel on 17th June 1884. George was 54 and Rachel was 29 at the time.

George and Rachel had a further seven children. George was 66 when he fathered his last son and Rachel was 41. Rachel also took over the raising of George's children from his deceased wife Elizabeth.

Their children were:-

Henrietta - born 1885

Norman - born 1886

Victor - born 1888

Rachel - born 1889 (married Sidney Hope)

Bertie - born 1890

George - born 1894

Cecil - 1896

George continued his carrying business till the rainlway took over in 1875. After that, George and Rachel bought a house in St Marys in 1905. The boys ran the farm.

The distance from St Marys to Bathurst was 98 miles. Bullock wagons would average 17 miles per day and were not suitable for mountain roads as they sat down when the loads got too heavy. Camel teams travelled 70 miles per day but required large sweeping corners for the wagons. Horses travelled three miles per hour on steep climbs and six to eight miles on flats, averaging about 30 miles per day.

The third day between Sodwalls and Bathurst, a journey of 30 miles, was flatter country, being past the mountains. The horses averaged five miles her hour and the last day would take six hours. That gave George time to unload the wagons and load for the next morning. After the night break he woul duse the same horses for the trip to Sodwalls. When the railway was built to Bathurst the transport tapered off but did not stop, as a town like Hartley and his "wayward customers" (bushrangers) had to be serviced. This service was cut to one wagon.

After the Bathurst railway was completed, George expanded his interest in the farm and his shops at St Marys. George now owned retail shops at the corner of Railway Street and Great Western Hwy, St Marys. The most notable shop was a general store rented to William (Cluffy) Morris ond of the first shops erected in St Marys.

George retired about 1900 and with Rachel they expanded their social activities until George died on 15th June 1920.

Rachel continued her interest in the social activities and overseeing the shops and the farm until her death on 5th June 1929.

    Born in Castlereagh NSW, George farmed "Shrivenham" South Creek, St Mary's NSW. He had other business interests One was carting goods over the Blue Mountains with horse teams. He regularly drove 2 horse teams (at one time) to Bathurst, walking alongside the wagons. When the railway was extended beyond St Mary's, George carried the first load of sleepers on his dray. The other was a local shop he owned in St Mary's run by "Cuffy Morris> (See old photos and remarks by his daughter Nina Hope in her profile.)

Obituary Nepean Times 19 June 1920 page 2: (Penrith City Library, Local History Collection, B10G - Shadlow Family 1830-1920)

    A very old identity of this district and one who probably knew from personal experience more than any other person in St Mary's the changes that time has effected in this town, passed away on Tuesday morning last at his residence in Siddington Street, in the person of Mr George Shadlow. 

    The deceased who was 89 years of age, was a native....(unreadable from photocopy)...but his share of haulage with the troublesome blacks, and in an historic encounter that tooke place at Parramatta between the settlers and the blacks. 

    The father lived at Llandilo for sometime, and came to St Mary's when he was able. ...(unreadable)...he played his part in many important matters conducted with the progress of the district.

    He was engaged to carrying over the mountains in the early days between the...(unreadable)...of the railway. When the line was extended from Parramatta to  (unreadable) Mr Shadlow took part ...(unreadable)... of carting the rails...(unreadable)... first lot to the site of the present St Mary's Station.

    Of course he had his share of excitement in the great floods of the sixties and could tell of experiences that would be fit subjects for the most entertaining novel.

    The St Mary's today is quite a different place to the St Mary's of Mr Shadlow's young days. He knew the place when wattle trees were growing in what is not the centre of the town, and when there was a fair-sized stream running across Queen Street through the land on which is not situated Mr James' coach-building factory.

    His father owned the land from Messrs Bryan and Dale's corner to the Literary Institute, and also that on which the Presbyterian Church is now stands, and that in the vicinity thereof

    Deceased had worked the plough over his land. He knew all about the building and opening of the Church of St Mary's Magdalene. The bricks used in the construction of the building were made on Dunhaved Kelate and donated by Mr Kin, and the carting fo these was the contribution of the late Mr Shadlow.

    Deceased was married twice. His first marriage took place at St Mary's, the bride being Miss Marsden, daughter of the late Sir Samuel Marsden of Mamre. She died about 1881, leaving one son and three daughters vis Harry (Mt Druitt), Elizabeth (Mamre), Mrs Hall (Sydney) and Mrs Oebert (Rouse Hill).

    In 1884 Mr Shadlow was married at Forest Hill, North Springwood, to Miss Rachel Lees of Castlereagh who survives him. There are two daughters and three sons of the second marriage surviving, vis Mrs Orhead, Mrs Hope, Norman, George and Cecil. The last mentioned is a returned soldier.

   Mrs Oarry (Orobed Hills) and Mrs R Curry (Sydney) are sisters of the deceased.

   He also leaves 80 grandchildren and 16 great-great grandchildren.

    The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon, the remains being laid to rest in the Methodist portion of the general cemetery, St Mary's. The Rev J B Penman conducted the service.

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