Jonathon Willis

NSW Births Deaths & Marriages

Birth of Jonathon and his siblings

NB No Registration found for the 1st child, Rebecca born in Sydney 3rd July 1845

Registration Number Last Name Given Name(s) Father's Given Name(s) Mother's Given Name(s) District

V1847673 55/1847 WILLIS SARAH TIMOTHY SARAH

V18491745 55/1849 WILLIS WILLIAM TIMOTHY SARAH

V185118 60/1851 WILLIS EMMA TIMOTHY SARAH

V18542270 56/1854 WILLIS GEORGE TIMOTHY SARAH

4093/1856 WILLIS CHARLES TIMOTHY SARAH CAMDEN

6152/1859 WILLIS JOHN T TIMOTHY SARAH CAMDEN

6264/1861 WILLIS JAMES J TIMOTHY SARAH CAMDEN

6509/1863                     WILLIS  JONATHAN  TIMOTHY  SARAH  CAMDEN  

5835/1864 WILLIS HENRY TIMOTHY SARAH BERRIMA

6560/1868 WILLIS ELIZABETH A TIMOTHY SARAH BERRIMA

7254/1871 WILLIS SAMUEL TIMOTHY SARAH BERRIMA

From the "Willis Family History" prepared by Dell Bungay (nee Willis), Wagga Wagga 2000

'Jonathon Willis was the ninth child and sixth son of Timothy and Sarah. He was born at Camden on 16th December, 1862, and moved with his family to Bowral in 1864. In his early days he followed in his father's footsteps by being a brickmaker. On 23 July 1884, at the age of 21 years, Jonathon married Emily Tickner aged 20 years from Moss Vale, at North Goulburn. Emily was the daughter of Henry and Martha Tickner (nee Rideout) and she was born at Camden on 26 May, 1864. Jonathon and Emily had seven children. Their eldest son, Ubert Victor, was born on 4 December, 1885, then Henry Nelson was born in 1887. He died at Bowral on 2 April, 1897. Charles Percival was born on 19 july 1890, joseph Henry on 18 january 1893 and Camden Kell on 22 December 1895. Their only daughter Mary May was born on 25 April, 1898, followed by Jack Jeffreee on 19 Januray 1905. Jonathon built his homestead "Rookwood", so named after the Rook, a blckbird of the crow family commonly found in Europe and Asia. The homestead was surrounded by trees occupied by crows. This was on Kangaloon Road, Bowral, on a very large estate which included private slaughter yards and several brick kilns. He later sold part of the estate to Bowral Golf Club to enable it to lay out their second nine holes. His calling as a brickmaker continued until 1909 when he went into the butchery trade, and conducted a successful business in Bowral until 1922 when he retired. Jonathon was a keen rifleman and a member of the Bowral volunteers. Like most of his family he was fond of music, and at the age of 20, in 1883 was a founding member of the original Bowral Band, together with his brothers, charles (270, John (25) Henry (19) and a nephew Fred Pain (15). He was still a member in 1899, when he retired from the Band. Jonathon was a noted cornettist. Jonathon's homestead had a music room and all their children learnt to play musical instruments. On 23rd July, 1907 Jonathon was appointed a member of the Council of the Municipality of Bowral by proclamation signed by Sir Harry Rawson, then Govenor of NSW. Jonathon named his youngest son, Jack Jeffress, to continue his father'sdesire to keep the Jeffress connection with the Australian Sugar Company for prosperity. Timothy had named his 5th son, James Jeffress for the same reason. (The Jeffress connection has been continued into the 6th generation by a great great grandson of Timothy naming his son, Michael John Jeffress Willis b.12.3.1992) Jonathon and Emily cared for his father at "Rookwood" during the latter years of Timothy's life and until his death in 1888. Jonathon died of natural decay on 15 December 1934 at the age of 71 years and was buried in the Church of England Cemetery at Bowral. Emily died of double pneumonia at Croydon on 11 June, 1941, aged 77 years and she was also buried in the Church of England Cemetery at Bowral

NSW Births Deaths & Marriages Birth of Jonathan and Emily's children

Registration Number Last Name Given Name(s) Father's Given Name(s) Mother's Given Name(s) District

16998/1886 WILLIS UBERT V JONATHAN EMILY BERRIMA

17615/1887 WILLIS HARRY N JONATHAN EMILY BERRIMA

7728/1890 WILLIS CHARLES P JONATHAN EMILY BOWRAL

7739/1893 WILLIS JOSEPH H JONATHAN EMILY BOWRAL

1999/1896 WILLIS CAMDEN K JONATHAN EMILY BOWRAL

10633/1898 WILLIS MARY M JONATHAN EMILY BOWRAL

1725/1905 WILLIS JACK J JONATHAN EMILY BOWRAL