The Black Sheep

The Bray family were a much respected family of Campbelltown during most of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They lived at 'Denfield', a house best known for being built by John Farley, the man who claimed to have seen the ghost of Fred Fisher. The Bray's bought 'Denfield' from Farley in 1841. John Bray Senior was highly respected in the community and served the town as a magistrate, as well as a JP, grazier and farmer. His marriage to his first wife Charlotte produced ten children, including Joshua who played a significant role in the development of the Tweed Valley on the Far North Coast of New South Wales. All the children appear to have lead successful and respected lives, except son John- the black sheep of the family.

Denfield in 1914

John Donalus William Bray was born on March 20 1834, the fourth child of John and Charlotte Bray. He moved into 'Denfield' when he was around six or seven years of age. Two events in the life of John reveal the dubious character he became known for. The first event occurred in 1856 when he was aged 22. John had fallen for a local girl named Sarah Keighran, the daughter of another respected pioneer of the district John Keighran. John had given his consent for Bray and his daughter to marry, however for reasons unclear from the newspaper report from the time, he was later 'denied the presence and hand of the young lady'. This denial seems to have been the trigger for John's subsequent outrageous behavior. In the early hours of October 17, John Bray Junior was accused of riding to St John's Catholic Church in Campbelltown and stealing a large crucifix. He also destroyed the altar. It was also discovered that all the seats had been disturbed and unmarked, except that of Catherine's and her family. They 'were covered with the altar cloths, tied in fantastic forms, which connected the accused with the transaction'.

St John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church c.1871. This photograph was taken about 15 years after John Bray Junior's early morning visit.


A few weeks earlier John Junior had been removed from his father's house. Tensions between John and his family had become too much. John then moved in with a H. Rose. He left the area later that morning of the visit to the church. Despite having been seen riding from the direction of the reservoir where the crucifix was found, having his presence unaccounted for by Rose during the time of the "disgraceful occurrence" and a large amount of circumstantial evidence, the case was dismissed as Bray was not actually seen in the church.

John celebrated his good fortune by marrying Sarah the following week. They were married by special license by the Reverend Dunmore Lang on October 23 1856. Their marriage produced only one child named Ada May who sadly died in 1868 aged only 2 years and 9 months.

Later that same year John again found himself in strife with the law. Perhaps the loss of his daughter had affected his mental state. The NSW Police Gazette described how a warrant for the arrest of John William Bray had been issued in relation to a charge of the abduction of an under aged girl named Ellen Maroney. John was described as about 35 years of age, 5 feet 10 or 11, sandy hair, large red beard and whiskers, stylish dress and always wares a black top hat. In July that year John was found in Melbourne and charged with abduction. I was unable to locate anything further relating to this case.

John Bray Senior died at 'Denfield' in 1883. Sarah Bray died at Campbelltown in 1884. It's unclear if she remained with John after the abduction of Ellen. John Donalus William Bray died at the Melbourne suburb of Richmond on January 24 1915.

Written by Andrew Allen

The Man who saw The Ghost!

A great deal has been written about Frederick Fisher, of Fisher’s Ghost fame, but there would have been no story if John Farley had not seen the ghost! There is only a little information about John.

John Farley arrived in Australia in 1812, having been tried at Old Bailey Second Middlesex Jury in 1810 for stealing a quantity of clothing from a dwelling house. He was found guilty and sentenced to life. Transported to New South Wales, aboard the “Guildford” in 1812, he spent the next five years in the service of Governor Macquarie. He petitioned for mitigation of sentence in 1818. John may have received this mitigation of sentence, as he was on a list of persons to receive land grants in September 1818. 
John became a settler, and was described by Rev. Reddall and Major Antill as ‘capable and industrious’. He again appeared on a list of orders for land grants in 1825.
In 1826 John played a role in the mystery of Fred Fisher, being the one to whom the ghost “appeared” thus leading to the finding of the body. Theories abound as to the veracity of this sighting; regardless it has made its way into the history books. It was certainly not enough to scare John Farley away from the district!

By 1828 John and his wife Margaret were prospering on their 325 acre farm on the Appin Road south from Campbelltown. He had also been appointed a Constable.
John Farley was recommended for Absolute Pardon later in November 1837; the same year he built the early colonial home “Denfield”. There is no doubt that John was a respected citizen. He died in 1841, and is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard, Campbelltown. John went to his grave saying he had seen the ghost of Frederick Fisher.

 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources -

www.historyaustralia.org.au

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org

http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au

http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au

Library Pamphlet files

A Stroll through St Peter’s Chuchyard Campbelltown N.S.W  by Verlie Fowler

The House Built by the Man Who Saw Fisher's Ghost

The charming house "Denfield" was reported to be built by John Farley in 1837- the man who first saw Fisher's ghost in 1826. Farley, an emancipist, was transported for life arriving in the "Guildford" in 1812. Capable and industrious according to Reverend Thomas Reddall, he received a conditional pardon and as his farming prospered he added Denfield to his property in 1826. He settled down with his wife Margaret on their 325 acre farm on the Appin Road, south from Campbelltown.

John Farley's grave in St Peter's Anglican Cemetery. He died in 1841. (Verlie Fowler Collection).

In 1840 Farley sold Denfield to John Bray and it remained in the Bray family for many years. Bray was appointed magistrate in Campbelltown in 1852.

In 1866 Joshua Bray wrote from Denfield "They are very much excited about here, the Mail was robbed ten days ago....The night before last they stopped it about a quarter of a mile from this house- the coachman and passengers came about 4 o'clock in the morning to tell us. These robberies take place in the night...they were hiding all their jewellery. Papa has loaded his pistol".

The house was built of sandstone brick on stone footings with stone flagged verandahs. The kitchen was detached to reduce the risk of any kitchen fires spreading and was linked to the main house by an open "breezeway" with a flagged stone pathway.

Denfield was typical of the colonial homesteads of the time with a wide central hallway and bedrooms running off the hall and a lounge/sitting room with an open fireplace and marble mantlepiece.

The property passed from the Bray family about 1917, to people named Hickey, who leased it to the Carroll family. The house became derelict and was vacated in 1963. It was restored about a year later by the architect S.C. Palmer.

Like most old homesteads there is supposed to be a resident ghost that haunts Denfield's kitchen. A past female owner would never go to bed until her husband was ready to join her.

Today the surrounding housing estates hug the perimeters of Denfield. The original 320 acres of rolling hillsides with the picturesque views are now groaning under the pressure of urban sprawl.

Unidentified family on the verandah of "Denfield" taken on March 14, 1914. (Gately collection)

Written by Andrew Allen