Station Owner. Died in a collision between a car and train on a Level Crossing at Bennetts, near Christchurch, New Zealand.
LEONARD Walter, born July 28 1879, killed in action in France October 1917
Chemist, practised as a Doctor and farmer in Australia. They took up land in the WIMMERA district and called their station (of approx 57,500 acres sheep and cattle)"Concongella" where the Dr also practised his profession and their six children were born - Ada, Ralph, Reginald, Godfrey, Blanche and Florence. The last two girls were twins, but a young nurse playing with Blanche one day, tossing her up and catching her, the baby somehow broke her neck.
Years later when the family had to be educated, they moved to Geelong where Dr Blunden bought a practice at Highton and the three boys went to the Geelong Grammar School, and the girls had a governess and tutors. Dr John was also the local coroner and Doctor, as well as run holder.
It was on their property that the first gold was found, and they also made champagne the "Great Western" that is still drunk today. The vineyards are still producing.John Blunden was born at Poling, Sussex in 1814, the eldest son of George and Ann Blunden nee Cortis. The Blunden, Cortis, Olliver and Goble families have all been traced back to the late 16thC. George Blunden was a yeoman farmer, a tenant of the Duke of Norfolk. A Tithe Map of Poling in 1838 records George Blunden as holding nearly 114 acres there and a further 66 acres at an extra rental of just over 25 pounds. George Blunden’s estate was valued at eight hundred pounds when he died in 1845
George and Ann Blunden had 11 children, seven sons and four daughters. None of the sons followed George as farmers. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 ended a long period of war with France, British farming was depressed. The next generation sought new avenues of opportunity, some in the new colonies
We know nothing of John Blunden’s early life but presumably he was apprenticed to a chemist or gained experience in a chemist’s shop. It is interesting that in the brief period 1837-39 John’s occupation is variously described as ‘chemist’, ‘surgeon’ and ‘apothecary’. During the 18th century apothecaries tried and failed to curb the growing activities of chemists and druggists. The distinguishing feature of the latter was that they operated shops. Their stock varied according to the community they served but included drugs and chemicals, also a range of preparations for the huge number of horses then in Britain. Chemists also advised and prescribed for the treatment of minor illnesses.
Lucy Marshall states "John Blunden the chemist, in an article ‘Pharmacies of Old Portsmouth’ in the periodical cited previously, it is stated that the “Portsmouth Pharmacy” at No. 84 High Street was established in 1787. Thomas Dreweatt 1802-1866 was a chemist at 84 High Street c.1831-36. He had married Susannah Nance, elder daughter of Andrew Nance, in 1825. Blunden and Padwick, dispensing chemists, are shown at 84 High Street, on the corner with Oyster Street, in a drawing in the British Museum made about 1840. In the 1841 census, William Padwick, chemist aged 20, appears in the entry for the household of John Blunden as listed above. In the Hampshire Directory for 1855 Francis James Dreweatt, son of Thomas and Susannah above, was a chemist and druggist at 84 High Street. His father sold the chemist business in 1859. Thus it seems that John Blunden and William Padwick were working for Thomas Dreweatt in the pharmacy at 84 High Street. This connection is significant. John’s second wife was Elizabeth Nance, younger sister of Susannah Dreweatt. The pharmacy at 84 High St was opposite “The Fountain Hotel’ that was owned by Andrew Nance, the father of Susannah and Elizabeth Nance.
Meanwhile, John at 27 or 28 - his exact date of birth is unknown - had buried his wife and two children and was left with a two year old son. It is highly likely, although unproven, that John visited Australia at some time during the period 1842-44. George was possibly left with his grandparents at Poling in Sussex. Later, granddaughters on both sides of the Tasman were sure that John had visited Australia before emigrating with son George and second wife Elizabeth in 1844. The timing became blurred with the established fact that his sister Emily came to South Australia on the Buffalo in 1836, aged 16, and that his brother Stephen probably arrived earlier. Emily married Frederick Walford in 1843 at Launceston, Tasmania. They had returned to England by 1851 and appear in the census that year as ‘visitors’ at St Sidwell, Exeter. Stephen returned to England by the Zebra in 1839 and then engaged for a time in selecting emigrants for the new colony. In 1841 he was living with John at Portsmouth. It would be natural for John, seeking a new start for the next phase of his life, to think of checking out personally the new country of which he had personal reports from family members.
ÁUSTRALIA
John, Elizabeth and son George had already sailed from London on 10 Sep. by the brig William Wise, 240 tons. They arrived at Adelaide on 5 January 1845. Shipping Intelligence in The Adelaide Observer of 11 January noted the arrival and first on the list of the 17 passengers was John Blunden Esq. lady and child. Included in the cargo of the William Wise for J Blunden were 4 cases, 1 cask.Details of the Blunden family in Australia, and of the Nance family, are taken from The Blundens, published by Betty Blunden in 1981. John’s sister, Emily, had travelled to Adelaide in 1836 as the ward of Osmond Gillies and he was still living in Adelaide when the Blundens arrived in 1845. It seems likely that Elizabeth and George remained in Adelaide with Gillies while John went to find a suitable property where they could settle. Elizabeth’s first child, Ada, was born at Gilleston, about 18 miles from Adelaide
-5-and she was baptised 6 Nov. 1845 at Trinity Church, Adelaide. Her death certificate records that she spent the first year and a half of her life in South Australia. This indicates that Elizabeth and George, with Ada, remained in Adelaide until November 1846. George probably began his schooling there.
It is doubtful whether John would have had any money from Harriet’s estate as her affairs were still in Chancery over twenty years later. Probably Andrew Nance gave Elizabeth a generous dowry when she married. John settled on a large run in the Wimmera district of Victoria, over 200 miles from Melbourne and 350 miles from Adelaide, first settled by John Allan, named Allandale, later Concongella. His young wife died in 1845 and he was heavily in debt. John Blunden redeemed the property from the bank.
When John was ready to install his family at the Wimmera they faced a long journey by bullock wagon, whichever possible route they took. “Mrs Blunden, 2 children and servant” are recorded as passengers on the ship Teazer arriving at Melbourne from Adelaide in November 1846. Elizabeth probably took the opportunity to visit her sister Ellen, who was already living on the Bellarine peninsula, south of Melbourne, with her husband James Langdon. She still faced a journey of about 220 miles to reach the Wimmera district. George was now seven and probably retained memories of the trip.
At first the squatters had uncertain tenure of their land but by 1849 their leases were secured and they began to build substantial homes in stone. ‘The Concongella homestead was quite an imposing structure…standing on the rising ground above the Concongella Creek.’ The view was magnificent and as far as the eye could see, all part of the Concongella run that originally covered an estimated area of 57,600 acres, about ninety square miles, with a capacity for running about 12,000 sheep. ‘Dr Blunden’ also helped in cases of sickness and acted as the district coroner.
Five more children were born at Concongella, Ralph on 5 Oct. 1847, Reginald about 1850, Godfrey about 1852 and twins Florence and Blanche in 1853/4. Blanche died as an infant. No baptisms or registrations have been found for these younger children. George was educated first by a governess and then sent to boarding school but we do not know where or when. Being older by up to ten years or more than most of these siblings his life would have been largely separate from theirs but Concongella was his home from roughly seven to about fifteen.
The enormous space must have given a sense of freedom but there was also constant anxiety about bushrangers, blacks, drought, fires, floods and snakes. Two stories have come down from that time. “One day when Elizabeth was home by herself a black came to the door and asked to see the doctor. Elizabeth said, ‘He’s away, did you take the pills he gave you?’ The black answered, ‘No, no Missy, too longy shit-shit!’” Another day when Elizabeth came into the kitchen she found a naked black warming himself in front of the stove. She was so angry that she picked up a hot frying pan and hit him on the backside!
The year 1851 was momentous for Victoria. The summer was hot and dry and bush fires broke out throughout the state. In September gold was discovered at Ballarat and the rush was on. Then in September floods succeeded a long drought and the cost of the shearing season soared.
In 1853 two shepherds discovered gold at Pleasant Creek on the Concongella run - a cairn now marks the spot - and in 1856 quartz gold was also found on Concongella. ‘Gold mining, both alluvial and quartz, was well established before the Blundens left Concongella.’ The town of Stawell began as a cluster of tents near Pleasant Creek on Concongella land.
It seems that John lost the money he had invested in Concongella as the property was transferred to Dalgety and Ibbotson 17 March 1858. But in 1854 John had taken over the property at Ellenvale, originally owned by Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, James Conway Langdon, on the Bellarine Peninsula, Port Phillip. In 1854 John had pastured 1,500 sheep there and 1,700 in 1855. He was a ratepayer there in 1856 but in 1857 he relinquished Ellenvale. The next movements of the Blunden family are uncertain but in
-6-1865 they were living in Ballarat. Later they lived near Geelong, by the Barwon River, then they moved to Colac where John practised medicine in partnership with Dr Rae.
Little is known about the 20 years of George’s life before his marriage at the age of 36 in New Zealand. His family thought he was educated at a good private school. Later he is thought to have been in partnership with an uncle. A Henry and a Robert Blunden were qualified to vote in the Portarlington area during 1856-7 but were they younger brothers of John? John seems to have left the Bellarine area about this time but George could have stayed on if an uncle was living there. A ‘brother’ of John Blunden is mentioned in a court case at Concongella in 1859 but unfortunately he is not named. George was then thought to have studied medicine briefly.
The first medical school in Melbourne opened in 1863 when George would have been 23. It would be understandable that John could have wanted his eldest son to study medicine but apparently George had no stomach for it and there is a suggestion that he may also have tried law. His half-brother Reginald, who later settled in Canterbury, went to Melbourne University. According to George’s death certificate he had been in New Zealand for 56 years when he died in February 1920. This would put his arrival about 1863 but may be just an estimate. He could have returned to Australia after a period in New Zealand. When he married in 1877, according to the Application to Marry, he had been two years at Carnarvon in the Rangitikei area and was working as a shepherd. This may reflect his background of growing up on a sheep station and perhaps working on the land in Australia,
In Portsmouth, on 16 August 1844, Elizabeth Nance married Dr. John Blunden, a widower with one young son, George. This charming and accomplished young girl with her husband, decided to go and live in Australia, a country which seemed to offer more opportunities.
Elizabeth, and her sisters were, when old enough, sent from England to Caen in France, to be educated in a convent there. At the convent they were instructed in all branches of learning in the arts and graces of the day, music, dancing, painting, deportment etc. and of course they spoke and read French fluently.
The Nance sons went into the Navy and at least one became a distinguished officer.
Twin of Florence.
Chemist, practised as a Doctor and farmer in Australia. They took up land in the WIMMERA district and called their station (of approx 57,500 acres sheep and cattle)"Concongella" where the Dr also practised his profession and their six children were born - Ada, Ralph, Reginald, Godfrey, Blanche and Florence. The last two girls were twins, but a young nurse playing with Blanche one day, tossing her up and catching her, the baby somehow broke her neck.
Years later when the family had to be educated, they moved to Geelong where Dr Blunden bought a practice at Highton and the three boys went to the Geelong Grammar School, and the girls had a governess and tutors. Dr John was also the local coroner and Doctor, as well as run holder.
It was on their property that the first gold was found, and they also made champagne the "Great Western" that is still drunk today. The vineyards are still producing.John Blunden was born at Poling, Sussex in 1814, the eldest son of George and Ann Blunden nee Cortis. The Blunden, Cortis, Olliver and Goble families have all been traced back to the late 16thC. George Blunden was a yeoman farmer, a tenant of the Duke of Norfolk. A Tithe Map of Poling in 1838 records George Blunden as holding nearly 114 acres there and a further 66 acres at an extra rental of just over 25 pounds. George Blunden’s estate was valued at eight hundred pounds when he died in 1845
George and Ann Blunden had 11 children, seven sons and four daughters. None of the sons followed George as farmers. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 ended a long period of war with France, British farming was depressed. The next generation sought new avenues of opportunity, some in the new colonies
We know nothing of John Blunden’s early life but presumably he was apprenticed to a chemist or gained experience in a chemist’s shop. It is interesting that in the brief period 1837-39 John’s occupation is variously described as ‘chemist’, ‘surgeon’ and ‘apothecary’. During the 18th century apothecaries tried and failed to curb the growing activities of chemists and druggists. The distinguishing feature of the latter was that they operated shops. Their stock varied according to the community they served but included drugs and chemicals, also a range of preparations for the huge number of horses then in Britain. Chemists also advised and prescribed for the treatment of minor illnesses.
Lucy Marshall states "John Blunden the chemist, in an article ‘Pharmacies of Old Portsmouth’ in the periodical cited previously, it is stated that the “Portsmouth Pharmacy” at No. 84 High Street was established in 1787. Thomas Dreweatt 1802-1866 was a chemist at 84 High Street c.1831-36. He had married Susannah Nance, elder daughter of Andrew Nance, in 1825. Blunden and Padwick, dispensing chemists, are shown at 84 High Street, on the corner with Oyster Street, in a drawing in the British Museum made about 1840. In the 1841 census, William Padwick, chemist aged 20, appears in the entry for the household of John Blunden as listed above. In the Hampshire Directory for 1855 Francis James Dreweatt, son of Thomas and Susannah above, was a chemist and druggist at 84 High Street. His father sold the chemist business in 1859. Thus it seems that John Blunden and William Padwick were working for Thomas Dreweatt in the pharmacy at 84 High Street. This connection is significant. John’s second wife was Elizabeth Nance, younger sister of Susannah Dreweatt. The pharmacy at 84 High St was opposite “The Fountain Hotel’ that was owned by Andrew Nance, the father of Susannah and Elizabeth Nance.
Meanwhile, John at 27 or 28 - his exact date of birth is unknown - had buried his wife and two children and was left with a two year old son. It is highly likely, although unproven, that John visited Australia at some time during the period 1842-44. George was possibly left with his grandparents at Poling in Sussex. Later, granddaughters on both sides of the Tasman were sure that John had visited Australia before emigrating with son George and second wife Elizabeth in 1844. The timing became blurred with the established fact that his sister Emily came to South Australia on the Buffalo in 1836, aged 16, and that his brother Stephen probably arrived earlier. Emily married Frederick Walford in 1843 at Launceston, Tasmania. They had returned to England by 1851 and appear in the census that year as ‘visitors’ at St Sidwell, Exeter. Stephen returned to England by the Zebra in 1839 and then engaged for a time in selecting emigrants for the new colony. In 1841 he was living with John at Portsmouth. It would be natural for John, seeking a new start for the next phase of his life, to think of checking out personally the new country of which he had personal reports from family members.
ÁUSTRALIA
John, Elizabeth and son George had already sailed from London on 10 Sep. by the brig William Wise, 240 tons. They arrived at Adelaide on 5 January 1845. Shipping Intelligence in The Adelaide Observer of 11 January noted the arrival and first on the list of the 17 passengers was John Blunden Esq. lady and child. Included in the cargo of the William Wise for J Blunden were 4 cases, 1 cask.Details of the Blunden family in Australia, and of the Nance family, are taken from The Blundens, published by Betty Blunden in 1981. John’s sister, Emily, had travelled to Adelaide in 1836 as the ward of Osmond Gillies and he was still living in Adelaide when the Blundens arrived in 1845. It seems likely that Elizabeth and George remained in Adelaide with Gillies while John went to find a suitable property where they could settle. Elizabeth’s first child, Ada, was born at Gilleston, about 18 miles from Adelaide
-5-and she was baptised 6 Nov. 1845 at Trinity Church, Adelaide. Her death certificate records that she spent the first year and a half of her life in South Australia. This indicates that Elizabeth and George, with Ada, remained in Adelaide until November 1846. George probably began his schooling there.
It is doubtful whether John would have had any money from Harriet’s estate as her affairs were still in Chancery over twenty years later. Probably Andrew Nance gave Elizabeth a generous dowry when she married. John settled on a large run in the Wimmera district of Victoria, over 200 miles from Melbourne and 350 miles from Adelaide, first settled by John Allan, named Allandale, later Concongella. His young wife died in 1845 and he was heavily in debt. John Blunden redeemed the property from the bank.
When John was ready to install his family at the Wimmera they faced a long journey by bullock wagon, whichever possible route they took. “Mrs Blunden, 2 children and servant” are recorded as passengers on the ship Teazer arriving at Melbourne from Adelaide in November 1846. Elizabeth probably took the opportunity to visit her sister Ellen, who was already living on the Bellarine peninsula, south of Melbourne, with her husband James Langdon. She still faced a journey of about 220 miles to reach the Wimmera district. George was now seven and probably retained memories of the trip.
At first the squatters had uncertain tenure of their land but by 1849 their leases were secured and they began to build substantial homes in stone. ‘The Concongella homestead was quite an imposing structure…standing on the rising ground above the Concongella Creek.’ The view was magnificent and as far as the eye could see, all part of the Concongella run that originally covered an estimated area of 57,600 acres, about ninety square miles, with a capacity for running about 12,000 sheep. ‘Dr Blunden’ also helped in cases of sickness and acted as the district coroner.
Five more children were born at Concongella, Ralph on 5 Oct. 1847, Reginald about 1850, Godfrey about 1852 and twins Florence and Blanche in 1853/4. Blanche died as an infant. No baptisms or registrations have been found for these younger children. George was educated first by a governess and then sent to boarding school but we do not know where or when. Being older by up to ten years or more than most of these siblings his life would have been largely separate from theirs but Concongella was his home from roughly seven to about fifteen.
The enormous space must have given a sense of freedom but there was also constant anxiety about bushrangers, blacks, drought, fires, floods and snakes. Two stories have come down from that time. “One day when Elizabeth was home by herself a black came to the door and asked to see the doctor. Elizabeth said, ‘He’s away, did you take the pills he gave you?’ The black answered, ‘No, no Missy, too longy shit-shit!’” Another day when Elizabeth came into the kitchen she found a naked black warming himself in front of the stove. She was so angry that she picked up a hot frying pan and hit him on the backside!
The year 1851 was momentous for Victoria. The summer was hot and dry and bush fires broke out throughout the state. In September gold was discovered at Ballarat and the rush was on. Then in September floods succeeded a long drought and the cost of the shearing season soared.
In 1853 two shepherds discovered gold at Pleasant Creek on the Concongella run - a cairn now marks the spot - and in 1856 quartz gold was also found on Concongella. ‘Gold mining, both alluvial and quartz, was well established before the Blundens left Concongella.’ The town of Stawell began as a cluster of tents near Pleasant Creek on Concongella land.
It seems that John lost the money he had invested in Concongella as the property was transferred to Dalgety and Ibbotson 17 March 1858. But in 1854 John had taken over the property at Ellenvale, originally owned by Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, James Conway Langdon, on the Bellarine Peninsula, Port Phillip. In 1854 John had pastured 1,500 sheep there and 1,700 in 1855. He was a ratepayer there in 1856 but in 1857 he relinquished Ellenvale. The next movements of the Blunden family are uncertain but in
-6-1865 they were living in Ballarat. Later they lived near Geelong, by the Barwon River, then they moved to Colac where John practised medicine in partnership with Dr Rae.
Little is known about the 20 years of George’s life before his marriage at the age of 36 in New Zealand. His family thought he was educated at a good private school. Later he is thought to have been in partnership with an uncle. A Henry and a Robert Blunden were qualified to vote in the Portarlington area during 1856-7 but were they younger brothers of John? John seems to have left the Bellarine area about this time but George could have stayed on if an uncle was living there. A ‘brother’ of John Blunden is mentioned in a court case at Concongella in 1859 but unfortunately he is not named. George was then thought to have studied medicine briefly.
The first medical school in Melbourne opened in 1863 when George would have been 23. It would be understandable that John could have wanted his eldest son to study medicine but apparently George had no stomach for it and there is a suggestion that he may also have tried law. His half-brother Reginald, who later settled in Canterbury, went to Melbourne University. According to George’s death certificate he had been in New Zealand for 56 years when he died in February 1920. This would put his arrival about 1863 but may be just an estimate. He could have returned to Australia after a period in New Zealand. When he married in 1877, according to the Application to Marry, he had been two years at Carnarvon in the Rangitikei area and was working as a shepherd. This may reflect his background of growing up on a sheep station and perhaps working on the land in Australia,
Harriet was the youngest of 10 children of Joshua and Catherine Jelleff. Joshua farmed 358 acres at Catherington on the main Portsmouth to London road. He had died 5 Sep. 1823 aged 52 when Harriet was just six years old.
Harriet and her twin sister Elizabeth were baptised 21 June 1817 at Catherington but Elizabeth died aged two years and was buried 17 Nov. 1819. This was the first of a succession of sibling deaths during Harriet’s short life. Two brothers, both named Joshua, had died before she was born. A sister, Louisa, died aged 15 six months after their father’s death. Another sister, Mary Ann, died less than a year later aged 19 when Harriet was seven. When she was 15 her brother James died aged 21 and 18 months later her sister Jane died aged 19 when Harriet was 17.
On 21 November 1837 when she was 20, Harriet married John Blunden who was described as a chemist, living at Church Path. He was 23. The marriage was by licence at the parish church of Portsea. Their first child Fanny was born in April 1838 but was buried aged five weeks 16 May 1838. Her father was ‘John, surgeon of Horndean’. In November 1838 Harriet’s eldest brother Joseph died aged 36.
John and Harriet’s second child, registered as George, was born 3 Sep. 1839 at Horndean and baptised at Catherington 27 Nov. 1839 with the names ‘George William’. His father was wrongly named as ‘Henry’ but his occupation was ‘apothecary’.
A third child, Frederic, was born 10 April 1841 at 84 High St, Portsmouth, his father noted as a chemist. Frederic was buried aged four months on 9 Aug. 1841. In a drawing of the facades of premises lining the High St in Portsmouth, John Blunden’s shop can be identified at No. 84. It is also illustrated in the May 20 1911 issue of The Chemist and Druggist.
Farmer