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Mary Ann Smith and Thomas Cash

Mary Ann was the second child and first daughter of William Richard Smith and Mary Ann Barsden. She was born about 22nd October 1842 at Native Dog Creek [ ref for location : bc Agnes Cash} and baptised on 22nd October at Kelso likely Holy Trinity Church. [Australia birth and baptisms # 993954]. I did have an unreferenced birth date of 26th September 1842 but cannot find the primary reference so have removed it currently as a confirmed date. Searching the NSW BDM does not produce a birth certificate for Mary Ann.

Holy Trinity Church is the first church consecrated west of the Blue Mountains. With its pioneer cemetery and rectory designed by Edmund Blacket, it is one of the most significant building groups in the Central West region. In the muster of 1821 the Bathurst district population was 287 of which 210 were convicts. In 1822 Rev Samuel Marsden wrote to the new Governor Brisbane requesting that grounds be reserved for an Anglican Glebe, school and cemetery. By the mid 1820s the first entries in the Trinity Church registers were made for burials, baptisms and marriages. In 1826 the restrictions to building on the left bank were lifted and the plans for township of Bathurst were drafted. Also a general resurvey of NSW had been ordered in the early 1820s, resulting in a system of counties, townships and civil parishes. The title deed for the James Blackman grant dated 1823, on which the Holy Trinity group would later be built, notes that the land is within the County of Roxburgh and Township of Kelso. This may be the earliest known date mentioning the name of Kelso. Governor Brisbane took over from Macquarie in December 1821 and his wife, Lady Anna Brisbane was born in Roxburgh County, Scotland, near the town Kelso. It is assumed that use of the names Roxburgh and Kelso in NSW was a compliment to her and her home. The Macquarie River posed a major obstacle for many years and divided Kelso from Bathurst. The river was wider and deeper than it is today and suggestions were put forward by the 1820s for a bridge, however in the 1830s the local population were still relying a flat bottomed boat to cross the river.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Anglican_Church,_Kelso ; 

Mary Ann would have been baptised on the land of her great grandfather James Blackman. Thanks to Blackman relative Tanya O’Neill for the maps.
 








 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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Mary Ann married Thomas Cash when she was 19 years of age. She required her father's permission. Thomas Cash was a farmer of Davys Creek at the time of the marriage. Thomas was 23 years of age. Thomas was illiterate, Mary Ann singed her name.  Daniel Sewell also illiterate was a witness as was Margaret Cash. She was Thomas's sister Margaret [1839-1891]. Margaret had married Daniel William Sewell son of Joseph Sewell and Frances Green Smith making him William's step brother. The marriage occurred on 8th May 1861 at St Michael's Church , Bathurst. Mary Ann and Thomas went on to have 9 possibly 10 children and use the button below for their stories.
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  • John Joseph Cash-1861-1942
  • Agnes Cash-1863-1952
  • Lucy Ann Cash- 1866-1932
  • Charles Richard Cash- 1869-1918
  • James Francis Cash- 1872-1955
  • Jane Cash- only record is a birth in 1873 listed by family trees. NSW BDM has no record.
  • William Henry Cash -1874-1929
  • Thomas George Cash-1877-1942
  • Mary Ann Cash- 1881-1930
  • Frances Madeline Cash- 1884-1943

 
Thomas was the son of Thomas Cash [1807-1880] and Margaret Cosgrove [1807-1881]. He was born on Walbrook Rockley about 1838 according to family histories. His father Thomas Cash Snr was born in Wicklow Ireland and was a house servant prior to his conviction and sentence to life on 18th February 1828 for stealing post bills. He left England on the shop SOPHIA on 15th Sept. 1828 and arrived in Sydney on 17th Jan 1829. He was assigned to Mr Redfern of Campbelltown. [ ref; Australia, Convict Records Index, 1787-1867] .His parents were Thomas Cash and Margaret Wright [ Ref: https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/cash/thomas/131636]. The family was Irish Protestant according to the convict indents but in fact are Catholic according to other documents such as Thomas Jnrs death certificate. Thomas Jnr is buried in the Catholic section of Oberon cemetery so we can be certain the Cash's were Irish Catholic!  

Thomas Snr's records indicate he obtained a ticket of leave on 10/4/1837 and a conditional pardon on 16/1/1847 - see documents below. Margaret and Thomas had married in Dublin in 1826. Margaret followed him out and according to the Convict Records site: Margaret (Cosgro/ave) was born about 1807 in Dublin county Ireland. She arrived in Australia free in 1835 on DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND presumably to join her husband (listed on the Bounty index-single female age 26 from Dublin-gone to her husband) as assigned servant on the estate of Mr (Redfern) Campbelltown. Mr Redfern is Robert Redfern of Campbelltown or is it Campbells River or both? and Westmoreland which identifies how the Cash's came to Bathurst. [Ref: https://andrewredfern.com/unlocking-robert-redferns-land-grant/  ]. Thomas's convict indent clearly assigns him to Mr Redfern of Campbell Town but the 1834 newspaper article sees him granted land at Campbells River Westmoreland. Was it both or did the indents get it wrong? Robert was the brother of the colonial surgeon Mr William Redfern [https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/redfern-william-2580].  

 
 
 
 
 
 
Thomas Cash Snr and Margaret [ Cosgrove] had 7 possibly 8 children:
  • James [1836-1913];
  • Thomas Jnr;
  • Margaret wife of Daniel Sewell-see above
  • ​Mary Ann Cash 1841-1925-she had married George Spencer Green son of Spencer Hall Green and Margaret Jane Barsden and nephew of Frances Green Smith. He died in 1862 the same year as they married and they had a girl Selina Margaret Green [1862-1947]. Mary Ann married Patrick McMahon  in 1872. They are buried together at Oberon Cemetery.
  • Terence  born 1844
  • Lucy Cash born 1846 and married Patrick John Grady / O'Grady aka James Grady in 1864 { Marriage Index # 1421]. They had 2 sons we know of James Francie Grady [born 1875] and William Stanley O'Grady [1887-1964].
  • Michael born Campbells River 31st Jan 1848 according to family trees. No primary evidence

Thomas Cash Jr died at Stony Creek on 16th August 1911 aged 74 years [Ref: gravestone and death certificate]. George McNab was  a witness and George Armstrong certified the death. Perhaps this is the McNab that Dale Boyle's mother [ a descendant of Mary Ann and Thomas] referred to when discussing what happened to Mary Ann's and Thomas's property:

Dale Boyle from Sydney [ grandson of Ellen Selina Foran]  provided the following anecdotes on Mary Ann's life after Thomas Died:

Dear Viv,

I will tell you a story that Mum told me many times and it is about Thomas Cash and Mary Ann SMITH.  When Thomas Cash died in 1911 her family were off her hands and she teamed up with a chap called McNab.  and she finished up dying and leaving the property to him. The property at Native Dog Creek. Mum  said that one of the family were going to look into to it but nothing became of it.Maybe it is just a story and maybe there  is no truth in it but there it is. Hope you get the photo,s O.K.

You will notice under Landholders at Bathurst that McNAB  was the owner of the property [Essington] in 1885. Mary being dead at that time.I think the story is quite true my mother spoke about it often. Mum did not die till 1995. 
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Since Mary did not die until 1923 and Thomas not until 1911 it is likely that Peter McNab who held property in 1885 at Essington at both Stony Creek and Brisbane Valley did not take this property from the Cash's. See excerpt from Bathurst Landholders  1885 below. Mary could have partnered with Peter McNab given they lived in the same area and not George McNab. 
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