George Augustus Middleton

George Augustus Middleton (1791–1848) was an English-Australian pastor and farmer who spent his time in Australia between Parramatta and the Hunter Valley.

George Middleton was reportedly born on 31 August 1791 in London.^[1] However, his age was often misreported throughout his life, including on his gravestone.^[2] A common rumour among his descendants suggests that he was the illegitimate son of a Lady Middleton and a member of the royal family.^[2] His presumed father was Charles Middleton.^[3]

Middleton was educated at Westminster School before attending St John's College at Cambridge University.^[1] There, he studied classics while on a scholarship as a bishop boy.^[3] However, he did not complete his degree.^[4]

He began his career as a private tutor at Holland House in London before returning to Westminster School as a teacher.^[3] On 18 July 1818, he became a bishop of London.^[3] He was appointed as an ordained priest for the Australian colonies in 1819.^[3]

Middleton arrived in Port Jackson on 27 January 1820, accompanied by his son George.^[5] In August 1819, he had been commissioned as an assistant chaplain for New South Wales at the age of 29.^[1][3]

Initially serving as an assistant chaplain, Middleton was also directed to work as locum tenens.^[3] While in Parramatta, he worked as a school examiner and contributed to Sunday schools.^[3] A significant portion of his income came from performing marriage ceremonies.^[3]

In 1831, due to a prolonged drought, he decided to move his family from Sydney.^[4] They relocated to Waterview House, one of the first houses built in Balmain.^[4] The following year, in 1832 he established a school.^[3]

By December 1820, Middleton was appointed to serve in Newcastle, becoming the first chaplain to serve north of the Hawkesbury River.^[1] In March 1821, he was appointed the Assistant Chaplain of Newcastle.^[5] During his time there, he created the vestry of Christ Church.^[3] He travelled along the Paterson and Williams River, Patrick's Plain and Segenhoe in order to visit free settlers.^[1]

In 1825, he visited Lake Macquarie.^[1] There, he worked with the Awabakal aboriginal people of Newcastle.^[3] He helped Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld establish a mission for Indigenous people in Belmont.^[3]

In 1826, Middleton voiced strong objections to the treatment of convicts by Archdeacon Thomas Scott.^[1] The following year, in May 1827, he resigned when Scott attempted to transfer him to Port Macquarie.^[1] Middleton then relocated to Moore Park near Hinton, where he established a travelling ministry independent of the Anglican Church.^[1]

Although Middleton had convicts on his property, his work with them was limited.^[3] He only interacted to convicts assigned to his property or those who worked on road gangs.^[3] His ministry was primarily performed on free settlers.^[3]

From 1828 to 1830, he travelled across the regions of Morpeth, Maitland, Branxton, and Paterson, where he visited patrons and performed baptisms.^[1] In 1837, Bishop William Grant Broughton granted Middleton a license to perform marriage ceremonies at his home, as no churches existed in the area.^[1] Middleton conducted much of his work at Bishop Broughton's home in Phoenix Park.^[3]

In 1845, he became the chaplain of St Paul's Church in Paterson when it opened.^[3] He also ran a school in Morpeth while working with the Butterwick parish. His duties as a priest included preparing children for confirmation and performing marriage ceremonies, baptisms, and funerals including occasional ceremonies outside his parish.^[3]

In 1821, Middleton selected 400 acres of land on the Patersons Plains, upstream from the government settlement.^[4] By the end of 1822, he had cleared 14 acres and grew 9 acres of wheat.^[4] He owned 3 horses, 54 cattle, and 52 pigs.^[4] In 1826, he was invited to surrender his land at Patersons Plains to the church and school corporation in return for compensation.^[4] He agreed in 1827 and received compensation.^[4]

In 1828, he was granted 2,000 acres of Crown Land at Patersons Plains adjoining James Webber's land, which he named Glenrose.^[5] On 8 May 1829, he received a grazing licence for 1,000 acres of land.^[3] On 19 April 1829, Sir George Gipps granted Middleton another 2,000 acres of land.^[3] Later, he was required to give a quarter acre of land to establish a cemetery.^[3]

Middleton was a member of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, the Agricultural Society, and the Paterson Farmers' Club.^[3] He was also involved in the Benevolent Society where he became a regular donor and the treasurer of the committee.^[3] He also served as a justice of the peace.^[3]

He previously joined a vogue with John Blaxland Junior where they discovered an overland route to Newcastle.^[1]

On 17 March 1817, he married his first wife Mary Hull, who died before he came to Australia.^[4][5]

He married his second wife, Sarah, on 12 February 1824 in Liverpool.^[1] They had fifteen children together.^[5]

Middleton reportedly died on 15 May 1848 in Hinton.^[5] No death certificate was ever produced, and his cause of death remains unknown.^[3] His funeral took place on 18 May 1848 at St James Church in Morpeth.^[3] He is buried with his wife Sarah in Morpeth cemetery.