John
Wilton came from the area around St. Neot, Cornwall, England.
He arrived
in the Van Diemen's Land aboard the ship "Orleana" on the 4th of
July 1842 as a bounty immigrant assigned to Mr. J.J. Turnbull (Barrister of
Hobart Town and land-holder at New Norfolk).
John Wilton
was accompanied by his wife Mary (nee Lobb), and their daughter Mary
Ann then aged 2 years.
(On the
same ship was one Samuel Townsend, a free immigrant, who had joined the "Orleana"
in England. Some 13 years later on 3rd December 1855 Samuel (aged 33)
married Mary Ann Wilton (aged 16), daughter of John and Mary (nee Lobb) Wilton
in the house of George Southgate at New Norfolk.)
John Wilton
was a ploughman, and is thought to have been sponsored by Mr. J.J. Turnbull
for his (John's) experience farming, and as a Land Holder Mr.Turnbull would
have had the need for an experienced farmer to work his Land Grant some 500
acres at Lachlan. In the early 70's James John Turnbull and his wife Len were
residing at Millbrook.
Of the
children born in the New Norfolk strict to John
& Mary Wilton, William Henry was the first son born in 1843, William
Henry was named after his paternal grandfather. The next child born in 1845
was named John, then came Martha in 1846. tragically, William, at the tender
age of 6 years (drowned in 1850).
The hardships
for John were not over, his wife, Mary, succumbed to the disease phthisis
(tuberculosis), and died on 11th December 1846.
Two years
were to pass before John remarried, his second wife was Ann
Drayson, John & Ann were married in St. Mathew's Church, New Norfolk,
on the 3rd Jan. 1848.
John and
Ann had eight children between 1850 and 1864,
during this time John and Ann were moving between Sorell Creek and Lachlan.
Eventually they settled in Lachlan village. By 1860 John was a tenant farmer.
In 1868
John was once again widowed, his wife Ann died on the 25th of June. However
John at a mature age, (when many would perhaps have considered retirement),
events suggest that John was active and may have still possessed a certain
charm, for in June 1869 John then aged 56 years, married Catherine Matchell,
aged 18 years. This union produced two children,
George born 1871 and Peter in 1874.
When John
Wilton died on 6th November 1876 his age was recorded as 63 years.