A Battle against the odds, Chapter 12, part 5

 A transcription of the NSW family history book A Battle against the odds, Chapter 12, part 5. This section concerns the Irish convict, Mary Tully Smith (1799-1868), my GG Grandmother.

 

Mary Smith

 
Mary appears in the records with several surnames, but the main ones are Ellis, Ennis and Tully.
We tend towards Tully, as baptismal records in the church archives almost always show her maiden name as Tully. On her death certificate her father's name is shown as Charles Tully. Mary's was Irish and her trade was "silkwinder". She was tried and convicted of "house robbery" in Dublin (Cloudwell) in July, 1817 and sentenced in September, 1817 to transportation for seven years. She remained in Dunlin Prison, a place of disease and degradation until taken by ship with 69 other female convicts to Cork Harbour where, on 11th July, 1818 they were put on board the ship "Elizabeth" which had been used as a convict transport to Australia once already. Three other ships named "Elizabeth" later plied the same route with a similar cargo so, to distinguish them in the records they appear as "Elizabeth" I, II, III, and IV. As this was."Elizabeth" I's second trip the figure (2) is also added.
So the ship Mary found herself on was ."Elizabeth" I (2). Its first voyage to Australia as convict transport was in 1816 and its third and last was in 1820.
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Transcription of A Battle against the odds Chapter 12 to be continued.....

A Battle against the odds, Chapter 12, part 4

A continuation of my transcription of the NSW family history book, A Battle against the odds, Chapter 12, part 4

 Part 4 describes my GG grandfather John Smith's journey to New South Wales.

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Sir William Bensley

This is the name of the ship which brought John Smith and 198 other convicts to Australia. The ship sailed carrying 200 convicts but one died

Sir Wm Bensley was 584 tons built Ipswich 1802. Master Lew E Williams, Surgeon Wm Evans.

A V.I.P.
 

Also on board was William Sorell who had been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania to succeed Thomas Davey. Sorell went on to Hobart where he arrived on 8th April 1817. For seven years he administered the government with such ability and vigour that he earned the respect of Governor Macquarie.

Distribution

 
On 21st March 1817, 11 days after the arrival of the ship Sir Wm Bensley, Secretary Campbell sent a list of 84 convicts from his ship to Rev. Samuel Marsden J.P. at Parramatta. The 84 men "are now sent forward to Parramatta by water and you are to distribute them according to the list" wrote Mr. Campbell. They were assigned as follows to settlers in the following districts:
    

     23 Parramatta 

    25 Windsor
    20 Liverpool
    16 Bringelly

John's name was no. 19 on the list for Windsor "for general distribution". Three of the 25 were assigned to Mr. Cox and two sawyers to Mr. Howe. With a little imagination you can picture John Smith and 83 others sailing up the Parramatta River from Sydney to the wharf at Parramatta where perhaps they may have had a speech from the Rev. Gentleman himself before being split up for distribution in accordance with the list.

Fate is Kind

 
From the time John's life was spared his fortunes improved. He had a good journey to NSW aided not doubt by the presence on board of William Sorell who would have kept a critical eye on the conduct of crew and passengers alike. Now in Windsor his master was Richard Fitzgerald, himself an emancipated convict.
Author D.G Bowd in his book "Macquarie Country - a History of the Hawkesbury " published by the Library of Australian History in 1979 wrote:
"If ever a man justified Macquarie's humane treatment of emancipists Richard Fitzgerald did. Macquarie wrote much in his favour which may be summarised in his own words that he was 'a most honest, upright, good man'."
John Smith remained assigned to Richard Fitzgerald from March 1817 until March 1820.

Samuel Terry

 
John Smith was assigned to Samuel Terry "on his farm in the District of the Chain of Ponds" and he remained under Terry from march 1820 until 19th march 1825.
Samuel Terry, often referred to as "the Botany Bay Rothschild" because of his wealth and the way he acquired it, had taken over Box Hill Farm from Robert Fitz and needed and needed some workers for this and his other holdings around Windsor.

Marriage

 
On 31st July 1820 Chaplain John Cross sought the approval of Gov. Macquarie for the marriage of John Smith and Mary Ennis. Approval arrived in a letter dated 5th August 1820 and the ceremony took place on 4th September 1820 at St. Matthews Church of England Windsor. Chaplain John Cross conducted the marriage. Eleanor Barry and Joseph Harpur were witnesses. Joseph Harpur was Parish Clerk and father of Charles Harpur (1813-1868) described in the Australian Encyclopaedia as "the first Australian poet worthy of the name". 

Ticket of Leave

 
The Return of Convicts 1817-1821 shows John Smith with "co convictions". On 19th March 1825, a certificate of conduct for John was issued at the Windsor Court House signed by -
Wm Cox Magistrate
John Cross Chaplain
Rs Fitzgerald Master
Sam. Terry Present master 5 years.
A Ticket of Leave was granted on 24th March 1825 (No. 158/1632)
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This is the end of the transcribed section concerning John Smith (1795-1866) in Chapter 12 of the book The Battle against the odds. The next section will be about his wife Mary Tully

A Battle against the odds, Chapter 12, part 3

 Transcription of A Battle against the odds, chapter 12, part 3

More About John 

 
Remarkable and interesting facts about John emerge from perusal of the records. He could read and write and he was a Catholic both rare at that time and place. He was 5 ft. 8 ins, In height, dark sallow complexion, dark brown hair and dark eyes. Another description said his eyes were black.

Another Newgate Inmate

 
William Cobbett, the great reformer, who was later a member of Parliament and a force in the introduction of the 1838 Reform Bills has been a prisoner in Newgate shortly before John Smith. Cobbett was an admirer of the farmers and farm labourers, especially in Essex. Coincidentally one of the judges who sentenced Cobbett, Lord Ellenborough Chief Justice of England, was the same judge who heard John's case and passed sentence of death upon him for attempting to steal a mirror valued 4 Pounds. If John had not heard of Cobbett before he most certainly would have heard some talk about him in the nine months or so he waited in Newgate (2 months awaiting execution and seven months awaiting transportation.

The late Mary Gwyther (nee Smith) a descendent of Robert Smith (b.c 1837) lived most of her early life in Nelson. <NB my note Mary Gwyther was a daughter of Thomas Smith, first son of Robert and Cecilia Hession) Although we had not mentioned Cobbett to her she told us she remembered "old folks" saying that "old John Smith used to read books by William Corbett (sic) " . She also said this caused concern as they believed John would be in the trouble if the authorities found out although it is doubtful anyone after the 1830s regarded Cobbett as subversive. However, in Australia at that time there could have been a real danger for a "ticket of leave" man caught reading such books.
Incidentally Robert was the last of John and Mary's children to die. He lived in a neat cottage at Blind Road, Nelson and it was Robert who rode on horseback to fetch a priest for his dying father in 1866. Although not academically qualified he was "a recognised authority on matters veterinary".

Transcription of A Battle against the odds, to be continued

A Battle against the odds Chapter 12, part 2

 

Transcription of A Battle against the odds Chapter 12, part 2

A Close Thing
After he was condemned to death on the 3rd April, 1816, John Smith had to languish in Newgate Prison, dreading the moment when he would be taken outside the gates to the place of Public Execution. Great crowds used to gather in the square when executions took place. An inn still stands nearby where those with the money could reserve some rooms with an excellent view. Although there is no record of anyone interceding on John’s behalf he was reprieved on 8th June, 1816 and hi sentence was changed to Transportation for Life. He was young and healthy and this may have saved him. One might imagine the authorities reasoning thus:

“Why execute young healthy men when they can be put to work in the new Colony of New South Wales”

As John was originally from Essex (revealed many years later on his death certificate but probably obvious from his speech and general demeanour) he may have had farming experience which could have helped tip the scales in his favour. Sound reasoning from a practical establishment point of view. Very fortunate indeed for the many future Australians who would not have been born but for this favourable stroke of the pen, which saved poor John’s life and sent him to a far better place 12,000 miles away. One may consider the irony of the system of transportation which was designed as a harsh, severe form of punishment (which it was) for crimes, however small, eventually giving its victims the chance of a better life otherwise denied them.

Transcription of A Battle against the odds to be continued...

A Battle against the odds. Chapter 12 part 1

 

Our ancestors, convicts John Smith (1795 – 1866) and Mary Tully Smith (1799 – 1868), were transported to New South Wales (NSW) in 1816 and 1817 respectively. They married in Windsor, NSW in 1820 and had thirteen children.

My knowledge of this family comes from a now out of print family history book published in 1990:

Brown, Arthur John (1990). A Battle Against the Odds: Stories of Our Pioneering Families on Norfolk Island, the Hawkesbury River, Mulgrave Place, Green Hills, Box Hill, and Nelson.

The descendents  of John Smith and Mary Tully are scattered far and wide. And The Battle Against the Odds  book is only available in a few Australian libraries.

I have written about John Smith and Mary Tully Smith previously and often receive enquiries about them.

 

In the interests of those who can't locate a copy of A Battle Against the Odds I have decided to transcribe and post Chapter 12, the chapter relevant to convicts John Smith and Mary Tully. 

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Transcription Part 1 

Battle against the odds, Chapter 12
John and Mary Smith
(1795-1866) (1799-1868)

By Hilda and Eric Lukeman

A difficult start

Some interesting facts about the origins of a pioneering family in the Windsor District: The Smiths of Nelson

This essay is part of our contribution to the first family reunion of descendants and friends of John and Mary Smith to be held at Windsor on Sunday, 9th March 1986.

We have gathered the material over a number of years and, as some of it may not be widely known we would like to share it with you. Hilda is descended from the second born child of John and Mary. Born 1822 he was named John, no doubt after his father. John Jnr. married Margaret Farrell in 1849. From 1857 to 1879 there were fifteen floods in Windsor. After the record flood of 1867 John Jnr. Margaret and their children left the district and went first to Sunny Corner near Bathurst, NSW and then to Collie near Warren NSW . Hilda’s husband Eric is an amateur family historian and has a keen interest in history. We have retired and live quietly in Queensland. Our two sons. We hope this essay will help further the understanding and appreciation of the difficulties faced and overcome by John and Mary Smith. Maybe this day will be the first of many and the numbers of descendants and friends attending will increase as more people find that they too are connected in one way or another with these worthy pioneers.

to be continued...

 

My third family history book

 

 

Amidst  all the chaos of 2020 I still managed to get my family history book about Dad published: "Between maple leaf and wattle: Bede's story". 

Special love and thanks to everyone who helped me along the way. It took about three years to write and self-publish. I'm selling copies for A$15 plus postage. Contact me via this blog if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

Story synopsis

Bede (left) with friend, possibly taken in Toronto

My story about my father is nearing completion. Here's a synopsis of the story which I hope will help me hone in on a title for the book.

The year is 1939. Australia is on the brink of war. Bede Smith, an talented young dentist from country New South Wales, has his own dreams. He hopes to travel to Canada to take a postgraduate degree. En route, several days into the Pacific crossing, war is declared, throwing his plans into disarray. Not knowing how long the conflict will last, he continues on to Toronto. There, he falls in love with Marg Baggs, a Canadian. He graduates with a Doctorate of Dentistry and marries Marg in Toronto. They return from their honeymoon to the news that Japan has bombed Pearl Harbour. Feeling duty bound, Bede enlists with the Canadian Army and starts military training. Marg is six-months pregnant when Bede is sent to the wilds of northern Ontario to serve the harsh winter at an army prisoner-of-war camp. Their first child, Pat, is just six months old when Bede is posted to England to prepare for combat. While there, he is involved in a motor vehicle accident – hit by a truck. He recovers in time for the invasion of Europe. In August 1944, Bede lands with the Canadian Fourth Armoured Division on Juno Beach in Normandy. The Canadians advance north through the muddy, wet autumn into the brutal winter of 1944-45. Bede serves with a field ambulance team, treating the wounded. He encounters famine and devastation in Belgium and the Netherlands. He just wants to survive to make it home to his wife and daughter. After five and a half years of war, the Allies finally achieve victory in Europe in May, 1945. However, Australia is still at war with Japan, so Bede volunteers for the Pacific. Demobilised, he returns to Canada and is reunited with Marg and Pat. He is training for jungle combat when the Hiroshima bomb is dropped and Japan surrenders.

After the war, Bede brings his young family home to Australia and starts a dental practice in Sydney. He has two more daughters and settles into family life. Marg takes the girls on a long holiday to Canada, but he has to stay back to attend to his patients. Over time, work becomes all-consuming, with the daily commute into the city, leaving no time for holidays. His life is out of balance. With his part-time position teaching young dentistry students Bede realises he can devote his energies to teaching. A position comes up at the Perth Dental Hospital, on the other side of the country, prompting a decision to sell up and leave Sydney.

Bede moves the family to Perth. At the age of 52, he has a new lease on life. Now working regular hours, he has free time to study an arts degree and develop his creative side. He takes the family on a long road trip across the country to see his beloved Australian cricket team play the Ashes Test match in Sydney in 1963. On the way there, he stops in Leeton, where his parents were pioneer settlers. Once back in Perth, all seems rosy. But time is running out for Bede.