Sixty-nine years in East Bentleigh

At the end of June 2024 the Moses family ties with 37 Edinburgh Street, East Bentleigh ended.

My family moved to their new home in May 1955, one of many houses being built on  former market garden land. The house was scheduled for completion at the end of 1954 so at the end of the school year I had said goodbye to classmates at Reservoir State School. However, as the completion of the house was delayed, I was back at the school for the first term (there were three terms a year in those days) and didn't start at Coatesville State School in East Bentleigh until the commencement of term 2.

Our house was the third house built in Edinburgh Street. There was a timber house on the corner of Edinburgh Street and Tambet Street plus the large farm house on the Mackie Road corner. However a number of other houses were being built in the street when we moved into our new home.

As a seven year old, moving house was a great adventure especially when the house was situated in an area that only a short time before had been market gardens. As new houses were built there were plenty of places to explore when the workmen had gone home. How good of them to create structures that we could climb on or hide in and create imaginary worlds. Once a building was at the stage where it could be locked at night we moved to another one being constructed near by.

Two streets away was Coatesville State School (primary school) which I attended for almost five years. St Christopher's Church of England (Anglican church) was a short walk away in Mackie Road. Also in Mackie Road, three streets away in the other direction, were the Mackie Road shops. In the 1950s some of the shops included the milk bar, the grocers, green grocers, haberdashery shop and newsagent. A petrol station was on the corner near the shops. A branch of the State Savings Bank of Victoria was also in this shopping strip. The doctor's surgery was across the road from the shops. Land bordering Mackie Road, opposite the top of  Edinburgh Street became the cricket ground and also housed the bowls club. My sister was four when we moved too East Bentleigh and she attended the kindergarten in a church hall in Mackie Road, near North Road.

The Oakleigh - Middle Brighton bus service ran along Mackie Road. This provided easy access to Oakleigh Station one way or to Bentleigh Station in the other direction. Bentleigh Shopping Centre was the main shopping centre at the time though there was also a smaller shopping centre at East Bentleigh. When I went to secondary school I used to travel on the bus each day to Brighton and when I studied at RMIT I would travel by bus and train to the city.

Edinburgh Street was a good choice for a family to move to as most of what we needed was close by. Before long there were many other families with young children in the street. The children attended Coatesville State School or St Peter's school in Centre Road. After school and during the holidays the children all played together. One family purchased a television set shortly after television first came to Melbourne and some of us used to watch the Mickey Mouse Club after school before going outside to play. Occasionally, some of the adults met on a Friday evening to watch Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight at the neighbour's home.

The houses in our section of Edinburgh Street (it is a long street) soon became a community with neighbours helping other families when needed. I remember spending a couple of days with other families on occasions when my mother was not well and when my brother was born. When I made my wedding dress our next door neighbour helped with the fittings and provided friendly advice.

Many of the women attended Mothers' Club meetings at the school and when the annual fete was held kitchens would be devoted to providing cakes, biscuits and toffees for the fete. This procedure would be repeated when the church held its fete.

In the 1950s fireworks were legal and Guy Fawkes Day and Empire Day (Commonwealth Day) were celebrated with displays of fireworks including Catherine wheels in the fence and sparklers as well as bungers and other fireworks, including one or two designed to explode in the sky high above our heads as we celebrated around a small bonfire in the back garden. My father and another neighbour were the main organisers of such activities.

In our early years living in Edinburgh Street, in October or November it was not unusual for part of the street to flood providing another excuse for community involvement, particularly among the younger members who considered this another form of entertainment.

In the late 1960s a bungalow took up residence in our back garden. My father was a journalist and needed extra space for his writing when he was working at home. I came to know part of the bungalow well as, when I returned to Melbourne from Canberra in 1971, I was allowed to use part of the bungalow as a bedroom. As I worked full time and was completing a university degree part time I usually only needed my space at night. My main challenge was to keep my father's dog from using my bed as his bed when I wasn't home.

After I finally left home the bungalow disappeared and an extension was built at the back of the house.

As family members moved from home we still got together for special occasions, especially Christmas Day celebrations normally held at Edinburgh Street. A major feature of these occasions was the game of street cricket involving family members and the neighbours. More recently the cricket games were played in the back garden to accommodate younger family members.

On 23 June we had our last family get together in Edinburgh Street. In the afternoon I went for a walk with my grand-daughter showing her the back route I used to walk to school and also the church which recently closed and has since been sold. Plenty of memories. There was also the final family game of cricket in the back garden.

The house has been purchased by developers who have other plans for the land. Hopefully whatever is built will house other families who can enjoy living in Edinburgh Street and in East Bentleigh (now formally referred to by authorities as Bentleigh East).

More information: A patchwork of memories - based on an assignment for University of Tasmania Family History Diploma assignment.

Olympic Games 1956 - more memorabilia

In preparation for another talk about the Olympic Games held in Melbourne in 1956 I now have some more memorabilia relating to the Melbourne Games and to my father.

Journalists reporting on the Melbourne Olympic Games were issued with a pass allowing them entrance to all venues during the period of the Games.

The Olympic Village Official Information Book provides basic information about the accommodation for those those staying at the Olympic Village in Heidelberg.

Click on image to enlarge

The information in this booklet provides examples of living in the 1950s with instructions for the use of bath heaters, gas coppers and other appliances. I also thought that it was interesting that steam irons and washing machines were only available in the Women's Quarters.

The Official Guide to the Olympic Games was published by the Organising Committee for the Melbourne Games. The guide contained a brief history of the Olympic Games, information about the Modern Games , venues, a programme of events, ticket prices, maps of venues plus information for tourists including information about transport, restaurants, sights to see, banking, postage etc.

The 1956 edition of The A T F S Olympic Handbook produced by the Association of Track and Field Statisticians was the third edition of this publication. It contains the official world track and field records for events from 1896 until 1952 as well as an all time world list for athletic events stating name,time, place and date event occurred. There is also  list if the world's best performances of all time.

The General Rules and Special Sports Regulations for the XVI Olympiad is a well used publication in my father's collection. It contains a detailed program for all events, maps (including gradients) for events held outside stadiums, general rules relating to the staging of the Games plus detailed regulations for individual sports.

The Melbourne Olympic Games were held from Thursday 22 November to Saturday 8 December. No events were held in Sundays. Programs were produced for each event for each day of competition. So far we have found programs for swimming, cycling and boxing among Dad's collection. I am still looking for the Dad's copy of the program for the Opening Ceremony.

In 1957 a booklet containing Australian Team Reports of the Olympic Games Melbourne 1956 was published. As well as lists of officials there was a general summary report followed by more detailed reports, often with photographs, for individual sports. There was a list of all the Olympic champions for the Games plus a list of Olympic placings by Australian representatives since the first Olympic Games in 1896.


These items, together with information on other posts on the Melbourne Olympic Games in this blog, help tell part of the story of an important sporting event in Melbourne's history.

#52Ancestors - Week 29 - Music

Trove has digitised newspapers from the Hawkesbury area and reading articles relating to my father's family I discovered a strong connection with music in one branch of that side of the family tree. This is therefore a summary post to some of the information discovered at the time with links to posts about music already in this blog.

William Moses (1844- 1923) was a son of Windsor baker, Uriah Moses (1780-1847), and Ann Daley (1809-1880). After their father's death the Moses brothers, with their mother, continued to run the bakery and general store until William eventually took over what was then known as the Hawkesbury Stores. William was involved in local activities including serving on the local council and being a member and sometimes president of the Windsor School of Arts.

William was also head of a musical family. Articles in Trove show that, particularly in the late 1800s, it was common for community concerts to be held at the church hall or school, often to raise money for a specific project. When looking at the programs detailed in the articles, the Moses family was always involved:

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. Windsor and Richmond Gazette, 23 February 1889 page 4).

William and his wife Elvina had twelve children and most appeared to play a musical instrument, often violin, flute or piano. However it was Stanley Moses (1878-1902) who attracted the most attention with his ability in playing the violin.

On 13 October 1888 Stanley (aged 10) played the 'Stephanie' gavotte with three other children in a children's program at University Hall in Sydney. He later played a duet. His sister, Josephine, also participated in the concert.

Conservatoire de musique, Brussels

Five years later Stanley was in Brussels where he had won a place to study at the Conservatoire of Brussels. Regular reports followed of performances given by Stanley at concerts in Europe. By 1900 he was playing First Violin with the Cologne Orchestra at the Paris Exhibition. It looked as it a brilliant career was available to Stanley until his unexpected death at Nice, France on 19 February 1902. Stanley was only twenty-three.
Stanley Moses 1893-1896
Stanley Moses  1897
Stanley Moses 1898-1902

Another discovery made when researching this branch of the Moses family was that William's eldest son, William Mountford Moses (1875-1940), married the Australian opera singer, Elsie Mary Fischer, known by her professional name Elsa Stralia.

Elsa Stralia Sunday Times 30/1/1927

Elsie and William travelled to Europe in 1910 where she Elsie studied in Milan and London. She made her debut at Covent Garden in 1913. After the War Elsa travelled and performed in many countries of the world including Europe, the USA and Australia. The marriage between William and Elsie was not a success and they divorced in 1934. William had returned to Australia some years previously.
Elsa Stralia - Australian Dictionary of Biography

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

Family history in strange places

A friend from primary school days has sent me a photo that she took recently of wallpaper on the wall of the public toilets at Campari House in Hardware Lane, Melbourne. The wallpaper in the photo was a page from The Argus newspaper 24 November 1956 page 3 in the Olympic Games liftout. One assumes that the newspaper has been coated or it would have disappeared long ago. The article is about the mens' 100 metres where the first three place-getters were expected to be American athletes.

Why was this image sent to me? The journalist who wrote the article was Ken Moses - my father.

NB: Checking Trove, another article by my father, published in The Argus on 26 November 1956, reported that although American sprinters came first and second in the race, Australian runner Hec Hogan won the bronze medal.

Musical connections

 This was the sixth of six short pieces of writing, with a reflective statement, which was part of the first assessment for Writing the Family Saga. The theme of the piece was family involvement in the community.

Applause at the end of the final act echoed through the school room, the venue for the evening performance. William surveyed the scene before him with pride. This had been a most successful concert, both musically and financially, with funds raised going towards building a new hall. The concert had also highlighted the talents of William’s musical family.

Like many families of the time, participation in musical activities was an important recreational activity for the Moses family of Windsor. At this concert William’s wife, his daughter and three of his sons had played with William in the orchestra. Members of the family also performed some of the solo acts. But for William, one of the high-lights was the debut performance of his nine year old son, Hilton. Hilton had received enthusiastic applause when he played ‘Norma’ on the violin. Was this the beginning of another musical career in the family?

Eleven year old, Stanley was already considered a talented violinist by those who knew their music. He had even been invited to perform in concerts in Sydney. Some had even been suggested that Stanley might one day continue his musical training in Europe. The audience had certainly enjoyed his musical contributions this evening.

William never had difficulty finding volunteers to entertain for a good cause and concerts usually featured a mixture of vocalists, dancers and comedians as well as instrumentalists. Recitations were also popular. The residents of Windsor looked forward to these concerts that provided a welcome break from daily life.

Reflection:
Access to local newspapers via Trove has opened so many research options for historians showing us a glimpse of what life was once like for our ancestors.

Most local communities throughout Australia included musical activities as part of their everyday life, and Windsor was no exception. Whether as part of a festive occasion such as Christmas or as an activity to raise money for a worthy cause, music helped bring people within a community together.

Community concerts could also provide a training ground for entertainers such as Stanley.

Reference:
Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 23 February 1889 page 4

Off to the Races

This was the third assignment submitted for Writing the Family Saga. Once again the word limit was 750 words plus a reflection.

As Etienne and his staff walked three horses along the shady bank of the Shoalhaven River, they could not have imagined that they were walking into history. Although Etienne’s horses regularly travelled by ship to Sydney to race, this time they would transfer to another steamship for the journey to Melbourne.

Etienne de Mestre was a successful trainer in New South Wales. On his dairy property, Terara, Etienne had built training stables plus a racecourse. Usually Etienne was content to race the horses in New South Wales. However when a new handicap race in Melbourne was announced, he decided to enter. Rivalry between New South Wales and Victoria was strong, so imagine the prestige if one of his horses won this inaugural race."

Travelling to Melbourne with horses aboard a small steamship, City of Melbourne, was not without risk. Ships did not always arrive safely and several race horses were lost at sea. However it was, realistically, the only way to get the horses to Melbourne.  Before the race, the de Mestre horses were stabled away from public view at South Yarra and trained at St Kilda Beach. Consequently, when Etienne and his horses arrived at Flemington, not many race goers took notice of the horses from the north.

On Thursday 7 November 1861 Archer lined up in front of a relatively small crowd of 4,000 for his first race in Melbourne. News of the death of Burke and Wills reached Melbourne only a few days before, possibly deterred many people from attending the race meeting. 

The favourite for the two mile handicap race was a Victorian horse, Mormon. Although two of the seventeen starters fell during the race, there was no dispute about the winner - Archer defeated Mormon by six lengths.

The following year Archer, returning to Flemington, carried the top weight of ten stone 2 pounds. Archer defeated Mormon by ten lengths. 

Although Archer was entered for the third Melbourne Cup in 1863, his application was rejected as the Separation Day holiday delayed its delivery. Victorian racing authorities therefore prevented Archer from racing at Flemington for a third time.

However, this was not the end of Etienne’s involvement with the Melbourne Cup. In 1867 he trained Tim Whiffler to a win, as well as Chester in 1877 and finally Calamia in 1878. Being a five time Melbourne Cup winning trainer was a record only broken many years later by Bart Cummings. 

The training achievements of Etienne de Mestre make the Melbourne Cup a significant event in the family saga. However, research shows that another branch of the family produced the owners of the winner of the 1920 Melbourne Cup.

William and Fred Moses owned a horse breeding and training property, Arrowfield, on the Hunter River. When one of their horses failed to sell at the 1916 Yearling Sales, the brothers decided to keep him. That horse was Poitrel. Poitrel had a number of defects for a race horse including his upper-jaw being larger than his lower-jaw. The horse’s hooves were also brittle making him an unlikely candidate as a stayer. However, trained by the property’s trainer, Harry Robinson, he had a successful racing career in New South Wales.

Communication had improved by 1920 and, arriving in Melbourne for the Cup, Poitrel’s reputation as a racehorse was well known making him a crowd favourite. His ten stone handicap was only two pound less than the weight carried by Archer in 1862 and five pound less than the weight carried by Carbine when he won in 1890. 

By the 1920s horses from all states participated in the Melbourne Cup – a race that drew huge crowds to Flemington each year. On Tuesday 2 November 1920, more than 110,000 people watched the race. Poitrel initially remained towards the end of the field but eventually wove a path through the other horses, passing his stablemate, Erasmus, 50 yards from the winning post. Poitrel won by half a length. 

According to the newspapers the large and colourful crowd roared their approval as Poitrel won. Although not the favourite, he was heavily backed and the bookmakers consequently did not share the public’s enthusiasm.

As the Governor General presented William and Fred Moses with the Melbourne Cup, they knew that keeping Poitrel was definitely the right decision. During his racing career Poitrel won fifteen times from thirty-seven starts – not a bad record for a horse that no-one wanted.

Etienne de Mestre and the Moses Brothers were not the only members on my extended family tree involved in horse racing. However they are the only ones to have had success at the Melbourne Cup – so far.

Reflection: Sport is a major thread in my Australian family saga. Researching the many branches of the family shows the importance of sport, including cricket, swimming, golf, lawn bowls, hockey, athletics and horse racing, in lives of family members. 

For most family members, sport was primarily a recreational pursuit. However for some it provided a livelihood. Family members, including my father, have also been sport writers. Family participation in sport is therefore an area requiring further investigation.
Trove has made it much easier to find information about events affecting family that may not necessarily be passed down the family by word of mouth. One example is horse racing.

The family connection with horse racing began in 1810 when Simeon Lord and George Guest both had horses participating in the first official racing carnival. Not surprisingly with the dependence in the nineteenth century on horses for farming and transport, opportunities were also taken to race horses throughout the country. Newspapers show family members with training tracks on their properties and racing horses at country race meetings.

Horse racing, particularly the Melbourne Cup, is a national passion. However it was not until I investigated stories of extended family members that I discovered the family connection with this race. I also discovered a story of risk taking – not just in the transportation of horses by sea but also racing a horse no-one wants. 

With the continued involvement of the present generation in sport, including horse racing, this thread in the family saga will continue.

References:
‘Victoria Turf Club Spring Meeting’, The Argus, 9 November 1861, p 5.
‘The Cup Race’. The Argus, Wednesday 3 November, 1920. pp 9 – 10.
Bernstein, D L. First Tuesday in November: the story of the Melbourne Cup. Melbourne: William Heinemann, 1969.
Hutchinson, Garrie. They’re Racing!: the complete story of Australian racing. Ringwood, Viking, 1999.Rolfe, Costa. Winners of the Melbourne Cup: stories that stopped a nation. Fitzroy: Red Dog, 2008.

Point of no return

University of Tasmania Family History course - Writing Family History

Assessment Task 2: Write a short narrative focussing on one person, place time or event from your family history. I wrote about Uriah Moses.
Word limit 1,000 words.

Point of no return

One silly mistake changed my life. It should have been easy. Just cut a hole in the window, retrieve as many items as possible, then take the goods to the Benjamin house.

When Mrs Benjamin suggested the idea to the three of us we jumped at the opportunity to earn a little money. Finding a job was not an easy task. For three years I worked for Henry Jacobs learning about glass, including how to cut glass with a diamond. But once I turned fifteen I was out on the street looking for work once more.  

The chosen time was six o’clock on Friday evening, 8 December 1798 to be exact. A date I will not forget. Being winter, it was totally dark as sunset was before four o’clock. Most people were indoors, especially in this Jewish community where the Sabbath was usually strictly observed. It was unlikely that we would be noticed. Cutting a hole in the window with a diamond rather than breaking the glass would also reduce the chance of anyone hearing us. 

What could go wrong?

I cut the glass and reached through the hole to collect items to pass to the other two lads who were my accomplices. It all went well until I misjudged the opening in the glass and cut my hand. There was blood everywhere. The other two disappeared into the night but I decided to finish the job. Taking as many items as I could carry I hurried to the Benjamin house as planned.

Mrs Benjamin ran a lodging house and I rushed upstairs to hide the items in the designated spot. I then set out to find Mrs Benjamin. When she saw my cut hand she cursed as she bandaged it quickly in an old, not too clean, shawl and told me to hurry to the hospital.

I managed to make my way to the river, crossed the bridge and finally arrived at Guy’s Hospital. My hand was cut in several places and there was a lot of blood on the shawl. I was in bed in a room with many other people when a constable arrived to arrest me. Mrs Benjamin had told him where I had gone.

Someone must have seen me leave Mr Holmes’ shop and followed me to the house where most of the stolen items were found. The constable asked me how I cut my hand and I told him that I had had a fall when crossing London Bridge. The teapot I was carrying broke when I fell and I cut my hand. He did not believe me.

When I arrived at the hospital I hid the one card of lace that I kept under the mattress. I did not see it again.

Newgate Prison was a dismal place. Although the prison building had recently been rebuilt, for those of us incarcerated within these walls it was dreary, crowded and dirty. And then there was the noise and the smell… So many people crowded together in unsanitary conditions. I was used to crowds in the streets and laneways in Whitechapel. I was used to living in crowded lodgings. But in here there was no escape from people. Occasionally we were allowed out in the prison courtyard for a short time and no matter what the weather it was good to have some fresh air. Food in the prison was also an issue. Prisoners with money were given better treatment and food while the rest of us had to exist on the slops provided.

It took a while for my family to find out what had happened and where I was.  My father visited me but I did not know what to say. We did not know what would happen to me but the future did not look good.

I had been in prison for a month when one morning a group of us was called to go to court. We were taken down a narrow passage connecting the prison to a dingy, crowded room beneath the court where we waited to be summoned.

The courtroom was a different world compared to the prison. The room was huge and from the high ceiling hung four chandeliers. I had never seen anything like it. I was told to stand where everyone could see me. Mrs Benjamin was there too.  A mirror was angled to reflect daylight on my face. During the trial there were lots of people talking about what had happened at Mr Holmes’ shop, at the Benjamin house and at the hospital.  They asked a lot of questions. When I was asked about events I said, 'I know nothing at all of it'.

Kitty Jacobs and three other witnesses were called to testify about my character. I don’t think that they knew that Kitty is my sister. Kitty said that I was honest when I worked with her husband. 

Then the verdict was given - Guilty with Death as the penalty. I stood there shaking and was hustled back to prison.

We had all seen prisoners leave down a narrow passage leading to the gallows outside the prison, never to return. We also knew that watching a hanging was considered a public entertainment. So this was to be my fate. I as only eighteen and would lose my life because I stole a few cards of lace and some cloth.

Then my luck changed. I was to be transported to another country for the rest of my life. I knew I would never see my family again but I was to be given a second chance.

Another year and the prison gates are closed behind us. Chains on, we are loaded into a cart. Our destination is a hulk in Portsmouth. Eventually a ship will take us to the other side of the world with no hope of returning to England, home.

Looking after special items in collections

For Christmas my family provided the money for me to order, from Archival Survival, some polypropylene boxes, polyethelyne bags, acid free card, photo hinges, tissue and labels to begin storing some of the special items in my family history collection.

The first project was to safely house copies of the Argus newspaper from the early to middle 1950s, some copies of the Australian Women's Weekly published around the time of the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956 plus a few copies of the new Smith's Weekly which made a short reappearance in the 1968. My father was a sports journalist on The Argus until its closure in January 1957 so the newspapers, especially the articles in the years leading up to the staging of the Olympic Games in Melbourne, are an important part of his story.

I already had a few large polypropylene map bags that I had acquired for another project - not enough for individual newspapers - but I was able to store similar newspapers in bags. The newspapers in the bags are now stored in a large A2 polypropylene newspaper box.

I purchased one A2 box for the newspapers but also purchased five A4 boxes for other collection items. A label holder is attached to the outside of the box indicating the main contents of the box. In time a contents list of items in the box will also be prepared.

The first project with the smaller boxes was to safely store items relating to my father and World War II. One of the objects was a wallet that I used for one of the projects in Image, Place, Object, one of the subjects in the University of Tasmania Family History course. A copy of the piece that I wrote about the wallet can be found in my Exploring Military History blog. This post describes some of the other items now stored in this box.

The wallet, dog tags and negative wallet were wrapped in acid free tissue paper. Ephemera such as tickets were housed separately in small polyethelyne bags from another project as were telegrams and correspondence. Fragile items were supported by acid free card.

My father helped write the book, White Over Green, the history of the 2/4th Battalion. A collection of photographs was sourced for this project and Dad kept a few of them which have now been attached to acid free card with acid free photo corners. When information about the image is known I have added this in pencil. The sheets of photos are stored in polyethelyne sleeves and then placed in the box.

Project 2 will be to store other material relating to my father including his involvement on the Publicity Committee for the Melbourne Olympic Games and the the 1956 Olympic Games in general. The other three boxes will be used for storing material relating to other major family history projects I have recently researched. I will then need to order additional boxes and supplies from Archival Survival - maybe the family can fund this project for my birthday.

NB: If you have problems assembling the polypropylene boxes leave them in the sun for a short time, which makes them more pliable, and then assemble them. Apparently a hairdryer on low can also help, though I have not tried this.

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.

Trial of Uriah Moses (part 3)

 London hospitals in the eighteenth century

The website, London Lives 1690 - 1800, contains an article on hospitals in the eighteenth century.

There is also a detailed article on Guys Hospital in British History Online.

Guy's Hospital was founded by Thomas Guy who in 1721 purchased land for the building in St Thomas Street opposite St Thomas' Hospital. The hospital opened in 1726 with 100 beds and 51 staff. In 1735 one staff member received an annual salary of £20 for killing bed bugs. In 1738-9 an east wing was added to the building. Many alterations occurred over the years, some necessitated after bombing during World War II. In 1993 Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital amalgamated. (The London Encyclopaedia, 3rd ed. 2008 p366)

Engraving from British Library collection

Reading the description of eighteenth century London hospitals in the twenty-first century they generally sound like places to avoid.

Uriah's accident
On 8 December 1797 Uriah Moses, who was seventeen or eighteen, was involved in robbing the premises of a linen draper and mercer in Whitechapel. It was approximately 6 o'clock on a Friday evening in winter so not only would it be dark there would not be many people around in this predominantly Jewish area. The trial notes from the Old Bailey Proceedings suggest that Uriah may have been one of three boys taking part in the robbery.

The robbery did not go to plan. As a lad Uriah had worked for three years for Henry Jacobs, the owner of a glass business in Petticoat Lane, so he was able to cut glass using a diamond. To gain access to the merchandise in the shop Uriah cut an opening in the glass. Unfortunately when he reached through the glass to retrieve some of the merchandise he cut the back of his hand resulting in considerable loss of blood.

During the trial William Holmes, the owner of the shop stated that a piece of diamond was left by the window frame and 'some of the glass remained in the inside of the window, and some out'. Mr Homes said that he did not hear the window being broken.

Items stolen according to William Holmes included 'four or five cards of black lace, some is what is called British lace, two pieces of silk handkerchiefs, and two pieces of calimanco, one was brown, the other drab colour; the whole of them were worth, I suppose, seven or eight pounds'.

Uriah raced to the nearby lodging house of Ann Benjamin and her husband where he hid most of the items, except for one card of lace, under a mattress in an upstairs room. He then looked for Ann Benjamin. She was out of the house during the robbery but returned shortly after to discover Uriah and his badly cut hand. She wrapped a shawl around the hand and told him to go to Guy's Hospital which was not far away.

Uriah had been in bed in the hospital for only a short time when he was arrested. According to the man arresting Uriah, the back part of Uriah's was cut in several places and the shawl which he found in the bed was 'very, very bloody'. There were a great number of other people in the room when Uriah was arrested. I hope that he had received some treatment for the cut hand. After Uriah was taken from the hospital a nurse found a card of lace in his bed.

The rest of the items retrieved from Ann Benjamin's house had blood on them.

The Old Bailey

The Old Bailey Online proceedings of court cases from 1674 to 1913. This is a great resource for family history research. I have found it particularly useful as three of the convicts in my family were tried at this court before being transported to Australia.

A brief history of the Old Bailey courthouse can be found on the Old Bailey Online website.

The Central Criminal Court is also known as the Old Bailey or the Justice House as it has been located on a street named Old Bailey since 1673. The street follows the path of the fortified wall of the old city of London, This wall was known as a bailey.

Portico of the Old Bailey (2011)

The inscription above the pillars reads Defend the Children of the Poor. Punish the Wrongdoer.

The building has been remodelled and rebuilt many times but the basic design of the court rooms remain the same.

In 1666 the courthouse was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. When it was rebuilt in 1673 one side of the building was left without a wall in an attempt to prevent the prisoners infecting other people with gaol fever (typhus) in the court.

In 1773 the wall was enclosed  to limit the effects of weather and probably also to deter spectators.

In 1774 the building was rebuilt by George Dance, the same person who was responsible for the rebuilding of Newgate Prison. In this rebuild a wall was built around the prison to prevent communication between the prisoners and the public. The passage between the Old Bailey and Newgate was enclosed by brick walls. A detailed description of this court room is provided in the Old Bailey history page. Damage caused by the Gordon Riots in 1780 was soon repaired though much of the furniture was destroyed.

View inside the court room c1809 - London Lives 1690-1800

This was the court room in which Mary, Uriah and Richard would have been tried. The court room and its furnishings were lavish, a sharp contrast to the accommodation for the prisoners in the basement when waiting to be escorted to the court. When the prisoner was in the dock a mirror was positioned reflecting daylight on to the face of the accused. There was limited seating for spectators in the court for those prepared to pay to watch the proceedings. It must have been a daunting experience for the prisoners in the dock as to most of them this would have been an alien environment which was very different from the cells in which they had been kept before the trial and to which many would return.

A second court room was built in 1824 followed by two additional court rooms over the next twenty years.

In 1877 there was a fire in the building forcing the City of London to start making plans to replace the courthouse. The decision was made to demolish the courthouse and the prison in order to build a new courthouse on the site. The new courthouse was opened in 1907. This building was damaged during bombing raids in 1941 requiring rebuilding. An extension was added in 1972.

London Lives 1690-1800 also has a detailed article about the Old Bailey Proceedings
This website also has articles on the courts,
the criminal trial in the eighteenth century,
and punishment in Criminal Justice section of the website.

Old Bailey Online also has a section on Crime, Justice and Punishment with a variety of useful articles.

Trial of Uriah Moses (part 2)

 On the surface the record of the trial of Uriah Moses and Ann Benjamin is just an account of the many trials heard at the Old Baily at the end of the eighteenth century. However when you carefully read the trial notes and investigate, where possible, some of the people mentioned in the trial it is possible to gain a better understanding of Uriah and his life so far.

We knew that Uriah Moses was Jewish and a closer look at the Old Bailey Online trial notes indicate that the area around Whitechapel, where Uriah appears to be living, had a large Jewish population at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Reading the trail notes shows a number of contradictions, however there may be some clues providing information about Uriah and his family.

Kitty Jacobs
In a previous post I wrote about the possible connection between Uriah and Kitty Jacobs, one of Uriah's character witnesses. A major reason for the assumption that this Kitty Moses might be Uriah's sister is that her husband, Henry Jacobs, had a glass shop and she stated that Uriah had worked with her husband for three years. Uriah would have been about twelve when he started working for Henry Jacobs. Kitty stated that Uriah worked worked with Henry for three years. Uriah's ability to cut glass windows was probably the reason he was involved in the robbery. Unfortunately for Uriah his skills let him down on this occasion.

There are many references online, including forums, to the Jacob family and the glass business. British Genealogy and Family History Forums has a section Jacob's family, china and glass merchants.

Kitty married Henry Jacobs in June 1793 at the Great Synagogue. The marriage record (GSM 011/7) in Synagogue Scribes shows Kitty's Hebrew name as Keila and that her father's Hebrew name was Moshe Cohen.  Moshe is another form of Moses.

Family Search wiki provides information on Hebrew names in England at this time. The Ashkenazim Jews initially used a patriarchal system of names where a child was the son or daughter of the first name of the father. In this case Moses.

The actual transcription for the marriage of Kitty and Henry Jacobs reads:
Source: S2996 Title: Marriage: Henry Jacobs & Kitty Moses, London 1793 Type: Marriage Record Publication: Transcript in Marriage Records of the Great Synagogue, London 1791-1885, Lewin, H and M, (privately published, 2004)
Text:
Husband: Jacobs, Henry. Hebrew Name: Hirsch b. David Litsim (or Letson)
Father's Hebrew Name: David Litsim (or Letson)
Wife: Moses, Kitty. Hebrew Name: Kelia b. Moshe Cohen (daughter of Moshe Cohen)
Father's Hebrew Name: Moshe Cohen
Date of Marriage: 19th June 1793 NB: Other transcripts give the date as 5th June 1793.
Ref 94666/77/G115 Repository: #R75 Data Changed: Date: 21 JUN 2011 Time: 11:12:05

At the turn of the eighteenth century the Jews in England were forced to accept a more uniform naming pattern. Consequently tribal names were often used. Cohen was a form of Kohanin, a priestly tribe. Another common Jewish name, Levi, was chosen for similar reasons.

Suffice to say researching Jewish names at the end of the eighteenth century for family history research is next to impossible.

Uriah's parents
During the trial the constable who had arrested Uriah reported that on asking Uriah how he had cut his hand he answered that he had been at his father's in Petticoat Lane and had cut his hand when he tripped, carrying a teapot, on London Bridge. Needless to say this information was not accepted as the truth by the judge but the mention of his father in Petticoat Lane may be true.

There is also mention of Uriah's mother during the trial. A character witness, Elizabeth Hicks said that she did not know Uriah but she knew his mother as ' a very honest hard working woman'.

This suggests that Uriah's parents were living in London by the time of his arrest and that they probably lived in Petticoat Lane. Petticoat Lane has been Middlesex Street since 1830. Prior to the early 1600s it was called Hogs Lane. This blog post in Londonist provides some information on the history of the street.

1720 map showing Petticoat Lane at the top

Middlesex Street (on left) and Whitechapel High Street (Google Maps)

Earlier today I located the Hambro Synagogue Register in the Susser Archive.

The Hambro Synagogue was an independent synagogue founded as an offshoot of  the Great Synagogue in the early 1700s. The Synagogue building, opened in 1725 in Magpie Alley, was demolished in 1892-3 and then rebuilt in another location in Whitechapel in 1899. It closed in 1936 when it merged once more with the Great Synagogue.

The register includes the following entry:
274 The widow of Moses COHEN THIRD FEMALE STRANGER buried on Wednesday 19 Iyar '570 [= 23 May 1810] Petticoat Lane

Could this be Uriah's mother? The name of her husband and the street where they probably had lived are the same. If so, Uriah's father died prior to May 1810.

The 'third female stranger' refers to the class of the person in the record. At this time Anglo-Jewish cemeteries ordered their seating and congregations into classes. Third class referred to strangers or guests and were usually poorer people who would sit at the back of the synagogue and have no regular seat. Jewish burials were also arranged in classes. The woman in this record was therefore buried in the poorer section of the cemetery.

Ann Benjamin
Another mystery in the trial notes is Ann Benjamin who was accused of being the receiver of the stolen goods.

Ann lived with her husband in a house where they let out rooms. The trial notes suggest that the boarders were women though Uriah appears to have known his way around the house. There is no suggestion in the trial notes that he actually lived there. Hannah Smith. Mrs Benjamin's servant, saw Uriah enter the house and race upstairs. She later said that Uriah wanted to speak to Mr and Mrs Benjamin who were not home at the time. Mrs Benjamin then arrived back home.

It is probable that Ann Benjamin was the organiser of the robberies. Once again, from the trial notes, it is suggested that Uriah was not the only boy involved in the robbery. Three boys are mentioned but Uriah appears to have been the only one to go to the Benjamin house.

Ann, when questioned, knew where the stolen items were hidden though initially she said she was unable to accompany the peace officer upstairs as she was observing the sabbath. Ann also admitted to wrapping Uriah's cut hand in a shawl and sending him to the hospital. At the trial Ann Benjamin was found guilty of stealing goods but she was not guilty of breaking and entering. She was sentenced to fourteen years transportation to New South Wales but stayed in England.

Uriah
During the trial Uriah's defence was 'I know nothing at all of it'. Although his three character witnesses were all positive it is not a surprise that he was found guilty of stealing the goods and breaking and entering the premises of Mr Holmes. As a large number of items were stolen the sentence was the death penalty.

Fortunately, possibly because of his young age, this was commuted to transportation to New South Wales for the rest of his life.

Ken Moses' wallet

University of Tasmania course - Image, Place, Object

As part of the Place, Image, Object unit we were asked to write about an object important to our family. The object that I chose was a leather wallet that was one of the possessions of my father during the Second World War. This is a link to the post about the wallet in my Exploring Military History blog.

Newgate Prison

Three of my ancestors, Uriah Moses (1780-1847), Richard Holland (1783-1867) and Mary Bateman (1773-1829) spent time in Newgate Prison in London before being transported to Australia.

When we visited London in 2011 we explored the area where Newgate Prison once stood. The prison buildings were closed in 1902 and demolished to enable the rebuilding of the new Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey).

Part of Google map showing Newgate Street- Old Bailey

Corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey,  former site of  Newgate Prison

Newgate Prison is where the convicts waited to be tried at the Old Bailey and were then kept, often for months or in some cases years, before being taken to the ship that would carry them from England to Australia.

Mary was arrested on 19 April 1788 and tried at the Old Bailey 7 May 1788. She then returned to Newgate until 12 March 1789 when 108 female prisoners were transferred to the transport ship, Lady Juliana.

Uriah waited in Newgate from 8 December 1787 until his trial on 10 January 1788. He then returned to Newgate until 14 February 1799 when he was removed to a prison hulk, Lion, in Portsmouth.

Richard was arrested on 24 May 1806 and was tried at the Old Bailey on 2 July 1806. On 2 January 1807 he was transferred to the prison hulk, Captivity, at Portsmouth.

 Newgate Prison building was situated on corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey. The original prison was built in the Newgate, the fifth gate built into the wall around London. The prison was rebuilt and extended many times from the end of the twelfth century.

Old Newgate - Wikimedia Commons

In 1666 the prison was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. It was rebuilt and extended in 1672 but the conditions for the prisoners remained appalling. The water supply to the prison was poor, there was inadequate ventilation and there were frequent outbreaks of disease within the prison. New prisoners were put in chains where the weight of the chains depended on what the prisoner could pay the jail keeper. The conditions in which the prisoners lived depended on what they could pay for bedding and food.

Between 1770 and 1778 a new, larger prison designed by George Dance the Younger was built. However, during the Gordon Riots in June 1780, the rioters stoned and set fire to the new prison allowing prisoners to escape. The prison was rebuilt between 1780 and 1783.

Newgate Prison end of nineteenth century - Historic Prisons

The new prison was therefore only a few years old when Uriah was imprisoned there in December 1787 and Mary in April 1788.

During the later years of the 1770s there was a movement to improve conditions in prisons. John Howard (1726-1790) worked for prison reform. He visited prisons throughout England and was not impressed with the conditions. In 1774 he gave evidence to a select committee in the House of Commons before the Gaol Act was passed. The Act was to abolish the payment of fees by prisoners to jailers as well as improve sanitary conditions in jails.

Conditions within English prisons improved but were still not good. Although Newgate Prison was designed to look impressive on the outside conditions inside were basic as prisons were still designed primarily as a detriment to crime.  It was not long before Newgate Prison once again became overcrowded.

The new prison was divided into sections and had three exercise yards. Common prisoners were housed in a different area from those who could afford to pay for better food and conditions. Female convicts were housed in a separate area.

Plan of Newgate Prison - Wikimedia Commons

Within the prison was the chapel. There was also a passage that led to the courtroom where prisoners were tried at the Old Bailey. Another passage led to the place of execution. There was also a burial ground for executed prisoners. The prison structure was altered again in the 1850s.

Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) worked to improve conditions for female prisoners.

During the nineteenth century authors such as Charles Dickens wrote about conditions at Newgate as well as including descriptions of the prison in some of their books.

A quick search in Google provides a number of sites providing information about Newgate Prison. A sample appears below.

Wikipedia article on Newgate Prison

There is also a short article in Wikipedia on the Newgate.

Last Mile Tours - Newgate Prison

While many of the prisoners were in the prison awaiting trial, others were waiting to be executed. Many prisoners were hanged at Newgate.

Images of Newgate Prison in the 1890s.

Historic UK has an article on Newgate Prison including images of part of the remaining wall.

Knowledge of London includes a photo of the only part of a prison wall that remains. The wall can be viewed in Amen Court at the back of the current Old Bailey building. 

London Lives 1690-1800 has an article about prisons including Newgate Prison.

British History online includes pages from the book, Old and New London (volume 2 published in 1878) about Newgate Prison.

The State Library of Victoria also has a number of titles on Newgate Prison which I will check.
The English Bastille: a history of Newgate Gaol and prison conditions in Britain. 1188-1902 by Anthony Babington 1971.
The gaol: the story of Newgate - London's most notorious prison by Kelly Grovier 2008.
Newgate: London's prototype of hell by Stephen Halliday 2006.
The Old Bailey and Newgate by Charles Gordon 1902.

The London Journal: a review of Metropolitan Society Past & Present vol. 9 (1) 1983 has an article 'Reconstruction of London's Prisons 1770-1799 an aspect of growth of Georgian London.This is also available in the State Library of Victoria.