Charlotte EATHER, the eighth child and fourth daughter of Thomas EATHER 1800-1886 and Sarah, nee McALPIN 1805-1884, was born at Richmond in the Hawkesbury district of New South Wales on 12 October 1836. She was baptised at Richmond on 18 December 1836. At that time her parents were residing in the "Union Inn" in Windsor Street, Richmond and her father was the publican there. Charlotte EATHER spent her childhood and teenage years at Richmond amongst her many sisters and brothers and their numerous relatives and friends. She undoubtedly had formal schooling and on Sundays attended church services in St Peter's Church with other members of her family. When she was twenty Charlotte EATHER was married to Laban Thomas GUEST on 3 December 1856. The groom, who was usually known as Thomas, had been born at Richmond on 18 July 1835, the eldest son in the family of fourteen children of George GUEST 1811-1893 and his wife, Jane,nee WHITE 1817-1865.
George GUEST had been born at Sevenoaks in Kent in 1811 and had arrived in New South Wales in 1832. He was a saddler by trade and had set himself up in business, firstly at Windsor and later at Richmond, where he was the proprietor of a tannery. In 1834 he married Jane WHITE, daughter of Laban WHITE, a prominent business man in the Hawkesbury district. George GUEST had shown enthusiastic support for St Peter's Church at Richmond when it was being established in the 1840's and had been generous in making financial donations towards the cost of timber for the building. Although a well respected businessman, George GUEST is probably best remembered as a sportsman, particularly for his prowess as a cricketer and a rifle shot.
During his teenage years Laban Thomas GUEST had served an apprenticeship as a saddler with his father.
Charlotte and Thomas GUEST didn't remain in the Richmond district for very long after their marriage. They moved to the Hunter Valley and were residing in the Maitland district when their first child was born in 1857. They were still there in July 1858, but by the time their second child was born in January 1859 they were at Muswellbrook. In 1863 Laban Thomas GUEST became publican of The Starof The North at Chain of Ponds, in the Muswellbrook district.
At that time Charlotte's sister Sarah was living at Muswellbrook, where her husband, William EATON, was the proprietor of the "White Hart" Inn, so there they were amongst relatives. They remained in the Muswellbrook district for about eight years. Their fifth child was born at Liddell in April 1867.
Between then and September 1869 they moved further up the valley to Murrurundi and lived there for at least the next eight years. The births of their last four children were all registered at Murrurundi.
Charlotte and Thomas Guest had nine children: It would appear that at some date between 1876 and 1885 Tom and Charlotte GUEST moved from Murrurundi to Gunnedah on the Namoi River. It was at Gunnedah that their third daughter, Sarah Jane, died on 25 August 1885 at the age of fifteen. Soon after this sad event the family moved to Tamworth.
Thomas was always one step ahead of the railway. There was a saying around for years, that if you saw Thomas building an hotel in town you could bet the railway was on it's way. Hence the many moves.
Charlotte died in Peel Street, Tamworth on 17 March 1888. She was only 51 years of age, and Tom was left with a family of seven, three of whom were still teenagers. Soon after the death of his wife, Tom and his family moved to Greta in the Hunter Valley about halfway between Singleton and Maitland. Son Lawson Charles married there in 1893, as did eldest daughter Ada Grace in 1899. Tom saw out his old age at Greta and died there on 5 September 1903.

The children of Laban Thomas GUESTand Charlotte nee EATHER :-

Thomas George Guest 1857 ? 1858
Ada Grace Guest 1859 ? 1922 m. Charles Francis PRUDAMES 1831-1909
Amy Eather Guest 1862 ? 1932
Lawson Charles Guest 1864 ? 1958 m. Sarah Thyra PHILLIPS 1872-1961
Walter Richmond Guest 1867 ? 1956 m. Sarah Amelia BOYCE 1865-1946
Sarah Jane Guest 1869 ? 1885
Edith Maud Guest 1871 ? 1948 m. William Julian FORBES
Lancelot Arthur Guest 1873 ? 1955 m. Delia Sarah YOUNGMAN
Kenneth Hilton Guest 1876 ? 1953 m.Amelia Christina FORBES 1882-1946
note Kenneth Hilton Guest was the father of Kenneth Leslie DAY 1897-1973 but mother Phoebe Elizabeth May DAY 1879-1966 refused to marry him prior to Kenneth's birth. Kenneth was then reared as the Youngest Son of Phoebe's mother. Phoebe was always referred to as Aunty May.


The photograph below is Charlotte