Music and the Moses Family

Some of the articles located in Trove relating to the Moses family.
 
LOCAL AND GENERAL
MATINEE MUSICALE.-
On Saturday afternoon last, a Matinee Musicale, under the auspices of Herr Kretschmann, specially organised for children, was given in the University Hall, Sydney. The entertainment was a great success. Amongst the most successful items was the " Stephanie " gavotte, in which Master Stanley Moses, son of Mr. W. Moses, of Windsor, and who really promises to become a splendid player, took part. The S. M. HERALD says:- 

The favourite ' Stephanie ' gavotte was then played by a small string band, the violins all being played by youthful performers, four of whom were of very tender years, and all, save one, of the gentler sex. That the little violinists were well drilled in their parts was at once evident, and a very good render ing was secured, the intonation being generally accurate and the phrasing judicious, while every bow moved together with almost mechanical uniformity." Later on, a " Mazurka " by Wieniawski, for two violins, was played by a young girl and Master Stanley Moses, who showed fair command over their instruments, coupled with intelligent understanding of the music. Miss Moses also played in the orchestral parts and acquitted herself admirably.

Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 13 October 1888 page 4

CONCERT
The concert arranged by Mr. W. Moses attracted a large and fashionable audience to the Church of England Schoolroom on Wednesday evening last, and the general verdict, at the close of the entertainment, was that nothing could have been more enjoyable. The instrumental music was of the highest order of merit, and the excellent manner in which each item was rendered demonstrated the fact patent to all-that the most careful study must have been indulged in by Mr. Moses and his talented family to attain such a remarkable state of proficiency. The violin, which is a favourite instrument just now, may be said to be only second in importance to the human voice, while so an orchestra without a violin would be as devoid of tone and balance as a picture without light. It alone has the powers of expression and tone-painting, of sympathy and musical speech, with which only the human voice can compare, and on hearing the delightful strains, when one of these instruments is artistically handled, one is led to feel that the superstitions of music in the past were not without foundation. Space will not permit of our going into details, but it is only just that reference should be made at length to some of the more prominent numbers. The concert opened with a waltz, " Meadow sweet " (Florence Fare), played by the orchestra, comprising the following instru mentalists: Master W. Moses (flute), Miss Moses, Stanley Moses (1st violins), Mr. J. Herman New ton, Master Kirk (2nd violins), - Webber (viola), J. Tout (cornet), - Armour (2nd cornet), W. Iiaggar (clarionet), F. Hannabus (euphonium), W. Moses (double bass) ; accompanyist, Mrs. Moses. This was followed by " Souvenir de Naples " (R. Gylla), flute and piano, by Mrs. and W. M. Moses, an item which obtained much well merited applause. Hilton M. Moses succeeded, and this little fellow handled the bow, and played a solo, " Norma" (Charles Duncla), very fairly indeed for one so young. Then came a song, " La Serenata," with violin obligato (Braga), by Miss Primrose and Stanley Moses, the music being fairly well treated, the item as a whole coming in for a round of well-merited applause. Miss Moses treated the audience to a piano solo, " Thalberg." and the precision and skill which marked her manipulation of the instrument was much appre ciated. Petits Trios No. 6 for three violins (Miss Moses, Stanley Moses, and J. Herman Newton) was substituted for the cornet and piano item, Mr McMahon's absence being apologised for. A song by Mr. Piddington, " The Bedouin love song" (Ciro Pinsuti), was one of the most enjoyable numbers on the programme. Mr. Piddington's rich and powerful voice was heard to great advantage here, and he really deserved the high encomiums passed upon him by the audience as a body. Stanley Moses brought the first part to a close by with a violin conce. to, 7th, (Charles De Beriot), and this he played very carefully indeed, and with a degree of skill and ease which points to greater achievements in the future. Part 2 opened with a govotte, " Kensington " (C. H. R. Marriott), played in splendid style by the orchestra; and Mr. Piddington once more treated those present to the song, " Beauty's eyes " (F. Paolo Tosti), with violin accompaniment by Miss Moses, A duet violin, " Chauson polonaise" (Wieniawaski), by Miss and Stanley Moses, was a highly successful and pleasing number, whilst the violin concerto (Chas. De Beriot) by Miss Moses was certainly treated in a manner which re flected the highest credit upon the taste, touch, and sympathy of the player, who, if she progresses at the same rate as hitherto, will make an exceptionally clever violinist. Master W. M. Moses (flute) was acccorded the warmest applause for the solo, " Petit Bijou de Jetty Treffz," and he really earned it. Mr. J. Herman Newton simply made his violin speak when playing " Blue bells of Scotland " and "Campdown races" (J. Herman Newton); in fact he proved himself to be a master of his instrument throughout. The " Toy symphony " (Romberg), a quaint and highly successful item, one of the most pleasing of the evening, brought the entertainment to a close. We trust to have the pleasure of again seeing Mr. and Mrs. Moses and their really clever family on the platform once more ere long. Mr. J. Herman Newton acted as conductor during the evening.
The committee of management in connection with the Masonic Lodge, for the benefit of the hall of which body the concert was given, worked well and assisted in making the audience comfortable.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 23 February 1889 page 4

Nicholas Nubbles Says: Henri Kowalski's grand concert will be given in the Centennial Town Hall, Sydney, this (Saturday) evening, and amongst the advertised list of contributors to the programme, we notice Master Stanley Moses billed as " the Wonderful Australian violinist." Miss V. Moses is to be the violin soloist at Kowalski's concert to-night, and Master Stanley Moses contributes a violin solo.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 25 October 1890 page 4

Windsor Musicians in Sydney.
At Henry Kowalski's Concert on Saturday evening last, Miss Moses and Master Stanley Moses appeared. From the " Telegraph " we take the following highly eulogistic reference to Miss and Master Moses:

The concert opened with a largo by Handel, affording great scope for the strings, of which full advantage was taken, and the beautiful theme was clearly played, the solos being well and crisply given by Miss Moses and Mr. Stevenson. Two of the features of what was throughout a high-class concert were the appearance of a boy violinist, Master Stanley Moses, and a girl pianist, Miss Edith Kinminster, 10 years old, of Manly. The former is a musical enthusiast, possessed of genius, and his playing of the difficult tith concerto of Spohr was wonderful, both for its breadth of tone and brilliancy of execution. The pianoforte accompaniment was played by Mr. Kowalski, and the little fellow seemed to throw his whole soul into the inspired music of the composer. He was enthusiastically recalled and repeated the last movement.

The " S.M. Herald " is somewhat milder in its praise of Master Stanley, but still it acknowledges the lad's undoubted ability:

The remaining soloists were instrumentalists, both of them children of tender years. Master Stanley Moses has in him the makings of a good violinist, and is apparently not troubled by any nervous peturbation, such as often militates against the public success of older performers, he has, for his age, a free style of bowing and seems likely to gain a broad quality of tone, while his fingers appear lissom enough to facilitate the acquirement of ready execution. At present, however, he has not attained to accuracy of stopping, and consequently not even admiration for the evident cleverness of the child could check a feeling of regret that his performances were not still confined to the practice-room.

Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 1 November 1890 page 3

Entertainment at Wilberforce.
In point of numbers the concert; given under the auspices of the Wilberforce Pro gress Association (the object of the entertainment being to raise funds to fittingly celebrate Arbor Day at the local Public School), which eventuated on Friday evening last, proved eminently satisfactory -a result which must be very gratifying to the promoters, chief among whom were Messrs H. R. Bultsworth and Murray, ably assisted by Miss Bowd, and Messrs. E. Bowd H. Nicholls, and H. Stevens. The programme was long, varied, and well chosen, and the performance as a whole was thoroughly enjoyable. The instrumental items of Masters William and Stanley Moses -as also the comic songs and music hall ditties- were much appreciated, but we were surprised to see that the higher class vocal items-all thoroughly-well rendered-failed to please. In our judgment, the treat of the evening was the perfor mance of Master Stanley Moses. We have a modest estimate of our capabilities as a critic of the violin, but we are quite sure that the talent-patent in every movement of the bow and every note produced during his too brief stay with the audience, presages a career such as few who undertake the violin ever attain to. Master W. Moses, brother to the coming violinist, is likewise developing unusual proficiency on his own instrument-the flute-also left the audience with some recollections not easily to be dimmed, and both these young per formers received flattering orations at the conclusion of their respective pieces. Miss Primrose sang two solos, fully sustaining her reputation for excellent and cultured vocalization ; and Mr. B. S. Bennett, who journeyed from Sydney to assist in the praise-worthy cause, being in good voice, contributed two baritone numbers in capital style. Miss Pitt also sang two solos in a pleasing manner, and little Master Cobcroft was loudly applauded for his song. The accompaniments were played by Miss Eather, Miss Pitt, and Miss M. Dunstan. Miss Moses accompanied her brothers in their instrumental pieces. Following is the programme in extenso:-Class-song, by the children of the Wilberforce Public School; song, "O'er the hills with Patrick," Miss Pitt; flute solo, Master W. Moses; song " Queen of the Earth," Mr. Bennett; comic " Ask a Policeman," Mr. G. Mortley; song " The Little Hero," Master R. Cob croft ; violin solo, Master Stanley Moses ; solo, " The song that reached me Heart," Miss Primrose; song " The Maid of the Mill," Mr. A. Cobcroft; comic, Mr. W. Mortley, " Never Again"; recitation " The Lover's Sacrifice," Mr. W.Bowman; comic song " Many a Time" Mr. C. Davies; ballad "Some day I'll wander back Again," Master E. Dunstan; class-song, " In the prison Cell," by the children; recitation, "Shamus O'Brien," Professor Rex, who was encored and gave A. L. Gordon's " How we beat the Favourite"; song " Kathleen Mavourneen," Miss Primrose; song " Midship mite," Mr. Bennett; comic "Up to Date," Mr. C. Mortley; serio-comic " What a wicked young girl you are," Mr. A. Cobcroft; comic, "That's good enough," Mr. W. Mortley; recitation, Mr. W. Bowman. Mr. R. H. Buttsworth proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the performers, which was seconded by Mr. E. Bowd and carried by acclamation.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 16 July 1892 page 6

A complimentary concert is to be tendered Master Stanley Moses at the Church of England School-room on Tuesday evening next, on which Mons. H. Kowalski and Mons. Poussard will contribute to the programme, which will be a first-class one in all respects. The same evening, a testimonial, - the proceeds of the concert being devoted to the purpose-will be presented to Master Moses. At the Sydney Quintette Society's concert on Thursday evening (says the " Daily Telegraph') " Master Stanley Moses, one of M. Poussard's cleverest pupils, and who leaves for Belgium on the 27th inst., displayed his skill as a juvenile violinist to advantage in Mendelssohn's Andante and Finale, the fanciful Finale being better in point of enunciation than the melodious Andante.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 18 March 1893 page 4

MR HILTON MOSES.
Thus "Rip" in the "Nepean Times " of Saturday last, referring to the concert in connection with the Richmond Methodist Church : Mr. Hilton Moses, son of Mr. W. Moses, of George-street Windsor (and brother of the world-famed Stanley Moses), was there with the violin, and received vociferous applause for every item. That Mr. Moses has another ' star ' in , Hilton is beyond question ; and I trust the young and promising violinist will be sent to places where he will be able to attain the topmost round in the ladder, and that, after doing so, he will be spared many years of life to reap his reward. Often have I lingered in days gone by to listen to the Moses family in their home. Itwas elevating-it was soothing. I am afraid it would be a very difficult task to accurately describe this young violinist's performances.
Hawkesbury Herald Friday 23 January 1903 page 4

#52Ancestors - Week 44 - Frightening

This prompt is meant to tie in with Halloween including family ghost stories. However there are many occasions when life could be frightening, perhaps even more frightening than ghosts, for the settlers trying to make a living in the Hawkesbury area of NSW during colonial times.

We all know that Australia is a land where you can expect droughts, floods and / or bushfires somewhere in the country each year however this would have been unsettling for newcomers in New South Wales at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The land in which they were attempting to make a new home was definitely foreign and could be considered threatening compared to the natural environment of their former homeland.

Many former convicts had moved to the Hawkesbury area to establish small farms and associated businesses in the settlements that were gradually established. However in order to create land suitable for farming the land needed to be cleared and accommodation of some sort constructed from available materials for landholders and their families. They were surrounded by thick, alien bush. Large cliffs and mountains formed a barrier to the west. Then there was the river which meandered through the landscape, often a source of transport as well as a food source providing fish. However the river could turn into a destroyer during heavy rains forcing torrents of water downstream, covering the land and destroying all in its path.

Such a flood occurred in the Hawkesbury area in 1806. The river flooded the surrounding land frequently - there had been substantial floods in 1796, 1799, 1801 and 1806 and this pattern continued over the years. With five years between 1801 and 1806 some of the residents would not have experienced the effects of major flooding and in many cases were devastated when they watched much of their livelihood float away. Five people died due to the floods.Crops that had recently been harvested disappeared down river. Buildings were wrecked and livestock drowned.

The chapter, 'Seeding and Breeding', in Grace Karskens' book, The Colony: the history of early Sydney, provides a useful account of life in the early Hawkesbury River settlement including the effects of the floods with the rivers suddenly rising fifteen metres or on one occasion 19 metres. In 1806 the valley flooded three times. These floods were not only catastrophic for those living near the Hawkesbury River but also for those in Sydney relying on the crops grown in this region.

A search in Trove for newspaper articles about Hawkesbury flood published in 1806 provides 33 articles. A search generally for Hawkesbury flood 1806 provides many more articles looking back at the devastation of the floods in 1806.

Novels can also convey the experiences and feelings of people living in settlements along the Hawkesbury River in the early nineteenth century. In 2005 Kate Grenville published her novel, The Secret River, detailing the story of William Thornhill as he attempted to make a new life in the colony. (Reading and other pursuits blog).  This year historian Peter Cochrane has published a novel - The Making of Martin Sparrow - where the 1806 flood is the background for all that follows. (Reading and other pursuits blog). Cochrane graphically describes the devastation of the flood on the small community situated along the river.

Recent armyworm invasion in Tasmania - ABC 11 Dec 2017

Of course the European settlers on the Hawkesbury in Colonial times also experienced other challenges to their survival apart from floods. Karskens describes concerns faced when rains required for the crops did not come on time, when the wheat crop was affected by blight (a plant disease often caused by a fungus) or when there were plagues of insects  such as flymoth or armyworms (caterpillar plagues). Problems could also exist between 'types' of settlers - free men, convicts, former convicts, officers who often did not get along. Settlements were also on Aboriginal land which could result in conflict. Bushrangers also roamed the area.

Consequently there would have certainly been times when our ancestors living in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales may have found life frightening.

Hawkesbury River Floods - Hawkesbury Heritage and Happenings

The Hawkesbury River Floods of 1801, 1806 and 1809 by JCH Gill Royal Historical Society of Queensland vol. 8 no. 4 (1969) pp706-736.

Hawkesbury March 27, Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 30 March 1806 pp2-3

Peter Cochrane novel The Making of Martin Sparrow set in the Hawkesbury - Hawkesbury Gazette 13 July 2018

Kate Grenville, The Secret River, Text Publishing, 2001

Peter Cochrane, The Making of Martin Sparrow, Viking, 2018

Grace Karskens, The Colony: the history of early Sydney, Sydney, Allen & Unwin 2009 pp 98-157.

#52Ancestors - Week 43 - Cause of Death

On Wednesday the 18th instant, an inquest was held at Parramatta, before James Wright Esq. J. P. in the absence of the Coroner, on the body of Charles Daly, late of Windsor, who was accidentally killed on the previous evening, on the road near Parramatta, by the wheel of a cart, laden with maize, passing over his body. The jury returned a verdict accordingly.

Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser 26 May 1831

The brief report of an inquest reported the death of my great x3 grandfather, Charles Daley. 

Charles died on 17 May 1831. The website Irish Convicts to New South Wales states that Charles died 1831 in Windsor Road, Winston Hills. Winston Hills is approximately 7 km north of Paramatta while Windsor is approximately 29 km north west of Winston Hills if travelling via Windsor Road.

Barbara Hall in her book, Of Infamous Character: the convicts of the Boddingtons, Ireland to Botany Bay, 1793, provides some additional information: 'Charles Daley died when his cart ran over him, whilst he was returning from the Sydney market. His son-in-law John Wood found the body'.

Three mentions of the death of Charles Daley each providing a clue or clues to his sad demise.

Winston Hills to Windsor (Google Maps)

The John Wood mentioned by Barbara Hall was the son of two convicts and was born in Sydney in 1798. In 1829 he married Mary Ann Daley (1811-1894), the second daughter of convicts Charles Daley and Susannah Alderson. John Wood's detailed obituary published in the Hawkesbury Chronicle and Farmers Advocate provides information about John's life including his occupation as 'principal carrier in Windsor'. The paper described what his job involved:

The storekeepers and farmers of the district trusted him implicitly with the conveyance of their goods to and from Sydney, and many were the important commissions he executed on behalf of his patrons. It was a serious matter in those days carrying on the Windsor and Parramatta Road. Over dreadfully bad roads in danger of bushrangers and marauders, it was at least a two days journey each way.

In 1831 the journey from Windsor to Sydney was a long one taking at least two days. Originally the favoured route from Sydney to Windsor was by water, particularly when transporting goods of any kind. A narrow track between the two locations was constructed in 1794 and it was gradually widened to allow carts to travel via this route (Old Windsor Road). When Governor Macquarie arrived he made the improvement of the road a priority (Windsor Road). Toll gates were introduced to pay for the construction and upkeep of the road. However, as suggested in the newspaper article, the condition of the road was not good.

We know from the 1822 muster that Charles owned land at Windsor, including 14 acres of wheat, 6 acres of maize and 6 acres of barley. He also had 70 hogs. The inquest states that Chales' cart was carrying a load of maize so he was probably taking the produce to (not from) the market in Sydney and decided to travel with John on one of his trips there.

We know that the accident occurred on the Windsor Road near Winston Hills, not far from Parramatta. The road would have been narrow and not in good repair. There was probably bush on each side of the road. It would also seem that Charles and John were travelling separately for a time. The width of the road would probably have prevented them travelling two abreast. Perhaps John lost sight of Charles' cart when they went around a bend.

We can only surmise how the accident may have occurred. Maybe the cart wheel become stuck in a rut or went off the the side of road and Charles was run over when trying to rectify the situation. Maybe the horse was startled by an animal and the accident occurred when Charles tried to calm him. Whatever happened it must have been a shock for John to discover his father-in-law dead on the road.

We also do not know if Charles had made this journey to Sydney before. If the farmers in the Windsor area were all planting similar crops it would probably be easier to sell the maize in a larger centre such as Sydney. The market in Sydney was origially located near the wharf as much of the early produce was brought to Sydney by boat. The market then moved into Market Square in George Street.  

There are obviously questions arising from Charles' death which will never be answered however it is possible, from the information discovered so far, to try and understand how this accident may have occurred.
Barbara Hall,  Of Infamous Character: the convicts of the Boddingtons, Ireland to Botany Bay, 1793, (2004).


The late Mr John Wood - Hawkesbury Chronicle and Farmers Advocate 26 May 1883

RoadsOld Windsor Road and Windsor Road Heritage Precincts - NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

Windsor and Old Windsor Roads - NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

Roads - Dictionary of Sydney

Markets
Australian agricultural and rural life - getting to market - State Library of NSW

Sydney's Paddy's markets - History

Sydney's early markets were far from super - Daily Telegraph 20 June 2018

#52Ancestors - Week 39 - On the Farm

Farming is one of the themes in my family history research. Most branches of the family tree have had connections with the land.

The first European settlers in Australia, through necessity, often became farmers. This was certainly the case with my convict ancestors who settled in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales. There was a shortage of food in the colony so convicts and former convicts were encouraged, through grants of land, to grow food and farm animals for themselves and the other members of the colony.

Google Maps

 William Roberts and Kezia Brown, Charles Daley and Susannah Alderson, Uriah Moses and Ann Daley, John Pendergast and Jane Williams plus Richard Holland and Mary Ann Roberts, according to the various census reports had land holdings in the region near Windsor.

This did not mean that they were all full time farmers. Uriah was best known as a baker and owner of a general store in Windsor though he did own land on which grain was grown. Richard Holland owned land at Cornwallis but also owned a shop in Windsor that was recorded, on occasions, as a bakers or butchers shop.

In 2015 I wrote a detailed post about the challenges of farming in the Hawkesbury area in the early 1800s.

• The land needed to be cleared for farming, no doubt a time consuming process especially as limited implements for doing this would have been available. 
• The local Aboriginal groups were used to free access of this land (their land) and were not happy with the idea that the land was now restricted to the use of the English settlers. 
• The convicts did not necessarily have previous experience in farming. Finding crops that would grow successfully in New South Wales was initially a challenge. 
• There was the need to protect new crops from animals and insects. Fences were required to mark property boundaries and enclosures to protect farm animals. 
• Then there was the weather. The seasons were out of kilter with the northern hemisphere and the climate was different and more extreme than experienced in England. The most dramatic climatic event being the regular flooding of the Hawkesbury River.

Despite these challenges my early Hawkesbury farmers generally managed to make a living from the land and support their families. Members of subsequent generations continued farming, usually on larger land holdings. William Pendergast and Sarah Roberts are one example of this and several of sons of Uriah Moses had large land holdings in the region.

The bakery in Windsor

This was the fourth of six short pieces of writing, with a reflective statement, which was part of the first assessment for Writing the Family Saga. In this piece we were to write about a setting that was important to the family saga.

When Uriah Moses moved into his stone cottage, he had no way of knowing that he was starting a family business that would last for 150 years.

It was the mid-1820s and the house was located in the business centre of Windsor, bordering Thompson Square. It was close to the Macquarie Arms Hotel, the Court House and other government buildings, including the Government Stores. It was also a short distance from the wharf on the Hawkesbury River.

After twenty-five years in the colony, life in East London had become a blur. After being assigned to work on land near Windsor, Uriah eventually acquired his own land and was soon selling wheat to the Government Stores. Now his new project was to open a bakery at the rear of his house.

After marrying Ann Daley, Uriah and his expanding family lived in the front rooms of the cottage while operating their business from the back. No doubt the children helped in the bakery from an early age. Not satisfied with just a successful bakery, Uriah bought and sold land and was also a money lender.

Ann took charge of the bakery when Uriah died until their son, William, could manage the business. Two adjoining cottages were acquired and eventually demolished, replaced by a large two story building. This became the Moses Bakery and General Stores.

As Windsor continued to grow the town centre moved. Therefore, in the 1920s, a new generation of the Moses family built a new store in the new town centre.

Reflection:
In England Uriah faced the death penalty. In New South Wales he had the opportunity to start again. Establishing a bakery in Windsor was the beginning of a Moses family dynasty in Windsor until recently.

Writing this story has led to investigating life in Windsor in the early years of the town: useful information when writing about this family in the future.

However there are questions – the major one being: Why did Uriah become a baker? It was obviously a business opportunity, but there is nothing in the records to indicate any previous experience.

References:
New South Wales and Tasmania Convict Musters

New South Wales Colonial Secretary’s Papers

The buildings in this story still stand are located at 62-66 George Street, Windsor. Information about the buildings is available on a number of websites relating to the heritage of Windsor.

Christmas in Windsor

University of Tasmania Family History course - Writing family history

Week 6 e-tivity - Inscaping the past

Inscape is the reverse of landscape: the incidental details that make our picture of the past detailed and nuanced. Using inscape details you have sourced from a past newspaper or similar, write a descriptive narrative about your person or place from your family history.
Word limit 250 words.

Christmas in Windsor

If we travel back in time to Windsor, New South Wales, arriving just in time for Christmas in the 1890s, where do we go for provisions? 

According to advertisements in the local newspapers, the place to go is the Hawkesbury Store in George Street.

Need provisions for Christmas cooking? The Hawkesbury Store ‘always keeps the best quality of Christmas Fruits, and general stock of Groceries, at the very Lowest Cash Prices.’

If a Christmas cake is required purchase an Arnott’s cake for 2/- or order a Christmas cake from the store bakery for sixpence a lb. ‘The Leading and Largest Bakery Establishment in the District’ also makes only the best bread and pastries.

All groceries are sold but the speciality of the store is Tea. Customers have the opportunity to purchase blends of China, India or Ceylon tea having ‘an advantage of at least 3d per lb’.

And, of course, there is a wide range of fresh confectionery available, perfect for the Christmas season.

The Hawkesbury Store sells much more than food. Need ‘cups and saucers, a kettle, a boiler to cook the Xmas pudding in’? Then go to the Hawkesbury Store. 

Other items sold include ironmongery, wall-paper, paints and brush-ware, corn and chaff plus seeds of all kinds. In fact everything you might ever need.

As an added bonus for customers, each day carts from the Hawkesbury Store travel through the district delivering supplies and collecting orders from those unable to make the trip to town.

Why would you shop anywhere else?

Eight of my convicts and their subsequent families lived in the Windsor district and it is not unreasonable to assume that many, if not all of them, would have shopped at the Hawkesbury Store.

The Hawkesbury Store was founded by Uriah Moses (1780-1847) and the business remained in the family for many generations. In the 1890s the proprietor was William Moses, one of Uriah's sons.

Trove shows a number of advertisements in the 1890s for the Hawkesbury Store in The Windsor and Richmond Gazette.

A detailed article describing the store can be found in  The Hawkesbury Chronicle and Farmers Advocate 16 October 1886.

52 Ancestors 2015 - Week 5- Ploughing through - The farmers on the Hawkesbury

The theme for Week 5 of the 52 Ancestors 2015 challenge is plowing through. I am using the Australian / English spelling of ploughing and the context used in this post is looking at the early settlers, mainly farmers in the Hawkesbury district north of Sydney early in the nineteenth century, who not only needed to plough the land before planting their crops but also struggled on despite challenges they encountered.

Google Map of Hawkesbury River

The area along the Hawkesbury River was first explored in 1789, the year after the first convicts arrived in Sydney. The land around Sydney was not proving to be suitable for farming so it was necessary to find good farming land further afield to produce crops and raise livestock to feed the new colony. The decision to settle the Hawkesbury region was made five years later when, in 1794,  twenty-two settlers arrived to farm their thirty acre allotments.

William Roberts (1756-1820) and his family appear to be the first members of my family to have settled in the Hawkesbury District. Initially, in 1794, William received a grant of 30 acres of land near Sydney which he sold in 1800 for £60. This money no doubt helped him establish his properties in the Hawkesbury area where the family had moved after Governor Hunter had given William a grant of 50 acres at Mulgrave Place, near Windsor in 1796. In 1809 he purchased land from Thomas Hobby as well as purchasing land in Windsor.

John Pendergast (1869-1833) appears to have been living in the Hawkesbury area from the time of his arrival in New South Wales in 1800. In 1802 he and a fellow convict were renting 30 acres at Mulgrave Place. He later purchased Adlam's Farm, 80 acres at Upper Half Moon Reach, probably by 1806. In 1816 he was also granted land near Campbelltown.

The 1806 Muster shows that Charles Daley (1775-1831) owned 15 acres at the Hawkesbury (near Windsor). By the 1822 he had increased his landholdings to 26 acres.

Uriah Moses (1780-1847) was assigned to assist a landholder in the Hawkesbury area near Windsor (1806 Muster of Convicts) probably shortly after his arrival in New South Wales. By 1809 the Colonial Secretary's papers record that Uriah had delivered produce to the Hawkesbury government stores, indicating that he now had land of his own on which he was growing grain. Uriah increased his land-holdings and grain production and by 1821 had established a bakery at Windsor. He may have also have had a flour mill to process the grain he had grown.

The muster records can provide an indication of the crops being grown by family members in the Hawkesbury district. In 1818 Uriah grew wheat on three acres and maize on seven acres. He also had 14 pigs. William died in 1820 but the 1822 Muster shows that the land, now owned by his wife, had wheat growing on twenty acres, eight acres of maize, six acres of barley and half an acre of potatoes. There was also a garden and an orchard with the rest of land used as pasture for forty cattle plus fifty pigs.  In 1806 Charles had six acres of wheat, two acres of barley, seven acres of fallow land and he owned one pig. On Adlam's Farm John grew maize and wheat and had cattle and pigs on the property.

Although the land was fertile farming in the Hawkesbury area had its challenges. The land had to be cleared and the ground ploughed and generally prepared for the planting of crops needed to sustain the new colony. The farmers had to become used to the Australian conditions - seasons, weather - which were different from England. Once the crops started growing they needed to be protected from native animals looking for a feed. There were also pests that needed to be kept from the crops and the stored grain when it was harvested. For example in 1814 there was a plague of caterpillars in the district.

The Europeans were establishing their farms on land occupied by Aboriginal tribes and it was not long before tensions arose between the two very different cultural groups, each trying to live on the same land. The Aborigines were hunters and gatherers and this was sometimes extended to the livestock and crops of the farmers. Tensions soon arose between the two groups sometimes ending in murder. The government stationed troops in the area from the early days of the settlement to protect the settlers and farms and generally maintain law and order.

Then there was the river. The Hawkesbury River was responsible for the rich soil that was suitable for farming. It also provided a transport route to ship the supplies back to Sydney. However the  river flooded regularly. When looking at the map of the river it is easy to see how it curves and meanders resulting in a large flood plain that still exists today.  A Chronological Table of Events in the Hawkesbury, published in the Windsor and Richmond Gazette 10 December 1910 provides a list of some of the floods. In 1806, for example the river flooded three times - 

20th March, great flood at the Hawkesbury, crops destroyed, wheat 70/- to 80/- per bushel.
7th September, heavy hail storm at the Hawkesbury.
24th September, earthquake felt at Richmond Hill. 19th October, 300 acres of wheat inundated at South Creek. 22nd November, £7 paid for one bushel of seed maize.

The loss of crops and stored grain resulted in a steep increase in prices. These were followed by floods in 1808, 1809 and 1811.

Michelle Nichols describes some of the conditions experienced in the Hawkesbury area in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Feen Adlam and his servant were killed by Aborigines in April 1805 and the farmhouse burnt. This was the property later purchased by John Pendergast. After the 1806 and 1808 floods many of the settlers, including the Pendergast family, experienced financial difficulties and in 1808 the Provost Marshall was instructed to sell two of the farms belonging to John Pendergast. As Nichols notes the sale did not go through, so John must have found the money to pay his debts.

This was all part of the challenge of living in the new colony. The crops needed to be harvested and taken to market. Livestock also needed to be sold. Goods could be transported to Sydney along the river or by road via horse and cart. Accidents, however, sometimes occurred such as the death of Charles Daley as reported in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 26 May 1831:

On Wednesday the 18th instant, an inquest was held at Parramatta, before James Wright Esq. J. P. in the absence of the Coroner, on the body of Charles Daly, late of Windsor, who was accidentally killed on the previous evening, on the road near Parramatta, by the wheel of a cart, laden with maize, passing over his body. The jury returned a verdict accordingly.

Despite the challenges the members of my family who settled in the Hawkesbury area did plough on and helped create a new settlement as well as a comfortable and profitable living for their families in their new country.

The novel, The Secret River, by Kate Grenville is set in the Hawkesbury district during the early nineteenth century and portrays the challenges of the times.

Websites relating to Hawkesbury:
Hawkesbury Library Museum Gallery - the library holds the local history collection for the region
Hawkesbury on the net - includes a list of resouces
Hawkesbury Historical Society blog - Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury Australia.com - History
Hawkesbury People and Places

The Test Cricketer in the family

Henry Moses (normally known as Harry) was born on 13 February 1858 in Windsor, New South Wales. He was the eldest son of Henry Moses (1832-1926) and Anne Primrose (1833-1923). Both of Harry's grandfathers (William Roberts and Uriah Moses) had been convicts as was one of his grandmothers (Kezia Brown). Two of his great grandparents had also been convicts (Charles Daley and Susannah Alderson). However by the time Harry was born this part of his family history would not have been referred to and may not have been passed down to that generation, even though many of his peer group born in Windsor would have had a similar background.

Harry's father, Henry, was a successful businessman and a politician. He was the director of a number of companies and owned several large properties. Henry was a founder of the Hawkesbury Race Club and the family maintained their interests in racing, including the breeding of racehorses. He was also interested in cricket and no doubt encouraged his son, Harry, in his cricket career.

Australian Town and Country Journal 4 Feb 1888

Harry played cricket for the colony of New South Wales and was captain in the 1889-90 season and again in the 1893-94 season. The following report about Harry was published in the Australian Cricket Album in 1898. The complete album can be viewed online.

Henry Moses, who was born on February 13, 1858, is one of the finest batsmen New South Wales, or for that matter, Australia has had. He played practically no cricket as a lad, but when he did take up the game, quickly came into prominence, and for many years was the most reliable batsman in his colony. In the seasons of 1886-87 and 1887-88 he made many remarkable scores, notably 297 not out in the latter season against Victoria, which is next to W. L. Murdoch's 321, the highest score of an Australian in a first-class match. Moses, though repeatedly asked, was never, owing to the claims of business, able to join an Australian Eleven to tour England, but he distinguished himself in Test Matches in Australia. He was a left-handed batsman with a wonderfully sound defence, and his strokes, particularly one to the leg, were executed with remarkable precision and safety. He was a very popular player.

Harry made his test debut for Australia on 28 January 1887. He played six test matches. A summary of his test career. Exploring Trove provides a number of reports of cricket matches in which Harry played.

When my son visited the Bradman Museum some years ago he found the fob watch presented to Harry Moses on display.

Harry was later involved in cricket administration in New South Wales. He was appointed a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust in 1907 and he was chairman from 1928 until his death in 1938.

Harry continued to play cricket socially for many years but also played lawn bowls in New South Wales teams. In 1905 he played in a bowls competition in Adelaide where one of his team mates was Alfred Percy Lord.

Two of Harry's brothers, Bill and Fred, bred racehorses incuding Poitrel, winner of the 1920 Melbourne Cup.

Harry Moses died in Sydney on 7 December 1938. He was 80.

Harry Moses was a first cousin of my grandfather.

52 Ancestors #28 William Pendergast

William Pendergast was born in the Hawkesbury area in 1808. He was the son of convicts John Pendergast and Jane Williams. John Pendergast was a farmer with a number of small land holdings in the Hawkesbury district and later at Campbelltown. His sons would therefore have worked on the properties as they grew up. In 1832, when he was 24, William had been given property in the Cornwallis area by his father.

On 26 July 1837, William married Sarah Holland at St Matthew's Catholic Church, Windsor. William was 29 and Sarah was 17 when they married. William and Sarah had six children - Jane (1838-1903), John (1840-1928), Margaret (1842-1891), Mary (1844-1845), Elizabeth Penelope (1846-1942) and William (1849-1920).

William built up his land holdings. When he died his will showed that part of the estate that he owned included Shredrick's Farm consisting of 30 acres near Windsor, Whyte's Farm consisting of 30 acres near Windsor, John Pendergast's Grant of 80 acres at Currajong (Kurrajong), Fitzpatrick's Grant and Henderson's Grant at Currajong (Kurrajong),  Allotments 30, 31, 32 and 33 of Campbellfield Estate with a combined total of approximately 136 acres at Campelltown.

William was 42 when he died at Campbelltown on 6 October 1850. His will of fourteen pages, dated 19 September 1850, included a codicil dated 4 October 1850. William had divided part of his land between his children entailed and in trust until they were 21. The rest of the property was to be sold and the money invested to be distributed among the children when the youngest child was 21. The codicil removed the name of his eldest daughter, Jane, from inheriting land from the will. It is thought that other provisions may have been made for her.

The land that formed the Campbellfield Estate was originally granted to William Redfern by Governor Macquarrie. When Redfern died in 1833 allotments of the land were put up for sale. The Pendergast family appear to have acquired some of the allotments though they may already have had other land in the area. The National Library has a map of the area showing allotments on Campbell Town Road adjoining Mr Pendergast's Farm.

A rich inheritance volume 1 pages 41 and 42 provides details of the will. 

William Pendergast was my great (x2) grandfather.

52 Ancestors #21 Ann Daley

Ann Daley was born in Windsor, New South Wales, on 10 September 1809. Ann was the eldest child of convicts Charles Daley and Susannah Alderson. She had three sisters and two brothers - Mary Ann (1811-1894), Charles (1813-1886), Sarah (1815-1871), John (1817-1884) and Susannah (1819-1891).

When Ann was born Charles Daley owned a 15 acre property near Windsor where he grew mainly wheat, maize and barley and raised pigs. As the eldest daughter Ann would probably have been expected to help look after her younger brothers and sisters. In 1812 her father is recorded as donating one pound towards a new school. A school house in Windsor Street, between Chappel Street and Pugh's Lagoon was built in 1813 but it is not known whether the children attended the school. As Ann signed the registry when she was married with an X (her mark), any education that she had was minimal. The children would have been expected to help on the farm which by 1822 had been increased to 26 acres.

On 9 May 1830, when she was 20, Ann married the convict, Uriah Moses, at St Matthew's Church of England. Uriah was thirty years older than Ann when they married. Uriah had acquired land in the Windsor area and was growing grain by 1809. His land holdings grew and by 1821 had established a bakery in George Street, Windsor. This was to become a successful family business.

Ann and Uriah  Uriah and Ann had nine children - Frederick Uriah born 1830 died at 8 months, Rachel born in 1831 died when 3 weeks old, Henry (1832-1926), Susannah (1834-1923), George (1838-1908), James born in 1840 and died 6 days later, James Uriah (1842-1892), William (1844-1923) and Thomas born in 1846 and died a month before he turned 4.

When Uriah died in December 1847, Ann was thirty-eight years old and was the mother of six children - the youngest, Thomas, died three years later. The eldest son, Henry, would have been 15, Susannah would have been 13, George would have been 9 and James Uriah would have been 5 years old Uriah must have left the family well provided for. The family remained in the bakery business in Windsor until 1971 so it would have been run by family interests until the sons were able to take over. Henry began his career running the old mill that supplied the bakery with flour before purchasing a property near Moree. Henry also had a successful parliamentary career. For many years, William Moses was in business in Windsor as a grocer and ironmonger together with the bakery and carried on the business as the Hawkesbury Stores at the corner of George and Bridge streets, known as Moses' corner. When he retired the business was taken over by his sons, Hilton  and Arthur Moses. 

 On 4 March 1869, when she was 59, Ann married James Powell and they lived in Sydney.

Ann died on the 12 June 1880, aged 70. She was staying in Petersham at the home of her daughter, Susannah Overmeyer, when she died and was buried at St Matthew's Church of England, Windsor.

Ann was my great (x2) grandmother

52 Ancestors #12 Jane Williams

Jane Williams was born in Bristol, England, in 1775. We have no information about her family in England. Some records state that she came from Gloucestershire and others Somertset. Bristol is now an independent county but has belonged to both Gloucestershire and Somerset in former times. The port of Bristol is located on the Severn Estuary which leads to the Bristol Channel.

When Jane was 25 she was arrested for stealing items of clothing from Mrs Griffith. On 12 January 1801 she appeared at the Court in Bristol, was found guilty and sentenced to seven years transportation. Jane returned to Newgate Gaol in Bristol until 20 May 1801 when she and other convicts were taken to Portsmouth and placed on the convict ship, Nile. The Nile set sail from Spithead, Portsmouth on 26 June 1801 to sail via Rio de Janeiro to New South Wales. The ship had been built in 1799 so was newer than many of the other ships used a convict transports. It was on 322 tons and carried a crew of 24. Ninety-six female convicts travelled on the ship and all arrived safely in New South Wales after the 176 day voyage. The Nile travelled in convoy with two other ships, the Minorca and the Canada. Passengers aboard the Minorca included William and Sarah Hancy who travelled as free settlers. Many years later two of their Australian born daughters, Sophie and Elizabeth, would marry two of Jane's Australian born sons, James and Thomas.

The Nile arrived at Port Jackson on 14 December, 1801. Shortly after arrival Jane appears to have been assigned as a housekeeper to John Pendergast assisting in the care of his baby son, John. In 1803 Jane and John's first son, James, was born followed by Thomas in 1805. Their first daughter, Sarah was born in 1806 followed by William in 1808 and Bridget in 1810. There is no record of a marriage between John and Jane but as they were Catholics and Catholic priests could not officially conduct services in the colony until 1820 (except for a few months in 1803) it is not surprising that there is no record of the formalisation of the relationship.

John acquired many properties in the Hawkesbury area and also near Campbelltown. He grew wheat and maize and raised cattle and pigs. Before he died he gave properties to his sons, James, John and William and to one of Thomas' sons. Thomas had properties of his own in the Monaro district. John did not leave a will. John died on 27 January 1833 and was buried in the cemetery of the new Catholic church at Windsor. On 5 February 1833 an advertisement appeared in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on behalf of William Pendergast summoning Jane and other members of the family to attend a meeting to show why goods, chattels & effects of the late John Pendergast should not go to William.

Jane lived in Windsor until she died on 2 December 1838. She was buried the following day at St Mathew's Catholic Church cemetery. She was 63.

Jane was my great (x 3 ) grandmother

52 Ancestors #11 John Pendergast

John Pendergast was born in Dublin about 1769. On the convict indent his occupation, when he was arrested, was listed as a labourer. 1798 was a time of political unrest in Ireland culminating with the Irish Rebellion in May 1798. The Society of United Irishmen was founded in 1791 with the aim of uniting Irishmen of all religions against the British who ruled Ireland. To complicate the situation France was at war with Britain from February 1793 and many of the United Irishmen appeared to support the French. The United Irishmen was forced to become an underground movement in 1794. In December 1796 the French plan to invade Britain via Ireland came to naught, primarily because of poor weather conditions. The British in Ireland, particularly in Dublin, became even more determined to infiltrate and remove the threat of the United Irishmen. By the Spring of 1798 many of the leaders and their supporters were in gaol. The main uprising was planned for the end of May but although rebellion did occur in some areas Dublin remained relatively quiet.

John Pendergast was probably one of the many supporters, and possibly a member, of the United Irishmen. He may have been involved preliminary skirmishes. However there has always been a question mark as to why he was arrested and then transported to New South Wales. A recent post in the blog - Families of Ireland - has a post about the trial of John Prendergast in April 1798. There are numerous spellings of the name. The article includes a transcription from Freeman’s Journal 1763-1924, Saturday April 28, 1798 of a trial of six men for the theft of two hogsheads of tobacco, a quantity of dark sugar plus a box of Godbold’s Vegetable Balsam.

John Pendergast was convicted to seven years transportation to New South Wales. Between 1800 and 1806 eight ships carried rebels from the Irish Rebellion to New South Wales. John left Cork on 24 August aboard the convict ship, Minerva. One hundred and sixty-five male convicts and twenty-six female convicts were aboard the ship. The Minerva arrived at Port Jackson on 11 January 1800.

Later that year John married a convict named Catherine. Nothing further is known about her and she possibly died shortly after giving birth to their son John, in 1801. Convict records show that in 1806 Jane Williams was housekeeper for John Pendergast and was possibly the carer of his son. John and Jane must have been living together long before that as by 1806 they a son James (born in 1803) and another son, Thomas (born 25 February 1805). Their daughter, Sarah Jane was born in 1806. They had another two children, William (born 1808) and Bridget (born 1810).

No record has been found for the marriage of John and Jane. Not all marriages were recorded and sometimes early records are missing. It is also possible that there may not have married. John was a Catholic and although many of the convicts in the colony were Catholic the first Catholic priest did not arrive until three arrived with other Irish rebels in 1800. One of the priests was granted permission to hold services in 1803 but this permission was withdrawn the following year. It was not until 1820 when two Catholic priests were allowed to travel to Australia and the foundation of St Mary's Cathedral were laid in Sydney that Catholic church services were officially allowed. Until that time Catholics were expected to attend Anglican services.

Meanwhile John was receiving small grants of land, initially in the Hawkesbury area, and establishing himself as a landholder and farmer. However, although the land was fertile, farming in the area was not always easy especially in years such as 1806 when the Hawkesbury River flooded three times.  However John pressed on and, possibly in 1808, purchased Adlams Farm, 80 acres of property on Upper Half Moon Reach on the Hawkesbury River. The land was used for growing maize and wheat and for livestock included cattle and pigs. On 12 September 1812 John was allowed to obtain cattle from Government Stores at Seven Hills. On 20 June 1816 John was granted 30 acres of land in the Airds district near Campbelltown and on 9 December 1820 received another grant of land in the Hawkesbury district. As his land holdings grew additional convicts were assigned to work on his land.

Pendergast graves at St Matthew's Catholic Church, Windsor

In 1831 the first Catholic services were held in Windsor and St Matthew's Catholic Church was built in 1832. John and his family had supported the development of the Catholic Church in the colony and in 1838 his son, James, donated a block of land in the Lower Portland area (near junction of Colo and Hawkesbury rivers) for the building of a school, but it may have been used as a chapel in 1840. The building was probably destroyed by the 1867 floods. There was also a small Catholic cemetery on James' property. When John Pendergast died on 27 January 1833 his was one of the first burials in new cemetery at St Matthew's Catholic Church on 29 January.

St Matthew's Catholoc Church, Windsor built 1832

 John Pendergast did not leave a will but he had already distributed much of his property to his sons. In 1827 he gave James two properties on the Hawkesbury and in December 1832 he gave properties to John and William and to his grandson, John (son of Thomas). Thomas already had properties in the Monaro district.

John was my great (x3) grandfather.

52 Ancestors #10 Richard Holland

Richard Holland was born in England on 8 May 1783. He may have been born at Holborn in Middlesex but that is supposition at this point. A Richard Holland was baptised at St Andrews, Holborn, on 13 July 1783. If this is the right Richard Holland his parents were Cornelius and Elizabeth Holland and he had three brothers, Cornelius, Henry and Thomas, and a sister, Mary.

What we do know about Richard was that on 24 May 1806 he was arrested for stealing a promissory note valued at £10, a promissory note valued at £5, a yard of canvas valued at 1 shilling and 20 yards of woollen cloth valued at £10 from the back of a truck belonging to John Burr in Holborn.

Apparently John Royce was driving a cart loaded with goods to be delivered. He stopped at the White Hart and William Baker got off the cart to deliver a parcel. John Royce drove the cart to make another delivery at 10 Red Lion Street and discovered that the parcel was missing. Turning back he saw that Mr Speering had apprehended Richard. Mr Speering told the court that he had seen the cart pass his premises and that a man was following the cart and removed a parcel. Mr Speering took Richard to the watch-house and then called the constable.

At his trial at the Old Bailey 2 July 1806 Richard said nothing in his defence. He found guilty and was sentenced to seven years transportation.

Richard was 23 when he was arrested. At the trial Mr Speering said that Richard did not resist when he was apprehended and that he appeared to be in distress. He said that he had never done anything like that before. From the conversation we also learn that Richard had a wife and a new baby. One can only speculate why Richard might commit what appears to be a senseless crime - stealing an article from a cart in daylight when there is every likelihood of being caught. Perhaps he wanted a new start. Not knowing what employment he had and the conditions in which he lived it is not possible to tell. We do know that he had had some education as unlike many of the convicts he was able to sign his name.

On 2 January 1807 many of the convicts were transferred from Newgate Gaol to the hulk, Captivity, at Portsmouth. The chaplain who performed services aboard the hulks described how the convicts were treated while waiting to leave for Australia. Those who were healthy worked on the dock-yards during the day for which they received a dock allowance of one biscuit, a pint of small beer and a half-penny worth of tobacco a day. The convicts wore a uniform, each being issued with a jacket, waistcoat, breeches and handkerchief once a year plus stockings and coarse linen shirt four times a year. They had clean linen once a week and shaved twice a week. The provisions were considered adequate and although vegetables were scarce, on days when they had meat it was boiled with cabbage. The convicts were then transferred to the convict ship, Duke of Portland, which left England on 19 February 1807.

One hundred and ninety-two male convicts were transported on the Duke of Portland and three died during the five month voyage. The ship arrived at Port Jackson on 27 July 1807.

The next that we hear of Richard Holland was when he married Mary Roberts, the eldest daughter of William Roberts and Kezia Brown, at St Matthews Anglican Church, Windsor. As Richard was already married when he was arrested he had to wait seven years before he could marry again.

On 16 January 1816 Richard received a grant of land, probably in the Windsor area. In subsequent musters his residence is given as Windsor or Cornwallis which is near Windsor. His occupation is listed at different times as land holder, shop keeper, baker and butcher. The 1828 census of New South Wales lists Richard as a farmer at Cornwallis holding 30 acres of land which is cleared and cultivated plus 18 head of cattle. It would appear that he also had a shop in Windsor which at different times had been a bakery or a butchers shop.

Richard and Mary had nine children - William (1813-1897), Richard (1815-1881), John (1817-1897), Sarah (1820-1891), Thomas (1822-1824), Thomas (1825-1913), Henry (1828-1828), Henry Edward (1830-1906) and Ann Maria (1836-1905). Two of the boys, Thomas and Henry died as infants.

Mary Holland died in Windsor on 22 July 1863 aged 70. Richard Holland died on 10 May 1867 aged 84.

Richard Holland was my great (x3) grandfather.

52 Ancestors #9 Uriah Moses

Uriah Moses is believed to have been born in 1780 in Exeter, Devon, England although one family story suggested that he came from Pontypool in Wales. All we really know is that at his trial Exeter was given as the place he came from and that Uriah was living in London when arrested. There were a number of Jewish families with the surname of Moses in the Exeter area at the time as well as a number in south Wales, so both locations are possible, however, at present, the general consensus is that he was from Exeter. Jews in south west England, a PhD thesis submitted to the University of Exeter in 1977, provides information about the history of the Jewish community in that part of England.

At the trial in January 1798, Kitty Jacobs stated that Uriah had worked with her husband at their glass shop in Petticoat Lane for three years and that it was three years since he had worked there. This would have made him about twelve years old when he began working with Mr Jacobs. Mrs Jacobs said that Uriah was very honest when he worked with them. Another witness at the trial, Elizabeth Hicks, said that she did not know Uriah but she knew his mother who was a very honest, hardworking woman. When questioned about his whereabouts when the burglary occurred Uriah said that he had been at his father's in Petticoat Lane. This suggests that Uriah had moved to London with his family when he was a young boy.

On the 8 December, 1797, Uriah was arrested for cutting the glass in a window of a draper's shop in Whitechapel and stealing a quantity of the merchandise on display in the window. On the convict records his occupation was listed as glass cutter and he would certainly have had the skills to cut the glass in the shop window. Unfortunately he cut his hand and was arrested at Guy's hospital where he was receiving medical attention for the wounded hand. He was taken to Newgate Gaol where he awaited his trial which was held at the Old Bailey a month later on 10 January 1798.

At the trial Uriah was accused of stealing seven silk handkerchiefs, value 30 shillings, thirty yards of lace, value 30 shillings, and fifty-eight yards of calimanco, value 40 shillings from William Holmes, a linen-draper and mercer. Apparently a piece of diamond was found near the window and there were traces of blood on some of the remaining items. After removing the items from the shop he had taken them to the house of Ann Benjamin who was also accused of receiving stolen goods. Ann gave him an old shawl to wrap around his cut hand and told him to go to the hospital. Uriah appears to have kept one card of lace which was found under the mattress of the hospital bed. When questioned about the cut hand Uriah said that he was carrying a teapot when crossing London Bridge and 'tumbled down and cut his hand with the pieces'. Uriah was found guilty and received the death sentence which was later commuted to transportation for life. By this time Uriah was probably 18 years old.

Prison hulks

He was taken back to Newgate where he remained for a year before being taken, on 14 February 1799, to Portsmouth where he spent the next fourteen months on the Lion hulk, one of the prison hulks moored in the harbour. The hulks were old, rotten ships, used to house convicts while they waited for a ship to take them to Australia. Eventually Uriah was taken aboard the convict ship, Royal Admiral, which arrived in Portsmouth on 11 April 1800. The ship left Portsmouth on 28 May 1800 and sailed via Rio de Janeiro to New South Wales, a journey that took 181 days. Three hundred male convicts left Portsmouth on the ship but 43 died of gaol fever (typhoid) during the voyage. The Royal Admiral arrived at Sydney on 20 November 1800 almost three years after the Whitechapel burglary.

The next that we hear of Uriah is at the muster in 1806 where he is recorded as working as an assigned convict to George Smith on land in the Hawkesbury area near Windsor. Convicts were often assigned to work for settlers as they served their sentence. In 1812 Uriah received his ticket of leave which allowed him to work for himself, provided that he stayed in a specified area and reported regularly to authorities. On 25 October 1821 he received his conditional pardon. Technically he was free but he had to stay in the colony. As Uriah had begun to establish a new life for himself in Australia and very few convicts returned to England, this was probably not a great issue.

In February 1809 a record in the Colonial Secretary's papers  mentions that Uriah had delivered produce to the Hawkesbury government stores. Uriah therefore had acquired a holding of land in the Windsor area and started growing enough grain to sell some of it. By 1818 Uriah had three acres of land on which he grew wheat, seven acres for growing maize and he owned 14 hogs. By 1819 his land holdings had increased to 12 acres. The Sydney Gazette in the early 1820s listed names of those selling grain to government stores and on 18 December 1823, for example, Uriah delivered 1000 bushels at 3 shillings and 9 pence per bushel. Uriah has therefore established a living growing grain.

The convict census in 1828 lists Uriah's occupation as a baker in Windsor. A book about the history of the Hawkesbury area suggests that Uriah started the bakery in 1821. How he started the bakery business is unknown but it could be seen as a logical move for someone growing grain. Many years later a descendant of Uriah in his published diaries, the artist Donald Friend, mentioned that Uriah had established a flour mill in the Windsor area. However the business developed it must have been successful as for the next 150 years members of the Moses family were engaged in operating bakeries in the Windsor district.

From his humble beginnings Uriah had become a wealthy man. As well as the properties used for growing grain.he appears to have owned a number of properties in Windsor including properties in George Street and Macquarie Street. One of the properties, 68 George Street, still exists today and Roderick Storie, Solicitors have information about the Moses family on their website. The records show that over the years he employed a number of people to assist with his poperties and the bakery. Uriah was also a money lender.

68 George Street in 2010 (Google Maps)

On 9 March, 1830, when he was 50, Uriah married Ann Daley, the daughter of Charles Dayley and Susannah Alderson. Ann was 20 when she married Uriah at St Matthew's Church of England. They both signed the registry with x (their mark). Uriah and Ann had nine children - Frederick Uriah born 1830 died at 8 months, Rachel born in 1831 died when 3 weeks old, Henry (1832-1926), Susannah (1834-1923), George (1838-1908), James born in 1840 and died 6 days later, James Uriah (1842-1892), William (1844-1923) and Thomas born in 1846 and died a month before he turned 4.

We have a description of Uriah from convict records. He was less than 4 feet 11 inches tall, dark complexion, his hair was described as brown in one record and black to grey in a later record. His eyes were recorded as blue in one record and grey in another. Uriah was a Jew and in London he appears to have lived and worked in the Jewish community. In Australia he continued his associations with the Jewish community including donating ₤10 towards the building of a synagogue in Sydney. His family however were members of the Church of England and two weeks before he died Uriah was baptised by the vicar of St Matthews.

Uriah died on 5 December 1847. He was buried with other family members at St Matthew's Church of England, Windsor on 7 December. There was a brief obituary in the Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, Saturday 11 December 1847:
Also, on Sunday, the 5th instant, at his residence, George-street, Windsor, after a protracted illness of some   months, which he bore with Christian fortitude, Mr. Uriah Moses, aged 70, leaving a wife and six children to lament their loss. Mr. Moses was one of the oldest hands in the Colony, and universally esteemed by all who knew him. His remains were followed to their last resting place, St. Mathew's cemetery, on Tuesday evening last, by a numerous and highly respectable body of friends.  
After Uriah's death the various business concerns remained in the family managed initially by trustees as Henry, the eldest surviving son, was only 15 when his father died. Henry's youngest brother, Thomas died almost three years after his father but the remaining children were well provided for. Probably during Uriah's later life or shortly after his death, the fact that he and Ann's parents had been convicts appears to have disappeared from the family story. I know that my father Kenneth Campbell Moses, Uriah's great grandson, had no knowledge until shortly before he died that he had convicts in his family. A couple of years after Dad's death in1984, a family reunion and a published family history revealed that there were actually eight convicts (including one from the First Fleet) on Dad's side of the family. He would have been so proud of his convict ancestry and their part in the story of the European settlement in New South Wales. Another great grandson of Uriah, Geoffrey Frank Moses did not discover that he had convicts in his family until he received a letter in 1974 seeking information. I have used information from both Geoff's and Dad's research as well as my own research in compiling this brief snapshot of the life of Uriah Moses.

On 4 March 1869, Uriah's widow married James Powell who was described as a gentleman of Randwick. Ann died on 12 June 1880 and was buried at St Matthew's cemetery in Windsor with other members of the Moses family including Uriah

Uriah was my great (x2) grandfather