1831
The third interesting year – Hannah in Hexham Henry in the Hunter.
Approximately about now Henry Samuels meets Hannah Benton.
HENRY head down bum up get on with the job SAMUELS
Year of Birth 1801, 1082, 1804, 1805
The year of Henry’s birth is unclear.
The trial documents list it as 1801 (although the hand writing could also be a 4) and gives his age at the time as 18. It’s possible that at the trial he was only 15 !
The record of incarceration on the prison hulk “Captivity” (renamed Leviathan) gives his age as 17.
His Ticket of Leave suggests 1804
The Certificate of Freedom (given only to convicts with a fixed term of imprisonment) suggests 1804
The Application for Marriage suggests 1804
His Death Certificate list his age as 44 years on 25th August 1849 suggesting his birth was 1805.
The most probable birth year is 1804.
Henry was also illiterate
Born at Berkshire
No additional information is extant.
Physical description
Height 5” 5 ¾”
Ruddy complexion
Brown hair
Blue eyes
-
An interesting coincidence? : Henry William Samuels (1888 – 1954) was about the same height. John Joseph )Jack) Samuels (2nd son) was also about 5”5” , as is his son Jeffery (living in Brisbane in 2012)
Trial in the Old Bailey. Middlesex. 1st December 1819(53)
Norton, who owned the sheets, lodged with John Lowther, a broker for whom Henry did errands
Henry was already “known” to Constable Richard Coates, and according to his testimony, “Immediately he saw me he threw the bundle down, and ran off, but I followed him about a hundred yards and took him”.
Henry’s defence: “He said he was going to take them to the mangle.”
Henry and Constable Coates had met before and clearly Henry felt intimidated. Was Henry a victim of rough justice? (More unanswerable questions - Did Henry already have a criminal record?) Where was the mangle situated?
Coates took Henry “back to the watch house”. Overlaying a current map of the area, the nearest watch house may have been an early version of Paddington Green, currently a major Police Station.
A month later he appeared in the Old Bailey The Court documents suggest he was 18 (b.1801) but there is nothing definitive about the year of his birth. At the time of his conviction Henry was most probably 15 years old (or 14).
Henry Samuels, convicted of larceny, was sentenced by Justice Recorder to “Transportation for 7 years.. Aged 18”
While awaiting transportation Henry (17 according to the prison records),is gaoled for 10 months on the prison hulk “Captivity” (renamed Leviathan moored at Portsmouth54 a/b).
1820
8th October Sailed from the Downs on the Prince of Orange(55)
1821
The Sydney Gazette (Saturday) 17th Feb 1821(56) records the Prince of Orange departure from the Downs on the 8th October 1820 and arrival on “Monday last”. This could be read as either the 5th or more accurately the 12th February.
Assuming the Prince of Orange arrived on the 5th February, the sea journey took 127 days.
Assigned to Grose Farm (57 57a 58) currently the site of Sydney University.
1822
From the Sydney Gazette:
AT LIVERPOOL
On Monday the 2nd September next, in the Courthouse, for all the Free Men and Male Convicts, including Tickets of Leave Men, on and off the stores, in the Districts of Liverpool, Airds, Bringelly, and Places adjacent.
On Tuesday the 3rd September next, for all the Free Men and Male Convicts, including Tickets of Leave Men, on and ff the Stores, in the Districts of Appin, Bunbury Curran, Upper and Lower Minto, and Places adjacent.
On Wednesday the 4th September next, for all the Free Women and Female Convicts, including Ticket of Leave Women, on or off Stores, in any of the above-mentioned Districts and Places adjacent.”
Muster entry:
A18618 Samuels, Henry C PoO 7 Clearing Party Mr Lowe Liverpool
2 September Annual General Muster for Liverpool
Working for Robert Lowe (Lowe’s Farm) of Liverpool on the “Clearing Party”(59 60 61)
Robert Lowe Esq. J.P61, Birling Gap farm, Bringelly: Lowe was a significant player in both the colony and in the Liverpool area. He appears in the Liverpool Police Court Records as a member of the judiciary on a number of cases. He later expanded his land holdings in the Bathurst and Mudgee areas and was finally appointed a Magistrate.
1823
The Sydney Gazette 28 August 1823 published a Government directive for the Annual General Muster(62). Colonists in the Bringelly area were required to muster at the “Residence of Robert Lowe Esq Bringelly (Station 8, 10-11 Sept 1823)”., but the records are apparently damaged/lost . Transcripts of the Muster records for 1823-4-5 have been amalgamated into a two volumes. (SAG Library. Vol.1 A-F and Vol.2 G-Z). The only reference to Henry Samuels is for 1825(62a).
Muster information for the Official documents was collated from the Magistrates Population Books for the region, and as a check on the magistrates, the Police were required to do their own checks (Police Notebooks)
Henry pops up in the Magistrates Population Book, Liverpool, 1823(63) still assigned to Robert Lowe Esq.
1824
Exactly when Henry moved to Windsor after the September 1823 Muster, and whom he was assigned to, remains a mystery.
Details for the 1824 General Muster were again taken at the Residence of Robert Lowe Esq Bringelly (Station 9 22 Sept 1824) but there is no Henry Samuels listed, an unlikely oversight for a highly respected Magistrate especially if Henry was still working for Robert Lowe. Lowe owned large holdings in Bringelly and 100 acres at Kelso but apparently nothing at Windsor.
Henry either managed to avoid the 1824 Annual General Muster or is part of the lost / damaged records.
1825
June 2: Ticket of leave(65). Granted on condition he remain in the Windsor area, (18 months prior to the completion of his 7 year sentence).
Henry ignores the conditions of his ToL, leaves Windsor almost immediately, and goes to the Parish of Melville to work for William Deane.
October 13: Annual General Muster
39255 Samuels, Henry FS Prince of Orange 1821 7 Employed by William Deane Melville
The entry is interesting. Listing Henry as FS (Free by Servitude) suggests he lied to conceal the fact he had broken the conditions of his ToL, to “remain in the Windsor area”! Henry’s sentence still had 14 months to run (December 1826)
William Deane held 100 acres in the Parish of Melville(66 66a)
Deane arrived in the colony in 1799, married Elizabeth Hollingsworth and by 1824 had reared 7 kids and was thoroughly ensconced in the Parish of Melville(67).
1826
1st December Henry due to complete his prison term.
1827
May 10 Henry surrendered his ToL in exchange for his
Certificate of Freedom(68).
1828
The Census(69) taken in November has Henry (Simell)(70) working for Ferdinand Anley of Mountjoye farm Hunter River - Age 36 CF Ship Calista 1280 Acres – 45 Cleared 1 horse 40 cattle.
Mountjoye Farm: down river from Clarence Town and up river from Hexham!!
Re-enter the Peckhams, Little Ozzie Battlers.
The 1828 Census has William working for George Sparkes at Woodlands.
Towards the end of 1831, life at Hexham changed significantly.
Unfortunately for William and Celea, George Sparkes gets into serious financial difficulties and is taken to court by “Josephson and others”. Consequently Sparkes is forced to sell his Newcastle house and contents, and Wyharbour Farm (at Woodlands and/or Woodlands Farm) along with farm implements and stock. The sale is scheduled to take place in late November.
Either William stopped working for Sparkes, or lost his job all together. Might Henry have also worked for Sparkes, it’s a tantalising thought!
For Celea and William the change seemed to herald the beginning of a gradual decline that ultimately saw them go their separate ways. Later on Celea spent time in Darlinghurst Gaol, and ultimately died at a relatively young age. Life fared no better for William although he died considerably later. Their kids, William Alexander and James also had their share of difficulties.
3 August Sarah Ann Benson Born
6 Nov Sarah Ann Benson Baptised
The Riddle of Baptism of Sarah Ann Benson
Born 3 August 1831
Baptised 6 November 1831(71)
Sarah Ann is the daughter of Hannah, an undisputed fact, but I believe, not Thomas.
Nothing about the baptism of Sarah Ann Benson is straight forward. Hannah’s first two daughters both have the same middle name. Giving her first two kids the same middle name is not common practice but seems somehow significant. Why Ann? Was it her mother’s name? Ann was also a common affectation of Hannah! Unfortunately, at this point in time, no information about Hannah is known before her arrest, only her place of birth.
At first glance, H & H’s paths crossed somewhere in Sydney. The rationale was simple, Sarah Ann’s baptism is recorded in the registers of St Philips Church Sydney, written in the beautiful hand William Cowper, hence, she was baptised in Sydney. Coupled with the fact that one week later Hannah is pregnant with Hannah, the first of Henry’s kids, it seemed likely they were in Sydney on 6 November 1831.
However:-
Our original information stated Sarah Ann was born in Hexham, but we had misplaced the document !
Simple solution - obtain a replacement from Births Deaths and Marriages.
Ironically Bec and I both applied (separately) to BDM for a baptism Certificate for Sarah Ann. The result, two separate certificates – same birth and baptism dates – different supporting info – different reference numbers.
Unfortunately BDM no longer issue photocopies of original documents, only transcriptions. Transcription agents do a fine job transcribing the information. Unfortunately the link to an original document is reduced to a reference number. Clearly each request was forwarded to a different transcription agent, and having found their quarry in the records, looked no further. Their job done, in due time they posted the Baptism Certificates to their respective clients.
Number: 308 Vol 15 10911 Vol1C
Born: 3 August 1831 3 August 1831
Date of
Ceremony: 6 Nov 1831 6 Nov 1831
Where Ceremony
Performed: Parishes of St Philips Sydney Christ Church
Newcastle
In the County of Cumberland
Where Registered Not Stated
Parents
Father Thomas Benson Thomas Benson
Mother Hannah Benson Hannah Benson
Abode Sydney Not Stated
Quality or
Profession Labourer Not Stated
Sponsors Not Stated Not Stated
By Who Performed
Ceremony William Cowper Not Stated
Denomination Church of England . ...................
The deepening mystery sent us all into search mode for the next few years until we relocated our original reference, which only added to the mystery!
Prior to 1858 Births Baptisms Marriages and Burials were the exclusive domain of the church/s.
It appears that St Philips Church was the central Anglican authority for the colony, and the baptism entry in their register was a way to keep tabs on their parishioners.
Newcastle in the 1830’s was rapidly expanding as a separate major region within the colony – it appears that Christ Church Newcastle was the regional Anglican authority for the outlying churches dotted throughout the parish.
So, Sarah Ann was baptised in the Newcastle region, probably in a small church in Hexham.
AND
Hannah, clearly Mrs Benton, unable to read, failed to notice Sarah was recorded in the church register as Benson. Obviously Thomas was not there! Thomas was literate (and 9 months from death, in the Liverpool Lunatic Asylum).
Interestingly, the details in the church register are exactly the same as for the baptism of Mary Ann (except the spelling of Benton).
It’s unlikely Hannah was alone at the baptism. If an illiterate Henry was the one standing next to Hannah, it’s possible such a mistake could slip by unnoticed.
A week after the Baptism of Sarah Ann, Hannah is pregnant with Hannah (jr) the first child to take Henry’s name, and the first of the Samuels clan born in the colony.
As the girls grew up, I wonder what they thought, one a Benton the other a Benson (assuming they noticed)?
24th November Hannah renews her ToL.(72)
The renewed ToL states, “Allowed to remain in the District of Sydney” suggesting, Hannah Mary Ann and the baby Sarah Ann (and Henry?) are already in Sydney.
Did the Benton Benson Peckham (and Samuels) mob all return to Sydney together or about the same time?
