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Home , Emancipist, Henry Kable

•,u...... ,_ al kit a.,,._ 1-05 Cathedral Street Woolloomooloo NIW 2011 J_rj

NEWSLETTER OF FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST FLEETERS /,, In·, ,,11 111 th,· h,·t1r/,1 i1n,J 111111,J,, 11/ /), ,,, , ,1,Ji111f,, ,,, 111·1·,·r f,, 11',·.''

PATRON: His Excellency the Honourable Gordon Samuels, AC, Governor of Pruident~ report

o further news o n the proposed new John and Judy Minehan did a wonderful site of the Bonds of Friendship! I job at a heritage fair organised by the hope to have some news in the next Family History Group by ma nning a stall on - · issue. The bonds of Friendship is a behalf of the Fellowship. _ ,:Nha in w ith only two links, locked so tightly Our Acting Treasurer, Cec Thompson, is back together it is inseparable. U nveil ed in 1980 at on deck after a stint in hospital. Cec has done a Circular Quay, it was a joint project as to funding marvellous job whilst Treasurer Roy Morris is a nd positioning between Westpac, the overseas. City Council and the Fellowship of First Fleeters. I was approached recently by the Department T he monument, of poli shed bronze, is I.Sm x of Juvenile Justice to put forward a suitable Im and complements the same monument at name for a new complex being built at Gosford. Sally Port, Portsmouth, unveiled by the Queen The most obvious name was that of Matthew in 1979, differing only by the fact that the British James Evering ham, w ho at the age of l 4 o r 15, counte rpart is of unpolished bronze. T he stood in the dock at Old Bailey pleading g uilty symbo li sm is apparent to us all - for the convicts, for 'unlawfully by false pretences defrauding the old ways were left behind Samuel Shepherd Esq of a nd they sailed into a new good value l Os'. His only future, a new way of life. I utterance in his defence was verymuchdoubtwhetherthe ' ... WHOATTHEAGE OF 14 OR 15 'I was in great distress'. _city Fathers understand at Matthew was sentenced to , STOOD IN THE DOCK AT I, the symboli sm, a nd, seven years transportation. ,deed, the significance of the OLD BAILEY PLEADING GUILTY ... On behalf of the . Bonds of Friendship. Political Executive and me mbers I .. .-. MATTHEW WAS SENTENCED TO - r 'irrectness??? would like to thank the Our Daytime Auxiliary SEVEN YEARS TRANSPORTATION' 'Anonymous Donor' of the INSIDE Soup and Damper Day, 14 new a nd much easie r to July last, from all reports was manage fax machine. Our fax 2 NEWS OF MEMBERS very successful. It was line is 9360 3988. unfortunate that due to illness former President The 'Project 2000' committee from the O rder J WHAT'S ON Beryl Lewis was unable to be guest speaker. of Association requires over 2000 books T hank you John Kemsley #2526 re suggestion in new or near mint condition, suitable for ages 4 FAMILY REUNIONS that o ur motto reappear on the front page of fo ur years to eleven years, about Australia or by 5 JOHN AND MARY Fo1111rJe1;1. T he Executive has taken this matter Australian authors for distribution to va,·ious SMALL DESCENDANTS up with our hard-working editor. schools in the United Kingdom. If any member ASSOCIATION In July I spoke to the newly formed can help in this regard I will see that the books Chatswood Seniors Club. This year I have spread are directed in the right channel. 5 ST DAVID'S PARK the story of our pioneers to well over 1,000 people. To all members another reminder about subs HOBART N ice to hear from our former President James now due for 1999 - 2000.

r--Donohoe. James has been in ill-health for some 5 THE FIRST "me and we w ish him a speedy recovery in the In Fell owship ear future. We are a lso indebted to him for the PETER 6 ARTHUR I. MEYERS ---- r ,:lonation of microfiches from three of his books. Price 50¢ Registered by Australia Post Publication No NBH 1271 IRIS ROSE M ILLER (#1648), d ied 11 April MEMBERSHIP REPORT 1999. Aged 91 years. Descendant of First Fleeters GET WELL FOR PERIOD 27 MAY 1999 TO JULY 1999 - Matthew Everingham. SOON ZONA We extend a warm welcome to new members Forever chasing up joined during this period - seven adults and one family tree iun10r. BIRTHS information, Zona Maguire, wife of T HOMAS ARNDELL: Mrs Ailsie Ann G lasson; Welcome to additional First Fleeters: Founders editor Ron, M iss Glasson. unfortunately fell WILLIAM STUART BOOTH a nd E RIN down steps at the JAMES BRADLEY: Mr Victor John Smith. LYNETTE M ILLAR (F.F. Peter Hibbs - Genealogical Matthew Everingham). Great-grandchildren of Society. With her JOHN GOWEN: Mr Cooper Adam Bartlett Clifford and Dorothy (#3 161) Booth. Seventh knee-cap requiring (jun.). genera tion. surgery, Zona hopes to be back on deck H ENRY KABLE- SUSANNAH HOLMES: in six weeks. Mrs Dorothy Rosalind Watson.

SAN\UEL PIGGOTT: Mr Robin John Carrall.

THOMAS SMITH - ANN COLPITTS: Mr Ma rk Allen Troy.

THOMAS W I LLIAMS: Mrs S hirley Mc Leod.

DEATHS BRADY JAMES AUSTIN DAWSON (F.F. John Cross - Mary Davison (Lady Juli ana Deepest sympathy is extended to the families of 1790)), 3 1 M ay 1999, at North Shore Private the fo llowing: Hospital, a son to Martin and Ka thryn and a brothe r for four-year-old Rhianna. A grandson JOHN KITCHENER C REES (#3917), passed to Leonard (#2437) a nd Lola Murray and to away 29 M ay I 999. Descendant of First F leeters Emma and the late Austin Dawson. Seventh David Collins - Ann Yeates. generation.

member. I remember quite vividly the first SYDNEY DAYTIME meeting at the AMP Society Auditorium, Circular Quay, on Wednesday 27 March, 1968. Little did AUXILIARY COMMITTEE I know the success the Fellowship would have a nd the number of members that it would attract. Over 30 members a nd friends attended the Soup Incidently at the June 1999 Executive meeting and Damper day on Wednesday 14 July at First membership number 6782 was approved . Closing date for Fleet House, Woolloomooloo. Fellow Foundation member J oan Ross was copy and pictures A number of a pologies were received due to also at our Soup and Damper Day a nd we have Ser ■ "----r/ the inclement weathe r. Mrs Be,·yl Lewis w ho had continuous contact and involvment with the O ctober issue was to be the guest speaker was not well a nd had Fellowship since that first meeting. Other long­ September 19 to send her apologies. term members w ho attended were also very After welcoming those in attendance Phyllis helpful in aiding my talk. Selby and Joy Pa nkhurst gave details of future After speaking and answering questions for events. Detail s of these a re featured on page 3. nearly an hour t he meeting was officia lly closed. Please note in your dia ry Saturday 22 O nce again I thank Phy llis Selby and Bonney January, 2000 - Lunch a t Savill for organising the day as well as those w ho OFFICE HOURS Masonic Club, Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Full helped prepare lu nch and clean up afterwards. booking deta ils later. 3.00pn After lunch, I spoke on the history of the DOUGL AS O AK ES Monday to Friday Fellowshi p as I am privileged to be a Foundation Convenor Daytime Auxilia ry Committee. CD CHAPTER MEETINGS HUNTER VALLEY Third Saturday of each month NORTH COAST ROUSE HILL ESTATE 10 October Rod and Ruth Holmes & MOUNT TOMAH (02) 6657 2765 BOTANIC GARDENS NORTHERN RIVERS Third Sunday of September Sunday 14 November

Join us for a great spring day w ith our morning at the Historic Houses Trust property at Rouse Hill and the afternoon at Mount Tomah Gardens. THE HOLIDAY FOR 2000 Rouse Hill Estate reveals the ente rprise of to Richard a nd E lizabeth R ouse w ho established it in 181 3. Through 180 years of occupancy, the LORNE CHALET GUEST HOUSE estate chronicles the fortunes and fai lings of one family and gives an insight into Australia's history. ON GREAT OCEAN ROAD ./ Our guided tour w ill enable us to explore the 13 hectares of this historic rural property! TUESDAY 21 MARCH - Our afternoon sees us travel through W indsor, 28 MARCH 2000 Ric hmond and Kurrajong on our way to Mount The tour leaves from Spencer Street Station, Tomah Botanic Gardens. The gardens on the peak of the mountain are the cool annexe of The Melbourne, at 1.00pm. Royal Botanic Gardens and having opened in BOOK YOUR OWN TRAIN SEAT 1987 are now well established. While our BBQ lunch is being pre pared (scotch fi llet steaks, Perhaps you would like to arrive early in salads and dessert), a Ranger w ill guide us Melbourne and see the sights. through the extensive gardens. If y ou prefer, simply e njoy the views from the visitors' centre. Cost ex Melbourne(+ $4 Booking Fee) The pa nora ma from this point is one of t he $599 twin share loveliest in the mountains and on a clear day you $680 single really can see forever. $520 triple Cost per person $36.00 including morning tea, lunch, admissions and luxury transport. Deposit of $50.00 Departs Central 8.30am and returns approx. required at time of booking 5.30pm. Lane Cove 8.45am. preferably by end of November 1999. Please phone the Office on 9360 3788 and send money a nd bookings to First F leet House.

TOUR OF FAIRFAX NAME BARS PRINTERS - CHULLORA FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST WEDNESDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER FLEETERS (with F.F.F. logo) Lunch at Fairfax Canteen Cost: Afterwards a tour of Olympic Complex Member's name Plus Homebush One First Fleeter Name $10.00 Pick up at Central Railway I 0.00am Two First Fleeter Names $11.00 Strathfield Station I 0.30am ($1.00 for each First Fleeter name) Approx. cost $20 (coach tour) Spouse Name Bar with Please phone the Office on 9360 3788 just the one name $9.00 for further details. Member's badge $5.00 •

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THE ANNUAL HIBBS FAMILY REUNION THE NASH FAMILY REUNION Sunday 12 September 1999 from 9.00am Saturday 9 October 1999 from 11.00am Community Hall, Spencer, NSW at the 'WREN' GROUND I km past t he Spencer Public School along the Wiseman's Nurragingy, Knox Road, Doonside Ferry Road. Peter Kenney Hibbs was a sailor aboard HMS Sirius of t he 1788 who .5ettled here and Contact numbers for the reunion are: married Convict Mary Pardoe. Mr Alan Simpson (02) 4773 9324 Mrs Lydia Hope (02) 9831 2279 Surnames associated with the Hibbs family are: Everingham (also of the First Fleet on Scarborough} Byrne, Izzard.Toomey.Webber, Cox and Kelly. (There are many more names but far too niany to reproduce here.) DESCENDANTS OF

Tea, coffee & hot water will be supplied, but please bring JAMES BLOODWORTH, SARAH BELAMY along a picnic lunch, folding table, chairs, rugs, cushions AND JAMES LEE REUNION etc, plus any fami ly photographs or documentation to be put on display at the reunion. Rylstone 9 and IO October 1999 If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to contact the following people: Main event Lindy Carrall.(02) 4937-4346 Betty Warn (02) 4294- DINNER: Saturday, 9 October, Bridge Restaurant 2735 Elaine Young (02) 9874-6272 Elgine Kelly (02) 9587- 6.00pm. 0697 or Roy Cox 0418-270-963 (mobile number). (Hotel formerly owned by John Brown) Louee Street

In event of inclement weather, the Community Hall is Sunday, I 0th I 0.00am-3.30pm available for us to shelter in. Do please come along and Memorial Hall. Picnic lunch B.Y.O. bring your family, this reunion is also open to those (Box lunch may be ordered locally; $10.00) interested in Family or Early Australian History. Bring your photos and stories. Commemorative As the Fellowship of First Fleecers so rightly puts it: glassware and F.F. Ships Posters for sale. 'To Live on in the hearts and minds of descendants is Must be ordered by I September. never to die' Contact Alice Clarke.Tel. (02) 9428 4530. Please come and help us celebrate this important event! PO Box 328, Lane Cove 1595 JOHN and MARY SMALL THE FIRST EMANCIPIST

DESCENDANTS ASSOCIATION Last month I was invited to speak to a C lass 4 at G lenmore Road Public School, Paddington, on People of the First F leet f'"' The Small Family Association is making plans for its Family as part of their project o n the First Fleet. Naturally I began Re union to be held a t historic St. Anne's, Ry de, on Sunday, with my own forebear James Bloodworth, who had been 10 O ctober, 1999. This will be the family's 29th anniversary convicted of stealing o ne fighting cock and two hens, for of the first Family Reunion held in 197 1. w hich he received a sentence of seven years transportation. The Association will be celebrating the 200th anniversary He arrived on Charlotte. of John and Mary's fifth child Thomas's birthday on 7 July, At , James Bloodworth made the first bricks, 1799. built the first Government House a nd became the first master T homas was born at Kissing Point and baptised at St. builder in the Colony after receiving his freedom; the second Philip's, Sydney, on 15 February l 800. H e married Priscilla person to receive 'the greatest reward the Governor was (Squire) Devlin on 17 D ecember 182 1. Priscilla was the empowered to bestow'. daughter of First Fleeter . She was previously Immediately hands shot up to know who was the first married to Arthur Devlin. emancipist? Priscilla had five children by Arthur Devlin and eight J ohn lrvine (Irving, a li as Anderson, a lias Law) was more with Tho mas S ma ll. convicted at the Assizes at the Castl e at Lincoln, March 1784; Priscilla died in the family home 'Orange Grove', Ry de on for stealing a silver cup from a widow, and ordered to be 28 June 1862 and Thomas died at the family home on 12 for seven years. His occupation - surgeon. November, 1863. They are buried at St. Anne's C hurch John Irving was listed as being on Scarborough but his cemete1:y. Unfortunately there is no record of the actual burial medical skills were recognised and he sailed on Lady Penrhyn site . as surgeon 's mate. At Sydney Cove he was employed as an The Small Family Association is inviting descendants of assistant at the portable hospital. On Sunday 28 February the ~ Arthur a nd Priscilla Devlin to join them at the reunion. The Governor 'remitted the re ma inder of the Sentence of day starts at I 0.00am w ith an exhibition and a gathering in St. Transportation on John Irving in consequence of his Anne's Memorial Hall, Ryde. After the a nnual meeting unremitted good conduct and is to be considered to be restored luncheon is served at 12. 15pm. The Thanksgiving service to to a ll those rights and privileges ... and is appointed to be an be held at St. Anne's Churc h commences at 2.30pm. For assistant surgeon at - to Surgeon Considen.' further information please contact the Family Association's John Irving was the first person to receive his freedom, Secretary, Douglas Oakes, on 9428 2806. and was thought to be 'the best surgeon amongst them.' Collins praised his exemplary conduct which raised him from the situa tion of a convict to the privileges of a free man. He was bred a surgeon.' After eighteen ll)Onths on Norfolk Island he returned to Sydney Cove and took up an appointment at ST DAVID'S PARK - HOBART w here he was granted 30 acres of land, on which he had a good crop of maize. He also saved a woman from snakebite. We have been informed that Alderman Rob Valentine, Lord John Irving died 3 September 1795 just before Governor Mayor of H obart, is a descendant of First Fleeters Daniel Hunter arrived. He did not know he had been appointed an tanfield a nd Alice ( H armswor th) Stanfield. Alderman assistant surgeon at fifty pounds a year. It is sad that he did /alentine has been invited to the plaque dedication service on not live to see the son born to him by Ann Marsh (17 January Saturday, 11 September, 1999, for First Fleeters Edward and 1796). David Collins said that 'his death was much regretted ,usa nnah (Gough) Garth, J ohn Griffiths a nd Alice and his loss would be severely felt.' (Harmsworth) Stanfield. The Fellowship would like to hear from anyone who knows The dedication service is a joint venture by the Fellowship w hat happened to Ann Marsh and her baby son. of First Fleeters and The Hobart (1804) First Settlers Association. Freda Gray, Presid ent of the First Settlers ALICE CLARKE Associa tion, a nd her committee ar e busily organising the [Ref. J ohn Cobley Crime.J ofthe Fi1.1t Fleet Co11 11u·t,1 and SyJney service. Cove 1788-1789] Brian Garth, a descendant of Edward and Susannah Garth, from Melbourne will be giving the eulogy for his famous ancestors. Due to circumstances beyond o ur control we are unable to arrange a bus tour to Tasmania for the service and a trip around the island. Anyone w ishing to come to the service from the mainland please give me a ring on 02 9428 2806 and I may be able to give you further information to join us at St. David's Park, H obart, o n 11 September, 1999.

)OUGLAS OAKES Convenor Plaques Committee CTI A.I. MYERS WAS VICE-PATRON OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST FLEETERS,A In commonsense, too, it would ease the labour shortage in LONG-TIME MEMBER OFTHE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGISTS the colonies a nd thwart England's main enemies, Fra nce a nd (SYDNEY),ANDA MEMBER OFTHE SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS, Spain. LONDON. HE WAS AN INAUGURAL MEMBER OFTHETOOWOOMBA Again looking at Hogarth's sketches of that time one could BRANCH OFTHE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND.THE well say t hat conditions in the colonies could not have been any worse for many than at home. SUBJECT OF AUSTRALIA'S EARLY SETTLERS GREATLY INTERESTED And so it had been for a lmost one hundred and Fifty years A.I. MYERS.AS A FIRST FLEETER HE WAS DESCENDED FROM with transportation to the West Indies and to the American AND SUSSANAH HOLMES.A.I. MYERS WAS MADE colonies of Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas, a cold hard A MEMBER OFTHE ORDER OFTHE BRITISH EMPIRE IN 1981. fact, which has been swept under the carpet by American historians. However, this phase was to end w ith the American 'From distant climes, o'er w idespread seas we come War of Indepe ndence a nd by 1783 all American ports were T ho ugh not w ith much eclat or beat of drum closed to the traffic. The jails a nd hulks of England became True patriots all, for be it understood overcrowded including among the inmates two hundred and W e left our country for our country's good' seventy-nine male and Fifteen female convicts w ith endorsement Attributed to the pickpocket , these on their convictions for America by the time of the sailing of words were the opening chorus as the curtain rose in old the F leet. Sydney's hrst theatre The urgent search for another dumping place even included Today t hey remind us oF our nation's genesis one hundred Continental E urope and Africa but it was the American born a nd ninety two years ago. Josep h M a tra, who had been a midshipman on Cook's From a historical a nd genealogical point of v iew no other Endeavour, w ho suggested to Sir Joseph Banks, his former nation had such a beginning fully record ed from its start in far shipma te, t hat Botany Bay was a likely spot. away Engla nd and culminating in the most remarkable voyage Banks spoke with Lord Sydney at Matra's urging and as of settlement in the history of mankind known to us as the First a result o n 12 November 1786, Captain , then Fleet. aged 48, the son of a German father a nd English mother, was Our nation's beginning was not like that of other lands that appointed to command the expedition and hrst settlement. H is accepted European settlement, albeit reluctantly, w ith starry selection was queried more particularly by Lord H owe, but eyed adventurers or a faithful band bring ing with them their by a fortunate circumstance, Sir George Rose, a near neig hbour particular brand of Christian fait h. Ours was merely the of Phillip at Lyndhurst in England's New Forest, who knew compulsory dumping of the sweepings from E ng li sh jails and and liked the man and held the purse strings of the Admiralty hulks to a remote corner of this earth. Our genesis, therefore, had his w ay. was w ithout parallel in history and the story of it and its It was indeed a wise choice as Phillip had commonsense, people have little of which to be ashamed - rogues some might kindliness, vision, Firmness a nd sincerity well above the order have been but it is w hat they did a nd w hat they became that of the day, all attributes necessary to a founder of a colonial matters to us today. outpost in a difticult appointment. Firstly, they were the products of a time and age where class And so the First Fleet assembled taking on c rews, a nd privilege ruled and the Law that related mo re to property passengers and supplies not in one port but in three, Ply mouth, ra ther tha n people 's rig hts was there to protect the favourites Portsmouth and Woolwich. The Fleet comprised two nav.: of the moment. ships, Sirius a nd Supply, six tra nsports - A lexander The Enclosures and Industrial revolutio n had forced Scarborough, Friendship, Charlotte, Prince of Wales a nd crofters, s mall farmers and cottage workers from their green Lady Penrhyn - all familiar names to F irst Fleet genealogist Fields to the overcrowded cities at a time of Engla nd's g reat - and three sto reships; Golden Grove, Fishburn and population explosion. Borrowdale. The la rgest was no bigger that the Sydney-Manly Conditions existing in these cities have been well depicted ferry. by Hogarth, the artist of that era, in his London scenes. There Into their confined spaces went two hundred a nd eight were no poor laws, no welfare organisations and the established marines, including eight bandsmen fony w ives, seven hundred Church with its clergy drawn in the main from the upper and seventy-eig ht convicts of which seven hundred a nd thirty­ classes gave little, if any, practical help. six arrived. (The discrepancy of forty-two, I mig ht add, were The wrong doer, if he was caug ht, fo und he could be not all from deaths on the voyage which were minima l thanks convicted by repute and hearsay up to 1835, and as secondary to Phill ip's health measures but from escapes and reprieves punishment was unknown there was little alternative to the before sailing). Then there were the crews together with death sentence but transportation. sheep, hogs, goats, puppies, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, This latter was not new and in fact had been in vogue since pigeons, cats and of course at least two rabbits. the days of Elizabeth the Fir st. It had a basis of The occupations of the convicts, one hundred and sixty- huma nitarianism in that it would spare the gallows; was six only of w hich I have been able to discover, leave little expected to purify British society, not a ltogether successful; indication of any serious intention by the authorities to select "°"'\ a llow the culprit to reform away from his or her o ld haunts t he rig ht people to found a self supporting colony. These one a nd associates and with servitude over, offer the chance to raise hundred a nd sixty-six taken from conviction records a rc a nd support their families in respectabili~y. recorded as eig h ty-three labourers, Fifty-nine servants, ten CD hawkers, nine dressmakers, a pin header, a w h ite smith, a n At lo ng last the various sh ips of t he Fleet left their t hree a rtificia l fl ower make r, a 'poor unhappy woman' and an ports to rendezvous off the Isle o f Wight from w here it sa iled ' unfo rtunate g irl'. on the thirteenth of May 1787, escorted by HMS Hyena for Prior to embarkation there occu rred an event which is one the Bay of Biscay crossing, out of sig ht a nd no doubt out o f of the reasons I am a ble to stand before y ou today. On 3 1 mi nd of the majority of the English people. Octo be r 1786 three female convicts, Ann Tu rner, Elizabeth On the 3rd June it called at Santa Cruz for fresh provisions, Powley a nd S usannah H olmes were taken by coach fro m it c rossed t he Equator on 5 th J uly and arrived at Rio d e Norwich Castle to Ply mouth to jo in C harlotte in the custody J a neiro on 5th August. H ere, the Portuguese Vice-Roy D on o f a ja iler, J ohn Simpson. S usan nah had a six months old baby Luis de Varconcell os greeted Phillip as an old friend a nd ally; w ith he r fathered by H en ry Kable, her lover, a fellow inmate Phillip at one stage having been seconded to the Portuguese in the castle p rison. Navy . It was a fo rtunate circumsta nce as from this port came O n arrival at Ply mo uth, Ca p tain Thomas G il be rt of aboard our first coffee seeds and pla nts, cocoa, bananas, C harlotte in accepting the women refused to take delivery of guavas, fig trees a nd bamboo. After a mo nths stay the fleet then the baby as he was not on the ma nifest and ha nded h im back sailed southward before turning east to take advantage of the to the jailer despite the hy sterical pleadings of the mothe r. prevailing westerly w inds, to bring them off Capetown o n 13 In a rare show of humanity, Simpson went back ashore not October w here by courtesy of the Dutch Governor of Cape forgetting to stir up p ublic indignation at the dockside in t he Colony, Van Graaf, they acq uired o ra nges, lemons, grain, process and set off for Lo ndon , th ree hundred a nd fifty cotton seed, a bull, a bull calf, cows, a stallion, three mares a nd kilometres away caring for the baby en route. Again in London three co lts. a nd fo ll owed by a sympathetic crowd to w ho m he had told the At sailing on 12 November the fleet resembled a multiple sto,y he went to the home of Lord Sydney req uesting aud ience Noah's Ark w ith over fi ve hu nd red species of animals and birds of his secretary, Evan Nepean, in a n endeavou r to secure aboard. Phillip, now anx ious to get on, transfer red to the passage fo r you ng H enry w ith his mother. T he noisy crowd faster Supply and accompanied by the , Scarborough ou ts ide his own door brought Lord Sy dney downsta irs to a nd Friendship hu rried a head to make Botany Bay by 18 th inquire the nature of the commotion and on hearing the reason Janua ry, a re markable feat o f Britis h seamanship a nd it w as said that the great a ristocrat was visibly moved. He not navigation w hen one realises that t he en tire fl eet assembled o n ly issued authority for the child to accompany the mother there wit hin forty-e ig ht hours and t ha t at a rendezvou s but on inquiring the whereabouts of t he father, ordered that p rev io usly only visited by E ndeavour. he too be a llowed to accompany the mother and child and that The long journey o f eight and a ha lf months over twenty­ they be permitted to marry, w hich request had been previously fi ve thousand kilometres had ended in the land that waited - de nied them by the Governor of Norwich Castle. On top of the only land surface on earth apart from tb.e polar regions that that he d irected they go in a transport other than C ha rlotte had not one permanen t b uild ing st ruc ture, o ne acre of and Frie nd ship was selected. By 9 November, such was the cu ltivation or one d omestic anima l. As D eputy G overnor speed of the actio n taken; the keeper of Norwich Castle had Ross said: ' ( do not scruple to p ronounce that in the w hole received the new instructions. P ublic sympathy for the young world t here is not a worse country than w hat we have seen co uple led to a fu nd being organised by a M rs J ackson of on this.' Some rset Street, London, to provid e comforts for t hem. W hat happened fro m then on is part of our histo,y. Botany Pilfering of part of t his g ift during the voyage a lso made Bay being found uns uitable led to the d iscovery o f Port histo ry as it led to t he first civil law sui t in Australia w here the Jackson a nd the fi rst settlement took place there on Sydney {ables obtained judgment aga inst Captain Duncan Sinclair Cove on 26 J anuary I 788. FAl exander o n w hich ship t he goods had been consig ned . Out of d egradation and despair, throug h drought, pestilence , T hese incidents led to unusual interest in the Kables by the and famine the Colony survived and started to grow. Soon there autho rities and the Reverend Richard J ohnson w ho was the were mo re births than d eaths and t he first gene ratio n astor to the Fleet. With four other couples, William Parr and Australians with others more recently arrived were to go JV\a ry Mc Co rmack , Simon Burn a nd Fra nces And e rson, west, south, north a nd indeed east to set the boundaries of our Willia m Haynes and H a nnah Green and a nd na tio n of tod ay. T hey criss-crossed the harsh brown la nd of M a ry Brand, H enry and Susannah w ere to be ma rried in the hinterland in their b ullock teams a nd d rays, years before Austra lia 's ll rst w edding ceremony o n Sunday, IO February their American cousins t raversed their Oregon trail. 1788. T he nation w e ta ke for g ra nted today with its high rise Phillip ap pointed Kable Chief Constable of the Colony and build ings, g reat bridges, bustling c ities, the vast areas of he la te r became a successful businessma n w it h s hipping, cultiva tion and pasture, mines, a nd hig hways was just all brewing and ship building interests. vir gin bush o ne hundred and ninety-two years ago. But back again to the F leet sti ll loading in England. To start What better a ncestors could o ne wish fo r t han those a new colony there had to be tools, building materials, clothing wonderful pioneers, the me n and the women w ho came, saw a nd provisions and it w ould be understa nda ble that there a nd conquered. were, for insta nce, 700 spades, 700 shovels a nd the like bu t So much for the history of the First Fleet and its passengers, for what reason t here were different numbers in clothing fo r free and felon. As genealogists you mig ht well ask did they leave the ladies de fi es the imagination such as 589 women's petticoats, a ny d escenda nts? I can assu re you they d id and in t heir 5 06 women's jackets a nd 327 pairs o f stockings. To p rove tho usands. "hat the F irs t Fleeters were rea lly not such a v icio us lot there I w ould be su rp rised to fi nd that none ofyo u here present uere only ten pairs of ha ndcuffs. A lso in the carg o, believe it had a First F leet or convict a ncestor, and if you feel as I do or not, was a piano ow ned by Surgeon W o rgan. cm1li11ue1) m1 pa_1p· 8 CJ that there is a possibility and you w is h to do somethi'flg ~pol.) t. ,. {lnd si~tE1 rs of'cliffering ages baptised on the same day. Another it let me tell you the problems encountered by Fellowship' of - i~_t~.r~_~jngf:ature was the adoption of children of a previous First Fleeters aspirants. !'!,x,m~i_tal :relationship by a later a nd legitimate wife. T he fi rst p roblem is that w hil e some families have carefully . These ar~ the.p roblems for First Fleet researchers - not record ed family history and events, these related to certain the actual Fle'et re~ords - but those later records or lack of them branches o nly; others knew from family legend that their in the fi rst few years of settlement. To prove that these problems forebear or forebears had so ar rived b ut lacked proof, and a are not insurmoun table there a re more and more people t hird section in perusing t he lists mainly of t he p rincipal locating First Fleet a ncestors every day a nd the number is officers and convicts p ub lished at the time and on occasions expected to increase with the approaching bicentenary of since recognised a family surname w hich led to an assumption British settlement. that they, too, were descended. When the Fellowship of First Fleeters was first formed in T he second problem is that even in t he best recorded of 1968, members related back to some twenty 1788 arrivals. At the early settler families there had been a tendency during the last tally proven lines from ninety-nine ancestors exist and the middle years to d isguise any reference to a particular forebear's number is expected to grow. conv iction or so called 'illegitimacy' and in some cases it is W hat manner of men and women were t hey and did their believed that vital records were removed and destroyed to hide descendants leave a ny mark on this nation? Well, here is a these facts. sample: It would be appreciated that not all First Fleeters were John HarrtJ -original sentence 'Death' respited to fourteen years convicts; there were officers, marines, seamen and servants who for stealing eight silver tablespoons value three pounds. He stayed on, b ut due to the imbalance of the sexes amongst was t he ancestor of the late Lord Casey, a former Governor- their own kind there were marriages and de facto relationships General of Australia. w ith convicts a nd/or descendan ts. Frederick //1ereJith - a steward on Scarborough was the ancestor As the eminent Australi an historian, the late Malcolm Ellis of newspaper tycoon, Kerry Packer. once recorded: 'There is scarcely a New South Wales family John Small - assault and theft of goods to value of£ 1.15.6 w ith '"' w hose roots reach down past 1825 w h ich is free of convict three others. Sentence d eath and respited to seven years. He blood.' W ith the broadening social scene in recent years people was the ancestor of the late Sir Bruce Small. are now inclined to look I ig htly on t heir ancestors' Matthew E,,erti1_9ham - seven years for false pretences involving misdemeanours, many of which by today's standards would sale of books to value of 10/-. H e was the ancestor of Paul only warrant a minor fine or bond, and as a result genealogists Everingham, a former F irst M inister of the Northern Territory are no longer deterred in their research by the scruples of and of Doctor Douglas Everingham, on the other side of the yesteryear. political fence. a Federal Member for Capricornia. Sir Anthony Wagner, KCVOD.Litt, the former Garter William Bm1(9hlon, originally servant to Surgeon White and later King of Arms gave a good lead in his ' English Genealogy' prominent public servant. He numbered among his published in 1960 w hen he w rote 'It is much to be hoped that descendants, General Bridges, founder of Duntroon Military the natural inhibitions, which have hitherto kept Australians College, who was to die on Gallipoli, a nd Mr Paula Stafford from the exploration of convict ancestry, w ill soon vanish. of Gold Coast fame. Transported ancestors four or five generations back are surely Philip Gidley Ki11_9, Captain Phillip's first lieutena nt was to now far enough away to be looked on as mere incidents in a become the forebear of some of Australia's most distinguished pedigree, quite apart from the question how many of them were citizens from his son, Admiral Philip Parker King to t his day. by our standards ancestors to be ashamed of. Of that we shall O ver sixty of his d escenda nts served in World War I be better placed to judge when the lives and antecedents of a Henry and S11Jn111wh KnlJ/e would have at least two th~usan ~ sufficient number have been studied. For the genealogist a descendants living today - the Mayoress of Mackay, Mr. convict ancestor has the outstanding merit that his coll ision Gwen Abbott, being one of them. They are academics, doctors, with the law will be the subject of record, so that far more lawyers, graziers, farmers and at least two have g ive· personal information may be available about him than for the distinguished service in the Royal Australian Navy. And there average of settlers. Every transported convict descendant, are so many more that time does not permit me to speak of who overcomes his reluctance a nd investigates his pedig ree, today. may congratula te himself upo n ma king a contribution to the How best can I conclude but in quoting from the late social history of both Engla nd and Australia.' Dame M a ry Gilmore:- Sir Anthony could not be more correct. T he problem for 'l was the conscript sent to H e ll the newcomer to genea logy is where to find it a nd there are To make in the desert the li ving well , other problems. I bore the heat; I blazed the trace, The similarity of names between free and felon; alterations Furrowed a nd bloody upon my back. in the spelling of surnames; the aliases; the de facto relationships I split the rock; I felled the tree, w here officialdom required the mother and children of the The nation was because of me' union be known by the mother's name although she no longer May I add a few words of my own - used it in her 'Married State.' C hildren believed to have been 'So when you look at that family tree twins from baptisma l records were not often so, but brothers Be proud, not ashamed when you find me'

Opinions expressed herein are those of the article authors and correspondents and do not necessarily reflect the policy or views of the Fellowship of First Fleeters, nor the views of the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to omit any material considered unsuitable for publication. Space limitations may result in some material being held over to another issue. RON MAGUIRE, Hon. Editor

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