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Joshua Sawtell was born and grew up on the family farm at Huish Episcopi, a parish in the east division of the hundred of Kingsbury, County Somerset, England, half a mile east of Langport at the junction of the Parret and Yeo Rivers. Joshua was the 9th child and seventh son of Joshua and Mary Sawtell (nee Laver) and was baptized on 30th March 1831 at St Marys Church, Huish Episcopi.

The Sawtells had been living at Huish Episcopi for over 100 years when Joshua was born.

Economic conditions in England had deteriorated with the repeal of the Corn Laws, reducing the tariff of foreign grain from 48 shillings to 10 shillings in 1846 and further to only one shilling in 1849.

This had an effect on the income for the farmers and the demand for farm labourers. In 1849 there was a great demand for persons with farming experience in New South Wales (Australia) due to a number of people going to the California goldfields (USA) and unwillingness of new arrivals to go to the country for work.. The revival of the free immigration in 1849 encouraged nearly twenty thousand persons to come to Australia, more than for the previous six years combined.

In 1849 Australia had an estimated non-aboriginal population of 373,362 people with New South Wales having an estimated population of 247,260.

Joshua together with his brother, Albert aged 23 years and their sister, Sarah aged 27 years, looked to Australia for a better life. Albert had married Mary Ann Sawtell (his cousin) on 30th April 1849. Sarah had also just been married on 8th February 1849 to Frederick Levi Diggins. They all sailed from Plymouth, England, on 12th May 1849 on the ship "Victoria" arriving at Sydney Cove on 2nd September 1849. They were assisted immigrants and had no relatives in the Colony. On the passenger manifest, Joshua is listed as an 18 year old single male in good health, being a farm labourer from Huish. Joshua’s religion was Church of England, and he was unable to read or write. Albert and Sarah could both read. Mary Ann and Frederick could read and write and Mary Ann was a daughter of Edmond and Ann Sawtell (nee Downton).

It would appear they all moved to the Illawarra district on the South Coast of New South Wales for work.

Frederick and Sarah Diggins’ first baby was a daughter, Lucy Jane, born on 15th October 1849 in Sydney and their second child, Eliza Jane was born on 5th April 1851 at Dapto.

Albert and Mary Ann Sawtell’s first child, Thomas, was born on 28th June 1850 at Marshall Mount, Dapto.

Not a lot is known about Joshua’s early days in Australia after he arrived at Sydney Cove on 2nd September 1849. Many aspects of his life remains unanswered as to where and for whom he worked. However some details of his life in Australia can be traced from official records and newspaper clippings.

Joshua, at the age of 21 years, married Harriett aged 15 years, who was the eldest daughter of John and Ann Whiffen (nee Fox) of Dapto. The marriage took place at St Michael’s Church of England, Wollongong on 14th January 1852. Their first born child, a daughter named Annie, was born on 20th January 1853, and baptised at Wollongong on 6th February 1853, giving their abode as Mount St Thomas, now a suburb of Wollongong. Joshua’s profession was given as a farmer... Unfortunately, their daughter Annie died on the 4th May 1853, aged only 3 months. Joshua John born on 2nd October 1854 was their second child. He was baptised on 22nd October 1854 at St Lukes Church of England, Dapto and their place of abode was shown as Dapto. The next three children were all born while the family was living at West Dapto. The three children being Mary Ann, born 2nd October 1856, Thomas, born 23rd January 1859 and Henry Freeman, born 1st December 1860. Joshua’s occupation was shown as a farmer.

According to an article in the "Cobargo Chronicle" dated 27th December 1919 "The passing of a Pioneer – Death of Mrs Peter Wilson", Joshua was engaged in work as a gold seeker at Nerrigundah, to the west of Bodalla for some time. Gold was discovered at Nerrigundah in January 1861. It is not known if the whole family or only Joshua lived at Nerrigundah.

Joshua together with his family moved to the Bega Valley in the early 1860’s arriving by schooner at Merimbula.

This would suggest the family arrived in the Bega Valley before the wharf at Tathra was built. The contract for the erection of the Tathra wharf was let in November 1861 to Mr John O’Neil and the wharf was completed in May 1862. On Joshua’s death certificate his occupation is recorded as Carpenter, lately farmer, which could indicate that Joshua may had come to the Bega district to work as a carpenter on the Tathra wharf or the sheds at the wharf . Unconfirmed reports handed down from older family members tell that Joshua was a carpenter in England before he came to Australia.

Joshua selected two 40 acre blocks of land at Jellat Jellat near Bega on 26th May 1864. They were Portions 28 and 29, Parish of Wallagoot, County of Auckland, under the Robertson land Acts of 1861. The Act provided for free selection before survey of between 40 and 320 acres of land. The price of the land was one pound ($2.00) per acre requiring a deposit of 25% to be paid at the time of selection. The balance could be paid at will. Interest was charged and had to be paid each year. Freehold was granted when all monies owing was paid in full. Other conditions were that the selector had to live on the holding as well as make improvements, such as fencing and clearing the land. Joshua made another selection of 40 acres, Portion 34 in 1865 and a further selection again of 40 acres, Portion 44 in 1870. Both portions 34 and 44 adjoined the original selections. The area was marginal hilly country without permanent running water.

A report in the "Southern Star" a Bega newspaper on a public meeting held in the temporary school room at Jellat Jellat on 20th July 1871, stated that Joshua Sawtell was one of several parents who promised to send their children to the public school at Jellat Jellat which had opened on 17th July 1871 with 17 children in attendance. Mr Samuel Thickness was the Teacher. The building was located on a Government reserve which fronts the main road from Bega to the port of Tathra between the selections of Messrs Sawtell and Page.

The "Bega Gazette" dated 3rd May 1872 reported that Mr Sawtell had gained the contract to build a school house of slabs, size 15 x 25 feet at Warragaburra (between Jellat Jellat and Bega) for the price of thirty pounds. The school was opened for teaching on 3rd June 1872.

Joshua and Harriett had four more children while living at Jellat Jellat, being Emma born 5th December 1863, Sarah Elizabeth born 12th July 1866, Alfred born 9th October 1868 and Amelia Harriett born 9th May 1871. Emma died at Jellat Jellat on 7th January 1866 at the early age of  2 years.

Joshua sold his land at Jellat Jellat to Robert Ritchie who owned the adjoining land, the transfer occurred on 6th January 1873.

On the 9th January 1873 Joshua selected 307 acres of land at Wandella to the west of Cobargo again under the Robertson Land Acts of 1861. Portion 63, 207 acres and Portion 64, 100 acres both in the Parish of Wandellow, County of Dampier. At the time there were no fences, mobs of wild horses and cattle roamed the area. Annie Eliza, their tenth child, was born at Wandella on 10th August 1873.

On the same day 9th January 1873, Mr and Mrs William Prentice from Jellat Jellat and close friends of Joshua and Harriet selected land in the name of their son, Robert John Prentice, next door to the Sawtell family at Wandella.

Joshua died of tuberculosis of the liver at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney on 8th May 1874 aged 43 years. He is buried at Rookwood cemetery. He left a widow and family of four sons and four daughters aged from 8 months to 19 years who continued to live and farm at Wandella.

Harriett married Peter Wilson from the farm next door on 23rd May 1879 at Pambula. They sold out in January 1886 and moved to Cobargo. Whilst living in Cobargo, Peter conducted the COD General Store in Moruya Road, (now know as the Princes Highway) until 1890 when he sold out to William Kay.

Peter and Harriett Wilson left Cobargo in April 1909 to retire in Sydney. Peter died at Marrickville, 3rd May 1915 and is buried at Rookwood Cemetery. Harriett died at Lismore, 12th December 1919 and is buried at Lismore Cemetery.

Family

Annie, born on 20th January 1853 at Mount St Thomas, Wollongong, baptized on 6th February 1853. Died on 4th May 1853 at the age of 3 months, buried at Wollongong.

Joshua John, born at West Dapto on 2nd October 1854, baptised 22nd October 1854 and married Eliza Ann Payne of Dignams Creek on 31st May 1879 at her parent’s home at Dignams Creek near Cobargo. Joshua died on 29th August 1936 aged 81 years and is buried in the Lismore cemetery. Joshua John had selected 50 acres of land next to his father’s holding in 1873, where he built his home selling out in January 1886 and working around the district before moving in the early 1900’s to farm at Lismore. Their children of 8 boys and 5 girls including twins, a boy and a girl. Three sons predeceased him.

Mary Ann, born at West Dapto on 2nd October 1856, baptised 16th November 1856, marrying Edward Jamieson a widower and dairy farmer on Kameruka Estate at Mogilla near Bemboka on 6th March 1878 at Bega. Died at Mogilla on 27th July 1881 aged 24 years, only one week after giving birth to her second child Mary. Mary Ann is buried in the Kameruka cemetery near Candelo. Their children being two daughters.

Thomas, born on 23rd January 1859 at West Dapto, baptised on 27th February 1859. Married Emma Payne (sister of Eliza) from Dignams Creek at St Johns Church of England Bega on 11th October,1881. Died 13th April, 1947 aged 88 years and is buried in the Cobargo Cemetery next to his wife, who died 24th October 1933. He also selected land next to his father at Wandella in 1873. The children of three boys and eight girls, one daughter predeceased him.

Henry Freeman, born at West Dapto on 1st December 1860, baptised 23rd December 1860, marrying Mary Jane Payne (cousin to Eliza and Emma) from Dignams Creek on 18th June 1883.They also married at Dignams Creek. Henry died on 2nd November 1936 aged 75 years and is buried in Cobargo cemetery, having previously selected land at "Narira" near Cobargo in 1883 and developed a dairy farm on the land. Their children being one son and five daughters including twins which were a son and daughter. One daughter predeceased him.

Emma, born at Jellat Jellat near Bega on 5th December 1863, baptised 25th June 1864. Died at Jellat Jellat on 27th January 1866 aged 2 years. Emma’s cause of death was Diphtheria, and is buried at Bega.

Sarah Elizabeth, born at Jellat Jellat on 12th July 1866, baptised 19th August 1866. Married William Herbert Kiely McKenzie of Cobargo at Bega on 11th May1882. Sarah died at Wynnum (QLD) on 12th November 1960 aged 94 years. The children were all born at Cobargo, the last child born in 1905. Sarah was a widow living at Grantham in 1919 and was cremated at Mt Thompson (QLD). The children of six sons and five daughters. Three sons and two daughters predeceased her.

Alfred, born at Jellat Jellat on 9th October 1868, baptised 29th November 1868, married Emma Soulby Woon of Marrickville and formally of Cobargo. They married at Marrickville on 26th April 1916. Prior to Alfred’s marriage at Marrickville, Alfred was living at Dorrigo. Died at Granville (QLD) on 23rd February 1958 aged 89 years. Alfred farmed at Maleny (QLD) in 1923. Having no children of their own, they legally adopted his four year old niece Freda, daughter of Annie Eliza Shipton, whom died in 1919.

Amelia Harriett, born at Jellat Jellat on 9th May 1871 baptised 6th August 1871 and living at Balmain later marrying William George Prentice of Woollahra at Surry Hills on 23rd March 1893. In the early 1900’s they worked at Wandella as farmers for William Prentice, later moving to farm at Lismore. Amelia died at Lismore, 24th July 1939 aged 68 years, and is buried at Lismore. Their children being three sons and six daughters, one daughter predeceased Amelia.

Annie Eliza, born at Wandella near Cobargo on 10th August 1873. Married Charles Alfred Shipton of Sydney at St Marks Church at Darling Point on 26th April 1905. Died of Pneumonia, Influenza on 12 June 1919 aged 45 and is buried at the Church of England cemetery at Rookwood. The children being two sons and three daughters, one son predeceased Annie.