page_title: Merriville House and Gardens
section_title: The Bradley family and tenants 1818–1853
hierarchical_section_title: Merriville House and Gardens / History / Merriville Farm's history / The Bradley family and tenants 1818–1853
caption_attribution_description: English: Merriville, Kellyville Ridge, Sydney -- this building was part of the original Jonas Bradley property and predated Merriville
context_page_description: Merriville House & Gardens is a heritage-listed residence at Eire Way, Kellyville Ridge, City of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1817 to 1855. It is also known as Hambledon Cottage, Hambledon and Maryville. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
context_section_description: Merriville House and the land surrounding it were first alienated for European purposes in 1818 as part of 250 acres granted to Jonas Bradley, a former Sergeant in the New South Wales Corps. Jonas married Catherine, née Condon, an ex-convict. He was a successful farmer and a large landholder. He had commenced farming on the Hawkesbury at Freeman's Reach with a 25-acre grant and was sufficiently well-thought-of by Macquarie to receive new larger grants for himself and his sons. His two sons Thomas and William were also granted 70 and 60 acres of land adjoining this property. The family had already been working this property prior to 1818.
  Ultimately the farms were amalgamated along with some land from an adjoining grant made to John Palmer in 1818.
  Bradley became an influential and well-known member of the local community. His property achieved fame as the place where tobacco was first successfully grown in the colony (by 1823 he was known for this and his methods were adopted for tobacco cultivation elsewhere in the colony.
  Jonas Bradley added to his farm by buying 300 acres across the (Windsor) road, grants made in 1809 by Col. Paterson, surrendered and re-issued in 1/1810 by Macquarie. These bore the names of Lucy Mileham, Edward Robinson, Michael Robinson and Michael Hickson. About this time the small building made of hand-made bricks was erected and could at that time have been a stand-alone residence for a small family or convict overseer. The Sydney Gazette of 1823 noted that Bradley had upwards of 100 cattle and 800 sheep, and as having made an effective sheep dip to treat scabies using a tobacco derivative. This achievement was so impressive that he received further grants for himself and his sons (2000 acres for Jonas and 1000 acres each for William and Thomas) in the County of Argyle, where his son William is generally thought of as the father of Goulburn.
  Although still listed as a farmer in the 1828 census, at some stage over the next five years Jonas Bradley moved to Goulburn. He may or may not have returned to Merriville by 1828). After their initial occupation the property appears to have been leased out for some years by the family although there is no evidence of the use or occupants during this time, possibly from the later 1820s, until its sale in 1853.
  In 1835 Bradley's son Thomas died, leaving his farm to his father. On the death of Jonas Bradley in 1841, his surviving son William inherited the large landholding of 320 acres. William however, lived in Goulburn, and after 10 years of leasing the property he sold the total 380 acres to Elias Pearson Laycock.
  The total holding on the Windsor Road was then 680 acres.
  William Bradley was a very successful farmer, grazier and entrepreneur. He married Emily Elizabeth Hovell in 1831, daughter of the explorer William Hovell, and seems to have lived mainly in Goulburn after that. They had eight children (2 sons, 6 daughters). His legacy is impressive: he is credited firstly with the founding of the inland city of Goulburn. He commissioned the building of the Bradley Grange (there), consisting of a Brewery, Malting works, flour mill, tobacco kiln and mews. Francis Greenway is said to have been its designer. As Old Goulburn Brewery, this stands today as the oldest industrial complex in Australia. William purchased the 300 acres on which Bradley Grange was built - in view of his home, Lansdowne Park. He gave wide support to the Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was one of the leading investors and proponents for extending the railway to the south, especially as far as Goulburn. He was a member of the Parliament of New South Wales, a friend of many important men of the day and a founding member of the Union Club, which he used as a bolt hole in Sydney if at the time his house was leased out. He became a friend and benefactor of Caroline Chisholm and her support of women emigrants. He, the son of a convict mother, left 100,000 pounds. His success with farming was said to be because he supervised his properties himself. In 1847 he claimed to own 40,000 she
caption: Building that was part of the original Jonas Bradley property, located behind Merriville House
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