The Locals 1 - John Lees and Edward Field

Both John Lees and Edward Field were soldiers in the NSW Corps, who received land grants from Governor King. They were neighbours at Site 1 where the Upper Castlereagh Church stands. Both married convict women - John to Mary and Edward to Elizabeth. Both then had large families to support.

Edward Field (1768 -1826) was to be the better farmer and despite losses from floods he achieved a modest level of prosperity. He had blacksmith skills that were employed by other farmers in the district. He and Elizabeth are buried in the Old Anglican Cemetery and so are several of their descendants.

John Lees (1777-1836) was initially held back by his love of alcohol, but after an incident involving a snake he became a devout Christian man. He devoted a "sacred acre" of his land to build a chapel in 1817, that became the first Weslyan (Methodist) church in Australia. He and Mary were first buried in the Old Anglican cemetery, but later moved to a position near his church site.

Lees grave in foreground