Richard ELSTON was born c.1812, London, England son of Richard ELSTON and Anne GREENAWAY.

Maria CONNOR was born c.1836 Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Ireland, daughter of James CONNOR and Catherine TOBIN.

Richard ELSTON and Maria CONNOR were married in 1857 at Merino, S-W Victoria by the Rev. Dr. Cussack RUSSELL.

It appears that Richard ELSTON may have been transported from London to Van Diemen's Land as a convict in 1830 as there was a convict named Richard HELSTON transported at this time, who appears to fit his movements and this may explain Richard was so old when he married at Merino in 1857.

Richard ELSTON & Maria CONNOR had the following known family...

1. Catherine Ann ELSTON b. 1857, Digby, Vic, m1. Edward MOYLES (1850-1880) 3 children in Merino or Coleraine, m2. Thomas Richard McANALLY (1838-1916) 6 children in Coleraine;

2. James Edward ELSTON b. 1859, Merino, Vic, m. Harriet BISHOP (1869-1922) and had the following children;
   1. Sarah Alice (Ann) ELSTON, b. 1882, d. 1905 Merino, S-W Vic,
   2. George Edward ELSTON, b. 1884 Merino, S-W Vic., d. 1969 New Zealand. (served in WW1 with NZEF)
   • WW1 service with NZEF
   • WW1 wounded, arm amputated in 1918
   • Merino War Memorial
   3. Charles James ELSTON, b. 1886, d. 1897 Merino, S-W Vic.
   4. James William ELSTON, b. 1888 Merino, Vic, d. 1909, Merino, S-W Victoria (result of accident)
   5. Frederick ELSTON, b. 1891 Merino, Vic, d. 1972, Mortlake, Victoria m. Caroline BRUNTON 1878-1964, b. Digby, S-W Vic., d. Mortlake, Victoria.
   6. Reuben ELSTON, b. 1895 Merino, S-W Vic, d. 1939, Melbourne, Vic., m. Bertha May RICHARDS 1890-1971
   • WW1 1st AIF, L/Cpl 5th Pioneers
   • enlisted 18 Jul 1915, RTA 8 Jul 1919
   • Merino War Memorial
   • Glenorchy Soldier Settler
   7. Charles ELSTON, b. 1897, d. 1898 Merino, S-W Vic
   8. Harriet ELSTON, b. 1899 Merino, S-W Vic, d. ......., m. Joseph Humphrey THOM 1879-1956
   9. Daisy ELSTON, b. 1902 Merino, S-W Vic, d. 1963, Coleraine, S-W Vic., m. William Henry BARNES 1901-1984, b. Coleraine, S-W Victoria.

3. Sarah Ellen "Lena" ELSTON b. 1861, Merino, Vic, m. Edwin George MORRIS (1864-1924).

4. Samuel George ELSTON b. 1863 Merino, Vic, m. Sarah Elizabeth Ruth SHIPHAM (1867-1937) and had the following known family....
   1. George Hamilton ELSTON, b. 1893, Hamilton, Vic, d. 1967
   2. Flornce May ELSTON, b. 1895, d. 1901, Hamilton, Vic
   3. William Charles ELSTON, b. 1898, Hamilton, Vic, d. 1968
   4. Emily Ruth ELSTON, b. 1900, Hamilton, Vic
   5. Stella Mary ELSTON, b. 1903, Hamilton, Vic, d. 1969, m. ___ DUNSTAN
   6. Robert James ELSTON, b. 1905, Hamilton, Vic
   7. Arthur Edward ELSTON, b. 1907, Hamilton, Vic

Richard ELSTON died in 1866 at Merino, Victoria and was buried in the Merino Cemetery.

Maria, widow of Richard ELSTON married again in 1867, this time to James BREBNER from Scotland.

James William BREBNER b. 1837, Tarland & Migvie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, son of Charles BREBNER & Isabella SIMPSON. James appears to have been the youngest member of a large family all born at Tarland, Aberdeenshire between 1813 and 1837. He appears to have arrived in Victoria in 1863 on the ship "Racer" and was at Merino in S-W Victoria by 1867.

James William BREBNER m. 1867, at the Parsonage-on-the Wannon, S-W Victoria to Maria ELSTON (nee CONNOR) b. 1836 Co Wexford, Ireland, widow of Richard ELSTON (above).

Maria BREBNER died at Merino in 1909 and her second husband James William BREBNER died at Merino in 1919 and they are both buried in the Merino cemetery.

James and Maria BREBNER had the following children:

1. Robert William BREBNER b. 1868, Merino, S-W Vic, d. 1961, Melbourne, Vic., m. Sarah Ann FAULKNER 1865-1955, b. Talbot, Vic., d. Melbourne, Vic., and had the following family...
   1. Grace Margaret BREBNER, b. 1902, Richmond, Vic, d. ......., m. Harold James CAHILL 1901-1978.
   2. James Percival BREBNER, b. 1905, Tocumwal, NSW, d. 1976, Melbourne, Vic., m. Stella WALSH ...........?.

2. Charles Edward BREBNER b. 1870, Merino, S-W Vic., d. 1957, Hamilton, S-W Vic., m. Elizabeth Josephine MILLS 1862-1941, b. "Winninburn" near Coleraine, S-W Vic., d. Hamilton, S-w, Vic., and had the following family...
   1. Maria Mary BREBNER, b. 1896, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. 1984, Benalla, Vic., m. William Lliff CHAMBERLAIN 1878-1951
   2. James William BREBNER, b. 1898, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. 1978, Ballarat, Vic., m. Kathleen Margaret FRASER 1896-1973
   3. Julia Annie BREBNER, b. 1900, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. 1968, Hamilton, S-W Vic., m. Leo Thomas HEENAN 1902-1950
   4. Elizabeth May BREBNER, b. 1902, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. 1985, Melbourne, Vic., m. Vincent BRADY .........?
   5. Charles Gordon BREBNER, b. 1903, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. .........., m. Florence Ruby SMART 1911-..........
   6. Robert Stanley BREBNER, b. 1905, Coleraine, S-W Vic, d. 1960, ....., Vic., m. ...........?