The first or middle name "Lindon" had been carried down as a Brown family name, appearing in the early Australian families in particular. One of the first Australian genealogists in the family was Lindon Brown. apparently a dashing bachelor, who spent quite a lot of time while he was living in England researching the family. Where did the name Lindon come from?

The earliest Lindon/Brown connection I have found is the marriage of Sarah Golston or Golstone, daughter of Catherine Brown and James Golston, to John Lindon in 1798. The GLS index states:

Originally my understanding was that this couple had just one daughter but the recent availability of John Lindon's will on the UK Public Record Office site, and transcription of that will by Lindon descendant, Anthony Hoskins of the US, indicates that there were three daughters:

1. Mary Joan Lindon, who probably did not marry

2. Deborah Lydia Lindon who first married someone named SYMES (or possibly LYMES) and later married the Reverend Nathaniel PARKYN.

3. Catherine Golstone Lindon who married the Reverend Theophilus Biddulph.

A little is known about the PARKYN family, as their son Nathanial Parkyn became Bishop of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.

Quite a lot is known about the Biddulph family, including the descendants of Catherine and Theophilus. The connected surnames are: BIDDULPH, BAINBRIDGE, GENNYS, LANGLEY, MACKENZIE and some of these descendants came to Australia.

Nothing is yet known of Deborah Lindon's first marriage or of Mary Joan Lindon.

The three daughters of Sarah and John Lindon are marked in burgundy on the family tree, below.

The Family Tree

My sketchy family tree for this family looks like this:

The Biddulph Family

The witnesses at their marriage (officiated by Theophilus' father Rev. T.T.Biddulph) who also signed the registry, included T(?)Lindon, Deborah Lindon, Henrietta Biddulph, William P Pinchard and J.Brown.

The Biddulphs have a long and noble history with many close connections to the church. For Theophilus the index to Oxford University alumni lists:

BIDDULPH Theophilius 3rd son of Thomas (Tregenna) of St. Michael Bristol. Queens College matriculated 23 Nov. 1818 aged 16. Corpus Christi College BA 1823 MA 1828. Father of Thomas T. - 1850.

Catherine and Theophilus had it seems five children (marked in green on the family tree). However, Catherine Golston Biddulph died on July 22, 1838 at 14 Belle Vue St, Clifton in Bristol of consumption ( cited on her death certificate) and Theophilus died a year earlier, on February 23, 1837. They are both recorded on the St.James Burial Register. They left a very young family, including two little girls aged just three and four years old.

All five children are named as beneficiaries in the will of their grandfather John Lindon, Gentleman of Cannington, who died between 1842 and 15 December 1845.

Some of the Biddulph family came to Australia. "The Letters of Rachel Henning" is a book about The Reverend Theophilus Biddulph's sister Rachel and brother Tregenna, and "The Sea Journals of Annie and Amy Henning" is another re this family. (No longer in the bookstores unfortunately.)

Descendant Annie Marshall is researching the Biddulphs and has shared much of her information about Catherine Golstone Lindon and Theophilus Biddulph. As she says "there is never enough!" so we would be very happy to communicate with any other Biddulph researchers, in Australia or in England.

More details on the Biddulph family will be added as time permits.

The Symes / Lymes and Parkyn Families

We don't know anything about Deborah Lindon's first marriage. The only clue to the marriage is reference to her as Deborah Lydia Symes (or Lymes) in her father's will, made in 1841. It is quite possible that she didn't have any children by that marriage.

However, Rev. Nathaniel and Deborah (Lindon) Parkyn had a son who was a Church of England clergyman. He was the Very Rev. Nathaniel Lindon Parkyn (1851-1931), Dean of Ballarat (Australia). His entry from "Who Was Who, 1929-1940" (p. 1045) reads: "PARKYN, Very Rev. Nathaniel Lindon; Educ: Western College, Plymouth; Ordained 1891; Curate of Keighley, 1891-3; Halifax, 1893-4; Vicar of Lightcliffe, 1894-7; Dean and Vicar of Christ Church Cathedral, Ballarat, 1897-1914; Vicar of All Saints, Blackpool, 1915-21. Address: 16 Edwards Street, Bath. Died 16 June 1931.

If anyone is able to throw further light on Deborah Lydia Lindon's family, or families, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The Collings Family

The Brown Family Front Page