(photo courtesy of Narelle Munro.)
Reuben Peninton was a master carrier with stables at 24a Sheehy Street, near Blackwattle Bay. Sugar was one of the main goods he delivered, sometimes stopping at local schools where his immaculately groomed draught horses were much admired. During his life he lived at several places in Glebe: 42 Forsyth Street, 25 Avona Avenue, 8 Lombard Street and 54 Forsyth Street. At the time of his death he owned two of those properties: 8 Lombard Street (valued at £135) and 54 Forsyth Street (£450) together with land at Davistown near Gosford (£40).
Reuben was the fifth of nine children born to Reuben Peninton, a stonemason from Yorkshire, and Mary Ann née Goddard. By 1867 the family had moved from Parramatta Street to Glebe. Of Reuben’s siblings William – two years older – became a carter, Henry a drayman and George a greengrocer then poulterer. The family clustered around Forsyth and Lombard Streets. At various times there were Penintons at numbers 29, 31, 35, 36, 38, 42, 54, 62 and 70 Forsyth Street; by 1934 several had moved to Darghan Street (numbers 47, 54, 80, 82). After William’s death in 1924 Reuben moved into 54 Forsyth Street where his sister-in-law Clara Rebecca kept house. She died in 1935. Her youngest child, also Clara Rebecca, then took on the role of carer. Clara, who had left school at 14 to help at home, inherited her uncle’s real estate but left the district to live with an older sister and her husband in Rockdale. Like Reuben, she did not marry.
A parishioner of St John’s Bishopthorpe, Reuben was buried next to William and Clara in the Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery. He was a Mason. Members of the Glebe Municipal Reform Association marked his passing with a minute’s silence. From the early 1900s Reuben had also been involved with the activities of the Sydney City Mission. The Mission’s Glebe branch first met in the Bay Street Ragged School before moving into its own hall at 75 Bay Street in 1894. An adjoining building for youth activities was built in 1903 and operations were transferred to a new hall in St Johns in 1929. Peninton young women helped with the Girls’ Club, children’s picnics and jumble sales at Glebe Town Hall. The Peninton boys helped with the choir library. Reuben was active with the Mission Sunday School.
A nephew, Henry Reuben, always referred to by his second name, was the orphaned son of Christopher (1861- 96) and his wife Margaret who died suddenly in 1902 at home at 36 Forsyth Street. The missionary James Mills, who visited both on their deathbeds,
paid tribute to Margaret’s work with the poor and in raising money to pay off the building debt – ‘one of the best collectors the City Mission ever had’. When Reuben, aged 21, enlisted in the AIF in 1916 he named his sister Mary Walker as next of kin. On returning
to Australia he lived with Mary and her husband Arthur at 58 Talford Street. Reuben’s photo in uniform was one of those projected onto a screen at ceremonies held by the City Mission which urged locals to join up in the ‘battle for truth, righteousness and
justice’.
Another Reuben Peninton was William and Clara’s third child (1881 –1941) who lived at 42 Forsyth Street. His elder son was also christened Reuben.
3 comments. Please add yours.
Thank you for the wonderful story of Reuben, my great grand uncle and my family. It’s wonderful to hear the stories and connect the dots.
Here’s a little of Reuben’s background…his parents story.
Readers may like to know that Reuben’s father also Reuben was a child convict sent to Australia. Convicted when he was just 13 yrs old he spent two years on a hulk in the Thames before being transported to Hobart aboard “Southworth” arriving when he was 15yrs old in January 1834. Records tell us that Reuben was convicted for stealing two silver spoons and sent to Van Dieman’s Land for 7 years, on arrival he stood only 4’3″ tall with an oval face, brown eyes and brown hair. His name was recorded as Pennington but later changed to Peninton (perhaps to diminish the ties with his convict past. He was a skilled stonemason learning the trade whilst in custody and later before travelling to Sydney lost a leg at the thigh but this didn’t prevent him from marrying Mary Ann Goddard and fathering 11 children. His two brothers Christopher and Benjamin Pennington were also transported to Australia made contact and stayed close.
Reuben’s mother was also from convict stock, Mary Ann Goddard being the daughter of Benjamin Goddard and Catherine Henry/Harvey. Catherine Harvey was transported as a London Gaol Delivery.
Convicted on 4 December 1811 she received a sentence of Life. Her occupation was a Silk Winder and she stole silk stockings). Arrived per “Minstrel” on 25 October 1812, Known as Catherine Harvey. (Indent Fiche 633, pg433, film393, 4/4004) Tried in Middlesex in 1811. Son Benjamin and daughter Susannah sailed with her.
The Minstrel transported female convicts. Documentation hereafter has her surname listed as Henry, Harvey and Goddard. Granted a Ticket Of Leave on 24 July 1813. and in the 1814 General Muster Catherine was ‘Off Stores living with husband Benjamin & 2 children’.
Hello, my family were long residents of Glebe. My mother was Mary Helen Quinn and she was the daughter of Joan Peninton and William Quinn. Mary’s grandparents were Benjamin Peninton and Sarah E nee Farley. I believe Reuben may have been Benjamin’s uncle. I have enjoyed reading about my heritage, my Mother also married Martin Fogarty. The Fogarty’s were also a Glebe family with Patrick adn Anastacia arriving from Ireland in the 1930’s.
Generation One: Carmel Mosser, nee Fogarty
Generation Two: Mary Helen Fogarty nee Quinn
Generation Three: William Thomas Quinn and Joan Elizabeth Peninton (Billy was greenkeeper)
Generation Four: Benjamin Peninton and Sarah nee Farley
Generation Five: Christopher Peninton and Margaret nee Byrnes
Generation Six: Reuben Pennington and Mary Ann Goddard
Thank you! If anyone has any other info would be most appreciated
Carmel
My daughters are of the Peninton family born to Kevin Harold grandmother Doris father was the green keeper at Glebe park lived in 43 Lombard street any body knowing anymore would gravety appreiate