Land grant to
George Cox
George Cox was the son of William Cox, an officer of the New South Wales Corps who resigned his commission in 1809. William later became a magistrate at Windsor and won Macquarie’s admiration for his construction of the road over the Blue Mountains. George was born in 1795 in Wiltshire, and was only 21 years old when he received this grant from Macquarie.
His obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald on 9 September 1868 said, ‘Mr. George Cox, early in life, took up a grant of land on the Nepean, which in time became the estate of Winbourne, one of the most spacious and English-like homesteads in the colony’.
600 Acres
By His Excellency Lachlan Macquarie Esquire, Captain General and Governor in Chief of His Majesty’s Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies &c. &c. &c.
Whereas full Power and Authority for Granting Lands in the Territory of New South Wales ais Vested in His Majesty’s Captain General and Governor in Chief (or in his absence the Lieutenant Governor for the time being) in and over the said Territory and its Dependencies by His Majesty’s Instructions under Royal Sign Manual bearing date respectively the Twenty-fifth Day of April, One Thousand and seven hundred and Eighty seven, and the Twentieth Day of August, One thousand seven hundred and Eighty nine.
In Pursuance of the Power and Authority Vested in Me as aforesaid I Do By These Presents Give and Grant Unto George Cox his Heirs and Assigns to have and to hold for ever, Six Hundred Acres of Land, lying and Situate in the District of Bringelly, Bounded on the South side by a Gully dividing it from McDonalds farm, And an East line of Seventy two chains – On the East by a North line of sixty-two chains eighty links – On the North by a West line of One hundred chains forty seven links – And on the West by Lambs farm bearing South fifty six chains fifty links to the Nepean River, and by that river – To be Called Winboone – to be had and held by Him the said George Cox his Heirs and Assigns free from all Taxes, Quit Rents and other acknowledgements for the space of Five Years from the Date hereof (Provided always, and it is hereby expressly to be understood, that the said George Cox the Grantee in these Presents named, shall in no wise either directly or indirectly Sell, Alienate or transfer any part or parcel of the Land hereby Granted, within the said term of Five Years; And, also provided always, that the said George Cox shall clear and cultivate or cause to be cleared and cultivated within the said term of Five Years, the Quantity of Fifty-five Acres of the said Land hereby granted: Otherwise the whole of the said Land shall revert to the Crown, and the Grant hereby made thereof shall be held and deemed Null and Void), and saving and reserving to Government the right of making a Public road through such part of the said Land as may at any time be required; such timber as may be growing, or that may grow hereafter upon said Lands, which may be deemed fit for Naval Purposes to be reserved for the Use of the Crown, and Paying an Annual Quit Rent of Twelve Shillings after the term or time of Five Years before mentioned.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set My Hand and the Seal of the Territory at Sydney, in New South Wales, this Eighth Day of October, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixteen.
L. Macquarie (signature)
Signed and Sealed in our Presence
H.C. Antill
Joseph Cowgill
On the side of the document are the words:
Registered in the Secretary’s Office Page 262 – No. 4 – Register
Sydney 16 July 1818 by John Campbell, Surveyor and Registrar’
Mr George Cox’s Grant
Winboone Six Hundred Acres
16 July 1818
I hereby certify that the Quit rent of twelve shillings yearly payable on the within described Land has been this day redeemed in conformity with the terms of the Government Notice dated 18th February 1834 published in the Gazette As Witness my hand this eighteenth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty five.
Wm. Macpherson
Collr. Int. Revenue
Signed in the presence of L? M. William