Proposed sale of land of Thomas William Birch

Proposed Sale of Land Belonging to the Late Thomas William Birch Esquire

Thomas William Birch died in Hobart on 1 December 1821 yet, due to technicalities with his will, attempts to sell his properties were not commenced until 1837. The properties were finally sold in 1839. The following articles were located in Trove.

Important to the Public

STRACEY & BURN,

Have the honour to announce, that a sale of the whole of the property of the late Thomas William Birch, will take place as soon at the proper and necessary surveys and plans of the several properties can be made-for the convenience of purchasers, the property will be Subdivided, and as a further accommodation, a very liberal credit will be given.

AMONG other Lots belonging to this Estate will be sold

The Macquarie Hotel and Grounds

The House, Offices, and beautiful Garden now ocoupied by Gamaliel Butler, esq.

The Brick Built Edifices adjacent thereto

The late Residence, Garden and Grounds, of Thomas Horne, esq. in Collins Street

As also the Gardens lately known at Job Neal's

Also the Grounds on the opposite side

Then all the 100 Acres of Land in Macquarie street, including the Farming Establishment, Tannery, etc

That desirable situation in Macquarie Street, now occupied by Mr. Brunton

ALSO,

That valuable property at the Lovely Banks, as well as several other farms-full particulars of which will be duly advertised, when the plans and surveys are completed.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 5 January 1838

LORD v. BIRCH.

Before a Special Jury

Mr Simeon Lord, of St. Paul's Plains, brought this action to try the validity of the will of the late Mr. Thomas William Birch. The evidence was of a very conflicting character, some of the witnesses deposing that Mr. Birch was not of sound mind when he made his will. Mr. Lord had married one of Mr. Birch's daughters. The property is said to be worth upwards of £40,000. After a very long trial the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, so the property will be divided among the children. Had the verdict gone for the defendant, the whole property would have been locked up, as it is said that the heir-at-law is of imbecile mind, and a ward of the Court.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 23 March 1838

PURSUANT to a decree of the Supreme

Court of Van Diemen's Land, made in a cause wherein Simeon Lord and others are complainants, and Robert Knopwood and others are defendants, the Creditors of Thomas William Birch, late of Hobart Town, Esquire, deceased, [who died in or about the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one] are, on or before the tenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, to come in and prove their debts before the Honorable John Lewes Pedder, Esquire, Chief Justice of the said Court, at his Chambers, at the Court House, Hobart Town, aforesaid, or in default thereof, they will be peremptorily excluded tho benefit of the said decree.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 28 September 1838

Friday November 9

Sale-Estates of the late Thomas William Birch, Esq., Macquarie-street, on the premises-Stracey & Burn.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 2 November 1838

Birch's Estate.-:By the advertisement which appears 'in another portion of our columns this day, we perceive that the whole of this property is at last announced for peremptory sale in the course of a few days. It is to be hoped that the delay which has occurred may not have been hurtful either to the interests of the family, or to the estate itself.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 2 November 1838

Macquarie Hotel Walls.

STRACBY & BURN WILL SELL BY AUCTION,

This Day, the 2d instant, on the Premises, at 12 o'clock, in Lots,

ALL those Brick Walls bounding the garden and premises of the Macquarie Hotel, Hobart Town, appertaining to the Estate of the late Thomas William Birch, Esq., fronting on Collins, Harrington, and Macquarie-streets, also forming the boundary fence between the above property and that of Michael Lackey, 'Esq. These Walls were built of the best materials ever produced in the colony, and having had the benefit of nearly half a century's seasoning are now more valuable than ever.

Payment will be required in cash, and the lots must be removed at the expense of the purchaser, within six days from the day of sale.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 2 November 1838

THE ESTATE OF THE LATE THOMAS WILLIAM BIRCH, Esq.

STRACEY & BURN Feel great pleasure in announcing that they have at length received instructions to dispose of all the Real Estates of that gentleman, in obedience to which they will Sell by Auction, without any reserve, on the premises, commencing at II o'clock, on Friday, the 9^th instant, in 74 Lots,

ALL those 100 Acres of Land, situated in Hobart Town, fronting on Macquarie, Liverpool, Goulburn, Davey, D'Arcy, Adelaide, and Anglesea-streets; also on Marine and Nile Terraces, intersected by the town rivulet, aqueduct, and other water courses ; in the immediate vicinage of the mansions and residences of J. H. Moore, W. Proctor, Hugh Ross, G. M'Killop, T. Learmonth, E. Hodgson, and J. Hackett, Esquires; also, the lands of Messrs. Harris, Dunkley, and Hurst ; the Glebe and Salvator Rosa Glen.

This very desirable property has been most judiciously divided and subdivided into lots,   varying in size, and presenting very peculiar eligibilities, so that persons seeking sites for private   residences upon the scale of a chateau or a cottage, will find spots to which even the stern sceptic must yield; then of no ordinary description are the natural facilities so fully presenting themselves in varied situations, which nature seems to have specially prepared for the election of mills, breweries, manufactories, and tanneries, (one of the latter, by the bye, long established, will be sold with lot 49).  

THE SOIL is deep and luxuriant, with an even surface, and the Botanist, Horticulturist, and Florist, need hardly be reminded their labours will never elsewhere meet the certain reward here so specially afforded them. Building material abounds, and to be brief, it would be difficult indeed to decide under which head to class the supreme advantage so evident upon each and every lot.

Payment will only be required as follows: Purchasers under £100 shall pay a cash deposit of 25 per cent, on the amount of purchase, and the remainder on the 9th November, 1839, with interest at 10 per cent, per annum; purchasers   above £100 and not exceeding £300, shall pay a cash deposit of £20 per cent , and the remainder by two equal instalments, on the 9th November, 1839, and 9th November, 1840, with interest, payable half-yearly, at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum; purchasers to the amount of £300 and upwards, shall pay a deposit of £15 per cent, and the remainder in four equal instalments, on the 9th November, 1839, 9th November, 1840, 9th November, 1841, and 9th November, 1842, with interest, at 10 per cent, per annum; but any purchaser will be at   liberty to pay the full amount of his purchase, with the interest that may be due thereon, at   any time within the prescribed period.

Printed particulars and conditions are in the press, and will be ready for delivery (gratis) in a few days, on application to Dr. Westbrook, Hobart Town; Simeon Lord, Esq , of Avoca;   Edmund Hodgson, Esq., Hobart Town; Mr. William Birch, Launceston ; Mr. Henry Birch, Mr. George Birch, and Mr. Arthur Sutcliffe, of Hobart Town ; Stracey & Burn, the Auctioneers Elizabeth-street; and Mr. James Thomson,   Surveyor, Liverpool-street, Hobart Town.

Printed particulars and conditions will also be left at the principal Inns throughout the Island.

STRACEY & BURN Are happy in at length being placed in the situation to have the honour to submit to public competition, without the slightest reservation, on Monday, the 12th instant, at 12 o'clock, THAT very valuable portion of the Estate of the Late Thomas William Birch, Esq , situated in the most desirable parts of Hobart Town.

The property to be sold on that day will be divided into sixty-one Lots, among which will be the Macquarie Hotel.

This, it is perhaps unnecessary to state, is a very large, substantial brick-built edifice, comprising numerous elegant, lofty, well-proportioned rooms, with extensive cellarage, out-offices, and buildings, garden grounds, yards, &c; and as a   family hotel, so much required in this metropolis, is in situation and internal arrangement more suitable than any other. But not to confine  these premises to that business alone, the Auctioneers confidently assert such buildings are suitable for any large establishment, either public or private.

Of those Premises in Macquarie and Harrington-streets, many years in the occupation of Galamiel Butler, Esq., sufficient is proclaimed of their extent, convenience, and peculiar comfort, by the veritable circumstance of so lengthened an occupation, by that gentleman.

That centrical and enviable Residence, long tenanted by Thomas Horne, Esq., with the delightful Garden, refreshed at the back by never-failing streams, is a property justly enviable.

As a matter of speculation and profit those Two Brick Cottages, at the comer of Hartington and Collins-streets, present irresistible inducement.    

For building, with a certain security of tenancey, the Premises now occupied by Mr. Brunton, In Macquarie Street, which will be sold in two lots, stand altogether unequalled.     

Those Large Allotments taken off the Macquarie Garden, fronting on Victoria, Collins, Macquarie, and Durham-streets, from their advantageous locality, either as residences for private gentlemen, bankers, merchants, professional men, for chambers or offices, unspeakably recommend themselves.

That Allotment between the Macquarie Hotel and the property of Michael Lackey, Esq., is a situation of all others most eligible for a Wine and Spirit Merchant.

The corner of Mr Butler's beautiful Garden, fronting on Macquarie and Harrington- streets, offers from its numerous local advantages, the best situation in town for a Gin Palace on the London Principle.

The Two Blocks of Land, between Collins Street and the Hobart Town Rivulet, hitherto known as Job Neal's Garden, come under that class of property deserving general and individual scrutiny. So densly is Hobart Town now studded with buildings that it is impossible a similar centrical extent of land can again be found for A Market: and the severe reproach of after ages would be avoided by this selection for that purpose. As a mere matter of private speculation it would prove A Mine of Wealth If however sold, as divided in 28 lots, the ingenuity of description gets at fault, in attempt- ing to discover which is the most valuable of the number, either public or private.

Payment will be required from purchasers under £100, in cash at the rate of £25 per cent., the residue to be paid on the 9th November, 1839, with interest at 10 per cent, per an- num. Purchasers of £100 and not exceeding £300 will be required to pay a deposit of £20 per centum, and the remainder in equal proportions on the 9th November, 1839, and on the 9th November, 1840, with interest at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum. From purchasers to the amount of £300 and upwards a deposit of £15 per cent cash will be required, the residue in equal proportions payable on the 9th November, 1839, 9th November, 1840, 9th November, 1841, and 9th November, 1842, with interest at 10 per cent, per annum.

But !! any purchaser may pay the whole of   his purchase on the day of sale or at any other time most convenient, with the interest that may be due thereon.

Printed particulars and conditions of sale are in the press, and may be had (gratis), in a few days, on application to Dr. Westbrook, Hobart Town ; Simeon Lord, Esq., of Avoca;   Edmund Hodgson, Esq., Hobart Town; Mr. William Birch, Launceston; Mr. Henry Birch,   Mr George Birch, and Mr. Sutcliffe, Hobart Town; Messrs. Stracey & Burn, the Auctioneers, Elizabeth-street ; and Mr. James Thomson, Liverpool-street, Hobart Town ; also at all the Inns and places of public resort through- out the Island.

Agriculturists in General, And particularly those gentlemen who have so repeatedly inquired when the Sale of the valuable Farms of the late THOMAS WILLIAM BIRCH, Esq , would take place, are now respectfully informed, by STACEY & BURN, that at their Mart, on Friday, the I6th inst., at one o'clock, they are instructed to submit to the Hammer, positively to the highest bidders, THE following FOUR VALUABLE ESTATES: -

Lot I.

Fifteen Hundred Acres of Land, most appropriately called The Lovely Banks, with the dwelling-houses, barns, stabling, out- building, farm yards, &c.

The Auctioneers feel it would be a waste of time to enter into detailed particulars in an advertisement, those general and minute advantages of which it is impossible to divest this Estate. The situation on the main road, from the earliest formation of the colony, having rendered its value and beauties a topic of the utmost notoriety; the agreeable distance from   Hobart Town, the opening it affords for an Inn, the extent and value of the grazing land for sheep, the fertility of the soil, are only to be considered among a few advantages wholly unalienable from this Estate.

Lot II.

Two Thousand Acres of Land, situated at the Hollow-Tree Bottom, with all the buildings, yards, and erections thereon. This Estate is equally well known as lot one, and will prove to those unacquainted with it, one of the best farms in the colony. The soil is of the luxuriant and most valuable description, and to be its possessor alone, is to have the command of an independence.

 Lot III

Will comprise Two Hundred Acres, called The Duck Holes, situated near Richmond, on which is a Dwelling-house, yards, &c, a considerable portion is in cultivation, and securely fenced. Any per- son satisfied with ease and competency, will find this property exactly meet their views and wishes.

Lot IV

Will be a small Farm of Thirty Acres, called LYNCH'S, with a neat cottage and buildings, all securely fenced and cultivated, situated at Kangaroo Point. The contiguity of this little property to Hobart Town, renders it of incalculable value to any person desirous of relief after the fatigues of business in town, independent of which, for the extent, it is productive in an extraordinary degree.

Payment will be requested by a cash deposit at the rate of 15 per cent, on the day of sale, the residue to be paid in four equal instalments, on the 16th November, 1839, 16th November, 1840, 16th November, 1841, 16th November, 1842, with interest at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, payable half-yearly, unless any purchaser prefers paying cash, which he may do on the day of sale, or at any subsequent period, with the interest due.

Printed particulars and conditions of sale are in the press, and may be had (gratis) in a few days, on application to Dr. Westbrook, Hobart Town; Simeon Lord, Esq., Avoca; Edmund Hodgson, Esq., Hobart Town; Mr. William Birch, Launceston; Mr. Henry Birch, Mr. George Birch, and Mr. Sutcliffe, Hobart Town;   Messrs. Stracey & Burn, Auctioneers, Elizabeth-street, and Mr. James Thomson, Liver pool-street, Hobart Town.

The above information is taken from The Hobart Courier Friday 2 November 1838 page 3.

Similar information was also in The Hobart Courier Friday 9 November 1838 page 3

However in The Hobart Courier Friday 16November 1838 page 3 the following notice appeared:

Particular Notice

MESSRS. STRACEY & BURN beg to state, the sale of BIRCH'S ESTATE is postponed.

1839

In the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land-in Equity, TO BE SOLD IN LOTS, PURSUANT to a Decree of the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land, made in a cause of Lord and others v. Knopwood, since deceased, and others, with the approbation of His Honor the Chief Justice, on the premises, sometime in the month of January, 1839, of which due notice will be given, certain PREMISES situate in and near Hobart Town, late the property of Thomas William Birch, Esquire, deceased.

Particulars whereof may in a short time be had, (gratis), at the office of the clerks of the Supreme Court; of Messrs. Cartwright and Allport; Mr.Stanley; Messrs.Butler and Son; and at the offices of Messrs. Horne and Wynne.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 4 January 1839 page 3

Monday February 25

Sale-Land in Macquarie-street, Davey-street, and Liverpool-street, the property of Thomas William Birch, Esq -Mr, Stracey

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 22 February 1839 page 2

To be Peremptorily Sold, Pursuant to a decree of the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land, in equity, made in a case Lord versus Knopwood, with the approbation of the Hon. John Lewes Pedder, Esq., the Chief Justice of the said Court, on the premises, on Monday, 25th day of February, 1839, at 11 o'clock in the fore- noon, in seventy-five lots, BY MR. STRACEY, The Person appointed by His Honor, ALL those several pieces or parcels of Land, save and except lot fifty-seven, situate in and near Macquarie-street, Davey-street, and Liverpool-street, in Hobart-town, late the property of Thomas William Birch, Esq.

Printed particulars and conditions of sale whereof may be had (gratis) at the office of the Clerks of the Supreme Court; of Messrs. Cartwright and Allport; Messrs. Horne and   Wynne; Messrs. Butler and Son; and Mr. Stanley, solicitors, Hobart-town ; and of Messrs. Stracey and Burn, auctioneers, Eliza- beth-street ; and of Mr. James Thomson, surveyor, Liverpool-street, Hobart-town,

(Signed) J. L. Pedder, C. J. February 13.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 22 February 1839 page 3

Tuesday March 5

Sale-Premises of the late Thomas William Birch, Esq., in Macquarie, Harrington, and Collins-streets-Mr. Stracey

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 1 March 1839 page 2

To be Peremptorily Sold, Pursuant to a Decree of the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land, in Equity, Made in a Cause of Lord v. Knopwood, With the appropriation of the Hon. John Lewes Pedder, Esq , the Chief Justice of the said Court, On the Premises, on Tuesday, the 5th day of March, 1839, at 11 o'clock in the fore- noon, in sixty-one lots, BY Mr. STRACEY, The person appointed by His Honor, ALL THAT MESSUAGE OR TENEMENT, called and known by the name of the MACQUARIE HOTEL In Macquarie Street, Hobart Town, with the Garden thereunto belonging, and also all that Messuage or Tenement, Situate and being in Harrington Street, Hobart Town, with the Garden thereto be longing, now in the occupation of GAMALIEL BUTLER, ESQUIRE.

AND ALSO, ALL THOSE Two Messuages or Cottages, In Harrington Street, in Hobart Town, with the Garden thereto belonging, now or Late in the occupation of Mr. Edgar and Mr. Cooke.

AND ALSO, ALL THAT Messuage or cottage, Situate and being in Collins Street, Hobart Town, with the Garden thereto belonging, late in the occupation of THOMAS HORNE, ESQUIRE.

AND ALSO, ALL THAT MESSUAGE OR COTTAGE, With the Workshops and Garden thereto adjoining, in Macquarie Street, in Hobart Town, now in the occupation of Mr. BRUNTON

AND ALSO, ALL THOSE GARDENS AND PIECES OF LAND, in and near Collins Street, Harrington

Street, and Macquarie Street, lately in the occupation of JOB NEALE AND OTHERS, Late the Property of Thomas William Birch, Esquire

Printed Particulars, and Conditions of Sale, whereof may be had (gratis) at the office of the Clerks of the Supreme Court; or at the offices of Messrs. Cartwright and Allport, Messrs. Horne and Wynne, Messrs Butler and Son, and Mr. Stanley, Solicitors; Messrs Stracey and Burn, Auctioneers; and Mr. James Thomson, Surveyor, Hobart Town.  

(Signed) J. L. PEDDER, C. J. Feb. 13, 1839

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 1 March 1839 page 3

[NB: A messuage is a dwelling]

To be Peremptorily Sold, Pursuant to a Decree of the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land, in Equity, made in a cause Lord v. Knopwood, with the approbation of the Honorable John Lewes Pedder, Esq., the Chief Justice of the said Court,  AT THE ROOMS OF STRACEY & BURN, In Elizabeth Street, Hobart Town, On Saturday, the 11th of May, at one o'clock In Four Lots, BY MR. STRACEY, The Person appointed by His Honor, ALL that Messuage or Tenement, commonly called and known by the name of the Lovely Banks, together with the land thereunto belonging, and the barns, stables, sheds, and other out-buildings thereon, containing 1,900 Acres of Land, situate, lying, and being in the district of Green Ponds, Van Diemen's Land.

And also, all those 2,000 Acres of land, situate, lying, and being in the district of Bath, in Van Diemen's Land, with the house, sheep, and cattle yards thereon, and now commonly called and known by the name of the Hollow Tree Bottom

And all that Estate called and known by the name of Duck Hole Farm, Containing 200 Acres of land.

And all that Piece or Parcel of Land, containing Thirty Acres, situate, lying, and being at or near Kangaroo Point, Richmond, in the district of Clarence Plains, Van Diemen's Land, commonly called and known by the name of  Lynch's Farm, Late the Property of Thomas William Birch, Esq.

Printed particulars and conditions of Sale may be had (gratis) at the office of the Clerks of the Supreme Court, or at the offices of Messrs. Cartwright and Allport, Mr. Blizard Stanley, Messrs. Horne and Wynne, Messrs. Butler and Sons, Solicitors; Messrs. Stracey and Burn, Auctioneers ; and Mr. James Thom- son, Surveyor, Liverpool-street, Hobart Town.

(Signed) J. L. PEDDER, C.J.

The Hobart Town Courier Friday 26 April 1839 page 3

52 Ancestors #15 Sarah Birch

Sarah Birch was born in Hobart on 13 October 1814. She was the fourth child of Sarah Guest and Thomas Birch but her sister, Ann, had died three years earlier. Her older brothers were Samuel (born 1809) and William (born (1812). Her parents had another three children, Eliza (born 1816), Henry (born 1818) and George (born 1820).

Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania) had only been established 10 years previously so was still a small, but busy, community when Sarah was born. The economy of the colony depended on sealing, whaling, timber getting and trade with Sydney, England and India. Thomas Birch was involved in all these activities and was becoming a wealthy man. The year after Sarah was born her father had built Macquarie House, a three story brick house in Macquarie Street. As many of the other buildings in Hobart Town were still wattle and daub structures, Macquarie House was a prominent building. As well as being a family home, Thomas stored and sold cargoes of merchandise that had arrived from overseas.

When Sarah was seven years old her father died leaving her mother with six children aged between twelve and one to look after. Although the family was well off there were complications with Thomas' will and the large amounts of land available owned by the family could not be sold until 1839.  An advertisement appearing in the newspaper shortly after the death of her father showed that Sarah's mother was attempting to carry on the family business. In March 1822 Edmund Hodgson arrived in the colony and newspaper advertisements shortly after his arrival show that he began selling goods on behalf of Sarah Birch.

On 23 November 1823 Sarah's mother married Edmund Hodgson. Between 1825 and 1834 six more children were added to the family. As the eldest daughter, Sarah may have helped look after her younger siblings and half siblings until she married Simeon Lord junior when she was 16.

Sarah married Simeon Lord (the eldest son of the convict also named Simeon Lord) on 15 June 1831 at St Matthew's Church in New Norfolk. St Matthew's was built in 1823 and consecrated in 1828. Although there have been many alterations to the church over the years, St Matthew's is Tasmania's oldest church still holding services today in part of the original building.

St Matthew's Anglican Church, New Norfolk today

Simeon's father had business dealings, including grants of land, in Tasmania and his name appeared from time to time in the same newspaper reports that referred to the business dealings of Thomas Birch, Sarah's father. Hobart was a small community and although Thomas Birch was no longer alive when Simeon junior arrived in the colony in 1825 he probably knew of the Birch family. This possibly led to an introduction to Sarah.

Initially Simeon was a trader selling goods and livestock in Hobart. By 1830 Simeon and Sarah were living at Bona Vista, a property near Avoca south of Launceston. This was one of three agricultural properties owned by the Lord family. They also had a house, Vaucluse, in Macquarie Street, Hobart, which they lived in for part of the year. In 1873 they started selling their Tasmanian properties in preparation for moving to Queensland. Many of their children had already moved north and established themselves in Queensland. In Queensland Simeon purchased a number of properties including Eskdale and Culloden, but they also had a house, Highmead, in Roma Street, Brisbane where they spent much of their time.

Sarah and Simeon had eleven children - Francis (1832-1918), Louisa (1833-1866), William (1836-1906), George (1837-1841), Edward (1838-1839), Emma (1840-1918), Frederick (1841-1914), Robert (1844-1878), Simeon (1847-1816) and Alfred Percy (1852-1927). Another son was stillborn on 19 May 1854. Another two sons died as young children. The newspapers reported that Edward died of whooping cough on 9 August 1839, aged nine months while George died unexpectedly on Friday evening 12 February 1841, aged three years and nine months. The eight surviving children, six sons and two daughters, grew to adulthood and led successful lives. 

Education of the children appears to have been an important part of their upbringing. In 1849 Sarah placed advertisements in newspapers for 'a respectable young lady as governess' for the children. The obituary for Frederick Lord includes the information that at the age of 10 he was sent to England where he attended Blackheath Proprietary School and then Kings College School on The Strand. In the England 1861 Census the name of Robert S Lord appears on the list of pupils living at the home in Pultney of one of the masters of Kings School. Whether the other sons were also educated in England is not known at present.

No doubt Sarah and Simeon were proud of the contributions made to the development of the colonies by their family members. The boys tended to follow their father's pastoral interests owning large properties, particularly in Queensland, though Edward and Frederick were also Members of Parliament. Robert worked in the goldmines of Gympie. Louisa married William Tully, a surveyor who later became Surveyor General of Queensland, and they had three children. Unfortunately Louisa died two months after the birth of her third child (who also died two months after the death of her mother). Emma married Lieutenant George John Taylor Airey (later Colonel) of the Royal Marines and Royal Australian Artillery and they had six children.

Sarah died in Sydney on 30 January 1892 when visiting her daughter, Emma, and her family. The following report about Sarah appeared in The Brisbane Courier on Thursday 4 February 1892:

A well-known figure is lost to Brisbane society in the person of Sarah Lord, wife of Simeon Lord, of Highmead, Upper Roma-street. She was known amongst a large circle of friends, but more especially in connection with charitable institutions. It is much to be feared that a constant attendance on official duties week after week reduced her failing strength too much before her recent visit to Sydney. In connection with city institutions she was on the committees of the Lady Bowen Hospital, North Brisbane Benevolent Society, the Governesses' Home, and on the committee as vice president of one of these almost ever since her arrival in the colony some fifteen years ago. She was born at Hobart, Tasmania, on the 13th, October, 1814, married 15th June, 1831, and died on Saturday morning last at the residence of her son-in-law, Colonel Airey, Victoria Barracks, Paddington, Sydney. Her loving, genial nature and keen interest in the welfare of her fellow creatures will be sorely missed by a large portion of the community.

 Sarah Birch was my great (x2) grandmother.

52 Ancestors #14 Sarah Guest

Sarah Guest was born on Norfolk Ireland on 1 May 1792. Her parents were convicts, George Guest and Mary Bateman. Norfolk Island was settled shortly after the British arrived in Port Jackson in 1788 in order to grow food, flax, timber for masts and other supplies urgently required in the new settlement in Sydney. Mary Bateman arrived on Norfolk Island on 7 August 1790 while George Guest had arrived on the island on 7 January 1790. They married in November 1791 when the Rev. Richard Johnson visited Norfolk Island. The convicts had been encouraged to farm their own land in order not to be dependent on government supplies and over time George acquired additional land, eventually building his holdings to 250 acres, and was successfully farming on Norfolk Island. Records show that he grew maize and raised pigs and sheep - by 1805 the flock of sheep was reported to number close to 950. This was the world in which Sarah spent her childhood. She had three younger brothers born between 1794 and 1804. Her sister, Mary, died in 1804, aged one, and was buried in what is now the Old Cemetery on Norfolk Island. Sarah, being the eldest daughter, would have been expected to help with the younger siblings and also would probably have had chores to do on the farm.

In September 1805 Sarah and her family left Norfolk Island to settle in Tasmania. She was thirteen when the family travelled by ship to what was to be their new home. They were to be given land in Tasmania equivalent to what they owned on Norfolk Island. Initially the family was granted 24 acres at Macquarie Point and her father spent the rest of his life arguing with authorities in order to build up his property interests in the state.

When she was 16 Sarah married Thomas William Birch, a surgeon who had recently arrived in the colony. They were married at St David's Church in Hobart on 12 September 1808. There is some uncertainty about the actual age of Thomas Birch but he was considerably older than his wife and possibly only a few years younger than her father. Thomas would have been in his forties, or close to 40, when he married Sarah. Between 1809 and 1820 Sarah and Thomas had seven children - Samuel (born 1809), Ann Riley Birch (born 6 October 1810 died 24 April 1811), William (born 1812), Sarah (born 1814), Eliza (born 1816), Henry (born 1818) and George (born 1820).

Hobart had only been established as a settlement in 1804, the year before Sarah and her family arrived. The initial buildings would have been wattle and daub huts. Thomas did not practise as a doctor but instead became involved in the lucrative whaling and sealing industries, timber-getting, ship building and selling ships' cargoes as they arrived in the colony. Thomas also acquired large holdings of land in Hobart and other parts of Tasmania. In 1815 Thomas had built the three storey brick house at 151 Macquarie Street, Hobart where his family lived and from where he could conduct his business.

Macquarie House - 151 Macquarie Street, Hobart

The family had  now established a comfortable life-style in the new colony. In December 1815 Thomas paid for James Kelly to explore part of the Tasmanian coast and during the expedition Sarah had an island, Sarah Island, named after her. When Governor Macquarie visited Van Diemen's land in April 1820, the Birch family moved out of the house in Macquarie Street for the three months of the Governor's visit so that their home temporarily became the residence of the Governor. No doubt they spent the time in one of their other properties.

But Sarah's life was about to change. On 1 December 1821 Thomas William Birch died and was buried on 7 December in the cemetery at St David's Church, Hobart. Sarah was a widow at 29 with six children to look after, the youngest only 1 year old. Thomas had left a will prepared shortly before he died that 'devised his real Estates to Trustees for sale'. There were complications and nothing happened until 1838 when Thomas' son-in-law, Simeon Lord jnr, questioned the validity of the will. The properties were believed to have been worth more than £40,000 - a huge sum of money. In November 1838 the properties were advertised for sale with the 100 acres in Hobart divided into 74 lots. There continued to be discussions as to how the properties were to be sold complicated by the Court declaring that proceeds from the sale should be paid to the Colonial Treasury which would keep any interest accrued and then distribute proceeds of the sale to those entitled. The sale of the lots making up the 100 acres owned by Thomas Birch in Hobart were eventually sold in March 1839, more than 18 years after his death. 

On 29 November 1823 Sarah married Edmund Irton Hodgson who had arrived in Hobart from England aboard the Castle Forbes in March the previous year. Sarah and Edmund had six children: Charles Alfred (1825-1885), Fanny (1826-1880), Ann Jane (1828-1880), Edmund Irton (1830-1874), Frederick Lampla (1831-1878) and Walter (1834-1890).

The Hobart newspapers contain many references to Sarah and especially Edmund. Edmund set himself up initially selling goods that had arrived via ship in the colony. Sarah had continued operating many of Thomas' business interests including selling merchandise and soon advertisements appeared in the paper advising that Edmund Hodgson was selling items on behalf of Mrs Birch. Once they were married he became more involved in the family business as well as operating his own business interests. These included the operation of the Cascade Tannery in the 1820s and early 1830s. Sarah and Edmund converted the house at 151 Macquarie Street into a hotel which, although they owned the buildings, other people were the licensee including Robert Stodhart and James Cox. In the 1830s Edmund became licensee. The building was sold in August 1840. Edmund had over-stretched himself financially and in order to pay his debts, in 1841, he convinced his wife to surrender part of her claim to her former husband's property. Sarah, with the assistance of her family, later took the matter to court arguing that she had been coerced into signing the legal documents. Eight years later the judge agreed with her family which halted any further payments of Edmund's debts. The Hobart Courier provides detailed descriptions of the case including descriptions provided by Clara Birch and George Birch of the conditions of their mother's marriage and how she had been distraught before signing the papers in 1841. The court proceedings made it clear that the claimants to the money were unaware of the coercion applied by Edmund Hodgson.

In 1847 Sarah and Edmund built a large house, Islington, on land he had purchased when the Birch property had been sold. They never lived in the house but used the rent as a source of income.

Islington is now a boutique hotel in Hobart

They also built Glen House near the intersection of Macquarie Street and Glen Street and this house became the family home.

Glen House, Macquarie Street, Hobart

In July 1849 Edmund and three of his sons departed Hobart aboard the William Melville for California. A paragraph in the paper the previous month noted that Edmund was planning to take nine prefabricated buildings to sell when they got there. One suspects they planned to make their fortune on the Californian goldfields but only stayed a short time before returning to Tasmania.

Sarah died on 31 March 1868 at her home, Glen House, in Hobart. Sarah, who was seventy-five when she died, had led an eventful life and seen many changes in the development of Hobart during her lifetime.

Sarah was my great (x3) grandmother.

52 Ancestors #13 Thomas Birch

Thomas William Birch is the first member of my family to voluntarily come to Australia. Thomas is thought to have been born in 1767 at Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, England. If so, his parents may have been John Birch (born 1742) and Mary Thompson (born 1745). However I have seen articles that give his year of birth as 1774. We do know that he came from England and that he was a surgeon.

In May 1808 Thomas arrived in Hobart aboard the whaler, Dubuc. Whaling was a profitable industry operating in the south seas in the early 1800s and Hobart was well placed as a port for whaling. The whales were hunted primarily for oil. One assumes that Thomas had been ship surgeon for a number of years before the trip to Van Diemen's Land. The Dubuc was an English ship weighing 306 tons. The ship was to return to England laden with whale oil but started leaking near Kangaroo Bluff in the Derwent River and was declared unsuitable for sailing. The ship returned to Hobart where the cargo of oil was saved as months later transferred to the convict ship, Aeolus, which, in April 1809, called into Hobart on the return journey to England. Thomas decided not to return to England but instead was to make a new life in the new colony in Van Diemen's Land.

On  12 September 1808, Thomas Birch married Sarah Guest at St David's Church, Hobart. Sarah, aged 16 when she married Thomas, was the daughter of convicts George Guest and Mary Bateman. Sarah's family had transferred to Tasmania from Norfolk Island three years earlier. Thomas and Sarah had seven children - Samuel (born 1809), Ann Riley Birch (born 6 October 1810 died 24 April 1811), William (born 1812), Sarah (born 1814), Eliza (born 1816), Henry (born 1818) and George (born 1820).

Hobart was founded in 1804 when the initial settlement at Risdon (1803) was moved to Sullivan's Cove where there was a good supply of fresh water and the area was suitable for establishing a port, essential for supplying the needs of the new colony and for trading. Sealing and whaling were the first industries. With such dependence on the port and the distance from Sydney and the rest of the world, shipbuilding also soon became an important industry. In 1808 Thomas was one of three surgeons in Hobart Town but he seems to have left this part of his former life behind to concentrate on making the most of new opportunities.

In 1812 Thomas Birch had had built the small ship (60 tons), Henrietta Packet, which made its first trip to Sydney in April 1813. The ship carried passengers and cargo and when it was sold in 1818 it was renamed the Young Lachlan. At the same time, Thomas also acquired the brig, Sophia, (100 tons) which normally carried passengers and cargo and was was at times leased by the government. When the Sophia was sold to the Government in 1822 the ship was renamed the Duke of York. James Kelly worked for Thomas as master of these ships. In 1815 Kelly was employed by Thomas Birch to explore the Tasmanian coast in another small ship called the Elizabeth. A number of locations were named by Kelly including Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour. Birch Inlet and Sarah Island were named after Thomas and Sarah. For these endeavours Thomas Birch was given twelve months exclusive access to the area around Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour in regard to trading and also the gathering of timber from the area, especially Huon pine.

Having spent years working aboard a whaler, it is not surprising that he became involved in this industry as well as in sealing. Whale oil and seal pelts were major exports from the colony. A newspaper report in 1817 stated that the Sophia immediately required 'six fine young able bodied seamen' for a sealing voyage and in March 1818 the Sophia returned to Hobart from a sealing voyage along the New Zealand coast with 3,000 seal skins. In September 1818 it was reported that the Sophia returned with six whales caught in the river.

Ships arriving in Hobart usually had cargoes for sale and Thomas quickly established himself as a merchant selling goods from his property in Macquarie Street. Trove has digistised newspapers for Hobart from 1816 and many issues list the goods that are available from the premises of Thomas William Birch. The lists are interesting, not just for the items that Thomas purchased but as an indication of goods required by the settlers in the new colony. There were goods for the house which might include kitchen utensils, crockery, eight-day clocks, table linen, pillow and bolster covers, bed furniture, bed ticking, sheets and blankets, carpets and rugs, iron pots, frying pans, lanterns and cottage stoves. Imported foods such as capers and pickles, herrings, Gloucester cheese, tea, sugar, butter, barley, rice, Lisbon wine, sherry, brandy and Jamaica rum, old port and Madeira, as well as spices such as ginger, pepper, cloves and cinnamon were also sold. Building supplies were needed in the colony and included masons, carpenters, joiners and cooper's tools, turning lathe and tools, window glass, sheet tin and lead, locks, bolts and hinges, iron wire and paint brushes. Sail makers' tools were also available as well as canvas and rope. Farming supplies included wood and iron ploughs, axes, turnip drill harrows, winnowing machines, scythes and sickles, reaping hooks, hay forks, garden rakes, hoes, saws, spades and sieves, horse harness, best saddles and bridles, curry combs, twine, wool hooks and bagging for wool plus churns suitable for a dairy. And of course there was clothing for men women and children as well as a wide range of assorted fabrics. Other essentials included sealing wax, marble paper, quills, books, paintings and playing cards. Double and single barrel guns, powder and shot were also available for sale. Payment for goods was in money or wheat valued at 10 shillings a bushell.

Thomas and Sarah and their family lived in Macquarie Street, Hobart, first in a wattle and daub house but in 1815 a three story brick building was built for the family at 151 Macquarie Street. As well as the family home the building would have stored the goods available for sale. Parts of the building still exist and it is listed in the Australian Heritage Database and the Tasmanian Heritage Register. Thomas Birch owned a brick field between Collins Street, Hobart, and the creek and these bricks were used for the building.

View of the original building among more recent additions

The house would have stood out from the other buildings in the town and was grander than the official government buildings at the time. In 1817, when Lieutenant Governor Sorrell arrived in the colony, the Birch house was leased by the Government until repairs could be made to Government House. Three years later when Governor Macquarie revisited the colony the Birch house was once again used as his residence during the three month visit.

The Macquarie Street property was part of 100 acres of land, bordered by Macquarie, Liverpool, Goulburn, Davey, D'Arcy, Adelaide and Anglesea streets, owned by Thomas in Hobart. According to Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, Thomas Birch also owned land at Richmond, Hollow Tree, Jericho, Cambridge and Lovely Banks. Articles in Hobart newspapers refer to property he owned at Duck Holes near the Coal River which would have been the property at Richmond. Thomas regularly supplied meat and wheat to the Government Stores. When he died the properties were believed to have been worth more than £40,000.

In December 1819 Thomas William Birch was appointed to the Lieutenant Governor's Court of Civil Judicature. He was also Treasurer of the Auxiliary Branch Bible Society of Van Diemen's Land from its formation in May 1819.

Thomas William Birch died on 1 December 1821 and was buried at St David's cemetery on 7 December. The following day the Hobart Town Gazette & Van Diemen's Land Advertiser reported that overnight the grave had been robbed with clothing and grave goods removed. A reward was offered but no further information appears in the newspapers.

Thomas William Birch lived Hobart Town for only thirteen years but in that time greatly contributed to the development of the new settlement as well as providing for his family.The decision to remain in the new colony instead of returning to England appears to have been a good one.

Thomas William Birch was my great (x3) grandfather.

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

52 Ancestors #8 Susannah Alderson

Susannah Alderson was possibly born in 1780. She was baptised on  27 March 1780 in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Sleighthome is provided in the register as place where the family lived. Bowes is given as the village where she lived on some family trees while the index to the Yorkshire Assizes gives her place of origin as Gilmanby NR. Gilmonby is a village very close to Bowes and both are close to Sleighthome Moor. Sleighthome is also mentioned in some records. Her parents were Thomas Alderson and Hannah Longstaff. In some records Susannah is referred to as Hannah.

We next hear of Susannah when was working as a servant at Kirby Hill approximately 12 miles south east of Bowes. It is not known when Susannah first went to Kirby Hill but in 1805 she was working for the local schoolmaster, William Johnson when she became pregnant. Her son, who she named William, was born on 4 July 1806. Susannah said that William Johnson was the father of her child. William denied the accusation and took Susannah to court where she was tried and convicted of perjury. at the Yorkshire Summer Assizes on 4 March 1807.

York Courthouse in 2008

The History of York website has this image of the York Courthouse built in the 1770s and which was where the Assizes for the county were held. Additions would have been made to the building since 1806 when Susannah was tried there.

York Female Prison building in 2007

The Female Prison was built in 1780. It was used primarily to house female prisoners though males could also be imprisoned there. Two wings have been added so it would have not been so large when Susannah would have been imprisoned.

On 18 May 1808 Susannah was aboard the convict ship, Speke, when it left Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall with 99 female convicts aboard. Therefore, sometime in the months before, Susannah with her baby and other female prisoners had been brought down to Cornwall from Yorkshire by cart which cannot have been a pleasant journey. The ship travelled to New South Wales via Rio de Janeiro and The Cape of Good Hope arriving at Sydney Cove on 15 November 1808. Susannah's son, William was now almost two and a half years old and had been allowed to stay with Susannah in prison and on the ship to Australia.

Shortly after arriving in Australia Susannah must have met the former convict Charles Daley. She would have moved to Windsor soon after her arrival in Sydney as Susannah and Charles had a daughter, Ann, who was born in Windsor on 10 September 1809. On 27 August 1810 Susannah married Charles at St Matthew's Church of England in Windsor. Charles owned and farmed land in the area. Susannah and Charles had another five children, Mary Ann born 1811, Charles born 1813, Sarah born 1815, John born 1817 and Susannah born 1819. William lived with Susannah and Charles though he kept his mother's surname.

Charles died in 1831. Susannah died thirty-three years later on 7 October 1854 after being burned in a fire at her home in Windsor. An inquest was held the following Saturday with a report in the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser 18 October 1854:

INQUEST AT WINDSOR -On Saturday, the 7th instant, an inquest was held at Windsor on the body of Mrs. Susannah Daley, an old resident.  On the Thursday evening a neighbour saw an unusual light in the house of deceased, and running towards her met her at the door enveloped in flames. Her head, face, and upper part of her body were dreadfully burnt, so much so that she could give no account of the accident; she was very old and feeble. The jury found a verdict that she had died from the effects of a burn accidentally received.- Sydney Morning Herald, Oct. 14 1854.

Susannah was buried at St Mathews Church of England, Windsor.  

Six of Susannah's children married and lived in the district producing many grandchildren. As to be expected the parents of the people they married had been convicts who had made a new life in the Hawkesbury region. Susannah's youngest daughter, also Susannah, did not marry.

Louise Wilson has written books about families that in the Hawkesbury district. Three of the books, Robert Forrester - First Fleeter, Paul Bushell - Second Fleeter and Southwark Luck are about families that the Daley family had contact with and in some cases, married into. Susannah and Charles' son, John (1817-1884), married Mary Ann Martin - the grand-daughter of Robert Forrester, and the daughter of Ann Forrester and Charles Martin. Isabella Forrester who married Charles Daley(1813-1886) had also been 'adopted' by Paul Bushell and his first wife.

William Alderson, Susannah's son who came on the ship from England with her, initially farmed land at Wilberforce before moving into Windsor where he owned and operated a tannery. He died in Windsor on 10 July 1885. 

Susannah was my great (x3) grandmother. 

Reference for photos:History of York -  The County Court House  and The Female Prison