James and John Cubit
The
source of this article was Val Tricket, but I believe it originatyed
with Simon Cubit
James
Cubit born in County Antrim Ireland in 1796, was transported in 1820
per "Castleford" at the age of 24 years to Tasmania. After his release,
James worked as a stock-keeper, and was mentioned by
Gov. Arthur's Land Commissioner, Roderic O'Connor in 1828 when he
visited the Deloraine area.... he notes on March 6, 1828…."At about four miles distant on the
opposite side of the Western River, Stocker, of the Derwent Hotel, has
established himself on Crown Land of great extent and fine quality, and
has a large herd of cattle. A free man, named CUBIT who looks after
them, has frequently been speared by the natives. He had received
dangerous wounds a few days before we were there, the Natives telling
him that they would have him yet." Cubit was at constant war
with the blacks... he is said to have shot more blacks than any other
man in the Colony, and in return received a number of spear wounds,
none of them, unfortunately for the blacks, fatal. In September 1831,
he was wounded 8 times before he could get back to his hut and gun,
after going to the creek for a bucket of water,
(Deloraine History.)
James prospered thereafter and at one time owned….
400 acres at "Brookhill', Chudleigh; 500a :'Homewood'; 644a at Cressy;
185a "Dungal" Deloraine
and land at Gawler & North Motton,
His is later days were spent at Chudleigh, and he died at "Brookhill",
in 1857, the age of 61 years, and is buried at Perth.
His son JOHN b. 1814, in Ireland, obviously followed his father out,
and 1845, at the age of 31, he married at the Wesleyan Chapel Longford,
MARY CHILCOTT , the eldest daughter of Charles & Mary Chilcott, who
had cane out as settlers in 1830. Mary was 18 at the time.
John & Mary's two eldest children were born at Charles's property
"Annandale" Perth, then the family moved to Deloraine, and 12 more
children were born there. Children were:- James, Elizabeth, Arthur,
Charles Henry, Isabella, John, Ellen, Albert Nathaniel, Samuel Fred.,
Mary Lavinia, Nathaniel Dicky, Archibald Edwin, Ellis Silvina, Emily
Jane.
John died au "Dungall" (gored by a bull, it is believed) in 1874 at the
age of 61. Mary subsequently remarried William McClure in Launceston,
his wife Sarah having died, with their child, at Deloraine in 1874. The
marriage took place in 1881. She died at "Dungall" in 1889, aged 62
years,
The CUBIT' family has many decendents in the Deloraine district, mostly
descended through James (born 1846 at Perth) and who married Ann Brian
in 1870 at Chudleigh,
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