The Elusive Frederick Manton

Frederick Manton, a son of renowned English gunsmith Joseph Manton, arrived in Sydney in April 1829, travelling with his young bride-to-be from Mauritius, Marie Emilie Blanchard.¹

After their marriage in Sydney, the couple moved to Frederick’s grant of land near Yass.² In these early years, several family members joined them in Australia.

In October 1837, Frederick and his wife, now living in Sydney, auctioned their possessions³ and, together with their growing family, set sail for London.

Returning to Australia in 1839,⁴ Frederick became active in Melbourne’s business community. That is – until 1842 when the family left for Valparaiso, Chile, leaving, it is believed, three sons at school in England.⁵

Following a prolonged stay in Chile, the Mantons once again returned to Australia in the early 1850s. Australia was in the grip of a gold rush.

In 1854, the Australian Agricultural Company sold Tahlee Estate to a “Gentleman of fortune with a large family”.⁶ None other than Frederick Manton. He did indeed have a large family – of many sons.

Tahlee House was devastated by fire in 1860.⁷ Frederick received an insurance payout of £2,000.⁸

Frederick died in Sydney in 1863 whereupon the heavily mortgaged Tahlee property passed to his wife and, upon her death in 1867, to her daughter-in-law, Emily.⁹

Author: Penny Teerman