Boughton, John Herring (1793 - 1854)

Born: England (Devon)

Hunter Valley settler with land and mining interests at `Reid’s Mistake’ (Lake Macquarie), near Reverend Threlkeld's `Bahtahbah' mission. Boughton and his wife were passengers on the Sir William Wallace with Reverend Watson in 1832.

Career Highlights

John Herring (or Henry) Boughton first came to NSW as a free settler on the Fame in 1822. He married Charlotte Maria Westbrook (who came on the same ship) at St Phillips Sydney in 1822. Boughton was granted 2,000 acres and took up some land at `Reid’s Mistake’ (the Lake Macquarie entrance) on the southern bank of the channel (now Swansea). There his assigned servants operated a saltworks, and later mined coal and felled timber. However, Broughton's `estate’ or primary residence was at Tillimbi (Paterson) in the Hunter Valley. On returning to NSW in 1832 (after a three year absence), Boughton accumulated more land in County Durham and around Lake Macquarie, including `Broughton Point' (now Bolton Point). He was also licenced to depasture stock in the New England region, establishing Ohio station (near Walcha). Broughton drowned in a boating accident in Lake Macquarie in 1854, aged 61.

Biographies

D. Hartley, John Herring Broughton of Tillimby, Paterson, Paterson Historical Society, 2000.