In 1832, great, great, grandfather, William Suttor became enamoured with a local Bathurst girl, the daughter of a fiery West Indian planter, who had taken up a grant on the Bathurst Plains. William and the girl enjoyed clandestine meetings at the Willow Pond – until a new man came on the scene.
He was Scottish and rich, having just arrived in the Colonies. The girl’s father, wanting the best for her, ordered Suttor from the house and forbade his daughter to see him.
However, Suttor continued to meet the girl in secret and her father, hearing of the affair
challenged him to a duel.
They borrowed a pair of silver mounted pistols from a neighbouring squire, Captain John Piper, once the richest man in the colony, but now in eclipse after a row with Governor Darling.
With pistol in hand they walked the 10 paces and turned and fired. William did not wish to hurt the girl’s father so he fired into the air. The father’s bullet gouged a furrow through Suttor’s cheek.
The planter was till not satisfied and the seconds had to restrain him from trying again to kill Suttor.
The girl eventually married the Scotsman and two years later she died. The Scot then left the country and the ship on which he sailed was lost at sea with all hands.
William went on to marry Charlotte Francis in the following year. William was 28 at the time and Charlotte 16. She bore him 14 children.
Struth it's Blackmores 