It certainly pays to take the time to ask the old locals "What was it like?"
These are the recollections of Alfred Smith of Richmond in New South Wales, which hold a wealth of valuable family history.
Alfred was born in Hobartville, New South Wales (when old William Cox owned it), on the 13 July 1831 to John Smith 1798-1833 a convict who drowned in a river near Liverpool in 1833 and Adelaide Eliza De La Thoreza 1808-1877 she had been born in Madrid. After John Smith died, at 15 months of age, Alfred was adopted by George JAMES 1768-1862 and his wife Ann Kelly 1789-1864. They had only one girl, Eliza JAMES 1824-1862 ( the mother of Ann ONUS 1841-1927) Alfred died on 24 December 1917.
On the 11 October 1854 at St.Matthew's Catholic Church, Windsor, Alfred married Ann Amelia KINSELA 1838-1917 the daughter of Martin KINSELA 1793-1860 and Ellen, nee HENDLING 1794-1862. Alfred had many jobs throughout his lifetime, including Town Stockman, running The Punt across the river and a Drover, droving throughout New South Wales and as far down as Victoria.

Below is part of Alfred SMITH's recollections which were Chronicled by Robert FARLOW, which began when Alfred was 78, in November 1909 and published in The Windsor Richmond Gazette, under the heading,
Some Ups and Downs of an old Richmondite, Mr. Alfred Smith

"Adjoining old Mr Roberts' place, at the back, was Wiltshirehurst. Here Mr Wiltshire lived for a while when I first went to the punt. Then George Case rented it. He farmed a little, and dealt largely in sheet stringy bark.Coming along we had Peter Hornery living. He owned the place he lived on. He had been a bricklayer, but could not follow the trade on account of being a cripple for many years. William Maughan bought the land from Peter Hornery, except the little piece on which Hornery lived. Maughan lived there for some time while he was droving. Next was William John, father of Mrs Robert Pitt and Mrs John McQuade. Mrs John was a great butter maker. Next to Mr John's was Mr Kingswood. He owned the property. Richard Gow (father of the popular Frank, who was a large produce dealer in Richmond years ago) lived with the Kingswood's, was married to the only daughter. He grew a great quantity of maize. The Kingswoods and Gows left Kurrajong a good while before I left the punt, and went to live down on Griffiths' old farm. A man named Rich went to live in the place at Kurrajong. He was a shoemaker but didn't work at the trade in Kurrajong, though I remember him working at it in Richmond. He grew potatoes and vegetables and took them to Richmond and Windsor. Ad joining this property was Tom Jones' ? "Kingswood's Tom " as he was generally known. He was father to Mrs Thomas Stanford and Mrs Thomas Brown. He grew a lot of fine oaten hay. Mrs Jones would never ride in a cart, and I often wondered why. One day I asked her, and she told me Mrs Stanford, mother of Mr Tom Stanford, and herself were driving home in a cart once and capsized in the rough road and Mrs Stanford was killed. The next farm belonged to the Gilligans. James Leavers, father of Harry, rented it, and lived there. He did some farming, and with his two horses and dray took his produce and wattle bark to town. Leavers met with an accident by his horse running into a tree which stood in the road opposite Thomas John's place. Leavers was well liked. Harry was born some three weeks after his father's death. Old Mrs Leavers left there after her husband's death, and went to Richmond to live. Edward Mitchell, father of the present Robert in Kurrajong, lived on the Comleroy and owned the property he lived on He had six bullocks and a dray and drew a considerable quantity of wattle bark to town. Mrs Mitchell made a lot of butter. She was a sister to John Lord, who lived many years in Yarramundi. She was a great step-dancer, Mr Mitchell was coming home from Penrith one night, and told me he got a great fright coming down Crowley's lane. He declared he saw Andy Farrell's wife, who had been dead some time. He was perfectly sober, and whether it was imagination or a reality, he was quite upset over it. _ Close to Mitchell's, Denny McCabe lived. He married a daughter of Edward Mitchell. Denny McCabe was a king among bark. He was a jolly fellow and a great step-dancer. The last time I saw him was at Mr. A Towns station, near Boggabri, where he was fencing. It was Christmas time, and we spent a good time together. Some of his sons are still in the Kurrajong. Below Mitchell's property George Turner lived on some property belonging to Thomas John. He did a little farming and made grass-tree brooms. Then we had Mr Parker living on the Comleroy Road somewhere handy to the present Methodist Church. He did some farming, and with his one horse and cart took his maize and potatoes to town. There were some old hands scattered about the locality worthy of mention. John Williams?"Blackjack" they used to call him ? lived by himself, being a single man. He was a hard working man and took bark, etc., to town with his one horse and cart. George Turner was another great man among the bark. He married Sarah, a daughter of Edward Mitchell.
Robert Eather, father of the late Abe Eather who lived many years in Richmond, lived on the Comleroy. He owned a station on the Narran. The four sons were Thomas, Robert, James and Abe. Mr and Mrs Robert Eather died at Comleroy. After their death Jim lived there for some time. Mr and Mrs John Norris lived close by the Eather's. Norris was killed on the property. Mr Coleman lived near the Norris family. He was a fencer, but did a little farming. Cornelius McMahon can be reckoned among the old hands. He married a daughter of John Norris. I knew them both before they thought of getting married. Then we had Bill London ? ' Bill the native,' as they used to call him. Some of his children are still in the Kurra jong. Mr Murray was another old hand. Richard Skuthorp, father of our present Richard, was another I knew well. His wife was a daughter of John Ezzy. It was old Mr Skuthorp who first brought the racehorse Veno to the district, having purchased him from Mr William Clarke, who managed Bomera for years for Mr A. Town. Mr and Mrs Lamrock, parents of the late William and John, lived up Kurrajong, and I don't think they ever missed a fine Sunday going to the Presbyterian Church in Richmond. Having had a fair say about the old hands in Kurrajong we will now proceed to Colo. There wasn't a very great number of people living there in my early times, but among them were some who should not be forgotten. Colo has seen the time when it could boast of its police man. I knew two that were stationed at Colo. Curry was one. He used to visit George James. He was a tall man with sandy hair. He used to look very well in his black "bell topper". Jim Hunt was another policeman there. He was a short man and dark complexion. Mr and Mrs Cavanough kept a boarding-house down there for many years. The house was noted for its good table, and as it stood. on the Kurrajong side of the river Mr Cavanough used to help the drovers with their sheep and cattle up "the rock." Cavanough did some farming, and grew a lot of maize. They both died at Colo, the old man dying first. I knew their sons Tom, George and Jim very well. Tom was on the railway for some years in Richmond and was very popular. The last time I saw Jim was at Jerry's Plains, many years ago. William Penton, the blacksmith, who is still alive, living at North Richmond, lived for many years in Colo and I believe his family are natives of there. He lived up under the mountain on the other side of the river. He worked at his trade and did good business. There were plenty of drover's horses to be shod. He became a road contractor and carried out some big jobs on the Bulga road. His wife, was Miss Lucy Lord, but in no way related to John Lord, of Yarra mundi, There were a lot of the Gospers at Colo. Mrs Cavanough and Mrs Ivery were Gospers. I knew Robert Gosper. The late John Gosper, of Windsor, was, I believe, a native of Colo, also Henry. He kept an accommodation house at "The Gibber," It was a good place to stay at. Harry Gosper was a real friend of the drovers. If ever they lost a beast and it was to be found, Harry would get it for them. I have often heard him spoken of hundreds of miles up country, and always referred to as honest Harry Gosper. Of course there were others living up the river, but as I never went far off the road I didn't see much of them. Among them I knew Mr Caterson. I knew his son, the present Thomas, and his wife, who was Miss Grace Richardson, before they were married. Getting along from "The Gibber ' we soon get to Putty. Among the good old sorts out there were Mr Robert Ridge and his wife, He grew a lot of maize, and did droving. Mrs Ridge was post mistress, and kept an accommodation house. You could also get rations there. Mr Ridge had a mill and ground his own flour. Mrs Ridge was a sister to Mrs George Pitt and Mrs. John Crowley. Then we had Thomas Laycock and his wife. Mrs Laycock was a sister to George and Robert Pitt. I knew their sons Thomas, Andrew, Henry, George and Robert. They were always great cattle men. Andrew for many years before his death was a noted breeder of stud cattle, and was always a prominent exhibitor at the Sydney show. The eldest boy was a great pig raiser and used to drive his flocks of swine to market. Bob was killed from his horse. Thomas Laycock did a lot of droving, and bought stock for Sydney men. He was a horse fancier as well, and owned some well bred mares. At Bourawell we had Charles Sympton managing the place belonging to Mr William Farlow, senr., of Yarramundi, and also looking after Boggy swamp for the same man. I remember Mr Farlow giving me ?40 to pay Davy Hayman who was fencing out there for him. Charley was there a good while. Mr Farlow did some cultivation out there. Mr and Mrs Chapman lived at Putty on a place they bought from old Stephen Tuckerman, Their son George is still out there and seems to be doing well.
The first gaoler I remember in Windsor was a Mr Steele. He was a tall man. Mr North was the first police magistrate, and lived at old Government House, Windsor, in my early days. How I came to know a little about early Windsor, was by going with my foster father, then a policeman, on court days. What I will say about Windsor must be taken as Meaning my early recollections of that place. There was what we always knew as the watch box. This stood between the court house and the gaol wall. It was a little movable place of weatherboards. The watch box, I believe, used to be occupied by soldiers in turn, to prevent any prisoners escaping out of gaol. Then we had the flogging period in Windsor, and I knew Reuben Bullock who administered the lash. When flogging was done away with in the Haw kesbury Bullock, kept a public house. Reuben was a thin man of medium height, and although his former occu pation was not the pleasantest, he was well liked. He was of a pleasant disposition and very obliging. He was generally called "Little Bullock."

The first chief constable I have any recollections of was a Mr Hodgins. He had son Benjamin, who used to knock about Charlie Eather's over at Enfield. 'He had a daughter Ann. She was a tall, buxom young woman, and married a man named Bill Allsop. She has been dead many years. The next chief constable was Moses Chapman, a Jew I believe. He was mostly known as "Mo the Jew." He was a short stout man and a smart little chap at his work. He was well liked. Then I mind George Jilks, another chief constable, and his wife, one son, and two daughters. He was a man who was highly respected. The daughters, Kitty and Jane, would take it in turns and come and stay a few days with the James' at Richmond. His son George was then but a lad going to school. Mr Jilks lived where Mr W. McQuade is living. George Shirley was another chief constable. He was a stout man, with a very flushed face. After him was William Hobbs, who was the last chief constable in charge of Windsor before we got our sergeants. We start our sergeants with a Mr Frewin. He was an Irishman. He wasn't in Windsor a great while. The first lockup keeper I knew there was John Horan. This was when the lockup was where the Council Chambers stand. I remember one day, in Horan's time, we had been into court, and were starting for home in the cart when I happened to look round and noticed two men with a man on the ground. I told James about it and he drove up to them. It was two police men with a prisoner who wouldn't get up and they couldn't make him move. As soon as James came up it was "Here George give us a hand.'" James had a quince stick in his hand and gave him a few smart cuts with it on a portion of his body, which made him jump up quickly enough. The first C.P.S. I knew there was a Mr Wyatt, in Mr North's time. He was a tall man. Then as a C.P.S. there we had Mr Callaway, "little Callaway" they used to call him. Then there was Mr G. A. Gordon, who was C.P.S. for many years. Mr Gordon was father of Mrs Brinsley Hall, and died recently. He was a Police Magistrate up country for a few years when he retired. Then there was old Mr J. J. Fitzpatrick, father of Mr J. C. L Fitzpatrick, M.LA., who spent many years in old Windsor. In the corner by the old Fitzroy bridge there was a large two storey place which was kept as a pub by a man named Thomas Cross. He was a very big man. I remember this same pub being kept by Mrs. Aspery, who was mother to the late Mrs M. Nowland. Her son, Thomas, who was killed at Denman by lightning, used to serve in the bar. Nearly opposite the barracks there was a pub kept by John Shearin ? "Jack the baker," as he was called. He left there and built the two storey place opposite the court house where he kept a pub for a long while. Jack died there, and his widow kept the business on for some time after his death. I remember ihe 26th, 50th, 8oth and 99th regiments being in the old Windsor barracks at different times. The present Royal Hotel used to be what we always knew as the mess house. Robert Fitzgerald lived there for a long time, and was living there at the time of the first election when he was a candidate against William Bowman Quite close to the barracks, only in Macquarie-street, there was the old "Jim Crow" inn. It was kept by Henry Hudson. He dealt a lot in horses. He had two stallions, Jim Crow, a trotter, and Clinker, a draught. He imported both of them. He died there. His widow kept the pub a while after his death, and then married James Lane. Lane kept the pub for a while. She was a native of Richmond, a sister of our Henry Silk, and I knew her before she was married to Henry Hudson, who came from Birmingham. Somewhere about where the late William Gosper lived there once lived a man named O'Dell who kept the post office, and this was the first post office I remember in Windsor. Going along Macquarie-street we come to the big house, part of which is pulled down, and the remainder occupied by Edward Day. The father of the popular mailman. Tom Thompson, kept a pub there. The hospital was built before my time. At that time it was an hospital only. The poor house, as we called it, was where the old people's quarters are at present A man named Williams, was overseer of the poor house then. He was a brother to Fred Williams, the constable who was stationed at Enfield once. I have mentioned that Reuben Bullock kept a pub. Near where the "Jim Crow " stood, and on the same side, he kept the pub. I think his sign was "The hole in the wall". John Rafter kept a pub there also. Mick Hagon kept a pub there. Mick was a big Irishman, and his wife was no small woman. Mrs Hagon kept the pub for a while. At Moses' corner I remember Mrs Moses, William's mother, having a baking business. William and Henry were only lads then. Henry used to drive his mother's bread cart. He was always a smart business chap, and to-day he is reaping the reward in wealth and honor.
The first bailiff I remember in Windsor was Richard Sheriff He was a short stout man with a very red face, and a a great horseman. The earliest mounted police I recollect were Sergeant Lane and Trooper Joseph Levy. Levy shot Armstrong, the bushranger, on a Good Friday morning. Windsor has had its bellmen, and I remember the 0ld bellman Oliver. He had a very strong voice and could be heard a long way off. He was a comical old chap and after he had finished 'crying' his business was always wound up with "God save the Queen." The attached residences of Dr. Callaghan and the late Dr. Gibson in my earliest days in Windsor was an hotel kept by Mr Coffey. He was a tall man of fair complexion. I recollect also that James Ridge kept an hotel in a two-storey house between the Royal Hotel and where Coffey kept the hotel. Where our member, Mr Brinsley Hall, lives was once occupied by Dr. Dow. He was coroner for a long while. Robert and James Dick lived up the top end of the town facing the main street. They kept the post office and a store. In the bouse where the late Ben Richards lived for years, and which is now owned by Mr Daniel Holland, I remember old Mr. Thomas Dargin living. Mr Dargin died there. In the course of time Laban White married his widow and lived there.
He was auctioneer and coroner at Windsor.
Somewhere about where Mr. R. A. Pye has his business, stood a pub kept by a man named Weller. The sign was painted by Tom Masters' father, and represented a blackfellow with a big nugget of gold in his hand. Where the Bank of New South Wales is, belonged to James Hale. He lived there for a long while, and when he left he went to live at "Fairfield," which he had bought. He died there. About where Pulsford's shop is, Mr Fox kept a general store, and about where the post office is Mr Crew had a large ironmonger's shop. Adjoining Mr Crew lived the father ot Peter Beveridge. He was in business as a confectioner. Fitzgerald-street we always knew as Hangman's Row. In this street old Mr Chandler had a furniture store on the left hand side between the post office and Macquarie street. At the time of the big fire, when the Barraba Hotel was burnt down, the shop was saved. The first I remember keeping the Barraba Hotel was Charles Blanchard. I was in the Barraba the day before it was burnt down and had a glass of beer with John Grono of Pitt Town. Miss Isabella Bushell kept it at that time. Not far away, on the same side as the Barraba, lived old Mr Gallaway, a tailor. Then handy we had Mr. Watt, a shoemaker, with whom George Eather served his apprenticeship. His son, Edward, lived about Windsor for a long while, and a daughter married George Eather's eldest brother, Charles Eather.
Mrs. O'Donovan kept a draper's shop where W. H. O'Brien lives. She owned the place. She had two daughters, the last dying some little time ago, unmarried. Where W. H. O'Brien's shop is William Gaudry and his brother Charles lived, William was a great sporting man, and was clerk of the course at the old Dargin track. Old Mrs Cope lived in the house where Mrs. Brancker lives. She. owned the property and died there. Where the Commercial Bank stands old Mr Richard Ridge kept a pub. He built the Fitzroy Hotel and kept it for a good while. Ridge was a great mail contractor in conjunction with a man named Hill. Old Harry Martineer used to drive for them in the days when the train only came as far as Parramatts. I am not likely to forget those days, as I came from Sydney one day, and when I got out of the train at Parramatta Harry Martineer couldn't take me as he had too many on board. I had to put 7000 sheep over the river in the punt next day and to Richmond I had to get ? so I walked going by the Blacktown road. Mr Richard Ridge had the mail contract when the train came on to Black town. Paddy Doyle was the driver of the mail. After Ridge went to the "Fitzroy" old Mr Broderick had a watch maker's shop in the place Ridge left. Sometimes I brought watches down to him from up-country for repairs while I was droving. Close to Broderick's was another watchmaker named Stewart. The house where Mr William Primrose had a saddler's shop for many years, was built by Mr Mumford, the chemist. He was thrown off his horse out Magrath's Hill way, which proved fatal. He had only insured his life some nine months before for ?500. Not far from where the "Fitzroy" stands and in the direction of the railway, old Mr Thomas Tebbutt kept a store. At the present day I have a pair of old fashioned brass candle sticks which George James bought off Mr Tebbutt while in was in business there. A daughter of mine in Sydney has a small, extension table which James purchased at Mr Tebbutt's shop. George Freeman kept the Cricketer's Arms on the corner where Miss Bushell conducted the Royal Exchange Hotel for so many years. In connection with this pub I had a funny experience once which I must tell. Up stairs the Oddfellows held their meetings, and I had been proposed by Mr Peebles. How I came to be proposed was, Peebles used to draw the grog to the pubs over the river, and I used to put him over in the punt. Anyhow I had been proposed, so I mounted my horse and rode in. Dr.Day was the medical officer and when he examined me he wouldn't pass me. He told me to come again next meeting night, in a fortnight, and in I went. Again he wouldn't pass me, and wanted me to come again in another fortnight, but I told him I wouldn't come any more. Dr.Day thought I had heart disease, but here I am battling well in my 80th year, while the doctor went to his rest many years ago.
A little further in the direction of the railway Thomas Freeman kept the St. Patrick's Hotel. About opposite the Salvation Army barracks Frank McDonald kept a pub in a two-storey house. He did a good business. I knew both him and his wife well. McDonald was a great man with the late Hon. William Walker in election time. Hon. William Walker's father kept a school in the cross street close by. I knew the, Hon. William's brothers, George, Robert, and John. The last time I saw George was when he was a storekeeper on a large sheep station near Coonamble. Some time after he was an auctioneer in Mudgee. The first time I saw William was on Dargin's old race course. He was pointed out to me as the young chap who was learning to be a lawyer under Mr Beddick."

Sources:
Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW : 1888 - 1954)
Saturday 17 September 1910
Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW : 1888 - 1954)
Saturday 24 September 1910
Transcription, janilye, 2012




The photograph below of Windsor,
the Royal Hotel on the right
was taken around 1880