Extract from "History of the Sargent Family"- author unknown. Copy held by Shirley Bell who sent John McMahon copies of pages 40 to 53.

Matilda Anderson was the eldest of 3 daughters, who were born at Bargo and spent the earlier part of their lives in and around Picton. Matilda was educated and trained as a governess. Her father, William Anderson, of Irish birth, kept a wayside accommodation house, called the Bargo Inn, and also ran a large store. Passing traffic consisted only of bullock teams and coaches – in those far off days, travellers were not able to journey to Bargo by train, the terminus being Picton.

Later, Matilda’s father became proprietor of the historic George Inn in the 1860s and Matilda followed him. In the early 1870s, William Anderson retired as mine host and went to reside on his property at Bargo. It was here that Matilda Anderson was successfully wooed by Thomas Bell of Picton. Their marriage was celebrated on 9th March, 1875, at Bargo, and they migrated to Burrowa where Thomas plied his trade as blacksmith. Then, strange as it may seem, Thomas returned to Picton to become the proprietor of the George Inn in the early 1880s. It was in the George Inn that 3 of their children – Jack, Alf and Bert – were born. They were born in the only double room on the first floor of the George Inn, in the right hand wing on the south side – with nine in roman numerals carved in stone above the door.

When Thomas was first married, his trade was that of blacksmith, but later on his wife persuaded him to take on contracting as a bridge and road builder. Many of the wooden bridges and roads of New South Wales were built by Thomas, many for the Public Works Department.

Thomas Bell ran his own saw-mills and cut his own timber – always Murray Gums taken from the banks of rivers along the Darling, Murrumbidgee, billabongs etc……………²