2.

Charles McLean CREIGHTON OR CRIGHTON,¹⁶ son of William CREIGHTON OR CRIGHTON and Mary MCLEAN, was born in 1798 in Glasgow, Scotland.¹⁷ Info. from headstone. Charles was an Engineer, Brassfounder. He married Rachel MEADOWCROFT on 9 May 1831 in Manchester, England.¹⁸ A/c to death cert. Charles died on 28 Nov 1871 in 233 Clarence St Sydney.⁵ 1424/1871. Charles was buried on 30 Nov 1871 in Rookwood cemetery. Old Presbyterian section.¹⁷ Date from death cert.

Charles McLean Crighton was born in Glasgow, Scotland to William Creighton or Crighton and Mary McLean in about 1798. He married in Manchester in 1831, and emigrated to Australia in about 1835. He was an engineer and brassfounder and operated a business in Sydney city for many years. He had 11 children before he died in 1871. He was buried at Rookwood cemetery with his wife and son-in-law.

It seems that this family can be spelled Creighton, Crighton or Crichton depending on the source. It is therefore difficult to know exactly who was who.

His name, Charles McLean is established according to Death registration 2578 of son Alexander, Birth Reg. of son Charles, his own Death certificate, and his own headstone.

His Death certificate gives his age as 72. There is no trace of his birth on GROS.

According to his death Certificate, informed by his wife, he arrived in NSW about 1834. An index of passengers and crew in and out of Sydney 1830-1841 has a Mr. Charles Crichton arrival on the ship "Betsy" on 30.5.1833, from Leith (Edinburgh), occupation ironfounder.In 1839 four other Crichton and Creighton males arrived.

Electoral rolls have Charles Maclean Creighton in a dwelling house in Kent St.in 1845-6.And 1848-9, 1849-50, 1850-51 (spelt Crighton).In 1851-52 address now George St. as well as Kent St. Cox and Co.'s Sydney Post Office Driectory 1857 has a Charles Creighton, brass finisher at 201 Kent. St.. And as Charles Crighton, brassfounder, that address. They also have a Charles Creighton, oil and colourman, and painter, glazier and paper-hanger at 81 George St. It seems possible that Charles Creighton operated 2 businesses, one at Kent Street, later at Clarence, as a brass moulder; another at George Street as a painter. Son Alexander W became a painter, so would have learned the trade at home. There is also the possibility that another Charles (senior) existed, and operated a painting business, and Alexander learned the trade from his uncle. In fact, a Charles Creighton, painter, born around 1827, died in Sydney, Pitt Street in 1872, and was an old resident of North

George Street. Charles McLean Crighton, engineer, Clarence St. Sydney was declared bankrupt on 12/4/1843, according to the NSW index to insolvency and also confirmed by an "application" at that date reported in a local newspaper. However a CM Crighton of Kent and Clarence Sts. was advertising his brass castings in the Literary Gazette on 12.12.1844.

Sands Commercial Directory 1858-59 has a Creighton, Charles as a brassfounder at 237 Clarence St. By 1861 at 231 Clarence St. In 1863 Trades Directory at 231 Clarence st., an Edward Crichton, brassfounder. By 1867 Charles Crighton brassfounder at 233 Clarence St. At 231 Clarence in 1869 as Crighton. Listed at 283 Clarence in 1871. For a street plan of Clarence St. in 1895 see accompanying image. According to researcher Wendy Thorp "The line of Clarence Street, or at least a shorter version of it (the thoroughfare was extended north after the removal of Wynyard Barracks in the 1840s), had been formed by the first years of the nineteenth century. It was described as "Soldiers Middle Row" on the town plan of 1807. It was formally named "Clarence Street" by Governor Macquarie on October 6; 1810 and was proclaimed on December 31, 1834." And "Clarence Street then and now was most closely associated with small businesses, warehousing and importing firms which found this area advantageously placed in relation to the central commercial precinct of the city. Until the middle years of the nineteenth century the majority of this occupation utilised the street frontages leaving the interior of the block to encompass yards and sheds".

A compilation of early family names from the Sydney Assessment Rolls, indicating relevant addresses has been made including Creighton, et al.

The photo of the rear of 233, 235 Clarence St. shows the basic condition of housing in the area.

Charles died in 1871 and his wife Rachel was listed at 233 Clarence in 1873 and died at that address. They were buried at Rookwood cemetery in the same grave as their daughter Hannah and her husband John Brown. The members of his Lodge, the Loyal United Brothers Lodge placed a funeral notice in the SMH, as did sons Alexander and Charles. In the SMH Death notice he was described as "an old and respected resident of the city. Aged 73 years".

The 2 maps of Sydney show the development of the areas where Charles worked and lived over just 11 years^{5,7,8,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31}.

3.

Rachel MEADOWCROFT,³² daughter of MEADOWCROFT, was born in 1808 in Manchester. She was a Cotton weaver. She died on 25 Oct 1874 in Sydney -233 Clarence St.⁵ Reg. 1483. Rachel was buried on 26 Oct 1874 in Rookwood Necropolis, Presbyterian Cemetery.^{17 5} Reg. 1483.

Rachel Meadowcroft, daughter of a cotton weaver, was born in Manchester in 1808 and married Charles McLean Crighton about 1831 in Manchester. They emigrated to Australia about 1834 a/c to her death certificate. They produced 8 children. Rachel died in 1874, 3 years after Charles and they were buried in the same grave in the Presbyterian Section of Rookwood Necropolis. Son-in-law John Brown was also interred in the grave.

They were living at 233 Clarence St., Sydney in 1871 at Charles' death.

"p.8. Funerals:

The friends of Mr. Charles Crighton, coach-painter, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of his dearly beloved mother, Mrs. Rachel Crighton: to move from her late residence, 233 Clarence St., this day at a quarter past 2 o'clock, and proceed to the Necropolis. Thomas, undertaker, York Street.

The friends of Alexander and George Crighton are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of their dearly beloved mother, Mrs. Rachel Crighton: to move from her late residence, 233 Clarence St., this day at a quarter past 2 o'clock, and proceed to the Necropolis. Thomas, undertaker, York Street"

Charles McLean CREIGHTON OR CRIGHTON and Rachel MEADOWCROFT had the following children:

4.

William CREIGHTON OR CRIGHTON was a Scale and weight maker. He married Mary MCLEAN on 19 May 1798 in Old or West Kilpatrick, Dunbarton, Scotland.³³ IGI, GROS 501/00 00.

On 19th May 1798 William Crighton, a scale and weight maker, married Mary McLean in Old or West Kilpatrick. Old or West Kilpatrick is a village and a Parish 10 miles from Glasgow on the river Clyde.

5.

Mary MCLEAN has few details recorded about her. She and William CREIGHTON OR CRIGHTON had the following children: