This section is a work in progress...
Ben Hall, notorious Australian bushranger was born in May 1837 at Maitland, New South Wales. Ben was the fourth child of Benjamin Hall, a 'Ticket of Leave' ex-convict, and the fifth child of Eliza Hall nee Somers, a convict as well, who achieved her freedom in 1849. The family story begins in the transportation of his English father Benjamin Hall and his Irish mother Eliza Somers during the foundation period of the penal colony of New South Wales. (Convict transport to NSW was between 1788-1850.) Ben Hall's parents were each sentenced to seven years penal servitude and consequently transported by ship to NSW for stealing goods exceeding the value of one shilling. Benjamin Hall Sr. was born on 26th May 1805 at Bedminster, Bristol, England. The city is situated on the south-west coast of England and straddles the river Avon with direct access to the Severn estuary and Bristol Channel before joining the North Atlantic Ocean. However, by the 1820's Bristol was a rapidly growing city with a population nearing 20,000 inhabitants and it was recorded as the third largest city in England behind London and Norwich. Due to her easy access to the sea and the West Indies and the America's Bristol had developed strong commerce and trade, which saw her merchants profit largely from slavery, sugar and the tobacco industries. Furthermore, Bristol was also a viable exporter of goods to the colonies, including copper, glassware and brass ware and was noted for ship building.
However, in the midst of this vibrant trade, Bristol’s crime rate had evolved into a virtual thorn in its side, including the surrounding communities who conjointly were not immune from this scourge. Employment for the majority of people, including Benjamin Hall, was in service to the wealthy aristocracy, merchants and outlying landholders.
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Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. |
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Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. |
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Benjamin Hall arrest September 1823 and 1824 confinment of five months. Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. Note employment. |
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Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. |
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Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. |
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Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879. |
Authors Note: Samuel Frappell had been previously arrested in January 1825, for larceny and was given a two week prison sentence and whipped.
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Hulk 'Ganymede', 1825. |
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Prison Hulk Justita 9th Sept 1825 |
Authors Note: Dromedary was an East Indiaman that the Navy purchased in 1805. First named Howe, and then renamed Dromedary in 1808. She was converted to a convict ship in 1819, then became a prison hulk in Bermuda in 1825, and was finally broken up there in August 1864.
However, it would appear that following a short period of incarceration in Bermuda including the completion of the dry-dock, Hall was returned to England along with a small contingent of convicts. Hall appears to have then been placed on the hulk, 'York', at Gosport, Portsmouth where Hall's conduct continued to be assessed as 'bad'. He was then relocated to the convict ship 'Midas' moored at Portsmouth prior to embarkation for the voyage to NSW. Furthermore, Samuel Frappell, who was also sentenced to seven years transportation would avoid Bermuda and would be imprisoned on the hulk Discovery (the very same ship Captain Cook sailed on his second voyage to the South Seas and was the support vessel on the Third Voyage. The smallest of Cook's Pacific ships) at Deptford. Records indicate that Frappell was alive in 1827, and then faded from history. (See Justita ledger above center.)
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UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books for Hulk 'York' 1826 |
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The Hulks. Painting by Wayne Hagg. © |
The link below gives a description of the Prison Hulks on the Thames, although it is set in 1862, the narrative would still relate to life on-board and Ben Hall's father's pre-transportation in 1826.

One of the prisoners to be embarked on the convict transport ship 'Midas' along with Benjamin Hall was James Tucker alias Rosenberg who had been tried at Chelmsford on 6th March 1826, and sentenced to transportation for life for sending a threatening letter. He was admitted to the 'Leviathan' hulk on 6th May 1826. Furthermore, the novel, 'Adventures of Ralph Rashleigh, A Penal Exile in Australia' has been attributed to James Tucker. The following excerpts are from the 1929 re-printed version in which Tucker describes life on the hulks.(See Links page for full text)
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'Convicts on their way to Botany Bay'. (litho) by Richard Caton Woodville. |
A guard marched the laden and fettered prisoners below decks, where they were greeted with roars of ironic welcome from the convicts already incarcerated there. The lower deck was divided up into divisions by means of iron palisading, with lamps hanging at regular intervals, and these divisions were subdivided by wooden partitions into a score or so of apartments, each of which housed from fifteen to twenty convicts..."
However, in cases of convict’s misbehavior on-board, mild and persuasive means of correction were at first tried. If they failed, the punishments were then as follows, reduction of their provisions allowance, confinement in a dark cell with no other food than bread and water for not more than seven days; or moderate whipping, which was not allowed to exceed twenty four lashes.
Furthermore, it was reported in the 'London Morning Post' on 20th September 1826 that the Guard for the 'Midas' would be a detachment of the 39th regiment who were ordered to embark at Portsmouth. The Guard comprised 30 rank and file of the 39th regiment of foot under orders of Lieutenant George Meares Bowen.

Conditions for Benjamin Hall improved slightly as James Tucker again described life on board the 'Midas' as she sailed out into the English Channel then the Atlantic Ocean; Extract from 'Adventures of Ralph Rashleigh, A Penal Exile in Australia'; "The routine of the ship was arranged so that, during the voyage, the convicts were allowed the liberty of the deck from sunrise until sunset, under an armed guard of three soldiers posted at points of vantage which gave them full surveillance of the tough bunch of derelicts in their charge. A boatswain and six mates were selected by the surgeon-superintendent from among the convicts, and they were made responsible for the cleanliness and orderliness of their fellows. The convicts' food-ration was what was known in the transport service as 'Six upon Four,' six convicts sharing between them the rations normally allowed for four Royal Navy sailors. The food was mainly salt tack, and on alternate days a small portion of wine or lime-juice was issued. Water was the only item of diet which had to be carefully apportioned: the food, such as it was, was plentiful. In addition to the surgeon's sanitary party selected from the prisoners, there were also chosen another boatswain, two cooks, and other servants, who formed monitors or leaders of the squads of eight into which for purposes of food supplies the convicts were divided.
As night fell on the English Channel, the convicts were ordered below to the sleeping-berths, between decks. These were framed of deal boards, supported by stanchions and quartering’s, and subdivided in compartments, each sleeping six men in very close proximity. These sleeping-berths were framed in rows along each side of the ship, with a double row between them separated by narrow passages, for many of those who were unused to the motion of the ship, as many of them had never been to sea, the vertiginous motion of the vessel caused by the broken sea of the Channel, filled them not only with nausea but with terror. Soon after being shut below, the sea freshened, and at first there was much confusion among the closely-packed prisoners. Those who were not too terrified to do other than lie in the immobility of fear, filled the night with a contrasting chorus of oaths and prayers. Gradually, however, a semblance of quietude came."
Once more James Tucker recounts the 'Midas' prisoners’ arrival at Sydney Cove; "arrival the prisoners on board were again mustered preparatory to their going ashore and received each a new suit of clothing, after which they were placed in boats, by divisions, and rowed to a spot of land near Fort Macquarie, where, being landed, they waited until all had arrived and then proceeded through a part of the public promenade known as the Domain, up to the Prisoner's Barracks (Hyde Park), where they were placed in a back yard by themselves, and shortly afterwards again paraded. On their dismissal a host of the older prisoners insinuated themselves among them for the purpose of bargaining for clothes, trinkets or other property, and many a poor new chum - the distinctive name bestowed upon them by the old hands - was deprived of all his little stock of comforts by the artifices of the others, who appeared to pique themselves in no small degree upon their dexterity with which they could thus pick up (rob) the unwary newcomers..."(For the march to Hyde Park barracks and arrival, play link below)
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Hyde Park Barracks painting by artist Wayne Hagg © |
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James Tucker |
Authors Note: James Tucker born on 8 August 1803. The first indisputable reference to James Tucker is in 1826, when at 18 he was charged with sending a threatening letter to a cousin, James Stanyford Tucker, of Leytonstone, Essex. Under the name James Rosenberg Tucker, a clerk, was tried at the Essex Assizes on 3 March 1826, found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for life. He arrived at Sydney on the Midas in conjunction with Benjamin Hall, February 1827, and was assigned the next month to the Emu Plains Agricultural Establishment. By 1831, Tucker was one of the prisoners attached to the Department of Public Works and in 1832-39 was employed in the Colonial Architect's Office. His ticket-of-leave, was recommended by the Sydney bench of magistrates in 1833 and issued on 27 June 1835. Consequently, it was suspended in 1839 after he was convicted of drunkenness. However, in recognition of his efforts during a catastrophic fire at the Royal Hotel in March 1840, he was again recommended for a ticket-of-leave, which was effected on 1st September 1840 allowing Tucker to relocate in the district of Maitland. ( it is unknown whether Tucker had contact with Benjamin.) He lost his ticket in 1844 when he was convicted of forgery. Sentenced to work in irons for a year, he was transferred to the penal settlement of Port Macquarie, where by September 1846 he was employed as a store-keeper to the superintendent. (Ref; Peter Scott, Australian Dictionary of Biography)
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A.B. Spark property holding's at Maitland on Hunter River, coloured green. c. 1833. |
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A.B. Spark's lower George Street, No.11 premises which were attached to the Sydney Arms Hotel. c. 1828. |
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Benjamin Hall Charged with Stealing 1827, Acquitted. Note; George Handcock was hanged in December 1827, for the theft of 40 shillings. |
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Packet Ship on Hunter River c. 1827. |
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A.B. Spark c. 1830. Courtesy NLA |
Radfordslea was a 2000 acre undeveloped property managed by an overseer, situated near, Black Creek, near the confluence of the River Hunter, and was bounded by that river on the North; on the East there was an extensive Church Reserve. It is noted that the postal address of Radfordslea, was Castle Forbes the property of the notorious James Mudie, a one time junior officer in the Marines and a former bankrupt concerning a shady scheme to sell medallions of Napoleonic hero's. Unfortunately support for the scheme by the promised subscribers saw some £10,000 lost, which forced Mudie and his partners a bookselling firm into Bankruptcy. However, with the right connections Mudie through the sympathy of Sir Charles Forbes a benefactor and the Brittish Colonial Office he expidited free passage to New South Wales including his three daughters and a step-daughter. The affair brought about the nickname 'The Major'. Mudie arrived in NSW in 1822. Mudie's harsh treatment of convicts had become not only notorious but an embarrassment to the Governor. This was stated regarding one of Mudie's favored punishments; "The lash was Mudie's God, and he worshiped it as a savage only can worship a thing of evil." Mudie's peculiarities would see him struck out as a Commissioner of the Peace by Governor Burke in 1836. The harsh treatment of convicts by Mudie had resulted in a mutiny by some convicts who attempted to murder Mudies son-in-law John Lanarch a disciple of Mudie's form of punishment which resulted in the execution of five convicts being hanged. Two mutineers were hung at 'Castle Forbes' being Anthony Hitchcock, John Poole, the other three James Riley, John Perry, James Ryan in Sydney and one accused dispatched to Norfolk Island.
Authors Note: Castle Forbes was owned in partnership by James Mudie and his son-in-law John Larnach, it had become renown as a place of horror for the convicts and where the two men had under their control as many as 130. Floggings had become an almost daily occurrence under both Mudie's and John Larnach's supervision, rations were poor and conditions unbearable. (See Links page)
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Census 1828. |
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NSW Government Gazette 30th June, 1832. |

Eliza Somers, the future wife of Benjamin Hall, was born illegitimately in the city of Dublin, Ireland in the year 1807, her parents were Timothy Kelly and Elizabeth Somers. There is no record of marriage for Eliza's parents nor a Birth Certificate, furthermore, there is little recorded of her early life until Eliza comes to the notice of the 'The Four Courts', Dublin City, charged with larceny at the age of 20. Prior to this charge, Eliza was possibly very lucky to have escaped the notice of the law as Eliza would have been purloining goods whilst living with her sister, Catherine Delany, a widow with one child in an effort to make ends meet. Furthermore, in due course, Catherine would be arrested as well for shoplifting and be subjected to transportation also to NSW, onboard the 'Forth II' in company with 120 female convicts arriving in October 1830. During Eliza's criminal activity around Dublin, she was known to use either the surname of Kelly or Somers depending upon the circumstances involving seizure by the constabulary.( It should also be noted that in Australia, Eliza would be recorded as Eliza Somers, Eliza Summers, Elizabeth Somers and Elizabeth Sommers.)
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The Tenements Dublin. |
Eliza was raised in the tenements of the poorest districts of Dublin where the children were poorly clothed and feed and schooling was rare, therefore, Eliza was recorded as illiterate. The children of the slums were often the peddlers of crime as part of the first gangs of the modern world, not unlike Charles Dickens' portrayal of children in 'Oliver Twist', proficient in the art of pick-pocketing, petty thief and shoplifting. In 1798 a census was conducted of Dublin and of the tenements that Eliza was born into by the Reverend William Whitelaw and his assistants during the searing summer of that year to assess the true population of Dublin. Every room of these miserable tenements from cellar to the loft was visited to record the number of inhabitants surviving in the deplorable and overcrowded buildings. The tenements were filled with a degree of filth and putridness that is beyond belief. Reverend Whitelaw recounted his first impression of those who lived and suffered in an environment of human hopelessness; "Into the backyard of each house, frequently not ten feet deep, is flung, from the windows of each apartment, the ordure and other filth of its numerous inhabitants; from whence it is so seldom removed, that I have seen it nearly on a level with the windows of the first floor; and the moisture that, after heavy rains, oozes from this heap, having frequently no sewer to carry it off, runs into the street, by the entry leading to the staircase. When I attempted to take the population of a ruinous house in Josephs Lane, near Castlemarket, I was interrupted in my progress, by an inundation of putrid blood, alive with maggots, which had, from an adjacent slaughter-house, burst the back-door, and filled the hall to the depth of several inches. By the help of a plank, and some stepping stones, which I procured to the purpose (for the inhabitants, without any concern, waded through it), I reached the staircase. It had rained violently, and, from the shattered state of the roof, a torrent of water made its way through every floor, from the garret to the ground. The shallow looks, and filth of the wretches, who crowded round me, indicated their situation, though they seemed insensible to the stench, which I could scarce sustain for a few minutes." Listen to Whitelaw's commentary below.
Raised into these surroundings Eliza faced starvation and disease and at a young age contracted smallpox. Smallpox was believed to have killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans annually during the closing years of the 18th century, of all those infected, 20-60% - and over 80% of infected children died from the appalling disease. Although suffering Eliza was fortunate and survived the hideous ailment, but the illness would leave her face badly pockmarked (a common result of smallpox due to it's blistering of the skin leaving scar's on the face). Eliza was illiterate and as such had no formal trade and it is unknown if Eliza was ever employed in Dublin?
The law soon caught up with Eliza Somers and after a previous escape from incarceration Eliza was arrested in 1827 for a second offense, again for stealing and was subsequently sentenced to 12 months gaol, at Newgate Prison, Dublin. The conditions were widely reported to be terrible, with overcrowding and mass sewage problems plaguing the prison. Nevertheless, upon Eliza's release she was soon nabbed for stealing once more and was apprehended in 1829 this time for stealing a 'Handkerchief and Gloves'. As with her future husband Benjamin Hall earlier plight, Eliza's consequences would now be far more serious, and those consequences were being sentenced to transportation for seven years to NSW. Accordingly, shortly after her conviction Eliza was removed from Dublin to the port city of Cork 160 miles south. Whilst awaiting transportation Eliza was interned at Cork City Prison.
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Warrants of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for Eliza Somers 1829 |
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Cork Women's Prison. |
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Eliza Somers supply of clothing for the voyage, dismal. Note, Mary Henry who died during the voyage. |
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Cork Harbour, Eliza's last look at Ireland. |

This state of things continued into our leaving the southern tropic where instead of the fine weather mostly found in those latitudes we had gales of wind with rainy weather which confined all the convicts below for a week at one time. Those women who were compelled to be on deck such as cooks and monitors to take their provisions etc below, had to be supplied with blankets jackets and petticoats. For the sake of cleanliness and ventilation the convicts were never allowed to be below during the day except when the weather was unfavourable. The prison doors were always opened in the morning and the upper deck was washed and dried and every person allowed free access until after breakfast when they were all sent on deck where they remained until dinner. After dinner they again came on deck and remained until being mustered down below for the night usually half an hour before sunset. Windsails were kept constantly in use down each hatchway. Within the tropics the women were almost constantly on deck, awnings being spread. By means of the work put on board by the recommendation of the ladies committee the minds of the convicts were kept pretty well employed and towards the close of the voyage when this source was expended, the ship was very well found in jute the converting of which into oakum was found to be an excellent employment." Listen to the words of Mr. Alexander Nisbett, Naval Surgeon for the Asia 1 (5) on which Eliza Somers was transported to NSW.
To the Irish convicts the prospect of transportation in some cases was viewed as a far better course of life regardless of the hardship to be endured, as opposed to the hardship and hopelessness faced in the slums of Dublin, as observed by a free settler to a new colony, now finding it's feet; "the Irish Convicts are more happy and contented with their situation on board ship than the English, although more loth to leave their country even improved as the situation of the great body of them is by thus being removed, numbers telling me that they had never been half so well off in their lives before. They laid particular importance to the fact of having a blanket and bed 'to my own self entirely', which seemed a novelty to them..."
The 'Asia 1' (5) sailed through Port Jackson Heads on the morning of the 13th January 1830, after 125 days at sea during the voyage there was only the loss of two lives, Rose Maguire from Dysentery and Mary Henry from Erysipelas. The 'Asia 1' (5) dropped anchor at Port Jackson where another convict died, Mary Burn. As with all arrivals to the penal colony, Eliza was subject to a medical examination, followed by a muster held on board by the Colonial Secretary from which the information of the 'Muster of the Indents' was checked, Eliza was described as 5 ft 3 in tall, pockmarked of ruddy complexion and freckled, hazel eyes with dark brown hair, her employment description was 'All Work'. following their landing, the 197 women, who's arrival brought a large contingent of men to the Cove for a glimpse of this precious commodity in a town where men dominated women by eight to one. Therefore, the prospect of marriage for the vast male population had improved minuscule in the new colony. (The Convict Ships with a number on the end represented number of voyages transporting convicts for that ship, ie; Eliza II (4), four trips)
Eliza Somers as with all new arrivals was conveyed to Hyde Park Barracks, from where after 13 days adjusting to her new world, Eliza was assigned as a domestic servant, commencing on the 26th January 1830, to Mr. Reuben Chapman, an Ironmonger with premises in lower Pitt St, Sydney. Eliza commenced employment at the Chapman residence in Harrington St, Sydney. (today's Circular Quay.)
Following Eliza's first week in the new frontier, it was noted in the 'The Sydney Monitor', Wednesday 3rd February, 1830, of the conditions in which Eliza had arrived, remembering Eliza's only item of clothing was one gown, the newspaper report is also slightly contradictory of the ship's surgeon's assessment; "on Tuesday week one hundred and ninety nine women were landed at the Dock Yard from the 'Asia'. Out of this number, eighty were assigned, although the whole had been applied for; so desolate a set of women never landed from any ship. Some of them were even without shoes; how is this? It is at all events a strange contrast to cargoes of this sort: disembarked into the Colony for the last eighteen years, to our, knowledge. Who is to be accountable for rags and shoe-less feet, the Captain, the Doctor, or the Home Government? Male Convicts without exceptions, are landed in the clothing which is provided for them by the Crown; on the other hand, females, while their slops are given to them with due honesty, have been allowed to land in the best clothes they may happen to bring with them: Our attentive authorities will doubtless look into these things, if the churn, and the cheese press are not too much in exercise to prevent them..." This was also reported in the 'The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser', Saturday 30th January, 1830, on the quality of the Irish women who had arrived on-board the 'Asia' and the preference of the new aristocracy in the choice of house servants; "of the female prisoners per the Asia, who were landed on Tuesday last, eighty-one were sent off to the Factory; the rest were assigned. It is somewhat strange that, as we are told, had this been an English, and not an Irish ship, the number of applications for women servants would far have exceeded, the supply. But the fact is, people give a decided preference to English women as house servants..." Eliza was lucky as one of the eighty who were assigned.
On the 1st July 1830, Reuben Chapman was granted a publicans license for the 'Crown and Angel' hotel, Harrington St, situated in Circular Quay, Sydney and where Eliza would carry out her domestic duties. The hotel was near the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, who were involved with the 'Australian Subscription Library' in lower Pitt St, (to eventually become the start of the Fairfax empire) who had under assignment one Thomas Wade. Thomas Wade was born in 1812 in Dublin and arrived in the Colony under sentence of life, for robbery of a house. Wade was tried on the 3rd July 1828, as a 16 yr old at 'The Four Courts', Dublin City.
The consequences of which Thomas was sentenced to transportation for life to NSW, arriving on the 'Fergusson', which had set sail from Dublin on the 16th November 1828, under the command of John Groves with Surgeon Superintendent Charles Cameron, along with 214 Irish male convicts arriving at Port Jackson on the 26th March 1829, Thomas Wade is described as 5ft 4in tall, ruddy complexion with dark brown hair and blue eyes, aged 17. The 'Fergusson' dropped anchor in Sydney Cove and a muster was held by the Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay on 28th March 1829. In all the transports of the wretched convicts, disease was the scourge of their voyages, and with the energies of the ship surgeon's, loss of life was kept to a minimum for what could only be described as the most harrowing of experiences. In the case of Thomas Wade, his convict transport ship fared no different from scores of ships sailing from the United Kingdom to the antipodes suffering with the effects of life threatening diseases, luckily as reported in this extract of the voyage of Thomas Wade's ship 'Fergusson' Naval Surgeon, Mr. Charles writes of some success about the remedies to combat illness employed by Charles Cameron that saved many lives; "there is given an account of a severe scurvy which broke out among the convicts on board the 'Ferguson' transport, on her passage from Ireland to New South Wales, and which threatened to depopulate the crew till fortunately it was checked by a solution of nitrate of potash in a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice. The convicts 216 in number were embarked on the coast of Ireland in 1828 and were then in a low state of health, from deficient nourishment and the depressing passions. Bad weather was experienced on the early part of the voyage and the convicts suffered greatly from sea sickness. Their constitutions were thus still farther debilitated and before the ship crossed the equator, the hospital was full of scorbutic patients,and many others were confined to bed in a dangerous state. Dysentery, however, was the most prominent feature or form, and affections of the lungs was also very common. Two of the of the men died of the scorbutic dysentery. When they were preparing to bear away for Rio Janeiro in order to procure refreshments for the sick, Mr Cameron tried an old remedy recommended by Patterson many years ago, in his treatise on Scurvy - namely nitre. The common stock of this being soon exhausted, a supply was soon procured from the gun-powder on board. The effects Mr. Cammeron describes as almost miraculous so much so that they abandoned the idea of putting into Rio and pursued their course to New South Wales where the convicts landed in unusual good health..."
The 'Fergusson', as part of her consignment of convicts, carried a number of offenders younger than Thomas Wade who at 17 was not considered young, here is a list and ages of the youngest; Hugh Gallagher age 12, Matthew Cannon age 14; Bernard Neil age 14; Samuel Johnstone age 14; Patrick Crowe age 15 and Daniel Mullin age 15.
Thomas Wade was a 'lifer' and the prospect of a pardon of his sentence, would at best, not be granted until well into his debt to society was repaid, this prospect put any notion of a normal life of marriage and family way beyond the young convict. This is not to say that romance was not achievable, soon after Eliza Somers had arrived and commenced work for the Chapman's, Eliza made the acquaintance of a younger man for whom a romance blossomed, that man was Thomas Wade three years her junior, Eliza and Thomas may have been known to each other in Dublin from life in the tenements and upon her arrival had re-established their friendship.
When Eliza commenced Domestic Duties with the Chapmans, evidence now points to vicissitude brewing for Eliza and within a short period found herself in trouble with the authorities, when on the 26th April 1830, Eliza was returned to the Parramatta Female Factory for 'Drunkenness' either by authorities or Mr. Chapman, shortly after Eliza was again reprimanded for 'Drunkenness and Outrages Conduct', this time using the christian name of Elizabeth when caught, once again Eliza was sent to the Parramatta Female Factory this time in 3rd class for one month then again returned to her master. Eliza's duties with the Chapmans tried their patience and on the 2nd of August 1830, after seven months she was 'Given up by her Master' and sent to back to the 'The Female Factory' as a 2nd class defaulter for one month, arriving on the 4th August 1830, the reason for her return was that at this time Eliza had discovered she was with child, fathered by Thomas Wade, on completion of Eliza's confinement of one month, Eliza returned to the Chapman residence for the last time.
Contrary to the belief that Reuben Chapman was a magnanimous master, evidence supports that this was not the case, as on the 28th September 1830, Chapman, who was described as a very pugnacious sort of a gentleman, was finally at his wits end, returned a pregnant Eliza to the Parramatta Female Factory as 'Her Services where no longer Required', the notion that Reuben Chapman supported Eliza and even paid for the medical requirements at the future birth of Eliza's son is short of the truth, on returning Eliza to Parramatta, although this time as a 1st Class inmate, meant that Chapman had relinquished his responsibilities towards Eliza as per the statute, where if servants were returned by a magistrate as in Eliza's case, this alleviated Chapman's financial commitment, as stated here: "direct it to be notified, that, in future, persons to whom Convicts are assigned or lent, shall be required to defray all expenses attending their return to Government, excepting only in such cases as they shall be committed for Trial, or ordered by one or more Magistrates to be punished for some offense". "...Felons convicted in a summary way of disorderly conduct, shall be liabel, if males, to be kept to labour on the roads or other public works, or be publicly whipped; or, if Females, to be committed to the Penitentiary or third class of the female Factory, and there kept to hard labour..." Eliza's indiscretion's with alcohol and other misdemeanor's followed by the pregnancy brought an end to her 'Domestic Duties' in the Chapman household.(By September 1832, Reuben Chapman had moved to Hobart where he purchased another hotel). Life for female convicts held at the Parramatta Female Factory was sorted by class, there were three types, listed as follows;
1st Class included - Those women employed at the factory or awaiting assignment. Those who were homeless and those who had been returned from assignment without complaint and who were eligible for immediate reassignment. They were employed at spinning and carding and similar occupations.
2nd Class (Probationary) - Those returned from assignment because of bad behavior and those being promoted from 3rd class or demoted from 1st class. They were employed at the same work as the 1st Class but could not be assigned to private service. Females who became pregnant while in service were included in the 2nd Class.
3rd Class- These women were kept at hard labour such as breaking stones. They may have been deprived of tea and sugar, may have been placarded or had their heads shaved.'
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Eliza Somers indent 1830. |
Following Eliza's first week in the new frontier, it was noted in the 'The Sydney Monitor', Wednesday 3rd February, 1830, of the conditions in which Eliza had arrived, remembering Eliza's only item of clothing was one gown, the newspaper report is also slightly contradictory of the ship's surgeon's assessment; "on Tuesday week one hundred and ninety nine women were landed at the Dock Yard from the 'Asia'. Out of this number, eighty were assigned, although the whole had been applied for; so desolate a set of women never landed from any ship. Some of them were even without shoes; how is this? It is at all events a strange contrast to cargoes of this sort: disembarked into the Colony for the last eighteen years, to our, knowledge. Who is to be accountable for rags and shoe-less feet, the Captain, the Doctor, or the Home Government? Male Convicts without exceptions, are landed in the clothing which is provided for them by the Crown; on the other hand, females, while their slops are given to them with due honesty, have been allowed to land in the best clothes they may happen to bring with them: Our attentive authorities will doubtless look into these things, if the churn, and the cheese press are not too much in exercise to prevent them..." This was also reported in the 'The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser', Saturday 30th January, 1830, on the quality of the Irish women who had arrived on-board the 'Asia' and the preference of the new aristocracy in the choice of house servants; "of the female prisoners per the Asia, who were landed on Tuesday last, eighty-one were sent off to the Factory; the rest were assigned. It is somewhat strange that, as we are told, had this been an English, and not an Irish ship, the number of applications for women servants would far have exceeded, the supply. But the fact is, people give a decided preference to English women as house servants..." Eliza was lucky as one of the eighty who were assigned.
On the 1st July 1830, Reuben Chapman was granted a publicans license for the 'Crown and Angel' hotel, Harrington St, situated in Circular Quay, Sydney and where Eliza would carry out her domestic duties. The hotel was near the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, who were involved with the 'Australian Subscription Library' in lower Pitt St, (to eventually become the start of the Fairfax empire) who had under assignment one Thomas Wade. Thomas Wade was born in 1812 in Dublin and arrived in the Colony under sentence of life, for robbery of a house. Wade was tried on the 3rd July 1828, as a 16 yr old at 'The Four Courts', Dublin City.
The consequences of which Thomas was sentenced to transportation for life to NSW, arriving on the 'Fergusson', which had set sail from Dublin on the 16th November 1828, under the command of John Groves with Surgeon Superintendent Charles Cameron, along with 214 Irish male convicts arriving at Port Jackson on the 26th March 1829, Thomas Wade is described as 5ft 4in tall, ruddy complexion with dark brown hair and blue eyes, aged 17. The 'Fergusson' dropped anchor in Sydney Cove and a muster was held by the Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay on 28th March 1829. In all the transports of the wretched convicts, disease was the scourge of their voyages, and with the energies of the ship surgeon's, loss of life was kept to a minimum for what could only be described as the most harrowing of experiences. In the case of Thomas Wade, his convict transport ship fared no different from scores of ships sailing from the United Kingdom to the antipodes suffering with the effects of life threatening diseases, luckily as reported in this extract of the voyage of Thomas Wade's ship 'Fergusson' Naval Surgeon, Mr. Charles writes of some success about the remedies to combat illness employed by Charles Cameron that saved many lives; "there is given an account of a severe scurvy which broke out among the convicts on board the 'Ferguson' transport, on her passage from Ireland to New South Wales, and which threatened to depopulate the crew till fortunately it was checked by a solution of nitrate of potash in a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice. The convicts 216 in number were embarked on the coast of Ireland in 1828 and were then in a low state of health, from deficient nourishment and the depressing passions. Bad weather was experienced on the early part of the voyage and the convicts suffered greatly from sea sickness. Their constitutions were thus still farther debilitated and before the ship crossed the equator, the hospital was full of scorbutic patients,and many others were confined to bed in a dangerous state. Dysentery, however, was the most prominent feature or form, and affections of the lungs was also very common. Two of the of the men died of the scorbutic dysentery. When they were preparing to bear away for Rio Janeiro in order to procure refreshments for the sick, Mr Cameron tried an old remedy recommended by Patterson many years ago, in his treatise on Scurvy - namely nitre. The common stock of this being soon exhausted, a supply was soon procured from the gun-powder on board. The effects Mr. Cammeron describes as almost miraculous so much so that they abandoned the idea of putting into Rio and pursued their course to New South Wales where the convicts landed in unusual good health..."
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Thomas Wade's Indent |

When Eliza commenced Domestic Duties with the Chapmans, evidence now points to vicissitude brewing for Eliza and within a short period found herself in trouble with the authorities, when on the 26th April 1830, Eliza was returned to the Parramatta Female Factory for 'Drunkenness' either by authorities or Mr. Chapman, shortly after Eliza was again reprimanded for 'Drunkenness and Outrages Conduct', this time using the christian name of Elizabeth when caught, once again Eliza was sent to the Parramatta Female Factory this time in 3rd class for one month then again returned to her master. Eliza's duties with the Chapmans tried their patience and on the 2nd of August 1830, after seven months she was 'Given up by her Master' and sent to back to the 'The Female Factory' as a 2nd class defaulter for one month, arriving on the 4th August 1830, the reason for her return was that at this time Eliza had discovered she was with child, fathered by Thomas Wade, on completion of Eliza's confinement of one month, Eliza returned to the Chapman residence for the last time.
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Anne Gordan, Matron of Female Factory, Parramatta. 1827-36. |
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Parramatta Female Factory© |
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Ration distribution for Female Convicts and their Children at Parramatta. |
2nd Class (Probationary) - Those returned from assignment because of bad behavior and those being promoted from 3rd class or demoted from 1st class. They were employed at the same work as the 1st Class but could not be assigned to private service. Females who became pregnant while in service were included in the 2nd Class.
3rd Class- These women were kept at hard labour such as breaking stones. They may have been deprived of tea and sugar, may have been placarded or had their heads shaved.'
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The above list is of Eliza's misdemeanors,
which contributed to Eliza's continuous return to Parramatta
and eventual dismissal from the Chapman's.
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Those liaisons bore fruit when on the 24th April 1831, Eliza gave birth to their son whom she named Thomas Wade. The idea that Thomas Wade, a 'Lifer' and assigned to a well respected family the Baxters, could have found it possible to abscond from his bondage and disappear without the most severe repercussions is not plausible. History does not supply the emotional attachment that may have existed between the two convicts and there has been some conjecture in the past from different unresearched sources that Thomas Wade was some kind of cad and had left Eliza in the lurch or did a runner on the news of her pregnancy, but under the circumstances and the law's of the day which made it extremely difficult for two convicts to marry, without special permission from the Governor, the future of the two was doomed from the start.
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Fr. John Joseph Therry |
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Warrants of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for Catherine Delany 1830 |
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Catherine Delany's Indent. Note her sister Eliza Somers. (Summers) |

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Thomas Wade, 1st February 1848. |
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Panton, Stonequarry NSW. |
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The King's Stores. |
In 1826, Panton commenced an attempt at wine producing and planted a large vineyard and changed the name of his property to 'Montpellier' after the famous wine producing district in France, but by the end of July 1833, Panton with his partner were in financial difficulties, a situation Panton had also found himself in, in 1831, but was able to trade out of the threatened insolvency, but by 1835, Panton's financial disposition had deteriorated and Panton was again faced with and was declared insolvent, relating to the losses incurred through his speculative investments, 'Montpellier' was eventually sold for £1100 in early 1836. After the foundation of Eliza's relationship with Benjamin Hall was established, it was soon consummated and by the end of September 1832, Eliza was pregnant. On the 13th May 1833, a seven month pregnant Eliza appeared in the NSW Government Gazette as an absconder from the Panton's employment, her absconding may have been a ruse to ensure that as pregnant Eliza could return to the Female Factory in First class and that the Pantons would be exempt from her associated costs due to their financial difficulties, as after absconding, Eliza now seven months pregnant with her second child was arrested but did not face prosecution for the crime nor returned to the Panton's and was returned to the Female Factory where she gave birth to her second child, a girl she named Mary in early July 1833, and where Eliza and the two children would remain for sometime with Benjamin visiting Eliza at the Factory as often as possible, as the distance from the Stonequarry district to Parramatta was only 30 miles, a good horse ride for a free man. (William Panton, in March 1836 with his family left NSW on the Ship 'William' for Scotland. Though his family made landfall in Scotland, William died and was buried at sea off the Ascension Islands on 3 June 1836)
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NSW Government Gazette, May 1833, absconding from Panton's. |
This time is required to enable the Principal Superintendent of Convicts and Committee to make arrangements for the transfer of the Female to another service without being sent to the Factory.The Committee take this opportunity of asserting their readiness, at all times, to assign any Female in the Factory, not under a Colonial sentence of imprisonment, to persons of good moral character; and if the supply of those Women, whose conduct offers a fair chance of their becoming useful servants, should at any time be unequal to the demand, the Committee would willingly assign those, of whose conduct it would, at the same time, be their duty to make an unfavourable report.
It might happen that virtuous example and regular habits in a private family would operate more powerfully in reclaiming an individual from vice than the most judicious regulations when applied to numbers in a public establishment. For reasons somewhat similar, and from having observed the change which new modes of life, and the accession of new duties, sometimes operate in the character and disposition, the Committee are at all times disposed to favour the marriage of these Women to persons in circumstances to maintain them honestly.
Parramatta Female Factory,
S. MARSDEN. M. ANDERSON J. S. WRIGHT
May 29th, 1832.
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NSW Government Gazette, January 1834, absconding from Barker's. |
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Application to Marry |
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Marriage Certificate of Eliza Somers and Benjamin Hall, Benjamin signed his name where as Eliza made her mark X. Benjamin is recorded F, as Free and Eliza, B, as Bonded. |
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St John's Parramatta c. 1830's. |
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Thomas Simon, advertisement 1834. |
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Thomas Simon Publican. |
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Government House, Windsor, built 1796-1800. |
Windsor NSW, was only 17 miles from Paramatta and was originally called Green Hills and not to be confused with Green Hills at the Hunter River, where Benjamin had arrived at as a convict in 1827, and which in 1834, became the town of Morpeth near Maitland. Windsor was in the early part of the 1800's the favorite retreat of the NSW Govenor's with a Government House built in-between 1796 and 1800, under John Hunter. Windsor had the reputation as the food basket of Sydney, due to the fertile flats of land around the Hawksbury River and was in the early days of the settlement of NSW, its most important town. As Windsor grew and its assigned convicts completed their sentences, many remained in the district for work and some of those less fortunate ex-convicts required help in sustaining a living, there was no government support, no housing, no cost of living help, if you could not work to earn, well that was your problem, it was under these circumstances that the more socially compassionate citizens who were well off and more sensitive to the needs of those destitute, formed asylums for the purpose of catering to those in need.
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Govenor Lachlan Macquarie c. 1805. |
In 1822 the cattle held by the society numbered some one hundred and forty-four head, and growing, but the current holdings were to small and the society required more land. This land was to be found at the Liverpool Plains. John Oxley was the first European to visit the the Liverpool Plains while exploring the Macquarie River area in 1818. The Plains were subsequently named after the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Earl of Liverpool. Agricultural settlement of the Liverpool Plains commenced in the late 1820's some of the first draught's of cattle were removed to the Liverpool Plains and driven to the district by Thomas Dargin, who years later may have given his name to Billy Dargin the Blacktracker, who hailed from Windsor, the cattle were under his care until 1827, when John Gaggin took charge and settled with them on new land at Philips Creek, (the town of Quirindi today) Liverpool Plains, where they remained, and by late 1835, numbered over six hundred head. The society would face a fight with the all powerful Australian Agricultural Company for the run at Phillips Creek and lose, therefore requiring the present stock to be relocated to a new run called 'Mooki', headed by Edward Nowland who would replace John Gaggin as superintendent of the societies cattle station.
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John Gaggin c. 1825 |
What has come to light through new research is that Mr Samuel Clift only came into the possession of the Doona run in 1837. Doona was acquired by Samuel Clift from one Joseph Merrick for £5 and a fat Bullock as stated; "it appeared from the evidence that the plaintiff had purchased the right of the run from a person named Merrick, in the year 1837, for £5 and a fat bullock...", this evidence therefore nullifies any possibility that Benjamin took an overseer placement with Samuel Clift at Doona prior to 1837, however court proceedings in both the 1840's and 1850's, where a number of trespass cases involving Samuel Clift surfaced and where it is reported that Benjamin Hall was called as a witness on behalf of Mr Samuel Clift, it is those proceeding's which categorically established Clift's procurement of Doona in 1837.
During those trespass cases, evidence supported the fact that Benjamin Hall was indeed at Doona in late 1835, but not in the employ of Samuel Clift, but employed in taking cattle to the Liverpool Plains for Mr John Gaggin of the 'Hawksbury Benevolent Society', evidence shows that during those court proceedings, Benjamin Hall who was a witness on behalf of Samuel Clift stated; "that at a certain time he was brought to court by Merrick for having trespassed on Duono...", Benjamin Hall also gives an account of quarreling between Eliza and Joseph Merrick, this indicates Eliza's presence on the Liverpool Plains and that the moving of the cattle from Windsor to the Liverpool Plains was effected in late 1835 and that Edward Nowland and his brother, William, (who is credited with finding the Gap in the range north of Murrurundi in 1827, others soon followed his dray tracks which opened a route to the Liverpool Plains, the Gap today is known as 'Nowlands Gap' and is on the New England Highway about 3 miles north of Murrurundi. The pass is approximately 730 meters (2,400 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by high ground of over 1,200 meters), accompanied Benjamin, Eliza and the children in droving the cattle to the societies run at the Liverpool Plains. Benjamin Hall, in his court appearance goes on to state as deponent that; "The deponent's wife had been quarreling, and the magistrates had bound her over to keep the peace...", another witness at the time stated; "during the time of Merrick, Hall also went up with some cattle of Mr Gaggin's, to find a station, and William and Edward Nowland accompanied him to Winda..." It was also stated of Hall's presence at Doona in 1835 that; "Hall went to Duona, and stayed there some months, and was taken to court by Merrick for trespass. He went away for want of rations, and left the cattle behind him..."
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Samuel Clift c. 1850's. |
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Spark's, Radfordslea, John Gaggin property, and Mudie's, Castle Forbes. c. 1829. Courtesy NLA. |
This is a great site and terrific effort at production. As Ben Hall is my great great great grandfather I have found this to be very informative for my family history records. Ben jr is my great great uncle through Edward Hall b 1836. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI would like to get in touch with descendent of Edward Hall. I'm researching the son's of Edward Hall at the moment. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am a descendant of Edwardd Hall b 1836...I realise there are two years between this first post and my reply... but I can be contacted at janevanwoerkom1952@gmail.com cheers
ReplyDeleteDear Mark,
ReplyDeleteTremendous work - thank you very much! Fascinating. I believe I am descended from William Hall. Best regards Peter Hall
When was the Hyde Park Barracks painting by Wayne Hagg created?
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible amount of research, time, effort, dedication and most of all - love of history this site demonstrates. Well done!
ReplyDeleteWonderful site thank you so much, Mickey Burke was my ancestor, attended the Police and Bushrangers dinner with Edgar Penzig, writing a publication for early Parramatta, Eliza would have been in the second Factory prisoners moved in 1821 there is Augustus Earle Painting c 1826 National Library of Australia. If I can find an email contact I will send it to you.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark - I'm interested in the link with Sarah Harpur, mother of poet Charles Harpur and MLA Joseph Jehoshaphat Harpur. She married John Welsh, widower, of Lachlan River, in 1847, but how do we know that this was John Walsh, father of Bridget who married Ben Hall?
ReplyDeleteHi Chris, Yes Sarah Harpur was Bridget Hall's stepmother. I have her arrival Documents marriage and death certs.Sarah Chidley, she married Harpur 1814 at Windsor two son's Joseph 1810 and the second Charles in 1813 notice both illegitimate. Sarah married John Walsh in 1847 at Parramatta. If you would like more please send me an email via my link for questions and I will pass on all I have if you wish.
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