ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WITH THANKS : MARK ROGERS.

From MARK ROGERS , a descendant of CHRISTINA (BELL) QUIRK), I have received images and documents which I shall post A.S.A.P. Many thanks to you , Mark.

JAMES BELL.

____________

James BELL 26

Born: about 1808 in Glasgow, Scotland

Married: to Wilhelmina McLEOD on 29 Sep 1840 at Scots Church Patterson NSW

Died: 6 Feb 1852 in the Williams River area, near Dungog NSW

Buried: 13 Feb 1852 at Anleys Flat, Dungog NSW

Children: see Wilhelmina McLEOD (no 27) for details.

James Bell was convicted of housebreaking in Glasgow on 9 April 1830 and sentenced to 7 years transportation. He had no prior convictions. He was 21 at the time of his trial and was living with his sister (name unknown) in her house at Gallowgate.

James had broken into a cellar in a sinkflat of a tenement on the east side of Glassford St Glasgow on 21 March 1830 (a Sunday) in the company of one other. Apparently he was attempting to break into the stationery warehouse of Russell and McArthur on the floor above. His accomplice escaped but he was captured and subdued (beaten about the head by a woman with a crutch). He maintained he was unaware of the second person in the cellar and that he had been looking for a “Necessary” at the time. An auger was found in the ceiling and his jacket had two skeleton keys and a breakfast knife. The police statement said that Bell was “a bad character but not quite habit repute a thief”. He was to be detained in the Tollbooth, Glasgow until removed for transportation.

On arrival in NSW on the “York” on 17 Jan 1831 he was described as Protestant, Reads (but not Write), single labourer, 5’6”, dark ruddy pock-pitted complexion, dark brown hair, grey eyes. He was assigned to G. Townsend of Hunter River.

George Townsend, to whom James was assigned, was a major landowner in the Patterson district and it appears that James continued to work for him right through until the time of his marriage. Townsend arrived in Sydney in 1826 and was granted 2560 acres between Patterson and the Allyn River. This property became the Trevallyn Estate. In 1831 the property was described by William Edward Riley in his Journal:

“A settler of four years standing, cannot say much in favour of Mr T’s establishment, his hut being small, plastered only in part& without a single glass window to admit light and keep out the rain… He has raised a large quantity of tobacco last year & has at this time upward of three tons of rolled leaf in the press.”

Townsend continued to grow large quantities of tobacco and experimenting with other cask crops including cotton and grapes (neither successful). In 1830 he had 34 convicts and one free man. In 1838 Townsend had 25 convicts, 6 men free by servitude and one Ticket of Leave man, working 50 cleared acres, 40 acres under cultivation and with 7 horses, 130 cattle and 655 sheep. In 1834 Townsend purchased John Webber’s farm (Penshurst) for 1000 Pounds. But financial problems were just around the corner – by early as 1836 Townsend was disposing of, or mortgaging some of his land and by 1841 Townsend was insolvent and was forced to sell Penshurst.

James was granted a Ticket of Leave for the District of Patterson on 1 July 1835 (ref 35/372). This was surrendered and torn up when he obtained his Certificate of Freedom dated 9 August 1838 (ref 38/98). In the 1838 Muster he is recorded at Patterson.

Having served his sentence he was free to marry without approval, which he did in September 1840 to Wilhelmina McLeod at Scots Church, Patterson. James was living at Penshurst at the time. The Minister of Scots Church was Rev. William Ross and it appears that Wilhelmina was a member of the congregation there. Witnesses were Donald McLeod (Wilhelmina’s brother) and Mary McMaster. The current St Anne’s Church Patterson was not opened until 27 Aug 1842 by Rev. Ross, so it appears they were married in an earlier, cruder church.

Probably shortly after his marriage he would have been forced to leave “Penshurst” due to George Townsend’s financial difficulties. Family tradition has it that he farmed for a time at Barties Swamp (near Seaham). The “Gloucester & Raymond Terrace Examiner” on 1 June 1842 reported that Mr Bartie was draining an extensive swamp to cultivate corn and was paying the highest market price for grain from his tennants.

But soon the family moved to “Mulconda” near Bandon Grove. Here the first of his seven children was born. He would have worked at “Mulconda” as a tennant farmer, housing his family in a wooden hut at the base of the hill to the east of the current house on the property. Interestingly, “Mulconda” also grew tobacco, so he may have been able to apply some of his experience with the crop from “Trevallyn”.

By at least 1850 the family had moved to “Mt Pleasant” only about 10 miles distant near Salisbury (and close to the Allyn River property he first arrived at. He farmed in the district as a tennant farmer until his death.

The Maitland Mercury of Saturday 14 Feb 1852 reported that “on Friday last, after a severe illness, Mr James Bell, a respectable settler died, & yesterday the funeral was attended by nearly all the neighbours.” It goes on to describe a serious accident involving the carriage carrying James’ casket.

COMPILED BY MARK ROGERS.

DISCOVERIES THROUGH NING.

GENIAUS

THE MUSINGS OF AN AMATEUR AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGIST EXCITED BY WEB2.0 APPLICATIONS

HURRELLS

HURRELL SISTERS COURTESY OF MERILYN HURRELL AND HER NAN.

COMPARE THIS ONE WITH THE ONE IN MY FAMILY WITH GRANDMA SANDERS AKA LUCY JANE HURRELL. ( FRONT LEFT IN MERILYN’S PHOTO. SECOND FROM RIGHT IN MINE.)

 

_____________________________________________________

HURRELL CLAN.

BLACKBERRY SANDERS AND ‘ THE TWINS’.

SITES TO SEE : THE TIME OF ANN MORAN AND THE HERCULES.

http://www.jenwilletts.com/colonial_events_1802.htm

http://www.convictconnections.org.au/shipsA-I.html

http://www.danbyrnes.com.au/blackheath/ships3.htm

http://www.historyservices.com.au/nsw_colonial_chronology_1770_1803.htm

http://www.jstor.org/pss/27516597

http://www.mcginleyclan.org/irishslaves.htm

 

EXTRACT FROM http://www.ulladulla.info/historian/1804deaths.html

Deaths 1804 NSW & Norfolk Island Early Colonial History Research and Indexed by Historian Cathy Dunn. 

Castle Hill

HUGHES

James

1804

SG 19 Jan 1806. Last week a native informed Tarlington, a settler, that the skeleton of a white man, with a musket and tin kettle laying beside him, had been seen under the first ridge of the mountains. The settler accompanied the native, and found the skeleton, and as described, the bones of which being very long, leads to a more than probable conjecture, that the remains are those of James Hughes, who absconded from Castle Hill the 15th of February 1804, in company with 15 others, most of whom had recently arrived in the Hercules, on the ridiculous pretext of finding a road to China, but in reality to commit the most unheard of depredations; the consequences of which were, that the whole except Hughes were shortly apprehended, and 13 capitally convicted before the Criminal Court, of whom two were executed, and 11 pardoned. Hughes was an able active man, well known in Ireland during the rebellion that existed in that country for his abominable depravities; and it is hoped his miserable end will warn the thoughtless, inexperienced and depraved against an inclination to exchange the comfort and security derived from honest labour, to depart from which can only lead to the most fatal consequences

Parramatta

HUMES

Samuel

Mar 1804

Leader in the 1804 Battle of Vinegar Hill – rebellion executed at Parramatta and hung in chains, Convict Hercules I 1802

________________________________________________________

 

Revolution, counter-revolution, and union

By Jim Smyth

PAUL FERGUS AND ANN MORAN AND JOHN CURTIS

 

Dear Lynne
I also am descended from John Curtis and Ann Moran through their daughter Catherine and George Eccleston. I am their third great-grandson.
In two weeks, my wife and I will be visiting Ireland and I am hoping that I might be able to do a bit more research on the ground about Ann as she certainly seems to have been a remarkable woman.
I am trying to resolve a number of discrepancies between various items of information in my possession.
The best information seems to indicate that she was convicted in Trim in Co Meath in 1797 (coincidentally the year that John arrived in Sydney)in connection with political activities and that she was held in jail in Ireland for five years before being transported to Australia on the Hercules in November 1801, arriving here on 26 June 1802. One record in the State Library implies that the prisoners on the Hercules were convicted for offences in the “late rebellion” which can only mean the United Irishmen in 1798 from the context.
I should be grateful for any information you can provide that might assist with my research in Ireland.
While visiting my son and his family in London after Ireland, I intend to return to Bristol to undertake more research into John Curtis. I obtained a lot of information 18 months ago including records of the marriage of John Curtis and Jane Purrier and of the baptisms of all 11 of their children in St Philip and St Jacobs Church in Cheese Lane, Bristol. From these records, I managed to visit the three streets in which they lived at the times of the births of different children. For most of their married life they lived in Cheese Lane, near the Church. I suspect that as his accountancy practice failed and he got into financial difficulties, the family was forced to move to less salubrious accommodation.
I also managed to obtain copies of one press report of John’s conviction and death sentence at Gloucester Assizes for coining. The judge must have been feeling sympathy for John because another man convicted and sentenced to death at the same sittings was immediately taken for “execution of the sentence” but the judge commuted John’s sentence to transportation for life.
After returning to Australia in April 2008, I managed to locate descendants of John’s and Jane’s youngest child in New York.
Paul Fergus

DR FATTORINI FROM THE WELLBORNES.

JOHN READY c 1790-1831 PT 2.

Whilst John Ready journeyed out, Governor Macquarie had been making tremendous advances in the affairs of the Colony and had worked hard to better the lot of all. The new towns of Windsor, Castlereagh, Wilberforce and Pittown that he had created were going well, but the Gentry were upset by his kindness and thoughtfulness to the emancipists whom he considered to be the backbone of the future nation. He was also having problems with the 73rd Regiment and asked that it be removed complete for instead of upholding the law, it was like its predecessor the NSW Rum Corps, flouting it. (Macquarie His Life, Adventures and Times. A. M. Ellis.)

Drought had continued all through the Summer and Autumn of early 1814, but by April the road to Windsor was finished and the Turnpike from Sydney to Liverpool almost completed, with all able bodied men having to contribute labour in building the section near the properties, which would benefit them when completed. 

It was into this scene, with food becoming ever scarcer as the drought continued and the Colony awaiting the shipment of grain from India, that JOHN READY and the other prisoners from the THREE BEES entered.

Taken to the prisoners’ barracks they were divided into groups, allocated to Parramatta, Windsor or Liverpool and sent there under guard. John , travelling along the newly completed road was sent to WINDSOR and put to work in the Government Dairy. Whether this was just coincidence, or because his mother, JOHANNAH READY, worked in Government House is unknown, but he was receiving rations there in 1814 (Windsor Ration Book loc. A 803 pp 56,66,116 ML) and in the same year was mentioned as being Overseer at the Government Dairy.

Towards the end of that desperate year, whilst Cox was building his road over the mountains, the rains came and the crops which such a short time before looked doomed, began to look as if they would give a reasonable harvest. Things commenced to improve for all, grass finally started to grow again, the cows to give more milk and the beef cattle to fill out.

In the SYDNEY GAZETTE of the 21st September 1816 and again in 1817, it is recorded that a letter had arrived for JOHN. Regretfully there is no record of who sent them or where they came from but the family in Ireland was obviously keeping in touch as moves were later made by his mother to bring his brother Philip and family out to Australia. On his next visit to Sydney, John was able to see the advances made to the Town for the new Hospital was rising in Macquarie Street under the direction of FRANCIS GREENWAY and built at no cost to the Government.

 

For the next two years John went about his business at the Dairy without attracting adverse attention and on the 30th April 1819 there appeared an entry in the LAND OFFICE Records.

 

DOWNEY TO READY

Deed Poll bearing the date the 15th day February 1819 under the hand and seal of PATRICK DOWNEY of prospect, settler whereby for the considerations therein mentioned he, the said PATRICK DOWNEY.

Did absolutely bargain, sell, assign, transfer and make over to JOHN READY of PARRAMATTA all his right, title and interest of five houses and tenements, situate in GEORGE ST PARRAMATTA, formerly the Property of THOMAS PEARCE purchased by him the said PATRICK DOWNEY at Public Auction which said houses and Tenements are more particularly described in a certain assignment dated 30th day November 1818 from  ROBERT JENKINS to him the said PATRICK DOWNEY. 

On the 31st August John was granted a pardon by Governor Macquarie (Pardons Reel 771 AO) and on 4th February 1820 at the age of thirty, was joined at ST JOHN’S PARRAMATTA, in the bonds of Holy Matrimony to Elizabeth, the 17 year old daughter of JOHN CURTIS and ANN MORAN who lived nearby at Toongabbie. The ceremony was conducted by JOHN CROSS with MICHAEL AND MARY DWYEE as witnesses. ( St Johns Register ML).

As a married man owning twenty head of cattle, John applied for a grant of 50 acres of land to start a farm of his own. The grant was made in 1821 and listed in the 12 May edition of the SYDNEY GAZETTE.

 

On the 31st August John was granted a pardon by Governor Macquarie (Pardons Reel 771 AO) and on 4th February 1820 at the age of thirty, was joined at ST JOHN’S PARRAMATTA, in the bonds of Holy Matrimony to Elizabeth, the 17 year old daughter of JOHN CURTIS and ANN MORAN who lived nearby at Toongabbie. The ceremony was conducted by JOHN CROSS with MICHAEL AND MARY DWYEE as witnesses. ( St Johns Register ML).

In the 1825 Muster, John is listed as being a landholder at CASTLE HILL but he is recorded as supplying fresh meat to the Commissariat at Parramatta on 24 February 1821 and Pork on 24th March 1821 so must have had access to some land in the meantime. 

John and Elizabeth’s marriage however was going through a stormy time with the unhappy Elizabeth eventually running away, for in the 15 February edition of the SYDNEY GAZETTE a notice appeared warning anyone against giving credit to his wife ELIZABETH READY, formerly Curtis, on his account as she had run away from home without any just cause or provocation.

John was again mentioned in the SYDNEY GAZETTE of 8th JANUARY 1823 as having supplied meat to the Government Stores.

With the income from the property acquired from PATRICK DOWNEY earlier, John decided to expand his interests and on the 25th April 1825, a notice from the Surveyor-General’s Office appeared in the AUSTRALIAN that a grant of land was ready for delivery to JOHN REIDY(sic) and FRANCIS PENDERGRASY. ( Francis had married John’s mother Johannah the previous year.)

READY OR NOT – FOREWORD

		‘GEORGE’ PETER READY M 15/11/1882 JULIA JACKSON
	CHILDREN OF GEORGE AND JULIA READY	DATE BIRTH	DATE DEATH
1	UNNAMED	7/11/1883	7/11/1883
2	MABEL	25/9/1884	????????
3	GEORGE PETER MARK	18/10/1885	25/10/1955
4	FRANK	8/5/87	9/12/87
5	SYDNEY	11/5/1888	4/5/1964
6	ETHEL ELIZABETH MAY	20/9/89	12/2/1890
7	WILLIAM HENRY	1/11/1890	18/2/1964
8	JESSIE SARAH	30/5/1892	18/12/1971
9	FREDERICK BENSON	7/9/1894	10/8/1895
10	ESMA JACKSON	12/7/1896	29/8/1898
11	ARTHUR CHARLES	10/7/1899	29/3/1953
12	ALFRED JAMES	29/4/1901	10/8/1954
	FLORA AND SYD READY – PARENTS OF PHIL	ESMA AND JESSIE READY APP 1898 REDFERN	ARTHUR FR L ALF BACK R
	ALF READY , ARTHUR READY , MICK BELL AND MORE AT LAURIETON	JESSIE SARAH READY	BILL AND EM READY

 

THIS IS THE FOREWORD PHIL READY WROTE FOR HIS BOOK – “READY OR NOT “. I AM REPRODUCING IT FOLLOWING HIS EMAIL RE MY PUBLISHING HIS FINDINGS. PERMISSION GRANTED.

When I decided in 1981 to research the history of my family, i believed that we were on my father’s side, descended from an average English, Protestant  family with nothing very exciting to be found.

How wrong I was for I have found that we are descended from Irish Roman Catholic  convicts, that there are numerous skeletons in the family closet and that there existed adventure and romance that I for one never dreamed of and my father, as far as I am aware, never realised.

My mother, would have been shocked, for my earlier memories of her are that she was rather biased against Irish Roman Catholics and judgemental about people’s moral values but as she got older, in line with the changes going on, she mellowed and became more tolerant of other people’s points of view.

The detective work necessary to ferret out the information has taken my wife,Lois, and I to many parts of NSW and VICTORIA whilst the rest of the family have waited to see what would be the next discovery.

The pleasant surprise of receiving phone calls from others researching the READY family has introduced me to Doug Howe and Betty Alford, grandchildren of Catherine Louisa and Sarah Ann, my grandfather’s sisters who married Joseph Howe and William henry Watson respectively. This has opened up more information and has not only led to a continuing friendship with Doug but introduced me to several more cousins on his side of the family. Research by Doug also led to a meeting with Ken Eccleston, great grandson of George Eccleston and his wife Catherine, sister of my great,great grandmother Elizabeth Curtis. Ken’s contributions on the Curtis Family have been invaluable.

Each time I find more information I get a thrill, for there are times when I despair of ever finding the information I want, such as; WHAT HAPPENED TO THOMAS and ELIZABETH HOGAN and to JOHANNAH PRENDERGAST?  I thought that release of the Victorian Records might help but a search of these records has also proven fruitless. Time and further research may find the answer.

Finding my ancestors and researching their history has helped fill in some of my genetic heritage and what has helped in making me the way I am, for each member has added their contribution. I well remember strange feelings I had when I read JOHANNAH’s letter to Governor Darling, and also the story of HANNAH HUTCHINS or HITCHINS ( for there are many variations to the spelling of her name.)

Reading the Surgeon’s account of the voyage of the ‘Dorothy’ gave me some idea of what it was like to travel out on one of the Convict Transports, although the Dorothy apparently had a much better trip than many others.

In some ways I feel that I may have deprived those who come after me of the fun I have had but there is still a lot left untold and each day I guess, we are making history. I hope  that later researchers will enjoy it as much as I have. be careful of what you throw out for, I believe, that although we are not responsible for our ancestors, who incidentally wen through situations that I,for on, would not like to have gone through, we are, as guardians of our heritage, responsible to our descendants.

Phil Ready. July 1988. 

 

LiveJournal Tags: genealogy,phil ready,ready or not,heritage,australia,colony nsw,convicts,irish roman catholics

TRIAL BAY AND SOUTH WEST ROCKS

TRIAL BAY WAS built in a later period than what I’m usually looking at. The connection with South West Rocks was earlier for my direct family. I do however have documents and images from Jan Maurice and Sanders’ were out there as Boatsmen and running a boarding house as well as one lad being remembered in the Memorial Pines. Killed in the war. So we took a drive out there on our recent 2 week Loop and took a look through the Boatsmen’s Houses which are carefully maintained and where,as usual, we encountered enthusiastic and helpful volunteers hanging on to our heritage with Tenacity. Below are some links to TRIAL BAY and some images from our exploration.

TRIAL BAY GAOL

Established in 1886, Trial Bay Gaol is the only example of a state prison specifically built to carry out public works. The intention was for prisoners to construct a breakwater in Trial Bay and create a safe harbour between Sydney and Brisbane.

http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/clicka.htm

KEMSPEY AND THE MACLEAY RIVER

 

http://www.australianexplorer.com/photographs/nsw_architecture_trial_bay_gaol.htm

Trial Bay (Gaol) Photos – (New South Wales)

 

http://www.nnsw.com.au/southwestrocks/trialbay.html

TRIAL BAY GAOL Photo Gallery

 

http://migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/places/zivillager/history.shtml

ZIVIL LAGER

 

http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/org/Trial_Bay_Gaol_National_Parks_and_Wildlife/about/

Trial Bay Gaol National Parks and Wildlife : COLLECTIONS AUSTRALIA NETWORK

 

TRIAL BAY IN 2001

 

LiveJournal Tags: MACLEAY RIVER,SOUTH WEST ROCKS,TRIAL BAY GAOL,BOATSMENS COTTAGES,AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

PERMISSION GRANTED

Today I received an email from PHIL READY, who with his wife Lois, ( descendant of 2nd fleet) compiled READY OR NOT . Hours and hours he tells me in the Mitchell Library and many cemeteries. Phil’s work was one of the major initiating factors for me in this venture. He has given me full permission to use his research . Thank you, indeed, Phil.