Stephen Sivyer (Son of William and Elizabeth)

On Wednesday July 26, 1843 this advertisement appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald.

JAMES SIVYER, from Landhurst, Kent, left England in 1839, will hear from his brother Stephen Sivyer, by directing to William Coleman, 5, George-street, Sydney.

James and Harriet Sivyer had by this time been in the colony of New South Wales for over 4 years. 

Stephen Sivyer son of William Sivyer and Elizabeth Burt had emigrated on the "Maitland" and arrived in Sydney with his wife Mary Stannard in November 1838.

What led James to place an advertisement in the newspaper? It does appear that Stephen may never have connected back to the very close James Sivyer and Frederick John Goodsell families of the Newtown and St. Peters areas of Sydney. His other brother William and wife Hannah Hawkins were in the Hunter or Maitland area of the colony of NSW. 

Stephen died in Bowenfels in 1880. From newspaper reports he appears to have lived his life in the area around Bowenfels, Hartley and Hassan Wells. These three places are all close together near Lithgow, NSW. What is know from a report in the Methodist newspaper of 1910 is that Stephen like his siblings maintained a strong connection to the Methodist religion.

Methodist (Sydney, NSW : 1892 - 1954), Saturday 22 January 1910, page 8

OUR CONTRIBUTORS.

MY SECOND CIRCUIT.

BY OLD TRAVELLER.

Leaving my parents, and my friend, Mr. Robert Burns, in Parramatta, I went by coach to Penrith. The Rev. Tlios. Skewes who preceded me . in the cir cuit, had ridden the circuit horse so far, and had left him with an innkeeper named Kemble. Mr. Kemble promised to have the horse ready on the following morning, but when brought in from the paddock he was found to require shoeing. But here was a difficulty, to find a blacksmith to shoe him, for this was Good Friday. However, after considerable negotiation, the horse was shod, and I started off my journey.

Some of the forenoon was now gone, and I had only a short day 'for a ride over the mountains. I crossed the Nepean by Punt-road, through Emu Plains, and up Lapstone Hill, and entered the far-famed Blue Mountains. All of this was new to me. Instead of being able to reach Sheringhani's, at the foot of Mount Victoria, I could only make Pulpit Hill. To my surprise, I found that the innkeeper was a Mr. Gregor McGregor. I knew the name very well, for Mr. Mc Gregor had been a sergeant-major in the Army, and a member of my father's class, in Parramatta, and it did seem strange that a professing Christian should be keeping an inn, for I was always taught to believe that the business of grog-selling was one upon which we could not ask God's blessing. I told him who I was, and that I thought it strange to find him there. He made some excuse about providing a livelihood for his family. Resuming my journey the next morning, Bowenfells was the farthest that. I could go, and as that was in my Circuit, and indeed it was called Bowenfells Circuity I put up at the hospitable home of Mr. Stephen Sivyer. This, was a station of some years standing in the Conference Minutes. I was told that the Rev. John Pemell used to go from this place away through the mountains to Rylstone, to preach to the people there. It was said that Mr. Pemell carried his snack with him, and about half way lie had his quart pot in a safe place in the bush, arriving there he would boil the billy and have his lunch. This minister did some fine pioneering work between Bowenfells, Rylstone, and Mudgee. Mr. Sivyer had bought a lot of a couple of acres, and had a small orchard, a nursery, and a vegetable garden. He took care of the church, in a substantial stone building. He was our principal member, and society steward, and right heartily did he cater for his minister's comfort. On Monday duty led me on to Meadow Flat, where the Scott family lived. .........

More of the Stephen Sivyer story to follow....