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Gravestone of a "First Fleeter."
Photo by Mrs. A. G. Foster.
Memorial of the First Interment in the Sandhills
Cemetery.
Photo by Mrs. A. G. Foster.
A very small headstone marks the grave of Thomas Prior, who,
like many more, found length of days in this new land. The stone is
embellished with several Masonic emblems:—
Sacred to the Memory of
THOMAS PRIOR,
who departed this Life,
July 24th, 1836,
Aged 88 Years.
who Arrived in the first Fleet, 1788.
There are several First Fleet graves in this section, but one
more must suffice:
Sacred
to the Memory of
Mrs. FRANCES MINTZ,
who departed this Life the
11th November, 1828,
Aged 64 Years.
She arrived in this Colony in the first
Fleet in the year 1788, and after visiting
England three times, died here much
respected by all who knew her.
Also to the memory of
Mrs. MARY MARSHALL,
who departed this Life,
the 29th April, 1849.
Aged 93 Years.
Although it is not stated so on the stone, Mrs. Mary Marshall
was also a First Fleeter. Born in 1756, she lived under five
Sovereigns and 10 Governors, from George II. to Queen Victoria, and
from Phillip to Fitzroy. One might say with truth she lived within
the memory of persons living today, and thus the foundation of the
Colony is brought quite close to us.
Passing from the First Fleeters we return to the older portion,
and, reaching the crest of the hill, find, in a row close together,
three historic graves, Quarter-Master Hugh McDonald, James Scott,
and John William Lewin.
I shall say a few words first about James Scott's tomb. It is
the centre one of the three. The stone is thus
inscribed:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
Mr. JAMES SCOTT,
who arrived in this Colony in the Year 1814,
as Quarter-Master-Serjeant of H.M. 46th Reg.,
and Departed this Life
9th Dec., 1832.
He was a Man of eminent Piety, ardently devoted through
a long series of years to the cause of his God, and
indefatigable in his labours for the Temporal and Spiritual
Happiness of his Fellow-men. His afflicted Widow, who
humbly anticipates a blessed re-union with the Partner of
her heart, has Erected this feeble testimony to his holy
and useful character.
For the Memory of the Just is blessed.
Also
Mrs. JANE SCOTT,
relict of the above,
who Departed this Life,
11th March, 1834, Aged 74 Years.
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."
(Rev. 14 C. 13V.)
And also
Mrs. MARY JANE BAKER,
Daughter of the late Mrs. Jane Scott,
who departed this Life, Dec. 2, 1842,
Aged 50 Years.
James Scott well deserved the eulogy engraved on the stone.
Leaving the Army, he settled in Sydney, and received an appointment
in the Commisariat Department. Originally a Presbyterian, he had
attached himself to the Methodists, and was, according to the
Sydney Herald, "one of their brightest ornaments." To him
the Methodists were indebted for their first church, which he built
on his own ground in Prince Street. He bore the entire cost of the
building—some 500 guineas—himself. On Sunday, December
9, 1832, Mr. Scott had been preaching at the Carters' Barracks, and
was riding home on a young and spirited horse. When near his home
in Prince Street the horse shied, and Scott was thrown to the
ground, causing concussion of the brain, death being almost
instantaneous. It is singular that neither on the stone nor in the
death announcement is the age of Scott given.
Next to Scott, on the eastern side, was the grave of the artist,
John William Lewin.
Writing to Governor Hunter, under date February 6, 1798, the
Duke of Portland said:—
"Mr. Lewin is a painter and drawer in natural
history, and being desirous of pursuing his studies in a country
which cannot fail to improve that branch of knowledge, you will
allow him the usual Government rations during his residence in the
Settlement."
It seems to me that justice has not yet been done to the memory
of Lewin. The same spirit of adventure and love of natural history
that moved Joseph Banks to accompany Captain Cook, animated Lewin.
In 1801 he sailed with Lieut. Grant to Western Port. Later, he
accompanied Colonel Paterson during his explorations on the Hunter,
and in 1815 he formed one of the party chosen by Governor Macquarie
to accompany him on his first journey across the mountains, over
the famous road just completed by William Cox. Apart from Lewin's
work as a naturalist, he has left us a rich legacy in his paintings
of Old Sydney. Some excellent examples can be seen in the Mitchell
Library.
Here Rests
The Body of J. W. Lewin, Esq.,
Coroner,
Who departed this Life,
the 27th of August, 1819.
Aged 49 Years.
After a short illness, which he bore
with Christian fortitude,
Leaving a disconsolate
Widow and Son
to lament his Loss
also felt by the few Friends
who knew him.
In him the Community has been
Deprived of an honest Man,
and this Country of an
Eminent Artist,
in his Line of
Natural History Painting,
in which he excelled.
He is gone,
Depending upon the Mercies
of his God,
through an Atoning Saviour,
Who Writes
Our Virtues on Adamant,
Our Vices
on a Wave.
A Friend
has given this Tribute
To his Memory.
The Sydney Gazette contains this very brief notice of
Lewin's death:
"Died, yesterday morning, after a severe
illness, J. W. Lewin, Coroner; universally respected."
According to Obed West, Mr. Lewin's house was a two-storied one,
with a tiled roof. It stood on the eastern side of George Street,
between Bathurst and Liverpool streets, north of Mr. Wilshire's
property. It was converted into a public-house, called the﹃Spotted
Dog.﹄The land attached to it ran right through to Pitt Street.
The western of the three graves was that of Quarter-Master Hugh
McDonald. The lengthy obituary notice in the Gazette, of
September 11, 1819, is in marked contrast to the very brief
reference made to Lewin:
"On Thursday morning last, in the 36th year of
his age, after a long and painful illness, borne with Christian
fortitude and patience, Mr. Hugh McDonald, Quarter-Master of the
46th Regt., leaving an amiable widow and four children to deplore
his early fate. Mr. McDonald was much and justly respected by the
Regiment to which be belonged. He left it a few months ago at
Madras to come hither for his wife and family, whom he was obliged
to leave behind him when the 46th embarked for India. In respect to
the memory of this worthy man, His Excellency the Governor, the
Lieut.-Governor, and nearly all the principal officers, civil and
military, attended the funeral at 1 o'clock this day.
"We noticed also several ribbons on the breasts of the Gentlemen,
to mark the memory of the deceased as that of a good and worthy
Brother Mason. The 48th Regiment attended, and the usual military
procession and honours were paid on the mournful occasion, whilst
the body itself was borne to the grave by a detachment of the 46th
Regt., which happens to be here at this time on its way to India.
The interment took place in the new Burial Ground, being the first
there, at the instance of the deceased, who had repeatedly, during
his illness, expressed a desire to that effect."
The remains of Hugh McDonald and other relatives, whose names
are not recorded on the stone, and around whose lives a pathetic
story is woven, were removed to the family vault at St. Jude's,
Randwick, but the stone I now show you will be seen by no visitor
there, because it, too, was placed in the vault.
In This Grave
is deposited
The Remains of HUGH McDONALD,
Late Quarter-Master
In H.M. 46th Regiment,
Who, after a Lingering Illness,
Which he Sustained with
Patience and Resignation,
Departed This Life
on the 9th of September,
1819,
Aged 36 Years,
Leaving behind him a Widow
and Family of Young Children
to deplore his Premature
DISSOLUTION.
A Brother
of the Mystic Tie
Here Gives this Tribute
To His Memory.
The Short Span of Life forbids us to form
any remote Expectations.
You will notice how beautiful and varied is the lettering that
adorns this stone. But the lettering is the work of some one
skilled in penmanship, of someone who had been taught the art and
mystery of engraving. I am glad I have preserved some specimens of
his handiwork, though, alas that very skill used some years later
in a wrong direction, cost him his life. There is a singular
coincidence connected with our friend's lapse from virtue, which is
thus recorded in a paper of the time*. For the sake of possible
relatives, I give neither name nor date:—
[* The Sydney Gazette
and New South Wales Advertiser, 11 March 1830, page 2. Ed.]
"THE LATE FORGERY."
"The plate by means of which the recent forgeries on the Waterloo
Company were executed was found yesterday in the New Burial Ground,
and delivered up to Mr. Daniel Cooper. S—— [Sly], who lately
suffered for uttering the forged notes, used to be frequently
employed in cutting inscriptions on the tombstones, and availed
himself of the burial ground as a secure place to deposit an
instrument which in any other situation was so liable to be
discovered. It is well, however, that the plate has been found, for
so long as its existence and place of concealment was known to
anyone, neither the public, or the firm on whom the forgery had
been committed, was secure from fraud. It is remarkable that B——
[Byfield], who was an active agent in circulating the forged notes,
and the principal witness against the forger, was buried on the
very day the plate was found."
[* See The Late Forgery.
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, 11 March
1830, p. 2.]
No stone, I fear, marked the resting place of our engraver, but
to-day we can admire his skill, and say: Peace to his Ashes.
Yonder is a modest little headstone that many have passed
unread, and even unseen, and yet it has a peculiar charm and touch
of romance, which, perhaps, no other stone in the cemetery
possesses.
SACRED
TO
THE MEMORY
OF
HARRIET RODIUS,
WHO
DIED ON THE 14th DECEMBER,
1838,
AGED 18 YEARS.
AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS OF FOUR DAYS.
THIS INSCRIPTION IS SCULPTURED BY HER
AFFLICTED HUSBAND; AS A LAST
TRIBUTE HIS AFFECTION CAN
OFFER TO HER MEMORY.
What a contrast there is between the lettering on this stone and
on McDonald's, and what a touch of pathos in the inscription, cut
by the artist, Charles Rodius himself, as the last tribute his
hands could pay to the memory of his young wife.
In the Sydney Art Gallery may be seen a number of portraits by
Rodius, among them being Queen Gooseberry, Henry Parkes, and Edward
Smith Hall, the dauntless editor of the Monitor. Charles
Rodius himself died on April 7, 1860, aged 56 years. The place of
his interment is not stated, but probably he was laid to rest in
the same grave as his young wife.
The friend who gave the tributes to the memory of Lewin and
McDonald, I opine from the moral aphorisms, was none other than
James Scott, the preacher. In the Sydney Gazette of March 3,
1820, we learn that the﹃Funeral Expenses of the late J. W. Lewin,
Esq., interred at the public expense, amounted to £86 ls. 2d.﹄A
peculiar fact might be mentioned in regard to the deaths of Lewin
and McDonald. Lewin died on August 27, 1819, nearly a fortnight
before McDonald, yet McDonald is stated to have been the first
interment*.
[* Lewin was first buried in the Old Cemetery
in George Street, then reinterred in Devonshire Street
cemetery after it opened.
Australian
Dictionary of Biography.]
Well over towards Elizabeth Street was the grave of Sir Francis
Forbes, the first Chief Justice. Originally there was an
inscription on either side of the stone, one being in Latin, the
other in English; both, unfortunately, had disappeared before we
came on the scene. Probably the epitaphs had been cut in marble,
and the cupidity of someone has deprived posterity of an historic
inscription. The services Sir Francis Forbes rendered Australia in
preserving the liberties of the Press in the time of Governor
Darling merit a monument to his memory. Born in 1784, the same year
in which Dr. Samuel Johnson died, our First Chief Justice passed
away on November 9, 1841, a date familiar to most of us for many
years as the Prince of Wales' Birthday.
Near the centre of the ground we see the handsome monument
erected to the memory of Sir James Dowling, the second Chief
Justice. Born in London in 1787, he arrived with his family in
Sydney in 1828. He died in 1844 at the early age of 57 years. When
first erected, this monument so exceeded in magnificence everything
that had preceded it, that for a long time it was the talk of the
town.
A grandson of Sir James, Mr. J. Arthur Dowling, was the second
Secretary of this Society, and did yeoman service during the years
1904 to 1908.
Over against the Barrack wall is the grave of John Stephen, the
first Puisne Judge of this colony. He was born in London in 1771,
and died in 1833, aged 62 years. His widow survived him for 30
years, dying in 1863, in her 89th year. One of his sons, Sir Alfred
Stephen, became our third Chief Justice.
In the Sydney Gazette of May 29, 1830, appears the
following:—
"The timber on the Petersham estate (the
property of Dr. Wardell) has been valued at the extraordinary sum
of £40,000. It comprises two or three thousand acres, and is in
some places very thickly wooded. Incredible as the estimate may
appear, we are inclined, from the increasing scarcity and dearness
of firewood, to think it not much above the mark."
On September 7, 1834, Dr. Wardell, while riding through his fine
estate, encountered three runaway convicts, one of whom shot him
dead.
The story is fully told in the newspapers of the time, and is
too long for repetition here. Some matters connected with his
funeral and grave may, however, be new to the reader. The following
extract is from an account of his funeral in the Gazette of
September 13, 1834:—
"About one o'clock the procession reached the
Sydney toll-gate, from the late residence of the deceased at
Petersham, and immediately moved off for the burial ground in the
following order:—Eight mutes, two and two; a plume of
feathers and pages preceded the hearse containing the body, which
was drawn by six black horses. Next followed the carriage of the
deceased, closely covered with black cloth, and drawn by the four
grey horses, which the deceased used to drive in his life time. A
carriage covered also with black cloth succeeded, containing the
chief mourners: William Charles Wentworth and John Mackaness,
Esqrs. The mournful cavalcade was flanked by a train of chaises and
horsemen...When arrived at the gate of the cemetery, the coffin,
which was covered with black cloth, and bore upon it several gilt
mountings, was removed from the hearse, and being covered with two
rich velvet palls, the bearers of which were His Honour Mr. Justice
Dowling, the Attorney and Solicitor Generals, the High Sheriff, the
Commissioner of the Court of Requests, the First Police Magistrate,
and R. Johnston and W. Lawson, Esquires, proceeded to its final
resting place...
"In this manner, preceded by the Rev. Richard Hill...the body was
carried to a vault near the site where lie the remains of the late
Mr. Justice Stephen."
A portion of the Sandhills Cemetery, showing the
Broken Column.
Photo by Mrs A G Foster.
The funeral of Dr. Wardell must have been a singularly
impressive one. But where shall we find his grave. The broken
fluted monument—now on the screen—is supposed to mark
the spot. As in the case of Judge Forbes, the tablets containing
the inscription had been removed. On the base was cut the one word,
Clewett, which was the name of the monumental mason. In 1839 a
marble tablet to the memory of Wardell was placed in St. James'
Church, where it still remains. A reference is made to it in the
Gazette of June 4, 1839:—
"On Thursday last the remains of Dr. Wardell
were removed from the Sydney Burial Ground preparatory to their
removal to England.
"This measure, it is said, has been determined upon by the
relatives of the deceased for the purpose of having the body
deposited in the family vault. A handsome marble tablet has been
constructed at the marble works of Mr. Clewett, Pitt Street, to the
memory of Dr. Wardell, which it is intended shall be placed in the
Church of St. James. The monument has the head of the doctor in
alto relievo, said to be a good likeness."
There is a problem here. The mason's name and the handsome
broken column seem to point to it as Wardell's. But the grave is
not near the Stephen vault, and, furthermore, we learn from the
Gazette that the remains of Dr. Wardell were exhumed for
removal to England. If this were done, the monument probably came
into the possession of the monumental mason, and at a later period
was re-erected over the grave of some other person. Or, on the
other hand, a difficulty might have arisen in regard to its
conveyance to England, and a new and better site chosen in the same
cemetery, and the body reinterred. But which of these things
happened, at present I cannot say.
The residence of Dr. Wardell, on the Petersham Estate, was at
the time of his death known as "Sarah Dell" Cottage. An ancient
building still standing on the Parramatta Road near the original
entrance to Dr. Wardell's estate, is known as "Petersham Cottage,"
and tradition says it is the cottage in which the doctor
resided.
Keystone of the house of Isaac Nichols,
George Street North, Sydney, the first post-office in
Australia.
Photo by Mrs. A. G. Foster.
Tombstone of Isaac Nichols, who died Nov. 8,
1819.
Photo by Mrs. A. G. Foster.
The fact that Nichols was an assistant to the Naval Officer, and
had built a fine commodious house near the water, and in the centre
of commercial Sydney, were no doubt important factors in gaining
him the distinction of being Australia's first Postmaster.
As in the case of George Howe, no portrait of Nichols is known
to exist. I should conceive him to have been tall. His three sons,
it is said, were tall, handsome men. Many still remember his second
son, George Robert Nichols, a noted lawyer and politician, who
became a member of the first responsible Government.
A nephew and namesake, the late Mr. George Robert Nichols, of
Llandilo, near St. Marys, was a member of this Society, and his
death in October last is a distinct loss to the cause of Australian
history.
Between the grave of Isaac Nichols and the caretaker's cottage
stood a fine Norfolk Island pine. A few paces west of this tree
brought us to the altar tomb of Mary Reibey. Much has been written
concerning her remarkable business aptitude and successful career.
As most of it is familiar to all students of our history I need say
but little about it here. I have had the pleasure of meeting some
of Mrs. Reibey's descendants, who bear testimony to the keenness of
her mind and the goodness of her heart.
Evidently, Mrs. Reibey admired the building erected by Mr.
Nichols, because in 1812, in the first year of her widowhood, she
erected a similar building immediately adjoining Nichols on the
southern side. This land was granted to her by Governor Macquarie,
who stipulated that the land must not be sold for five years, and
that a good and sufficient dwelling-house of brick or stone should
be built within the said period. The building was to be 50 feet in
length, 16 feet in width and 2 stories high. Not only did Mrs.
Reibey admire Mr. Nichols' house as a whole, but she liked the idea
of the initials and date on the keystone; and so, on the stone
above the door, she had engraved her initials and date of
erection:—
M. R.
1812.
Subsequently Mrs. Reibey erected several other buildings in
Sydney, and her enterprise deserved the high praise given to her in
the Sydney Gazette of December 19, 1827, which
said:—
"In addition to improvements to George Sstreet
within the last year by Mr. Barnett Levy, Mr. Morris, Mr. Simmonds
and others, we cannot help noticing the spacious and elegant
mansion very recently run up by Mrs. Reibey adjoining the Custom
House. What between the erection of splendid edifices and the
ramification of children and grandchildren, no respectable colonist
has done more than Mrs. Reibey to 'Advance Australia.'"
The building referred to by the Gazette was erected on
the western side of the Tank Stream, just south of the present Post
Office. It was known for many years as Reibey Cottage.
I cannot here give particulars of the other "splendid edifices"
Mrs. Reibey caused to be built, but there is one other to which I
must refer. In Station Street, Newtown, may still be seen a
picturesque two-storied building, standing back some distance from
the road, half hidden from view by stately trees and clustering
vines. Its name is now "Reibey House." This was Mrs. Reibey's last
residence, and it was here, on the 30th May, 1855, that her
singularly romantic life came to a close.
The inscription on the family vault in the Sandhills read
thus:—
Sacred
to the Memory of
MR. THOMAS REIBEY,
who departed this life on the 5th of May, 1811,
Aged 36 Years.
Also
Mrs. Celia Wills, Wife of Mr. Thomas Wills,
Eldest Daughter of the above Mr. Thomas Reibey,
who departed this Life on the 28th Septr., 1823,
Aged 20 Years 9 months.
Also Alice Wills,
Infant Daughter of the above,
who departed this Life April 11, 1824,
Aged 11 Months and 5 Days.
Also of
Mary, Widow of the Above,
Mr. Thomas Reibey,
Born 12th May, 1777,
Died 30th May, 1855.
"I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me:
Write—From henceforth, blessed are the dead which die in the
Lord,
even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours."
If I may be pardoned for introducing a little personal history,
I should like to say that in Mrs. Reibey's vault lies the genesis
of this lecture. It was while standing beside her grave that my
wife and I determined, with pen and camera, to preserve for
posterity—some at least—of the historic graves of the
pioneers. This work was begun early in 1899, and occupied a full
two years' of leisure time.
Several stones were removals from the old George Street
Cemetery, one of the most interesting being that of the Bunker
vault, which is thus inscribed:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
MRS. MARGRETT (sic) BUNKER:
Wife of Capt. Bunker,
who Departed this Life,
April 3rd, 1808. Aged, 40 Years.
Also
Her daughter Isabella Laycock,
wife of Capt. Thomas Laycock,
Late of His Majesty's 97th Regt.,
who Departed this Life,
May 13th, 1817, Aged 30 Years.
Weep not Our Husbands and Children Dear,
We are not Dead but Sleeping Here.
This stone covers Two of the Best Wives
and Tenderest of Mothers. Amiable in their Lives;
And in Death are not Divided.
Also
To the Memory of
ARNOLD J. W. FISK,
Eldest Son of the late Capt. Fisk,
Grandson and Nephew of the above,
Who Departed This Life
November 28th, 1833,
Aged 21 Years.
The name of Capt. Bunker can be traced almost to the foundation
of the colony. For some time his home was on the "Rocks," and the
name Bunker's Hill is derived from that fact. He had a large grant
of land near Liverpool, which he named Collingwood, after Lord
Collingwood, to whom his first wife was related.
His third wife—for he was thrice married—was the
widow of Capt. William Minchin, police magistrate, formerly a
captain in the 102nd Regt. Captain Bunker passed his declining
years at Liverpool, and there can be found his grave.
A familiar name appears on a well-preserved altar stone. From it
we learn that Joseph Nobbs died on December 12, 1844, aged 90
years, after a residence of 43 years in the colony. A relative of
that early pioneer is the Hon. John Nobbs, M.L.C., who for many
years represented Granville in the Legislative Assembly, and was
one of the founders of this Society.
Opposite the entrance gates, a little removed from the footpath,
was the grave of Allan Cunningham, botanist and explorer. A plain
slab covered the remains, and simply recorded his name, age, and
date of death:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, Esq.,
Departed this Life
On the 27th June, 1839,
Aged 48 Years.
The friends and admirers of Allan Cunningham erected in 1844, in
the Botanic Gardens, an obelisk to his memory. When the cemetery
was resumed Mr. J. H. Maiden, the Curator of the Gardens, had the
remains of Cunningham placed in a casket and inserted in a cavity
cut in the obelisk. The details are given in the Sydney Morning
Herald of June 29, 1901:—
"The recent opening of his brick grave brought
to light a piece of his skull, about four inches in diameter, a
piece of the large bone of the arm, and some other fragments. These
were placed in a leaden casket 10 inches long, 5 inches broad, and
4 inches deep, which was inserted in an excavation made in the
upper portion of the obelisk and the whole covered with a marble
slab, which bears the following inscription:—
"The remains of Allan Cunningham were interred
in the Devonshire Street Cemetery, in July, 1839, from which they
were reverently removed on the 25th of May, 1901, and placed within
this obelisk. The placing in the obelisk took place on the 26th
June inst."
Could Cunningham wish to sleep his last sleep in a more
beautiful spot, surrounded by the trees and flowers, to whose study
he had devoted so many years of his life? Standing in front of this
obelisk you might observe a fine willow tree growing on the edge of
the tiny lake, which encircles the monument. If you turn to the
Sydney Gazette of May 20, 1830, you may read
this:—
"Mr. Fraser, the Colonial Botanist, has a
cutting from the willow which hangs over the tomb of Napoleon at
St. Helena, and is about to plant it on one of those miniature
islands constructed by him in the pond in the new botanical garden,
which he is laying out at Farm Cove."
And so at Farm Cove, as well as at La Perouse, we have a link of
sentiment binding us to the great French nation.
We have yet another in the grave of William Balcombe. A little
to the west of Cunningham's, in the Sandhills, was another plain
slab, containing this brief epitaph:—
Here Lie the Remains of
WILLIAM BALCOMBE, Esq.,
Late Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales.
He Departed this Life on the 19th
Day of March, 1829,
In the 49th Year of his Age.
Mr. Balcombe arrived in Sydney in the time of Governor Brisbane,
and occupied the fine old house at the corner of Bent and O'Connell
streets, on the site of which the Colonial Sugar Company has its
offices. Prior to coming to Sydney Mr. Balcombe held a Government
position on St. Helena, and was thus frequently brought into
contact with the great Napoleon, who, it is said, became attached
to a lovely little child, the daughter of Mr. Balcombe.
And now let us glance at some tragedies of Old Sydney. Here is a
small headstone recording a death by snakebite:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
WILLIAM YARDLEY,
Who lost his life by the bite of a snake,
on the 5th December, 1824,
Aged 45 Years.
He was a Brother Fellow Odd,
We hope his Soul, at rest with God.
Interesting accounts are given in the papers of the day. Sydney
had then the two newspapers, the Sydney Gazette and the
Australian. The former paper, in its issue of December 9,
1824, says:—
"On Monday last an inquest was held on the
body of William Yardley, who died from the bite of a snake. It
appeared that the deceased was a stonemason in the employ of Mr.
Robert Cooper, merchant, of George Street, and worked on the
distillery grounds at Blackwattle Swamp, on the Parramatta-road.
While in the act of gathering some flowers or shrubs, as the story
goes on, Friday morning last, he felt something prick his leg, and
between 5 and 10 minutes afterwards fell to the ground with an
insupportable pain that struck across the forehead. From the
symptoms it was inferred that he had been bitten by a snake.
"He did not see the reptile, but in a few moments fainted, in which
state he was found, and quickly carried home to Upper Castlereagh
Street. The usual remedies were instantly applied, and an incision
of the affected part made, previous to which Dr. Bland had induced
some natives, who were on the spot, to suck the wound, agreeable to
their usual custom on these occasions. This being followed by
considerable relief, but not having perfectly removed the symptoms,
the bitten part without any loss of time, was cut out, and a
cupping glass immediately applied over the bleeding wound, which
operation was followed by additional very serviceable relief. The
volatile alkali and other stimulants were now exhibited, the lunar
caustic applied to the spot of the incision, and the case otherwise
treated agreeable to the general practice. The unfortunate man was
kept walking from the time the surgeon attended him until the
morning of his death, as hopes were entertained of life if he could
have continued on his feet for 48 hours after the bite; but nature,
being exhausted, and the poison having had time to diffuse its
deadly power before counteraction could take place, the poor man
went off into a slumber, and soon fell into the sleep of death. The
body shortly presented a most shocking spectacle, and the blood
flowed profusely from the ears. Verdict: Died by the bite of a
snake."
Tomb of George Howe, the first Government
Printer, who was buried in
the same grave as Edward Wills.
Photo by Mrs. A. G. Foster.
To show that even in those days newspapers differed from one
another, I subjoin the extract from the Australian, then in
its first year of publication, under date December 16,
1824:—
"On Friday morning (3rd inst.) a man named
William Yardley, in the employ of Mr. Robert Cooper, was stung on
the leg by a snake. He did not see the reptile, but felt an acute
pain, occasioned, as he at the moment imagined, by a prick from a
grass tree, of which he took no notice till, growing faint, he,
with difficulty, reached his home. It appears that the accident
occurred while employed in his labour as a stonemason at Mr. Robert
Cooper's new building, on the South Head-road. It was only when the
poison began to operate and the unfortunate man had fallen down
several times that his companions began to suspect what had really
befallen him. Mr. Bland was sent for, but being professionally
engaged at the time, nearly an hour elapsed before he was able to
attend to the unfortunate man. The wounded part was immediately cut
out, but not until the venom had contaminated the whole mass of
blood. All means were resorted to to counteract the bite of this
poisonous reptile. Strong stimulants were applied externally and
internally, and the patient was kept walking day and night, but all
proved ineffectual. The poison had penetrated into the springs of
life, before the unfortunate man discovered the nature of his
ailment. A coroner's inquest was held on Monday on the body.
Verdict: Died in consequence of the bite of a snake."
It seems most probable that Mr. Robert Cooper was having
constructed his private house, "Juniper Hall," South Head-road, and
the distillery in Parramatta Street at the same time.
The headstone of Samuel Lepton, who was shot dead by a constable
named Byron, used to attract a good deal of attention. Some
misapprehension exists in regard to the actual circumstances, and
more odium has been attached to Byron than I think he deserves.
Briefly, the facts are these:—In the early days—owing
to the large numbers of convicts in Sydney—watch-houses (or
roundhouses, as they were frequently called) were placed at various
points, and the constable in charge had the right to challenge
persons passing as to their identity and business. Prisoners of the
Crown had to show their tickets of leave or emancipation papers.
Failing to give satisfactory replies, a person might be arrested
and lodged in the Round House, a cell for that purpose, being
provided underground. On May 29, 1825, about dusk, Lepton, with a
companion named Richard Robinson, were walking along the
Parramatta-road to Sydney, when they were challenged by Byron. The
story of what then happened may be told in the words of Lepton's
companion:—
"Richard Robinson deposed that he was in
company with deceased on the Parramatta-road on the evening of the
29th of May last; was proceeding from Parramatta to Sydney, when,
on passing a round-house, within three miles from Sydney, prisoner
came out with a pistol in his hand and approached towards them. On
looking witness in the face he observed, 'You are not the man.' He
then looked at deceased (Lepton), and enquired who he was. He said:
'I will tell you who I am. You remember, I suppose, to have worked
with me in loading stone for Jenny Muckle.' Prisoner then
remembered him, and suffered both to proceed on their way, and
returned back to his house; deceased then said that it was a hard
case to be stopped by constable, and that the prisoner, Byron, knew
him to be a free man. The constable returned and asked what he was
grumbling about, and insisted on seeing his certificate of freedom,
which deceased said had been left by him in Sydney. Prisoner said:
'If you cannot produce it, I will take you into custody to the
round-house.' Not more than three minutes had elapsed from the
prisoner leaving them the first time and his return; deceased and
witness had some words together respecting his going in custody to
the watch-house, but was at length prevailed upon to go."
What happened in the round-house was told by the prisoner Byron,
who said he requested Lepton to go down into a place underground
assigned to individuals who may be taken into charge. Lepton
refused, and snatched up a gun which was in the room. Byron told
him the piece was unloaded, and thus Lepton, observing the door
half open, rushed out. Byron followed and fired his pistol,
apparently without effect. He then returned to the round-house,
procured a musket which he fired, and Lepton fell—never to
rise again.
Sacred
To the Memory of
SAMUEL LEPTON,
Who Departed this Life June
20th, 1825, Aged 27 Years.
The wicked Byron who shot me,
The ALMIGHTY JUDGE will shortly see.
And I, the witness, shall be there,
The truth against him to declare.
That righteous Judge shall hear my case,
And doom him to his own place.
That wise Creator, who is good,
Commands us all to shed no blood.
And those who do He'll not forgive,
His laws decree such shall not live.
Byron, prepare to meet thy doom;
The awful summons soon must come,
When you must answer for my blood,
Before thy MAKER and thy GOD.
From the evidence it is clear that Lepton's "back answer" was in
no slight measure responsible for the tragedy. Byron had returned
to the round-house, leaving Lepton and his companion free to
continue their walk into Sydney. But Lepton let his annoyance
overcome his prudence, and began to say things. That brought the
constable back, and resulted in the arrest and tragic death. There
are several matters of interest connected with the case not
generally known. Lepton's name is variously stated in the
newspapers to have been Upton, Lupton, and Lapton. A Mr. Anthony
Best had the stone erected, and the lines written.
A singular error in the date is carved on the stone, June 20,
but as a matter of fact the tragedy took place on the 29th of May.
From this we might infer that the stone was not erected until some
considerable time after the occurrence. As may be seen in the
photograph, the surface of the stone was flaking off 18 years ago,
and the time cannot be far distant when this quaint relic of an
old-time tragedy will have quite disappeared.
Nearly opposite the entrance gates was a well-preserved
headstone of an attractive design, which bore an inscription that
for quaintness of diction appealed to me more than Lepton's.
This stone, after seventy years of exposure to the elements,
showed no signs of decay, and may last for many years yet to
come.
Sacred to the Memory
of
JOHN WARD,
Who was Accidentally Shot on
CHRISTMAS MORNING, A.D., 1830,
Aged 30 Years.
Reader as this Stone you View,
Let a Tear, in pity fall.
Ah, think how Sudden was his Fate,
Shot by a Musket Ball.
Into his Maker's Presence borne away,
without a Moment to Repent or Pray.
Though Pious he was and Learned in fact,
just think what a man Should be,
and he was that.
The Sydney Gazette, December 28, 1830, contains an
account of the accident which—omitting a couple of
lines—reads thus:—
"Shocking Catastrophe.—A most
distressing occurrence, displaying the sad effects resulting from
the horrid practice of drinking parties, so prevalent among the
lower orders in this Colony, took place about two o'clock on the
morning of Christmas day. Several persons had assembled on the
previous evening to have a carousal, by way of introducing the
season, in a small house, situated where the old toll-bar used to
be at the commencement of the South Head-road. After drinking to
excess for several hours, some of them began what is commonly
called 'larking,' and imprudently laid hold of a loaded musket that
stood in the room. While they were struggling for this weapon it
was struck against the ground, by which the stock was broken, and
it went off, the contents lodging in the abdomen of a poor fellow
belonging to the Prisoners' Barracks...and after lingering for a
few hours, he expired at the General Hospital in great agony. He
declared before his death that the transaction was purely
accidental."
I do not know who composed the lines that embellish this
headstone, nor what virtues or vices he considered necessary to
make a man as he "should be," but after reading the circumstances
under which the late Mr. John Ward crossed into the Land of
Shadows, one may not, perhaps, question the extent of his learning,
but may very reasonably doubt the depth of his piety.
When it was determined to resume the cemetery as the site of a
new railway station, large numbers of persons, out of curiosity, or
because their ancestors were buried there, visited the cemetery. We
often smiled to hear the remarks about the wonderful state of
preservation of many inscriptions, and, perchance, some of my
audience might ask whether it was due to the remarkable quality of
the paint used in those days or to the constant care and tender
solicitude evinced by some of the descendants of the pioneers. To
both credit shall be freely given. But there was a third
reason.
The picture of Denis Ryan's headstone shows the lecturer*
renovating an inscription. Without this labour, many an epitaph
would have been indistinct or quite indecipherable.
[* Mr A G Foster is here referring to
himself as the "lecturer". He was giving the address about
Devonshire cemetery which forms the text of this document.]
Mr Foster renovating an inscription (left) and the renovated inscription (right)
Governor Bourke erected a monument over the remains of seventeen
persons, comprising officers, crew, and passengers of the barque,
Charles Eaton, who, after escaping from the total wreck of
that vessel, on August 15, 1834, were massacred by the natives of
the islands on which they landed. The remains were recovered by
H.M. Colonial Schooner Isabella, and interred in this vault,
November 17, 1836.
There were many tragedies of Old Sydney that were not caused by
snakebite, shot, or shipwreck—tragedies that could be traced
to envy, malice, and persecution were none the less fatal, when a
sensitive mind was the target and venom the shaft. A pathetic
example is indicated in the case of the solicitor, Thomas
Amos:—
Sacred
to the Memory of
THOMAS STERROP AMOS, Esqre.,
Solicitor of this Colony,
Who deceased the 9th day of Novr., 1819,
in the 42nd year of his Age,
The Victim
of deeply wounded feelings.
Heu! flebilis...id falis oppressus
Duguis Damnatus iniguis in sub Judice Summo!
Age and weather had caused part of the stone to flake off,
rendering some of the Latin inscription indecipherable.
Let us turn to the account of his death, as given in the
Sydney Gazette of November 13, 1819:—
"On Tuesday, at his residence, in Pitt Street,
after a short illness, Thomas S. Amos, Esq., late Solicitor in the
Courts of Civil Judicature; a gentleman whose suavity of manners in
private life was calculated daily to increase the numbers of his
friends. He had been in the Colony between three and four years,
and independent of his legal practice, had embarked to some extent
on agricultural pursuits. Two youthful sons, who accompanied him
into this colony—and both are now at a grammar school, are
left in a country where they have no remaining relative sadly to
deplore the departure of a parent in whose affection their early
youth passed happily away. The funeral took place early on Thursday
afternoon at the new burial ground, and was most respectably
attended. The two orphans followed the bier as chief mourners, and
in succession proceeded all the magistrates of Sydney, and most if
not the whole of the civil officers in the town, and the sentiment
of regret was general."
Not a word in the above paragraph reveals by whom or in what
manner the feelings of Amos were so deeply wounded as to cause or
contribute to his death. But we must remember that the
Gazette was not a free unfettered paper, having the will and
the power to expose wrong-doing in high places, and so we wait
awhile until the Monitor is founded, having for its editor
the fearless outspoken champion of the liberty of the
Press—Edward Smith Hall, whose memory deserves a monument.
Now, take up the Monitor, of 1829, and in its issue of
September 26 you will find this:—
"The pension of £400 a year given to Mr.
Barron Field, whose conduct when Judge here excited general
dissatisfaction, especially in levying fees on suitors, which he
had no more right to levy, than the highwayman has to levy money on
the highway; and whose conduct to the late Mr. Solicitor Amos will
never be erased from the tablet of men's memories, ought to be
petitioned against. If ever a House of Assembly be granted the
Colony, and we obtain the privilege of disbursing our own money,
this pension will be struck out of the list the very first Colonial
Budget that is opened in our Australian Commons."
Not far away from the grave of Amos we meet with another of
these singular epitaphs, which begins in this wise:—
HENRY KITCHEN, Esqre.,
Architect,
formerly pupil of the justly
Celebrated JAMES WYATT, Esqre., deceased.
Died April 8th, 1822,
Aged 29 Years.
Subjected almost from the hour of his landing in these Colonies
to that of his death, to a series of the most relentless and
unmerciful oppressions, a severe and sudden illness contracted in
the too-ardent pursuit of his profession, snatched him prematurely
to the grave. At a time, too, when to render his fate the more to
be lamented, a change, the most propitious for the Colony, was but
just developing his superior talents, and that promised to him many
years of much happiness, and ultimately of fame and honour in his
scientific Labours. By these Colonies he is regretted as a
professional loss not easily to be retrieved by his friends, as a
friend, for whom his misfortunes, gentle manners, and cultivated
genius had contributed to excite the highest respect and
regard.
Speo vix pr dara refulsit. (sic)
Both these men evidently suffered persecution, whatever shape it
might have taken—during the regime of Macquarie. If we accept
the epitaphs as fairly truthful descriptions of their character, we
should say they were just the types of men the colony stood in need
of, and should have received every consideration. The lack of
good-will shown towards them seems to support the charge made
against Macquarie that he showed an undue preference to the
emancipist class, for whom he wished to keep the colony as a kind
of preserve.
We are now nearing the end of our ramble, and many an historic
grave must remain unvisited, but remembering we are in a building
devoted to the purposes of education, I cannot bring my paper to a
close without showing the graves of two pioneer schoolmasters,
William Cape and Thomas Taber. They were situated at extreme parts
of the cemetery, Cape's on the east, near Elizabeth Street, and
Taber's on the west, against the Barrack wall. Seeing that Mr. S.
H. Smith is to read a paper on﹃William Timothy Cape, a Great
Educational Pioneer,﹄I need do nothing more than give the epitaph
of William Cape and certain members of his family:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
WILLIAM CAPE, Esq.,
Of O'Connell Street, Sydney,
An old and much-respected Colonist,
Died November 19th, 1847,
Aged 74 Years.
Also of
Mr. HENRY CAPE,
Third Son of the Above,
Aged 36 Years.
Formerly Master of the ship Cape Packet
and the steamer Sovereign.
He sailed from Auckland, August, 1847,
in the Elizabeth Davis, and,
it is supposed, perished at Sea.
Also of
EMILY CAPE,
Third daughter of the above,
Who died after an illness of a few hours,
February 3rd, 1842,
Aged 28 Years.
Adjoining this headstone was another, thus inscribed:—
Sacred
To the Memory of
Arthur Charles,
Third Son of
William Timothy and Jane Cape.
Died December 8th, 1842.
Aged 6 Weeks.
Also of
Julius Sidney,
A Twin Son of the Above,
Died January,
Aged 2 years and a half.
In Memory also of
Maria Jaques,
Third Daughter of
William Jaques, Esq.,
Of H.M. Survey Department,
and Sister of the Above
Jane Cape.
Died November 28th, 1839,
Aged 22 Years.
A remarkable feature about the Cape epitaph is the fact that,
excepting William Cape, every death was the third son or daughter
in the several families.
In the Sydney Herald, of May 5, 1842, is thus recorded
the passing of one of Sydney's earliest schoolmasters:—
"Death—At his residence, Castlereagh
Street South, on Sunday morning, the 1st instant, at the advanced
age of seventy-nine years, Mr. Thomas Taber, deeply regretted by
his bereaved widow and a numerous family and descendants to the
fourth generation. Mr. Taber arrived in the year 1797, and was soon
afterwards appointed one of the masters of the Government School.
He was subsequently removed to Parramatta as clerk and
schoolmaster, and on the death of Mr. Barnes, who filled that
situation in Sydney, Mr. Taber was appointed his successor. He
continued to discharge these duties with credit to himself and
satisfaction to his superiors until the year 1828, when, after a
service of 26 years, he was by the kindness of the Government,
permitted to retire on a pension of £70 per annum."
Mr. Lindsay, a bookseller, was in business on the site, and
probably in the same building that Taber had for his school. Angus
and Robertson, the well-known booksellers, now occupy the site.
I am glad we preserved the quaint and poetic inscription that
was cut on the headstone of this pioneer schoolmaster, because I
fear that now nearly the whole of the epitaph has
disappeared:—
Beneath the friendly Shadow
of this Stone,
Sheltered from all the Stormy ills of Life,
Repose in Peace,
The Mortal Remains
of
Mr. THOMAS TABER,
Who,
After a Residence in this Colony
of 45 Years,
During 26 of which he held the Situation
of
Parish Clerk and Schoolmaster,
Departed this Life
On the 1st Day of May,
1842,
Aged 79 Years.
Resurgam.
Mrs Foster sitting in Devconshire Street Cemetery
PN13321 AMOS Thomas Sterrop 09 Nov 1819 PN13403 BAKER Mary Jane 02 Dec 1842 PN13469 BALCOMBE William 19 Mar 1829 PN13538 BECKFORD Elisabeth 10 Jan 1827 PN02782 BENT Ellis 10 Nov 1815 PN13412 BEVAN David 23 Oct 1823 PN13640 BLACK Edward Simeon 23 Sep 1846 PN13641 BLACK Louisa Maria 11 Oct 1846 PN13385 BUNKER Margaret 03 Apr 1808 PN19284 BYFIELD Mark 08 Mar 1830 PN03288 CAMPBELL Robert 05 Oct 1851 PN13788 CAPE Arthur Charles 08 Dec 1842 PN13787 CAPE Emily 03 Feb 1842 PN13786 CAPE Henry Aug 1847 PN13789 CAPE Julius Sidney 02 Jan 1849 PN13785 CAPE William 19 Nov 1847 PN13722 CROSSLEY George 19 Mar 1823 PN13742 CUNNINGHAM Allan 27 Jun 1839 PN04115 DOWLING Sir James 27 Sep 1844 PN04428 FISK Arnold James W 28 Nov 1833 PN04504 FORBES Sir Francis 09 Nov 1841 PN09994 GOOSEBERRY Cora 30 Jul 1852 PN14206 HOWE George 11 May 1821 PN14144 HOWE Robert 29 Jan 1829 PN05390 HUGHES Emma Sheldon 05 Aug 1841 PN01158 HUGHES Esther 29 Aug 1873 PN05402 HUGHES John Terry 17 Oct 1851 PN05406 HUGHES Martha Theresa 09 Sep 1841 PN14354 HUGHES Samuel Terry 25 Feb 1865 PN14167 HUTCHINSON Abraham 06 May 1822 PN14168 HUTCHINSON William 26 Jul 1846 PN14420 JAQUES Maria 28 Nov 1839 PN14453 KEMP Anthony Fenn 22 Dec 1824 PN14452 KITCHEN Henry 08 Apr 1822 PN14483 LAYCOCK Isabella 13 May 1817 PN14520 LEPTON Samuel 29 May 1825 PN14510 LEWIN John William 27 Aug 1819 PN06093 LORD Simeon 29 Jan 1840 PN14726 MARSHALL Mary 29 Apr 1849 PN14617 MCDONALD Hugh 09 Sep 1819 PN14629 MILEHAM James 28 Sep 1824 PN14725 MINTZ Frances 11 Nov 1828 PN07039 NICHOLS George Robert 12 Sep 1857 PN14811 NICHOLS Isaac 08 Nov 1819 PN14834 NOBBS Joseph 12 Dec 1844 PN14929 PRIOR Thomas 24 Jul 1836 PN14911 PUTLAND John 04 Jan 1808 PN15029 REIBEY Mary 30 May 1855 PN15028 REIBEY Thomas 05 May 1811 PN07751 RODIUS Charles 07 Apr 1860 PN07752 RODIUS Harriet 14 Dec 1838 PN14980 RYAN Dennis 01 May 1820 PN15104 SCOTT James 09 Dec 1832 PN15105 SCOTT Jane 11 Mar 1834 PN15134 SIMPSON James Lucas 18 Apr 1846 PN15133 SIMPSON Judith 31 Mar 1836 PN19285 SLY John William 28 Dec 1829 PN15135 SQUIRE James 16 May 1822 PN15157 STEPHEN John 21 Dec 1833 PN15158 STEPHEN Mary Ann 01 Jan 1863 PN15301 TABER Thomas 01 May 1842 PN15377 TERRY Edward 28 Nov 1838 PN15378 TERRY Rosetta 05 Sep 1858 PN15376 TERRY Samuel 22 Feb 1838 PN15303 TRACE John 01 Jul 1823 PN15338 TYRRILL William 25 Jun 1827 PN15389 UNDERWOOD Charlotte 03 Feb 1818 PN15390 UNDERWOOD Joseph 28 Aug 1833 PN08587 UNDERWOOD Mary Ann 09 Feb 1825 PN00208 UNDERWOOD Thomas James 31 Oct 1867 PN15535 WARD John 25 Dec 1830 PN19220 WARDELL Robert 08 Sep 1834 PN08846 WHITE Andrew Sneap H 12 Aug 1821 PN15487 WILLS Alice 11 Apr 1824 PN15486 WILLS Celia 28 Sep 1823 PN15475 WILLS Edward Spencer 14 May 1811 PN15643 YARDLEY William 05 Dec 1824
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