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John Shoobridge (1836 - 1908)

John H Shoobridge was born was born in 1836 in Rolvenden, Kent. He was the second child and eldest son of John Shoobridge and Elizabeth Brown. There has been no record of christening found for John, so it is highly likely the family was non-conformist.

Until he was 19 John lived with his parents in Rolvenden Kent, most likely at Rollinson Farm. Whilst he was in Kent, he met and became engaged to Sophia Muriel Hinds.

Sophia Muriel was the daughter of John Hinds and Sophia Battam. John and Sophia were both locals of Rolvenden, living at The Layne in Rolvenden at the time of the 1841 census.

In October 1855 John (19), along with his parents and 5 siblings emigrated to Australia. They departed from Southampton on 9 October 1855 and arrived in Sydney on 19 January 1856. Upon their arrival they moved to the Burragorang Valley near Camden.

One year after John's arrival - on 22 January 1857 - Sophia Muriel arrived in Sydney aboard the "Maotoka". She travelled to Camden where she married John 11 days later on 2 February 1857 at the Church of England Chapel at The Oaks. The marriage was officiated by the Minister Edward Rogers and witness by Henry and John Dunn.

John and Sophia had a large family of 11 children (5 sons and 6 daughters) between 1858 and 1887:

In the late 1860s, John Snr moved to Green Wattle Creek and John and Sophia took over the working of the property at Warragamba. The Shoobridge farm was the lowest on the Warragamba - with no farms below it. After the farm, there was an 18 mile gorge.

Sophia went into labour on 18 May 1880, and experienced difficulties, however there was not docter available and sh died in childbirth on 19 May 1880 - she was 42 at the time. She was buried in the church yard at Lagoon Flats.

John continued to live and work on the farm at Warragamba. It must have been very difficult for him, with his children ranging from 22 to 3 at the time of Sophia's death, but despite what was then the norm, John did not remarry.

When John got too old to work the farm at Warragamba, it was taken over by his daughter Sophia and her husband Joseph Cranfield. By early 1908 John had moved into Oakdale - most likely for medical treatment - where he lived with his sister Mary and her husband James. Then, on 11 November 1908 - at the age of 72 - he passed away at Oakdale. His body was transported back to Cox's River where he was buried next to his wife.

The Shoobridge farm was the first to be bought by the Water Board when they decided to build Warragamba Dam. They paid £700 for it. Apparently it took a fair while - over six years - to work out who the money had to go to, but in the end, it was distributed between John's descendants.

Of their Sophia and John's children William George and Alfred owned a produce store on Woodville Road in Granville, before both moving north.

John - known as Jack - Shoobridge, had selected land in 1902 in Numinbah - the area from Chillingham to the top end of North Arm - and in mid 1904 Alf selected at Zara - near Chillingham - they both paid £1 per acre.

William George moved to Wardell on the Richmond in 1902 with his new wife, before moving to the Tweed where on 14 November 1904 he selected Lot 7 at Chillingham - a 221 acre property - he had to pay £2 per acre.

Both Sophia and John were later reinterred at St Matthew Church of England Cemetary at the Oaks.

Associated Documents