Family background
William Northwood was born about 1806 in England. On 11 October 1840 at Sydney he married Lucy Sinfield, born on 12 January 1806 at Maulden, Bedfordshire, the daughter of Thomas Sinfield and his wife Tamar, née King. Two children, Tamar and Lucy, died in infancy. William Northwood died at Clifton, Bedfordshire, England, on 2 February 1871, aged 65. Lucy Northwood, aged 74, died at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, in December 1880.
Occupation & interests
A convict named William Northwood arrived on the Isabella in 1832, having received a life sentence at the Bedford Assizes. He received his Conditional Pardon on 1 October 1841. Certainly Northwood was in Sydney by October 1840 and in 1844 was advertising as a dealer at 12 Market Street. In April 1857, William Northwood, gentleman, bought two lots of the Balmain estate (later the Sydney slipway) and subdivided it into 42 allotments which remained unsold until his death. In 1858-59, he was living at Darlinghurst. He went into business with James and Robert Cox with premises at Baltic Wharf in 1858. By 1870-71, William Northwood had returned to England but retained freehold property at 41 Wharf Street.
Local government service
Northwood was elected Alderman for Brisbane Ward, 11 April 1857 to 30 November 1860.
References
City of Sydney Archives: Aldermen’s File
State Records of NSW: Index to Convict Pardons