Beanland family

The Beanland Family in Doncaster 1861-1888

Graham Beanland, who joined our Society earlier this year, spoke to us about his forebears at our September meeting. 

Two young brothers, Thomas Seaton Beanland aged 19 years and John Griffith Beanland 18 years, purchased 36 acres of land in Church Road, Doncaster in 1861 for £252 from Bagot as agent for Robert Campbell, London. 

They established a small sandstone quarry on the property in the vicinity of what is now the comer of Church Road and Board Street. 

The Beanland family were skilled miners and quarrymen who also owned bluestone quarries in the Newport-Williamstown area. 

Stone from the Doncaster quarry was used in the construction of Holy Trinity Church of England in 1869 and also for Schramm's Cottage on its former site on Doncaster Hill in 1875. 

Sadly, John Griffith died in 1875 at the age of 31 years, leaving his wife Elizabeth a widow fort the second time with 5 children under 12 and another born 4 months after John's death.

Three years later Thomas Seaton also died at 36 years of age leaving a widow with 4 children under 12. The two women then sold their respective half shares in the property to their father-in-law John Beanland senior who planted an orchard on the property. 

John senior lived there with his youngest son Robert, although they were nominally residents of Williamstown. 

An infant son of Robert was buried in the Waldau Cemetery in 1886. John Beanland sold the property to brothers Edmund, Frederick and Alfred Thiele in 1888. 

This in later years was the well-known orchard property of Frederick Thiele a leading authority on the fruit growing industry in Victoria. 

Our thanks to Graham for telling us about this lesser known but significant pioneer family of our district. 

Source: 2014-12 DTHS Newsletter

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John Beanland and family in Australia:  

Action:

• scanned - Done
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John (1811-90) & Mary (1809-91) Beanland and their Descendants in Australia