John LAWTON abt.1810-? & Ann "Nancy" NESTOR c.1813-1884

"Merino Downs" Station, Chetwynd & Digby, Victoria, Australia

It appears that John LAWTON abt.1810- ? and Ann "Nancy" NESTOR c.1813-1884, daughter of Michael NESTOR had a number of children in south-western Victoria in the 1840s after a marriage in 1842 Victoria.

It appears that John LAWTON may have died by 1851 as Ann LAWTON (nee NESTOR) married Jasper WOOD a Saddler and Shoemaker from merino in 1851 and they had a daughter Mary Ann WOOD b. c.1851 and d. 1858, aged 7y.

John LAWTON and Ann "Nancy NESTOR appear to have had the following four children...


1. Sarah LAWTON 1842-1920 & James MALONEY 1831-1903

Sarah LAWTON b. c1842 Portland, Victoria was married in 1858 in Merino, Victoria to James MALONEY b. c.1831, Co Tipperary, Ireland and they had a large family at Merino.


2. John LAWTON 1845-1929 & Annie McLEAN 1852-1885

John LAWTON b. c1845 "Merino Downs", Victoria was married in 1867 at Hotspur, Victoria to Ann McLEAN b. c.1852, Isle of Skye, Scotland and they had the following family:

  1. James Emanuel LAWTON b. 1868, Hotspur, Vic;
  2. Mary Ann LAWTON b. 1870, Digby, Vic, d. 1876;
  3. Helen LAWTON b. 1873, Hotspur, Vic, m. Samuel PRICE;
  4. John Michael LAWTON b. 1875, Merino, Vic;
  5. Ann Jennet LAWTON b. 1878, Digby, Vic, d. 1878;
  6. Walter Herbert LAWTON b. 1879 Digby, Vic;
  7. Florence Rachel LAWTON b. 1882 Digby, Vic d. 1885.



3. Thomas LAWTON 1849-1933 & Catherine FINLAY 1857-1940

Thomas LAWTON b. c1849 Merino, Victoria was married in 1874 in Victoria to Catherine FINLAY b. c 1857, Digby, Vic and they had the following family:

  1. Mary Ann LAWTON b. 1875, Digby, Vic, d. 1887;
  2. Matilda Christian LAWTON b. 1879, Digby, Vic;
  3. Edward Thomas LAWTON b. 1881, Digby, Vic, m. 1909, Augusta Eliza Jane HARVEY;
  4. Ann LAWTON b. 1884, Digby, Vic, m. 1908, John William GATON;
  5. Thomas James LAWTON b. 1886, Digby, Vic, d. 1903;
  6. Helen Catharine LAWTON b. 1891, Digby, Vic, m. 1916, Robert Henry 'Harry' HOBBS;
  7. John LAWTON b. 1895 Digby, Vic
    • WW1 1st AIF [MM], 8th Battalion, enlisted 20-07-1915
    • RTA 4-12-1918
    • Digby Avenue of Honour Tree No 20, planted by Master Allan TAYLOR



4. James LAWTON c1851-? & Susanna WHYTE 1959-1925

James LAWTON b. 1851 Chetwynd, Victoria was married in 1876 in Victoria to Susanna WHYTE b. c.1859, Digby, Vic and they had the following family:

  1. John Thomas LAWTON b. 1878, Digby, Vic
    • WW1 1st AIF
    • Chaplain
    • Digby Avenue of Honour Tree No 95, planted by Mr E LAWTON
    • mar Bertha Maria DAVIS;
  2. Charles McBeath LAWTON b. 1880, Digby, Vic, mar Anna Jane GILMORE;
  3. Male LAWTON b. 1882, Digby, Vic, d. 1882;
  4. Francis James LAWTON b. 1884, Digby, Vic
    • WW1 1st AIF, Lt. 14th ASC, enlisted 25-09-1914
    • RTA 23-10-1918
    • Digby Avenue of Honour tree No 51, planted by Mr N R BURGESS
  5. Lyal Dilnot LAWTON b. 1886, Digby, Vic, mar, Mary Ann MASHALL;
  6. Melinda Dora LAWTON b. 1888 Digby, Vic;
  7. Eileen Ellen LAWTON b. 1890 Digby, Vic;
  8. Christina Considine LAWTON b. 1892, Digby, Vic;
  9. Daisy May LAWTON b. 1894, Digby, Vic.



Jasper WOOD 1818-1893 & Ann "Nancy" LAWTON (nee NESTOR) c.1813-1884

Merino, Victoria, Australia

Ann LAWTON married Jasper WOOD in Victoria in 1851 and had a daughter Mary Ann WOOD, b. c.1851, d. 1858.

Jasper WOOD was b. c.1818 and died in Merino in 1894. He was a Saddler and Shoemaker and had a business in the main street of Merino.

Ann WOOD (nee NESTOR) died in Merino in 1884 and her husband Jasper WOOD died in Merino in 1893. Both are buried in the Merino Cemetery.


Daryl Povey

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