1821-1850

J for James Gordon

Miss W. 1821 and prior, 1821-1850, Early families , , , ,

James Gordon is mentioned often in newspapers both in Sydney and within the Sorell Municipality.

But first a bit about the man and his arrival in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania).

James was born in 1779 in the town of Forcett in Yorkshire, England. At age 27, he emigrated to Sydney and became a well known trader.

Marriage in 1814

In January 1814, he married Elizabeth Arndell and by April that year, he was appointed Naval Officer in Hobart Town. As he had good connections back in England, he was also appointed as a magistrate and as part of the Lieutenant Governor’s court.

Appointments of James Gordon

But by late 1815, he was working his farm in the Sorell municipality rather than being a Naval Officer.

When researching James Gordon and his influence in the Sorell municipality, I looked in Trove on the National Library Australia at how often he was mentioned in newspapers. Up to 1842 at his death, he was mentioned about 750 times. Below are some of the interesting events he was mentioned in.

1816 supplying fresh meat to the commissary

Fresh meat

1819 Sheep speared by aboriginals – to read the rest of the report, click on the image.

Sheep speared

1821 Cautioning trespassers on his property

Don’t trespass!

1822 Contracting for bricks – maybe to start his house?

Bricks wanted

1823 Building his house – click on image to read the rest of the article

Building his house

1824 Agricultural meeting also mentions Robert Gard, a servant of James Gordon – click on image to read more

Agricultural meeting

1824 Offering reward after killing of property

Reward offered

1829 New appointment in the district of Richmond

New appointment

1833 A ‘Native Youth’ wrote a letter to the editor about James Gordon 

1834 James Gordon had problems with the government

Government problems

1836 Letting a farm

Letting farm

1837 Chairing meeting of Sorell residents – click on link to read more of the meeting

Chairing meetings

1840 Judging at the Hobart Town Horticultural Society – widely respected in the farming community – click image for more

Horticultural Society

1841 American aloe at Forcett

Aloe at Forcett

James Gordon’s death and funeral in August 1842 was written about by  The True Colonist Van Diemen’s Land Political Despatch, and Agricultural and Commercial Advertiser..

Death notice

In his will, everything is left to his wife Elizabeth and upon her death it goes to her relatives as the Gordons did not have any children. A copy of the will can be read here – such beautiful handwriting.

I is for inns and hotels

Miss W. 1821 and prior, 1821-1850, Businesses , , , , , ,

Rules for being a licensed publican in 1816

Who can be a licensed publican in VDL?

On the eastern shore of Hobart in 1818, there were only three licensed publicans at Herdsman’s Cove, Clarence Plains and Kangaroo Point.

In 1819, only three again outside of Hobart Town – Black Snake, Clarence Plains and Herdsman’s Cove.

In 1820, Herdsmen’s Cove and Black Snake & Old Beach Ferry were the only two outside of Hobart.

The first mention of a licensed publican in the Sorell municipality was in March 1822. But by August 1822, he was in trouble.

William Marsh 1822

I then found mention of Daniel Long being able to sell spirits, wine and beer in the country area at the Plough and Harrow in Sorell Town in 1824. Also mentioned was James Honey at Plough and Harrow at Pitt Water.

Using the Tasmanian Names Index Daniel Long is the licensed publican from 1824-1829.

A writer of an article in the local paper in 1825 was worried about the number of ‘sly grog shops’ in Van Diemen’s Land.

By 1827, there were 36 licensed publicans in Hobart Town and 22 in the country area. That included:

  • Daniel Long of Pittwater – Plough and Harrow
  • Brereton Rolla Watson of Sorell Town – Sorell Inn
  • James Kestall Buscombe of Richmond – Lennox Arms

By 1829, there were 50 licensed publicans in Hobart Town and 37 in the country area. That included:

  • J. K. Buscombe, Lennox arms, Richmond.
  • W. Currie, Blue bell, Sorell.
  • D. Long, Plough & Harrow, Sorell.
  • C. Layman, Wheat-sheaf, Sorell.
  • B. R. R. P. Watson, Sorell inn, Sorell

By 1830, there were 47 licensed publicans in Hobart Town and 40 in the country area. That included:

  • J. K. Buscombe, Lennox Arms, Richmond
  • Joseph Clyne, Gordon Arms, Richmond,
  • Henry Fisher, Wheat Sheaf, Sorell.
  • Henry Leigh, Sorell Inn, Sorell.
  • Dan. Long, Plough and Harrow, Sorell

A Political Association meeting included information about licensed publicans in 1835.

Political association

To find out more about the inns and hotels of Sorell in the early 1800s, use the Libraries Tasmania search everything and use Sorell Inn Hotel as your keywords. Remember you will also get information for Port Sorell which you will need to eliminate.

Present day hotels in Sorell include the Pembroke Hotel and the Gordon Highlander, both pictured below.

Gordon Street, Sorell showing Post Office, C M Yates tea shop, Sorell Garage and Pembroke Hotel

 

Gordon Highlander Hotel

Reminder: Clicking on images and blue links will take you to the original document.

H for Hannah Green

Miss W. 1821 and prior, 1821-1850, Early families , , , ,

Thanks to Jo Hopkins for writing this post for the A-Z challenge.

Blue links will take you to the digitized images from Libraries Tasmania website.

 

Hannah Green’s story in Sorell begins around the time the small settlement at Pitt Water became Sorell, and her tale would mirror that of many early settlers of the district. While she is not a noted figure, she is a piece of the patchwork.

In September 1819 in London, Hannah Green was arrested carrying a forged £1 bank note. She was convicted and sentenced to be transported to Australia for 14 years. After a brief time in Newgate Prison, she sailed on the Morley, departing on 20 May 1820. The Morley arrived in Hobart Town at the end of August 1820 and Hannah was one of the 50 convict women to be offloaded and assigned. The remainder of the convict women sailed on to Sydney.

Hannah was assigned to Thomas Lascelles who was at that time the secretary to Lieutenant-Governor Sorell. Lascelles had properties in Hobart Town and in the Pitt Water district. Could Hannah have worked at Pitt Water?

When Governor Macquarie visited the Pitt Water settlement on 20 June 1821 and renamed the township Sorell, was Hannah present? It would be lovely to imagine her in the small crowd, sharing the excitement of the vice-regal visit.

On 7 January 1822, Hannah married free settler John Stacey who resided at Sorell. Just 15 months after her arrival and assignment and just 27 months since her arrest, Hannah is re-assigned to her husband and is effectively free. She only needed to attend muster and be of good behaviour to keep out of officialdoms eyes and serve out her sentence.

While minimal documentation is available for Hannah – her marriage registration, some musters, the baptism records of her children – it does show her living in Sorell going about her life.

St Georges Church where many Stacey events occurred

As the family grew, so did Sorell. The family had a house in Arthur Street across the paddock from where the mill was built. The children were baptised at the newly built St Georges Church and were attenders at the Sorell School. For a few years John was a Constable and would have worked with Alexander Laing at the new watch house. John was also a licenced ferryman who plied the route from the Pitt Water Bluff (around where the causeways now span the two arms of Pittwater). Could John have even rowed the official party across when Macquarie visited?

In April 1840, aged 43, Hannah Stacey was buried in Sorell, just days after the birth of a son.

Many local families can connect back to Hannah Green and John Stacey, and their story at the founding of Sorell.

Jo Hopkins is descended through the Jones line from Hannah and John’s daughter Charlotte.