Family: Fenton Family
Summary
Two Anglo-Irish families, cousins, settled in the Derwent Valley and Forth. Michael Fenton (1789-1874) arrived in 1829, developed Fenton Forest, Glenora, and was a member of the nominee Legislative Council, then MHA and Speaker (1856-61). His wife, Elizabeth, wrote Mrs Fenton's Tasmanian Journal 1829-30.
Details
James Fenton (1820-1901) was the first settler at Forth, introduced ringbarking to clear the forest and gained wealth from shipping timber to Melbourne. He wrote A History of Tasmania (1884), a biography of Charles Price (1886) and Bush Lifein Tasmania (1891). His only son, Charles Benjamin Monds Fenton, farmed at Table Cape, was MHA for Wellington (1886-97) and founded the Table Cape Co-operative Butter Factory. Arthur Benjamin Fenton, a son of Charles Benjamin, was MLC for Russell (1933-57), and was succeeded by his nephew, Charles Balfour Marcus Fenton AC, MLC for Russell 1957-81 and President of the Council. Ernest Henry Fenton (1872-1941), another son of Charles Benjamin, was active in the timber industry, as were several of his sons.
Paul Fenton