History: The Braggs Part II
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
William and Sarah Bragg were Australian born in the Hunter River district and came to Nambucca in 1886, where those chose 40 acres of land.
William was born in 1860 at Morpeth. Sarah, nee Birch, was born at Mount Vincent in 1859. They would have been in their twenties when they came to Nambucca.
William came first, finding work at the Ellis' saw mill in 1886. Sarah followed with their two young daughters but unfortunately had a more hazardous trip. The steamer she traveled on was unable to land at Nambucca and left her at Grassy Head Pilot Station. From there she had to walk along the beach to Scotts Head and then went by row boat down Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads. I believe she was assisted but with two small children, she must have had second thoughts about coming to Nambucca.
William worked in saw mills and became an expert hand on the sharpening of saws of all descriptions. He had a rich bass voice and a keen ear for music. He was an enthusiastic member of the Nambucca Heads Glee Club.
He would work at the saw mill all week and went home on the weekends. The walk home was three miles and required wading through three creeks. He had to time his walk home with the low tide.
Apparently the arrival of dairy farming in the district drew better incomes and meant farmers like William no longer had to find outside work to keep their farms going.
Sarah was a resilient and capable farmer's wife. She was a lover of animals and kept cattle. She also kept bees and built up a large apiary of about 100 hives to produce honey. At one stage they sent to market 45 cases of honey, each case holding 120lb (2400kg) of honey!
The honey had to be sent by boat to Nambucca Heads and then by steamer to Sydney. So Sarah's domestic efforts would have been a valuable source of income.
Sarah's mother's maiden name was Mary Kingsnorth and the property at Lower Nambucca was called Kingsnorth. The present day Kingsworth Estate was so called after the Bragg's property but corrupted to Kingsworth.
Sarah and William had nine children, many of whom made valuable contributions to the growth of the valley. Their achievements warrant further articles.
William died in 1944, at the age of 83 years. Sarah Bragg died in 1947, at the age of 88. They share a grave at Macksville Cemetery.
This article used information from the Nambucca Headland Museum, which is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm until 4pm, and historical records of the Bragg family.
The Bragg's history continues:
