The Nelson Family

Isabella Nelson was the second wife of Rev. John Muggeridge Orsmond and it is one of their daughters, Caroline, who married Edward Jollie.

Having lost his first wife, Mary, in 1819 John Orsmond left Tahiti where he was a missionary and went to Sydney to search for another wife. On 23th December 1819 he married Isabella who was a teacher in Rev. Samuel Marsden's Sunday School. She bore him ten children and was his right hand in the missionary work and his sympathetic companion throughout his life.

Isabella was daughter of Isaac Nelson, of New South Wales, Australia. Isaac arrived in Australia not later than 1795 and the series T.D. Mutch Index to births, deaths and marriages 1787 - 1814 gives the following information:

    Isabella Nelson d. of Isaac and Sarah Nelson
    b. 6 June 1795, bap. 26 July 1795
                         St. Philips, Sydney.

    Louisa Nelson d. of Isaac and Sarah Nelson
    b. 24 January 1798, bap. 7 October 1798
                         St. Philips, Sydney.

    Harriet Nelson d. of Isaac and Sarah Nelson
    b. 30 December 1800, bap. 8 February 1801
                         St. Philips, Sydney.
    

By reference to the Mutch Index ... 1815 - 1957 we are able to establish the date of the marriage between Isabella Nelson and John Muggeridge:

    Church: St. John's Parramatta
    Date: 26 December 1819
    By whom: Rev. John Marsden
    No. of Licence: 81
    Date of Licence: 24 December 1819
    Parties Names: Mr. John Muggeridge Orsmond of Sydney
                   Miss Isabella Nelson, daughter of
                   Mr. Isaac Nelson of Sydney
    

At the time of the arrival of Lachlan Macquarie in N.S.W. (c.1809) Isaac Nelson appeared to have held 100 acres of land at Prospect Creek in the district of Bankstown. This land appears not to have been a 'grant' but was held "under his Honor Colonel Paterson late Lieutenant-Governor". Such grants were later rendered void when Macquarie assumed control of the colony ( Proclamation 4 January 1810 ). Nelson, in a memorial to Macquarie (17 January 1810) requested that the 'grant' be formally recognised and that "the late Governor Bligh..." Nelson continued:

I also beg leave to state that I have been in the Colony upwards of eighteen years, thirteen of which I kept school, but at present reside on the farm upon which my family consisting of wife who came free and three children safely depend for support...

In any event the earlier grant was confirmed by Macquarie, subject to: ... the usual reservations for timber for Naval purposes for the use of the Crown and annual quit rent after 5 years, two shillings.

There is a connection here to Lord Nelson, but what?. Laila Story's notes suggest that there is no connection to Lord Nelson.