Honeysett family of Rylstone came from Sussex (UK)

The Honeysett family of Rylstone are descended from John Honeysett (1729-1780) who lived in Sussex (UK).

The first 4 generations are shown below.


.Generation 1
John HONEYSETT (1729-1780) lived in Sussex (UK).

He had a son Thomas Honeysett (1770-1842).


Generation 2
Thomas HONEYSETT (1770-1842) became a miller and worked with his half-brother John Honeysett at Dudwell Mill in Sussex (UK).

He had a son Thomas Honeysett (1811-1880).
   

Generation 3
Thomas HONEYSETT (1811-1880) married  Eliza Ann (née RUSSELL) and they had 12 children.

Thomas, Elizabeth and their four children, at the time, sailed to Australia as assisted immigrants on the ship ‘Lady Raffles’ arriving on the 12 September 1839. The shipping records appear to show that both Thomas and Eliza could read and write. They first settled in Maitland NSW where from 1843 Thomas ran a flourmill in Elgin Street. On 21 June 1848, he was granted a publican’s license for the ‘Gorgon Arms Hotel’ at nearby Lochinvar. He then became the first licensee of the “Cricketer’s Arms” on the riverside of High Street, Maitland, in 1851. He is known as “The Father of Cricket in the Maitland District” and was clearly an important figure, being mentioned in many articles in the Maitland Mercury and other books and publications.

During 1850-51 Thomas and a number of Maitland entrepreneurs were sent to help locate gold in the Hunter Valley as a means of attracting new pioneers to the Maitland District. During the trip to the upper reaches of the valley, Tom stayed with his cousins of Weston at Cassillis. He and his party then searched throughout the frontier areas near Gulgong and Mudgee. When Tom returned closer to home he spent time fossicking an land where his wife’s uncles and cousins were located around Branxton and Lochinvar. Tom and Eliza’s relatives were the Danns, Russells, Balcombs, Mephams, Testers, Lloyds, Horders, Osbornes and Westons. Tom and his men found no substantial gold in the Hunter Valley but his trip led him to make a move to Mudgee. Tom sold his mills and inns at Maitland and moved to Mudgee before 1853. James Weston and his wife Lucy (nee Hyland) – Lucy being Thomas Honeysett’s older half-sister - purchased the mill in Elgin Street Maitland and they purchased some land near Kurri Kurri, which is nowadays the township of Weston.

In 1852 Tom moved to Mudgee where he was miller and had several hotels. In 1853 he paid £50 for the license of the “Rose Inn” and between 1863 and 1871 he ran the “Cricketer’s Arms” and the “Courthouse Hotel”. He also owned “Honeysett Hotel” later the “Railway Hotel”. In 1856, he is listed as living at Honeysett’s House’ c/o Wilton’s Mill, Mudgee and in the same year, he purchased a large farm called “Broombee”a few kilometers south of Mudgee near Apple Tree Flat. In partnership with his son John, he also owned a goldmine at Gulgong and flour purchasing business to complement his flourmills in Mudgee. In 1861, he had several winning racehourses from his stables at “Broombee”. From 1860 to 1877 there were numerous articles in the Mudgee Guardian about his prowess at foot racing and cricket, both of which he continued to pursue as an elderly gentleman.

Thomas died in Mudgee on 17 July 1880 aged 69 and is buried in an unmarked grave in the original C of E cemetery, now a leafy park in the middle of Mudgee. Eliza died on 20 January 1896 and was buried in “John Honeysett’s Presbyterian Cemetery” on her son John’s farm.


Generatin 4
The children of Thomas Honeysett (1811-1880) and his wife Eliza Ann (née RUSSELL) were:
Eliza (1832-  )
Mary Honeysett (1834-  )
Thomas (1836-  )
John William (1837-  )
Anne (1840-1842)
Elizabeth (1842-1913)
George (1845-1853)
Charles (1847-1859)
James William (1849-1934)
Jane Frances (1851-1925)
Lucy (1853-  )
Caroline (1855-1917)