Two linen bonnets from the 19th century were gifted to the Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society in 2015. Research was conducted on the bonnets to determine their origin and heritage significance. It was discovered that the bonnets were likely made in the second half of the 19th century and were passed down through the family of Solomon Wiseman, an early settler of the Hawkesbury region. One of Wiseman's daughters, Mary, married and her family lived with Solomon. It is believed Mary's daughter-in-law made the bonnets for her two unmarried sisters-in-law. Though the exact details are unknown, the project helped link the current community to the legacy of the Wiseman

1. The Bonnets Project:
EXPLORING THE LEGACY OF THE WISEMAN
WOMEN OF THE HAWKESBURY AND
HUNTER DISTRICTS OF NSW

2. Two women’s day bonnets
from the nineteenth
century:
Through whose hands
have they passed? What
is their heritage
significance? The
“Bonnets Project” was
initiated to answer those
questions.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

3. In 2015 Lynn Collins
gifted two linen day
bonnets to the
Dharug and Lower
Hawkesbury
Historical Society Inc.
(DLHHS). Lynn was
given the bonnets by
her dear friend who
had died some years
earlier, Jennifer
Crawford Brown.
Photograph: Jan Kofron 2015

4. Lynn handed the bonnets
over to the society’s
secretary, Jan Kofron, in
2015. The occasion
coincided with the 160th
anniversary of the
completion of the
sandstone Wesleyan
Chapel at Gunderman.
Once a Methodist chapel,
it is now the home of the
DLHHS.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

5. Sharon Moore and Rebecca
Cardy, the grant and heritage
officers from Gosford City
Council, have supported the
“Bonnets Project” from its
inception. As part of the
DLHHS celebration of the
chapel’s anniversary, Gosford
City Council funded research
into the bonnet’s provenance
and pioneer heritage.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

6. Jan met with Hillary Davidson,
historical clothing and textile
expert, at the Powerhouse
Museum in Sydney. In Hillary’s
opinion the bonnets dated to the
second half of the nineteenth
century, as most of the stitching
was machine made. This dating
made it unlikely that the bonnets
were made by either of Solomon
Wiseman’s wives.
Photograph: Jan Kofron 2016

7. To clarify their origin Marilyn
Wood, President of the DLHHS,
began the painstaking task of
researching the Wiseman family
tree. With Lynn’s help, and the
wizardry of the Ancestry
program, Marilyn was able to
establish beyond doubt that
Jennifer Crawford Brown was a
direct descendant of Solomon
Wiseman through his daughter
Mary’s line.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

8. Jennifer’s ancestor, Mary Wiseman,
married Thomas Crawford in 1832
and they initially lived with Solomon
and his second wife, Sophia, at his
home at Wisemans Ferry. There
Thomas became the licensee of the
“The Branch Inn”, the successor to
Wiseman’s “Sign of the Packet”.
Solomon’s home and hotel,
overlooking the Hawkesbury River,
remain important landmarks in the
district.
Internet photograph of Jennifer Crawford Brown
with Solomon Wiseman’s portrait in the
Wiseman Ferry Inn. Arranged by Marilyn Wood
2016.

9. Although the bonnets’
heritage had been established
it was still unclear who made
the bonnets, who wore the
bonnets and how they came
into Jennifer’s possession.
Further research uncovered
that Mary’s daughter-in-law,
Amelia, was widely known for
her sewing ability. It is likely
she made the bonnets for her
two unmarried sisters-in-law
with whom she lived in the
Wiseman-Crawford home.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

10. Surely there are many
stories that the bonnets
can still reveal. It is a
privilege however to work
on a project that links our
present community to the
Wiseman family. Their
name is permanently
commemorated by the
ongoing presence in the
Hawkesbury district of a
ferry, a road, a village and
a landmark hotel.
Photograph: Marilyn Wood 2016

11. Thanks and acknowledgements to:
• Lynn Collins for her very generous donation of the bonnets and the information
she has provided;
• Hillary Davidson for her expert advice;
• Jan Kofron for her photographs and ongoing support behind the scenes;
• The current licensee of the Wisemans Inn Hotel and his staff for access to the hotel
premises and their enthusiasm for Wiseman family research;
• The Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society Inc. committee members
who support this research and conservation project.
•The Brisbane Water Historical Society Inc., especially Kreenagh Yelds and Kathleen
Ness, for their encouragement and the use of one of their vintage sewing machines.
• The Grants and Heritage Departments within the Central Coast Council
(previously Gosford City Council) for their encouragement and financial
contribution towards the project .