Nicholas Padget Bayly the sheep breeder

There are many obituaries for the well known Nicholas Padget Bayly (1814-1879), who like Macarthur was a major figure in the development of sheep farming in the colony of New South Wales. He is the husband of my First Cousin Five times removed – Sarah Ann Blackman (1827-1909). Unfortunately, being from the aristocracy, he thought that all his wealth should go to his male heirs and a long and drawn out court case developed over the will.

Obituary. (1879, October 11). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 32. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70973756

MR. N.-P. BAYLY. (1879, October 14). Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton, NSW : 1859 – 1889), p. 4. Retrieved October 20, 2011, fromhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62087865

Obituary.

MR. N. P. BAYLY.

Mr. NICHOLAS PADGET BAYLY, of Havilah, near Mudgee, died on the 2nd instant, at 6 o’clock, of apoplexy. He was an Australian by birth; having been the second son of Captain Bayly, of Fleurs, South Creek, who came to the colony as an officer of one of the early regiments of the line, and whose father was the first cousin of the late Marquis of Anglesea. Mr. Bayly received his education in England, but returned to the colony in his youth, and his life has been since spent in pastoral pursuits in the Mudgee district. He was a man of great physical strength and resolution of character, and these traits were pretty well exemplified on his return voyage to the colony, for having fallen overboard he succeeded in keep ing himself afloat for several hours. As a sheep-breeder he has been eminently successful ;and the high price which his wool has generally realized is well-known, and it was no uncommon occurrence for the progeny of his flock to be sold at high figures before they were born. His pursuits and tastes were almost wholly those of a country gentleman, and although several times asked to stand for Parliament, he has always declined. He was, however,   not unmindful of local claims and interests, and has at times given hugely of his means to religious and philanthropic objects. Mr. Bayly has left four daughters and two sons.

MUDGEE. (1879, October 3). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13453269

Family Notices. (1848, February 5). The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 – 1893), p. 3. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article713398

Mr. Nicholas Paget Bayly, of Havilah, the well-known sheep-breeder, and one of the best known and eldest residents in the district, died rather suddenly this morning. He was seized with an apoplectic fit at 8 o’clock last evening. Dr. Rowling was at once sent for, and remained all night, but Mr. Bayly never recovered consciousness, and passed quietly away at 6 a.m.

Death of Mr, N. P. Bayly. (1879, October 4). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 12. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70973511

We received a telegram from Mudgee on Thursday morning, announcing the death of Nicholas Paget Bayly, the celebrated wool-grower, of Havilah, near Mudgee. The colony-and, indeed, all Australia has suffered a severe loss through the death of Mr. Bayly, who has rendered the most patriotic services to this country in improving the breed of sheep, and raising the reputation of our colony for the growth of wool.

The following brief biography is from ” The Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time” :-

Nicholas Paget Bayly, of Havilah, was born in 1814, at Bayly Park (now Fleurs), South Creek, N.S.W., and was the son of tho late Nicholas Bayly. In 1828 he went to England to complete his education, and remained there about four years. Shortly after his return he took charge of Messrs. Lawson’s stations at Mudgee, Coolah, and Liverpool Plains. Having gained experience, he began the formation of flocks of his own by the purchase of stud sheep, consisting of rams, imported by the late William Lawson, Esq., from the flocks of King George III., and from ewes imported by the same gentleman from Saxony, and became one of the most successful Australian breeders, most of the prize flocks in the colonies owing, in some measure, their formation to him. He, about 12 years ago, challenged the colony of Victoria to compete with New South Wales in the quality of their wool, and himself gained the prize. He was a magistrate of the territory. His practical demonstration of the interest he took in the advancement of the colony and in the prosperity of all classes and interests in it, won for him a deserved popularity. He was the owner of a beautiful estate and station near Mudgee, called Havilah.

N. P. Bayly, Esq. (1876, March 18). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 13. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70589895

AMONG the Australian-born Britons who have advanced the prosperity of this, their native country, a high place is due to Mr. Nicholas Paget Bayly, of Havilah. This gentleman, son of the late Nicholas Bayly, Esq., was born in the year 1814, at Bayly Bark (now called Fleurs), South Creek. In 1828 he went to England to finish his education, and spent about four years in the mother country.

A few years after his return he took the management of Messrs. Lawson’s stations, at Mudgee, Coolah, and Liverpool Plains. Thus he gained his first experience in the management of sheep. By intelligent observation and persevering experiment he found out the way of securing the most desirable characteristics in the breed of sheep ; and in the course of thirty-five years fully established his fame as the most successful sheep breeder in Australia.

He began the formation of his own flocks by purchasing from Messrs. Lawson their stud sheep. They were descended from rams imported by the late William Lawson, Esq., from the flocks of His Majesty King George III., and from ewes imported by the same gentleman from Saxony. About fif-teen years ago these were crossed by one Saxon merino ram, imported by the late James Walker, Esq., owner of Louee station, near Havilah. This ram Mr. Bayly pronounces equal to the best he ever saw; he combined great length of staple with thorough density, and unexampled quality and softness. He was moreover perfectly free from that throatiness and harshness of staple which have spoiled many flocks in New South Wales. It need scarcely be said that Mr. Bayly paid a very high price for those choice sheep ; but he expected to rear from them the best stock in the country ; and in this expectation, which has been well realised, he judged rightly that the price was not too high for such a possession. One lead-ing principle by which Mr. Bayly has been guided in the maintenance and improvement of the characteristics of his Hocks, is that of a regu-lar system of culling. He never keeps more than 4500 stud ewes ; and every year he withdraws about 1000 of the least valuable among them, which are replaced by an equal number of maiden ewes; and these are selected from double the number, which is reduced by the process of culling.

It is a remarkable fact in Mr. Bayly’s successful career, that he does not keep overseers ; but he looks after the management himself, and always classes his own sheep and his wool. He has his stations in such admirable order that this duty is, to one who thoroughly understands it, comparatively easy. And no doubt the exact knowledge of the condition of his flocks which this constant personal inspection ensures to him is one great cause of his success.

The highest price Mr. Bayly ever obtained for wool in London was 4s 3d a lb. Some years ago there was a great deal of correspondence between the woolgrowers of Victoria and New South Wales, as to the comparative value of their wool, in which correspondence Mr. Bayly took a leading part, and it ended in a challenge from Mr. Bayly to the Victorian woolgrowers, offering to test the price of his wool against theirs at the London sales. This challenge was accepted by Mr. Shaw on behalf of himself and Messrs. Learmonth and Curry, with the condition that the value of the clips should be tested twice by the London buyers ; this was acceded to by Mr. Bayly, and the victory was in his favour.

Mr. Bayly is a magistrate of the territory, and a man of public spirit. His practical demonstration of the interest he takes in the advancement of the colony, and in the prosperity of all classes and interests in it, has won for him a deserved popularity. Having done well for himself, he has shown his desire for the common good of the district in which he has made his wealth, and of his native country which may well be proud of him.

N. P. BAYLY, ESQ.

HAVILAH, THE RESIDENCE AND PROPERTY OF N. P. BAYLY, ESQ.

MUDGEE.. (1881, January 8). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 38. Retrieved October 21, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70951474

January 5,

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH.-Mrs. N. P. Bayly, in memory of her late lamented husband, has caused to be erected two handsome stained-glass windows in St. John’s Church. There are in all four subjects, symbolising- the following texts:-“Consider the lily,” ” Suffer little children,” ” The Good Shepherd,” and “Christ’s charge to Peter.” Below the subjects are representations of two of the Evangelists, and the inscription at the foot is as follows:-“In memory of Nicholas Paget Bayly, born 14th September, 1814, died 2nd October, 1879.” The windows cost £150* and are from Messrs. Asheim and Falconer’s establishment, Pitt-street, Sydney.

Mudgee. (1889, August 10). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 15. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71122192

EXHUMATION.-The remains of the late Mr. Nicholas Paget Bayly, who was interred in the old Church of England cemetery ten years ago, were re-moved last Tuesday and sent by rail to Sydney. A beautiful polished cedar casket mounted with silver handles and a shield-shaped breast plate, was pre-pared by Mr. John Miller, contractor, of Mudgee. In this the cedar coffin was inclosed and dispatched for interment in the Waverley Cemetery, where young Paget Bayly is entombed in a vault.

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