John Monks

John Monks was born at Monk House, Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, UK. There is some doubt about his actual birth date as 1915 was the year recorded in church archives but his death certificate in 1889 records him as being 73 years and 10 months which meant he was born in early 1916.

John lost his wife and child in childbirth and so decided to emigrate. John applied for free passage to South Australia and sailed on the barque 'Delhi' of 360 tons from Liverpool in 1839.
Sailing with him was his sister Alice and her husband Francis Duffield with their son William arriving in Port Adelaide in December of that year.

In 1845 John was granted land comprising 80 acres at Mount Barker and Francis 73 acres alongside. In 1850 John married Priscilla Appleton, the daughter of Ann and Henry Appleton who were also English immigrants. John had established a farm on his property which he called Shady Grove and in 1856 built a schoolhouse.

Both John and Francis were members of the Unitarian Church and in 1865 the schoolhouse was opened as a place of Unitarian worship. By 1874 Johns son Aquilla was conducting services with Francis.

John died at his home on November 7th 1889.

Created on Feb 12th, 2019