We owe a debt of thanks to the late Thomas William Cooper, grandson of Anne Simpson, for his extensive research on the Upton, Cooper and Simpson families. Special thanks also to our daughter Glenis, who scanned the photographs on this page.
Our story begins with ANNIE LOUISE UPTON, our ancestor who came to Australia from Birmingam in England. Annie Louisa was the daughter of Henry William Upton and Anne Simpson and she was born in the city of Birmingham on 20th February, 1870.
Anne Simpson was born the daughter of Andrew Simpson and Mary Wardle, who were married 25th April, 1829 at Church Gresley, Derby, England. Mary was born c1805, the daughter of John Wardle and Sarah Stanfield. According to the census, Andrew Simpson was born c1807 and we know nothing of his parentage and background apart from this detail.
Two of Anne Simpson's family had already come to Australia... her sister Eliza who had married John Griffiths and was living in New South Wales, Australia where John owned a Hotel and a farm in Tarcutta, and brother Moses Simpson who had started a printing business in Tumut, New South Wales.
Henry William Upton and his wife Anne, nee Simpson, married in 1865 in Birmingham, had three children...our Annie Louisa, William and Amy. Anne's husband Henry Upton worked as a printer and had died when Annie Louisa was about four years old. His widow then took in work from a bootmaking factory and was able to work at home whilst caring for her young family but it was a hard life in the smoky city of Birmingham and her health was at risk.
Anne Upton's sister Eliza who had been raising a family of ten children in Australia, had also died by then and her brother-in-law John Griffiths urged Anne to join him in the new country, where she would have the management of the hotel and his ten children in return for a home for herself and her own three children. It may sound a daunting prospect in this present day, but undoubtably at that time there were a number of servants, and quite likely it was a comfortable, though busy, lifestyle for Anne and her three children.
They had sailed from Plymouth, England on the "Corunna Dundee", a sailing ship of 500 tons, and the three month voyage was a time of refreshment for Anne Simpson, the sea air helping to restore her health.
They were met at Port Jackson by John Griffiths and travelled to Tarcutta by coach. The inn owned by John Griffiths at Tarcutta was a change station and refreshment place for Cobb and Co. coaches and for the passengers conveyed by them. This inn was known as the Junction Hotel.
John Griffiths lived in later years at Parkes, where his son Clarence operated the Royal Hotel, and it was here that John died.
William Upton, brother of Annie Louisa and Amy, soon moved from Tarcutta, to where his uncle Moses Simpson had established a printing business, and Will became apprenticed to his uncle. In later years he was on the staff of the Government Gazette in Sydney. Will married Amelia Kemp and had two chilren that we know of, Clarence and Emily.
The Griffiths family later sold the hotel and moved to a large property between Parkes and Forbes, which was called "Warregal". Before they left Tarcutta, Anne Simpson, who was then 52 years old, married John Bunt, a widower with two children, Joseph and Minnie. John worked for the Griffiths family and moved to "Warregal" with them, in fact it was John who moved the family, taking three trips with a dray and a bullock team.
Deviate here to view a photograph of ANNE & JOHN BUNT
Amy Upton married Frederick Perry and lived in the Forbes area, and although they had no chilren of their own, they raised Florence Helen Smith, Fred Perry's niece, and also adopted Albert, an orphan boy. His sister, Molly, was raised by Amy's mother, Anne Upton.
For a photograph of Amy Perry nee Upton, her sister Annie Louise Upton, and young Florence Smith, check out the UPTON FAMILY photograph.
Annie Louisa Upton married Thomas Shipley Cooper, son of Thomas Shipley Cooper and Eleanor Taylor. Thomas junior had been living with his parents in the "No Mistake" gold mining district about three miles west of Parkes, where he was working one of the deep reef mines. Annie Louisa and Thomas were married on 26th January, 1892 at "No Mistake" and so began their married life.
Further details on Thomas Shipley Cooper and Annnie Louisa Upton, will be found on the COOPER FAMILY PAGE.
Anne Bunt, formerly Upton, nee Simpson died on 25th June, 1919 at her daughter's home in Parkes, at the age of 89. Hers was a most interesting life.
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