PREMATURE DESTINY
BY
LOIS SABINE
23July 1988
Transcript of Report of the Assizes held in Nottingham March 14, 1793, ‘John Gray. found feloniously receiving a quantity of goods. the property of Mr. Samuel Doubleday in the market place knowing the same to be feloniously stolen was made a capital offence for which he received the sentence of death.” ‘Ann Gray. wife of the said John Gray and James Price charged as his accomplices were acquitted”.
Fortunately for John. the sentence was changed to that of life, to be served in the new colony of New South Wales. It is not yet known if he and Ann had children but as John appears to have been born about 1762 and would have been about thirty six years old at the time. it would appear likely.
The voyage to Australia on the “Barwell’, a ship of 796 tons. was both long and eventful. The 296 male prisoners who sailed in her from Portsmouth on November 7. 1797. were alternately detained by calms and adverse winds and “ 74 days to the Cape of Good Hope. They spent two months there while her officers sold their European trade goods, and arrived in Sydney May 18, 1798. taking 192 days out from England 60 days from the Cape. During the voyage, there were two separate mutiny plots alleged. and both convicts and soldiers were confined in irons and / or flogged with an average of three dozen lashes a piece.
On arrival in Sydney on August 20,1798 a Vice Admiralty Court was assembled for the first time in the colony’s history, with five privates being promptly acquitted because of weak evidence. principally on the testimony of convicts. John Gray was one of the convicts called upon to give evidence to a panel of military officers which included Lieutenant Matthew Flinders and Mr. Thomas Arndell. The trailwas inconclusive and it would appear that the whole story was never told.
John was placed in the town gangand became assistant to Charles Gardiner. who was overseer. early in 1799. While drunk, the pair managed to upset Henry Kable by ‘imputing the worth of the gaol gang’. Henry was so incensed that he proffered a complaint against the pair on May 2nd. 1799 but “the matter was accommodated and the complaint dismissed.’
In November 1799 John was charged with uttering a forged bill for £3. 10.0 but was discharged for want of legal evidence. He had another brush with the law in February 1802. He and his friend James Smith were caught law, at night with a bushel of wheat which was suspected of having been stolen from a soldier called Neale. This very complicated tale in the wheat being detained and the pair discharged.
William Knight, a convict who arrived on the Surprise in 1788. received a land grant in Parramatta of 50 acres from Governor Hunter in 1796. and John. now age about 40, went to work for him there about 1802.
An influence greater than the law was about to catch up with John, however. Her name was Elizabeth Killett. English law understood that a prisoner who was married but sent into exile was able to marry after seven years ‘over the seas’. John could never legally return to his wife.
Transcript of Report on the Assize Records. South Eastern Circuit. Suffolk. July 1800
‘Elizabeth Killett, of the Parish of Bradwell ... single woman in the dwelling of John Crow, on the 27th day of April ... did steal and take and carry away Seven Norfolk General Bank notes and three £5 notes, sentence. Seven years.’
When Elizabeth joined the ‘Nile’. a small ship of 322 tons, to sail from Spithead via Rio to New South Wales on May 21.1801. of the other 95 females on the ship, one was to become quite famous, and her name was Margaret Catchpole.
When the ship arrived at Sydney 176 days later on December 14, 1801 Margaret wrote to the Rev John Cobbold in England to tell him of their safe arrival and continued to correspond with him for some years. He used her letters as the basis of a novel called The History of Margaret Catchpole. a Suffolk Girl’.
His ‘history bears little resemblance to Margaret, real story and several more accurate books have been written including ‘The True Story of Margaret Catchpole” by G.B. Barton and more recently several chapters in “Scallywags of Sydney Cove’ by Frank Clune.
Elizabeth Killett and Margaret Catchpole were both sentenced on July 31 1800 at the Suffolk Assizes and Margaret mentions Eliza” occasionally in her letters home to Dr. Stebbing., and Rev. Cobbold. The “Nile” arrived in Sydney on December 14, 1801. 176 days after leaving England without losing any of her 96 female convicts. Margaret Catchpole described her impressions on arrival in a lengthy letter to Dr. Stebbing and said ‘Elizabeth Killett lives near to me, and is well. She and I were both taken off stores on the same day. We have not to go to Government work, but have both obtained respectable places, and I hope we shall continue in them m”. (Margaret was at this time working at the Female Asylum at what is now the corner of George and Bridge Street Sydney).
After working in Sydney for a while it is likely Our Elizabeth went to work near Parramatta in 1802 where she met John Gray, who was working on William Knights farm. Elizabeth was much younger than John. having been born 28 April. 1778 of 1779. It was in August of 1802 that Elizabeth became pregnant and on May 7. 1803. John signed a contract with William Knight agreeing to continue working for him at Parramatta under certain conditions. On July 26. 1803. John and Elizabeth married at St. John’s Church, Parramatta.
It is not known in which order the dual ceremonies were performed. but one would hope that Rev. Samuel Marsden married the happy couple before he performed the baptismal ceremony on their daughter Elizabeth. Witnesses to the wedding were Joseph Marshall, who had arrived on the ‘Scarborough’ in 1788. and who had a farm at Parramatta, and Eleanor Carty, an Irish convict who had arrived on the ‘Sugar Cane’ on September 17. 1793. In 1804 William Knight was granted 80 acres in the District of Mulgrave Place (Windsor) and it is possible that John and Eliza went to farm there
On June 24. 1805 their first born son William was born “at Hawkesbury” and baptised later that August at St. John’s Church Parramatta If John and Elizabeth followed the custom of the time. William would have been named after John’s father The couple had by this time settled into the Hawkesbury area among old friends and new. James Smith, John’s old friend from his days in Sydney was there, and John Gray rented land from Thomas Rickerby by 1806. The great which caused so much damage started in March 22. 1806. ‘The ‘Sydney Gazette’ described the scene thus...... Wheat stacks. barns, stock. furniture, movable buildings and the thousand and one appurtenances Of the farms were swept away. The settlers had to be rescued with boats from the roofs and houses and from trees and wheat stacks. Two settlers. three labourers and two women were drowned. Many were forced to spend the whole of Saturday night on their housetops or in the trees. The dismal cries of these, and the discharges of firearms intended to attract the attention of the rescue boats, mingled with the piteous cries of domestic animals and the farm cause made the night one of terror
Margaret Catchpole was at Richmond Hill in the home of Richard Rome. a settler who had arrived with his family on the ‘Nile. the ship on which Elizabeth and Margaret had arrived. Margaret writes of the flood: ‘But this places have Binn so flooded that I thought once must all Binn lost that how I cam so very ill Being in the water up to my middle. “As you well Know I have a good spirit I was. tring to say what I could and then I and Mrs. Dight and bar 3 children went upon the Loft for Safety we had not Binnu there a Boo 1 owear (about one hour) I swear Before the first Chimney went dowen and middle warl went then I expected the next Chimney to Goo and all warls and then to be crushed to dead for the water wase a Bout five feet deep in the howes at that time it was that depth in a Bout 2 owers this happened the 22 of Larst March house and Barnes and wheat stacks and the indey Corn that was not gathered it worshed all a way befor the Strem.’
Just as everything was settling down. the river badly flooded the area again for second time, in August and again to a lesser degree in Oct. It must have been a very bad year for John & Elizabeth and their two children.
In January 1808. John signed an address from the principal inhabitants of New South Wales to Governor Bligh and during the previous years another daughter had been born to the couple. They named her Jane. In 1809 the river flooded twice again once in May. and even more terribly in August
Andrew Thompson, a convict who had arrived on the “Pitt’ in 1792. was a leader to those who rescued people over several days and nights.. Andrew had become both a respected arid wealthy citizen, since his unhappy arrival as a convict. He built ships. a tannery and salt pans on Scotland island. He took over as Chief Constable from Thomas Rickerby and history now sees him as anexample of how an emancipist (freed convict) could make good. The effects of cold and exposure told on him and he died in 1810. leaving John Howe to execute the provisionsof his will, which left much properly to Lachlan Macquarie. He had built a floating bridge over the South Creek at Windsor (with Government assistance) in 1802 which enabled him to employ a man to gather tolls from all who passed.
An advertisement in the Sydney Gazette of December 1, 1810 mentions John Gray as the Creek Bridge keeper. Later in December John Howe put a number of items which had belonged to Andrew Thompson up for Wane by auction. and this included the South Creek Bridge. John Gray asked two local men. Roger Twyfield and William Aspinall to act as sureties for him to the amount of £250 sterling which they agreed to do and he became the lessee. His second son John had been born on June l6, 1810 and was baptised at St. Matthew’s, Windsor on April 5, 1811. John Senior must have been feeling quite confident by this time. He was fifty years old. had 4 young children and good standing in the community.
There appeared to be a problem with the locals, however, which made John advertise in the Sydney Gazette on February 9, 1811. stating that he could not allow credit in future to any person whatsoever (except to those holding tickets) and that no person would be allowed to pass free. but people on Government service. Ibis aside. John was granted his long awaited free pardon on February 29 1812 and he was confident enough in his future to issue a promissory note payable to Roger Twyfield. in 1812. ‘ Thomas Rickerby gave young William Gray. his god-son an allotment of land to be held in trust by his father John which was part of Catherine Farm. The document was witnessed by John Howe and James Smith but was not filed until June 1819. after Thomas Rickerby’s death.
By September of 1812 John was allowed to draw a portion of cattle from government herds on credit. Perhaps John and Elizabeth celebrated his pardon. because about nine months later. on November 19. 1813 their third daughter Hannah was born. 1813 was not the family’s year. it started badly when John was unable to pay the yearly lease on the Toll Bridge and Twyfield and Aspinall demanded that John sign a deed of indemnity in Feb 1813. signing over virtually everything the family owned to them in the case of his continued non payment of the lease. This was followed by the Provost Marshall advertising for sale On the farm of John Gray, immediately adjacent to the town of Windsor, four stacks of wheat. by public auction. unless be paid up before July 3. 1813. Twyfield and Aspinall quickly gave notice on July 17. 1813 that John had not paid the yearly Toll and as Sureties they notified all persons that no moneyshould be paid to John. but paid instead to John Howe, Chief Constable at Windsor, the man from whom John had taken the lease.
The family were forced to leave Windsor and go to Sydney to find work. John was fortunate to be appointed a Constable but after being independent for so long it must have been galling to have two of his five children back on government stores.
Miles Fieldgate. who arrived on the ‘Hillsborough’ in 1799 had been a butcher and a baker Spring Row in Sydney when Elizabeth had firstarrived on the “Nile” in 1803. His career had taken him as an agent for Mr. Kable down The Hawkesbury by 1810, but by April 23. 1814 he had returned to Sydney to take up his appointment as the Clerk of the Public Market. At the same time he was also appointed Pound Keeper and a Constable in the Town of Sydney- and is to be obeyed as such accordingly’ A man not given to suffering in silence, Miles placed an advertisement in the Sydney Gazette. September 24, 1814 warning the Public against trusting his wife. Ann Fieldgate. ‘She having eloped from her home without Provocation’ and he wouldn’t be responsible for any debts she may have contracted.
On January 19, 1815 a fourth daughter was born to John and Elizabeth named Ann Louise. and on March 11, 1815, John was appointed to be stationed as Constable at the Public Market Place. The position of constable at the markets made John automatically assistant to Miles Fieldgate as the two positions went together. Despite the fact that the markets had only been moved to their present site at Market and George Streets by Governor Macquarie in 1810, the buildings were not in a good state of repair. Miles voiced his reasons for annoyance quite loudly when he complained to Lachlan Macquarie in September 1816 that cattle advertised for sale at the Public Market had been driven to some waste ground opposite and sold without payment of the duties which should have come to him. He said that he was subject to a heavy rent which he could only pay by sales being conducted in an orderly way and ‘he, Your Petitioner feels aggrieved and damnified’! This memorial was followed by a broadside about the state of repair of the market Premises which were in want of immediate repair. He also complained that the Market Book was nearly ‘wrote up’ and a new one would he shortly wanting. Lachlan Macquarie was his usual cool self in reply. The booths and sheds for the protection of meat and other wares for sale in the Market Place he attended and re-paired at the expense of the Government. but the dwelling house and offices attached to die Market Place must be kept in repair at the expense of the Clerk of the Market himself, it being entirely optional with him to repair it or not “L. Macquarie,
It was in this environment that John and Elizabeth’s last child. Richard, was born on November 16, 1817. With three children not yet baptised, it was decided to have them christened together at St Philip’s Church Sydney on June 21. 1818. This was just as well. because less than three months later Elizabeth was a grieving widow getting on towards forty years old. unsupported, with seven children. The youngest only 10 months old Sydney Gazette September 5. 1818
‘Yesterday morning the body of John Gray, who was assistant to the Clerk of the Market. was found drowned in Mr. Fieldgate’s well. He was much respected as an old inhabitant of the colony. and has left a wife and seven children to Lament bus premature destiny. The well which claimed John’s life was one which was used to keep the produce at the market fresh. John in a sense died on the job.
As there was no compensation or pension in those days, it was necessary to do the best one could. Elizabeth received help from Governor Macquarie and The Sydney Gazette carried the following announcement on September 26.1818. ‘His excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint John Gray to be local Constable at the Market Place in Room of his father John Gray lately deceased and he is to be obeyed and respected accordingly.’ John was only eight years old. Friends did their best to help the family. On June 10. 1819 John’s old friend James Smith left all of his goods to his godson. James Gray. Witnesses to the will were James Mordant Adam Clink and Reuben Hannan. But who knew when James would die? Certainly the thought Counted, but more immediate help was needed.
The gift of the piece of land from Thomas Rickerby, part of Catherine Farm at Windsor. And the will leaving James Smith’s landand goods to their respective godsons were filed consecutively on June 16.1819. Thomas Rickerby had died in 1818. and his will at the time left everything he was Possessed of to another godson. As the deed of gift had not been registered it would appear that the land reverted to Part of the estate and the while the family had the use of it for years, it did not stay in the family but reverted to the other godson.