Australian Branch
My Great Grandfather was Elisha George Leighton from Barford, Norfolk, England. He was commonly known as George. He served with the British Army in the Crimean War, during which he worked for some time with Florence Nightingale. She presented him with a bible with the words .. “to my good friend George Leighton from Florence Nightingale, Scutari Hospital”. The inscription is signed by her and dated April, 1855. The bible remains in our family.
Subsequently he moved to Australia where he married Catherine Mary Mannix from County Clare, Ireland.
They lived at Mulwala, in New South Wales where George was a builder. His family, numbering eleven, later moved to Yanco where they settled their selection - "Woodlands".
His son, James “Jim” Leighton was my Grandfather. He had seven children and he lived his entire life at Leeton, New South Wales, as did my father, Harold Elijah Leighton (1912 - 1973).
I was born in Leeton in 1952 and now live at Terrigal, New South Wales.
Reading this website has made me realise how little I know of my ancestry so I would appreciate any assistance. Thank you. Paul Leighton