Matthew Farndale and Hannah Thompson

Matthew and Hannah Farndale and their daughters Mary and Elizabeth embarked on a 14 week voyage to Melbourne to establish a new lineage in Australia

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Matthew Farndale lived at Kilton Hall and later at Hallgarth Farm, Kildale where he was farming 150 acres helped by 2 men by 1851. Then Matthew and his family sailed from Liverpool on the Argo on 8 October 1852 and arrived in Melbourne, Australia on 19 January 1853. He is the founder of the Australia 1 (Birregurra) Line of Farndales.

Mary Ann had already married William Martin when they emigrated, so although no direct Farndale line followed from this family in Australia, the Martin family and other descendants can link in to this story. The Martin family are the descendants of the Australia 1 (Birregurra) Line and of Mary Ann Martin (nee Farndale) and William Martin, who settled in Victoria in southern Australia. When Matthew Farndale died in 1884, there were no more Farndales in Australia descended from the Australia 1 (Birregurra) Line. However the family continued by female descent and the name Farndale continued to be used over further generations. The Australians did not forget their ancestry. Martin Edgar Martin’s second son was called Farndale as a Christian name and his house name was Farndale in Wilby. Other members of the family used it as a second name including Valerie Farndale Basset; Graeme Farndale Woodmason and Stuart Farndale Dunstan.

Matthew Farndale was born on 30 September 1793, the twin of William Farndale, son of William and Mary Farndale of Kilton. He was baptised at Brotton on 3 November 1793.

Kilton was then a village of some 120 inhabitants. Matthew's elder brothers were George born in 1789 and John born in 1791. There were to be four more children, Mary born in 1796, Martin born in 1798, Anna born in 1801 and Elizabeth born in 1804.

We know little about Matthew's life at Kilton and he is not mentioned at all in his brother John's book about Kilton. However he would have been brought up on the farm, went to school in the village or possibly at Brotton and went to church regularly. His parents were churchgoers and at about the turn of the century they became methodists. There is no evidence that he ever left the farm as he grew up.

In 1816 his father took a farm at Easby for his elder brother George and another at Skelton for his next elder brother John. This left Matthew with his father William and his younger brother Martin at the Hall Farm in Kilton. He would have been 23 when his elder brothers left home and he clearly did more at Kilton.

His name first appeared in the Kilton Church Rates Book in 1829 by which time he paid more in rates than his father. He paid 8s 9d and his father 7s 9¾ d. This would suggest that he was now in charge at Kilton aged 36. 1829 was also the year he was married. On 13 May 1829 Matthew Farndale of Kilton married Hannah Thompson of Sleights, near Whitby at the Parish Chapelry Brotton, indicating a methodist marriage. They were married by licence with consent of their parents by William Close, the Minister. Both signed in the presence of Ann Thompson, Elizabeth Seller and Richard Thompson. Hannah Thompson was born at Sleights on 11 October 1807.

The situation at Kilton at this stage is not quite clear but as William got older Matthew began to take over, particularly after his marriage in 1829.

In 1831 Matthew and Hannah’s eldest daughter, Mary Ann Farndale was born at Kilton on 6 April 1831.

Also in 1831 his twin brother William Farndale died of typhus fever. There is an obituary to him in the Methodist Records which reads October 21st at Kilton: In the Stokesley Circuit in his 37th year, Mr William Farndale Junior. He was of an open disposition and of studious habits. About the year 1815 a revival of the work of God took place in the neighbourhood where he resided. When he was acquainted with his condition as a sinner and sought and found the Lord to the joy of his heart. He then listed himself to the Wesleyan Methodists and became very useful among them as an exhorter and local preacher. The complaint typhus fever which terminated his mortal existence, considerably affected his mind, yet when he recollected he expressed strong confidence in God.

William was buried at Brotton on 23 October and his tombstone still stands in Brotton old churchyard.

Their second daughter, Elizabeth Farndale was born at Kilton on 5 April 1832.

Matthew’s younger brother Martin married Elizabeth Hours at the Chapel, Brotton on 18 May 1833. There were therefore three families living at the Hall - William & Mary; Matthew and Hannah and their two children; and Martin and Elizabeth. Somewhere about this time their elder brother George returned from Easby and in 1839 John's wife Martha had died at Skelton but he did not return to Kilton. Both his younger sisters Mary and Elizabeth had died and Anna was married, living at Seamer, in 1841.

The Kilton accounts in 1834 showed Matthew was paying a rent of £100 for the first time in 1834.

The Poll Books between 1835 and 1850 all show Matthew Farndale, as a Farmer and occupier of Kilton Hall Farm. From 1838 to 1850, Matthew was shown as a farmer at Kilton and with his brother Martin on the Register of Voters.

The Census 1841 for Martin listed Matthew Farndale, 45, farmer; living with Hannah Farndale, 30; Mary Ann Farndale ,10; Elizabeth Farndale, 8, and Thomas Farndale 15, a male servant and son of his brother George. This census showed Matthew and his family at Kilton Hall, Martin and Elizabeth at Stank House nearby and William and Mary at Brotton. Matthew signed the 1841 Census for Kilton.

There were entries in 1842 and 1843 for the provision of horses by Matthew for work on the roads, mainly How Lane and Mill Beck. He was paid for these sometimes teams of 1, 2 or 3 horses. In 1843 the Rate Assessments charged at 6d in the £ showed his brother charged at £212, George, now returned from Easby charged at £208 and Matthew at £164, giving him a rateable value of £6,560.

On 25 March 1843 Matthew's mother Mary died at Brotton and was buried in Brotton Old Churchyard on 28 March 1843 aged 81 years. It appears that old William now went to live with his daughter Anna at Seamer for it was there that he died on 5 March 1846 aged 86, a farmer who died of old age in the presence of his son in law, William Phillips. In his will he left all my money upon note and other securities unto my said son Matthew Farndale and my said son Matthew Farndale, my sole executor.

Clearly William expected his son Matthew to take over the farm at his death. We can only guess what was going through Matthew's mind however. It seems that he was not prepared to let down is father but it seems that he did not want to spend the rest of his life at Kilton. He remained at Kilton until 1849.

There are records that on 6 June 1843 Martin and Matthew were involved in Kilton lane Repairs and on 11 Dec 1843 with gripping stones.

In the Estate list of Freeholders Tithe for Brotton, Matthew was shown as renting a farm at Kilton in 1843 and 1845 and Townend Farm in 1849.

On 26 March 1844 the overseers of the different parishes produced their accounts for the last year which were examined and allowed by the magistrates. The following is a list of the new overseers appointed for the ensuing year Kilton, Matthew Farndale and Francis Breckon. The newly elected poor law guardians for the several townships comprising the Guisbro’ Union included Kilton, M Farndale.

An overseer of the poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England. The position was created by the Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597. Overseers of the poor were often reluctant appointees who were unpaid, working under the supervision of a justice of the peace. The law required two overseers to be elected every Easter, and churchwardens or landowners were often selected. Overseers of the poor were replaced in the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, and replaced with boards of guardians, although overseers remained in some places as a method of collecting the poor rate.

On 18 March 1844 Martin and Matthew were involved in cutting snow for which they were paid 2s each in the Kilton Surveyors Accounts Book. On 22 May 1844 Matthew was loading stones at Kilton Quarry and was paid 2s. On 29 June Martin and Matthew were involved in a repair at Cowhill Lane and were paid 2s each. Matthew was repairing Cowhill Lane again on 3 February 1845 and on 24 March 1845 Matthew was cutting stones How Lane, cutting stones Kilton Lane, and was paid 2s for each lane.

In January 1846 the Rev Henry Clarke and J B Rudd Esq, two commissioners of property tax, sat in the town hall, Guisborough, for the purpose of appointing collectors for the Division of Langbaugh East, and signing the duplicates of assessment. The collectors for Kilton were Matthew Farndale and Thos Bolton.

There is a record in 1848, John Marshal, Townend Farm, late Matthew Farndale and it seems that Matthew and his family left Kilton that year. His farm with details of his fields are shown on the tithe map for Kilton in 1845.

The Census of 1851 for Hallgarth, in Kildale to the east of Great Ayton listed Matthew Farndale, aged 57, a farmer of 150 acres with 2 labourers; Hannah Farndale, his wife, aged 43; Mary Ann Farndale, his daughter, unmarried, aged 19; Elizabeth Farndale, his daughter, unmarried, aged 17; and Richard Thompson. perhaps Hannah’s brother, a servant, unmarried aged 51 and lodger, William Horsley aged 28, living in.

So Matthew had moved to Kildale, about 10 kiloemtres south of Guisborough. Perhaps Hallgarth is what is now Hall Farm. Garth is a word which means paddock or yard.

The lease of his farms in Kildale, by when he was also a tenant at Church House Farm, were relinquished in 1851. Farms to let at Kildale in Cleveland. Church House Farm occupied by Matthew Farndale, containing, more or less, 76 acres of superior Turnip and Barley Soil; 74 acres in good Old Grass; and 85 acres of sheep pastures. Every encouragement will be shown to good and improving tenants. For further particulars apply to Mr George Peirson, Marske, Near Middlesbrough. Marske, January 1st, 1851.

About the same time advertisements encouraging emigration to Australia were appearing in the Press. An advertisement in January 1851 referred to Line of Packets from Liverpool, for Port Adelaide and Sydney, landing passengers at Port Philip. Reduced Fares. 1st Cabin: £45; 2nd Cabin: £25; Intermediate: £15; Steerage: £10. Accommodation, Provisioning and Equipment, second to None. Condor, 1500 Tons, to sail 20th January 1851. Osprey (or other Vessel), 20th March. A1 new ships, coppered and copper fastened. For further particulars apply to the Owners. Gibbs Brigg & Co, Liverpool or R Mills, 2 Blake Street, York. Indeed his brother John Farndale advertised passage to Australia after Matthew had departed for Australia. In 1863 John advertised a passage warrant to Australia at half price. Open until July 1863, for a single eligible young man. Apply (post paid) to John Farndale, 20 Park Row, Stockton on Tees.

We do not know what it was that made Matthew and Hannah decide to emigrate to Australia. Perhaps they had been thinking of this for some time, but whatever the reason it was a major undertaking to look for a new life at the age of 57 and to leave his family and all that he knew. Before leaving Kildale their eldest daughter Mary Ann Farndale married William Martin of Kildale who had been a butler at Ingleby Manor.

The story of their emigration to Australia, their life in Victoria, and his descendants who lived there is told in Act 23 of the Farndale Story.

Matthew Farndale died at the age of 90 at Birregurra, Australia on 8 August 1884. We regret to record the death of Mr. Matthew Farndale, a very old and respected resident of this district, which took place on Friday last at his residence, Birregurra. Mr. Farndale, who had reached the great old age of 90 years, was a wonderfully robust and sound constitutioned man, but, of course, during late years a general breaking up of the system was taking place, and his death was not unexpected. His remains were interred in the Irrewarra cemetery yesterday afternoon in the presence of a large number of friends and acquaintances of the family. The grave of Matthew and Hannah at Warncoort cemetery, Australia reads In Memory, Matthew Farndale Who died August 8th 1884 Aged 90 years Blessed are the dead Who die in the Lord Also of Hannah Relict of the late Matthew F Who departed this life at Hawthorne, Birregurra On Friday 9 December 1892 Aged 85 years For so he giveth is beloved sleep.

His death is also memorialised on the tombstone of his twin brother William Farndale at Brotton. Memorial of William, son of William and Mary Farndale died 21 October 1831 aged 33 and also to Mathew Farndale twin brother of the above of Birregurra, Australia who died 8 August 1884 aged 90 years. Also Hannah his widow who died Dec 9 1892 aged 85 years.

Hannah Farndale died at the age of 84 at Birregurra, Australia on 9 December 1892. Sadly the whole property at Birregurra was destroyed by a bush fire in 1901 when all Western Victoria was set alight.

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The webpage of Matthew Farndale includes a chronology, research notes and source material