Confronting the Past
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
1788 AD Magazine of the Fellowship of First Fleeters ACN 003 223 425 PATRON: Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO Volume 48, Issue 6 49th Year of Publication December 2017-January 2018 To live on in the hearts and minds of descendants is never to die CONFRONTING THE PAST #7701 Gloria Wallace reveals her Indigenous Cox supported his grant application. Ancestry It also became apparent that another of my maternal My paternal line traces to Private James Williams, ma- ancestors, convict Cornelius Sullivan, who had been as- rine blacksmith, who arrived on the First Fleet ship Sirius, signed to William Lawson, had made numerous escape in 1788 and his wife, second fleet convict per Neptune, attempts and had been rewarded with several floggings. Rachel Watkins. My maternal line traces to Third Fleet Both James Butler and Cornelius Sullivan were great convict, Thomas Francis, convicted in Warwickshire As- grandfathers of my grandmother and it appeared that sizes in 1789 for receiving stolen bills of exchange and there was some confusion of their stories in the handed transported to Australia on the ship, Admiral Barrington. down oral history. Due to the excellent records available that provide the Cornelius Sullivan and his wife, bounty immigrant Mary evidence of these lines, neither was particularly difficult Farrell, were parents of Hanora Sullivan, my grand- to trace, however in researching my maternal lines, I mother’s grandmother. Hanora had married a man found a mystery that took a called John Rowland Harpur at Orange in 1865 and he great deal more time and ef- proved more difficult to track. fort to unravel. It was this line, to which those early, telling photographs re- Early photos of my grand- lated. I was not the only de- mother’s parents aroused the scendant trying to ascertain his suspicion that we might have family history and I came aboriginal ancestry, however across numerous references to this was not openly acknowl- John and to the dearth of infor- edged. When questioned, my mation about the circum- grandmother told me vague stances of his birth, in online stories of associations with the forums. exploration of the Blue Moun- tains. In her tale, a convict an- Ultimately a baptism record cestor played a prominent role surfaced, which stated that in this expedition and he had a John Rowland Harpur, aborigi- history of escapes and ‘living nal boy, son of Sarah Medley with the aborigines’. of Sydney, had been baptised on 15 December 1854 by the When I sought the truth of Reverend Frederick Lewis, this story, I found that my con- Wesleyan Sydney North Circuit. vict ancestor James Butler, Interestingly, the only other who married the daughter of children baptised in that cere- Thomas Francis, had made ap- mony, were those of Henry plication for a land grant on the Gloria’s great grand- mother, Mary Harpur, Kidd Harpur and his wife, Hen- basis of his work ‘on the moun- granddaughter of rietta nee Walker. tain road’ i.e. he was a member Jeremin, here with her of a convict road party. William husband (continued on page 4) Registered by Australia Post Publication No. 100002063 PRICE $2.50 Phone 02 9360 3788 LtFounders Henry available Ball Fellowship of First Fleeters, 105 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 Email:[email protected] Plaquenow on Dedica- e-mail. First Fleeters on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FirstFleeters Details on page 12 Membership Enquiries:[email protected] WEBSITE: www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au tion: Page 6 Founders December 2017/January 2018 PRESIDENT’S PEN FOUNDERS The magazine of the Jon Fearon Fellowship of First Fleeters Editor , Layout and Artwork Jon & Karys Fearon Those of you who belong to chapters will know about Ph. 02 4311 6254 the survey on chapter viability and sustainability that E-mail: [email protected] has been conducted over the past few months. My sin- cere thanks go to all those who organised and took part in DIRECTORS 2017-2018 this survey. The thoroughness of chapter responses has President/Chapter Development been outstanding and relevant follow-up is now proceeding. Jon FEARON, BA. Dip Ed. Stud (TESOL), Reading through the chapter submissions reminded me how important it is Vice-President/Events/ that we remain clearly within our ethos. We are a fellowship, a community who Maintenance share together for the good of all. Seeking that good for each other, whatever Denis SMITH OAM different personality styles are involved in the mix, is the regular challenge. Re- Treasurer/Secretary member that we are all volunteers, with other lives to lead, and there is no Kevin THOMAS, FCA,FCPA,FCIS ‘head office’ as such, instantly answerable to everyone’s beck and call. We do Office Manager/Membership our best but it may take time. Thanks for your patience. Val COUNTER Excitement is building as we approach our 50th Anniversary year. I hope you Research/Web Site Co-ordinator are planning to join your fellow members at the Australian National Maritime John BOYD JP. Museum luncheon on 10 March. Do contact Founders if you need another Chapter Liaison /Membership booking form and we will get it out to you. Karys FEARON, BN My call is still out for historic photos of the early days of the Fellowship. For Archives the anniversary we really need a big selection, particularly of the first twenty Robert LAMB. Mech Eng. Cert. years. Black and white copies are fine and even if they need to remain in al- & Machinist Cert. bums we can still photograph them for our purpose. Jon Archivist/Events Sharon LAMB. Assoc. Dip Land & eng Survey Drafting ANOTHER PLAQUE FOUND IN ENGLAND Minute Secretary/Library Karen LOVETT, BA. Dip Ed Thanks to some excellent research commissioned by his descendant, our Plaques/Membership member #8790 Simon Meredith, who lives in the USA, the grave site of FF Ma- Chris COUNTER JP rine Capt Lt James Meredith has been located in the United Kingdom. Our book, Dispatched Downunder, noted that Meredith died in Monmouth in 1841. Note: Many other tasks are looked The plaque, pictured below, is in the nave of St Mary the Virgin Church in after by our team of faithful volun- Welsh Newton, in the adjoining county of Herefordshire. It reads, in part: teers who are at First Fleet House on NEAR THIS SPOT ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurs- JAMES MEREDITH ESQ days. A GENERAL IN THE ARMY AND A COLONEL OF ROYAL MARINES WHO DIED AT MONMOUTH JULY 9TH 1841 CONTENTS IN THE 88TH YEAR OF HIS AGE 1. Confronting the Past HAVING HELD A COMMISSION IN HIS COUNTRY’S SERVICE 70 YEARS 2. Directors; President’s Pen; Another 50 OF WHICH HE WAS IN ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT Plaque Found IN ALMOST EVERY PART OF THE GLOBE DURING THE MOST EVENTFUL PERIOD OF ITS HISTORY 3. Welcome Morning Tea; The Board meets at Coal River Settlement 4-5 Confronting the past Now comes the 6. Lt Henry Lidgbird Ball Dedication challenge of get- 7. continued; Daughters of the American ting permission for Revolution; We got it wrong our plaque to be 8-9 Encounters between Europeans and added, to ac- Aborigines in NSW (from the archives) knowledge Mere- 10. Light Horse Charge at Beersheva dith’s role in the 11. Chapters in Action establishment of 12. New Members; Births; Deaths; At the settlement at the Helm; Donations; Message Board; Sydney Cove. Chapter Secretaries Thanks Simon. 2 December 2017/January 2018 Founders WELCOME MORNING TEA FOR 2016~2017 NEW MEMBERS This year’s morning tea was held at First Fleet House on some of those present would put up their hand and lead Saturday 30 September hosted, as is our custom, by Presi- the way on this. dent Jon Fearon, his wife Karys and several Directors. Tours of both floors of the house were kindly led by the On arrival, in the Sirius Room, the 20 guests were treated directors present and happy conversations echoed around to scrumptious sandwiches prepared by our neighbouring the premises. It was particularly good to welcome four café Colliers, along with dips and cakes and a selection of members of one family, Gil and Anne-Marie Wright and coffees and teas. It is to be noted that Colliers graciously their children Emily and Brian, and to hear of their own came in especially to cater to our needs even though they research into the lives of their ancestors James Squire, weren’t opening for business that day due to the long John Small and Mary Parker. weekend . Vice President Denis Smith, a marine descendent , was Formalities included the usual introduction by the Presi- seen happily ensconced in earnest dialogue with new dent to the Fellowship and to the House and a quick time member Glen Lambert who counts marine John McCarthy of sharing soon revealed that 18 different First Fleeters (and Ann Beardsley) in his ancestry. Glen is actively re- were represented by their ancestors on the day. searching all FF marines and informed our plaques director No shared links were found by descent but there was a Chris Counter that his research group has located the strong representation by those who live in the southern cemetery where one of them, marine Thomas Rowden, is parts of Sydney and the nearby Sutherland Shire. The idea buried. The Fellowship had not known of this so there may of a new chapter somewhere in that area was readily be an expedition to Kelso, NSW and another plaque cere- talked about and directors expressed a fervent hope that mony to be planned and carried out. Thanks Glen for your amazing research skills.