Hawkesbury's oldest headstone

The oldest known surviving headstone in the Hawkesbury is that of John Howorth at Wilberforce.

On the 8 October 1804, eleven year old John Howorth died from a snake bite in Wilberforce. The circumstances were published in the Sydney Gazette and outlined how how he was tending sheep

The Sydney Gazette 14 October 1804 p. 4

The following week a fuller version of the situation was published. Here is an extract:

The following are the particulars of the unfortunate circumstances attending the death of the child at Hawkesbury last Monday se'nnight in consequence of the bite of a snake. Two sons of Mr. John Howorth, settler, went together among some standing and fallen timber, to look after a small flock. The eldest boy, sitting near a large tree in which three apertures had been cut for the purpose of searching after the bandycoot, unhappily stretched on of his arms within the hollow, and suddenly withdrawing it much terrified, acquainted his brother that he had received a bite from a black snake. The poor little fellow, conscious of his danger, with an air of despondency remarked that he should soon die; and complaining of sudden illness, made an effort to return homeward. But his faculties yielding to irresistible lethargy and stapor, he lost his way before he had proceeded many paces, and was observed by a neighbouring settler, who enquiring what ailed him, received in a feeble tone the information of his illness, but without assigning any cause of complaint. The good man took him into his house, and lay him on his bed. The parents were made acquainted with the state the child was in, and immediately attended him; but he was then wholly insensible, and continued so during the short remaining period of his existence. About four in the afternoon the doleful accident occurred; and at about the same hour the following morning he expired, to the extreme regret of his parents, who were totally unacquainted with the cause of his death until after the event had taken place; when the other disclosed the above circumstance, and the body being examined, a wound appeared upon the left arm, thro' which the noxious viper had poured the contaminating fluid.

The sad details of the unfortunate event are carved on his headstone:

It was the subtile surpent's bite he cride

then like A Rose bud cut he drup'd and died

in life his Fathers glorey

and his mothers pride.

John Howorth's headstone, the oldest surviving in the Hawkesbury, at Wilberforce.

On the 5 December 1960, when the Hawkesbury was celebrating 150 years of the naming of the Five Macquarie Towns, the headstone was moved from its original location on the Hawkesbury riverbank to the St John's Anglican Church complex at Wilberforce by the Hawkesbury Historical Society. Siblings of John's Elizabeth and Catherine, who both died in infancy, are also mentioned on the headstone. 

Hawkesbury in print - Trove Tuesday

210 years ago the first newspaper in Australia was published. The  “Sydney Gazette” is a very important source of historic material on early life in the colony and for the first few decades of the settlement, it was the only printed record documenting the day to day activities. It was originally published weekly by Australia’s first newspaper commenced in 1803 and was established by  George Howe (1769-1821) and the editor stated in its first edition "We open no channel to political discussion or personal animadversion [criticism]; information is our only purpose…" Howe was allowed to use the Government's press & type for the publication but it was accomplished out of his own pocket. Due to the cost of ink and paper, newspapers were often very small. In the early years, the Sydney Gazette averaged about four pages per edition and because of this, articles were kept to a minimum. Despite the limitations on the paper the Hawkesbury features in this historic issue.

The first mention of the Hawkesbury district appears in the first issue 5 March 1803 p. 4 and records the death of a settler, Mr Withers and that of Maria Wood and the fate of her orphaned children.

 The Sydney Gazette 5 March 1803 

The Hawkesbury went onto be recorded in the media many many more times over the years. In fact Trove Australia records at 327,845 mentions of the word in at least 525 newspapers in states and territories all over Australia. Hopefully as more newspapers are digitised and transcribed this number will increase tenfold.

Sale of a Windsor wife: a disgraceful transaction - Trove Tuesday

This enlightening tale is well-known by many residents of the Hawkesbury but I thought it was an excellent story for Trove Tuesday. Remember if you were married, divorce and remarriage was almost never an option, and many couples went on and lived in de-facto relationships. Legislation was not introduced in Australia until the latter half of the nineteenth century. There was much debate surrounding this disgraceful transaction however it seemed a win-win situation for all involved, yet the authorities did not see it this way and all involved were punished.

In mid-1811 an "account of a most disgraceful transaction" which was published in the Sydney Gazette newspaper.  Ralph Malkins tried to sell his wife. He led her around the streets of Windsor, by a length rope tied around her neck, offering her for sale. Thomas Quire decided Mrs Malkins was worth purchasing, paying £16. The wife suggested Thomas would "make her a better husband." 

Sydney Gazette, supplement. 14 September 1811 p. 2

The article appeared in p. 2 of a supplement on 14 September 1811:

"A person (for a man I cannot call him) of the name of Ralph Malkins, led his lawful wife into our streets on the 28th ultimo, with a rope round her neck, and publicly exposed, her for sale; and, shameful to be told, another fellow, equally contemptible, called Thomas Quire, actually purchased and paid for her on the spot, sixteen pounds in money, and some yards of cloth. I am sorry to add, that the woman herself was so devoid of those feelings which are justly deemed the most valuable in her sex, agreed to the base traffic, and went off with the purchaser, significantly hinting, that she had no doubt her new possessor would make her a better husband than the wretch she then parted from. This business was conducted in so public a manner far outraged all laws human or divine, that a Bench of Magistrates, consisting of Mr. Cox, the Rev. Mr. Cartwright, and Mr. Mileham, had it publicly investigated on Saturday last, and all the odious circumstances having been clearly proved, and even admitted by the base wretches themselves, the Bench sentenced this man to receive 50 lashes, and put to hard labour in irons, in the gaol gang Sydney for the space of three calendar months; and the woman to be transported to the Coal River for an indefinite time.      

                       

The public indignation at so gross a violation of decency was most unequivocally expressed by the acclamations with which the sentence was received by a numerous concourse of people who assembled to know the event of so extraordinary and unprecedented a business -- Their feelings were worthy of Men, and judging from them, I trust with confidence   that the recurrence of such a crime will not take place here at least for the present generation.- The laudable promptitude with which our Magistrates took up the business, and the quantum of punishment (still less than they deserve) which they pronounced, will, I have no doubt) produce the most salutary effect throughout the Colony, and check the progress of a crime, which if persevered in, would degrade the Inhabitants, and intail perpetual disgrace on their children and families."      

Hawkesbury Settlers Address 1810

The following address was printed in the Sydney Gazette 8 Dec 1810, p. 1 from the settlers of Hawkesbury and presented to Governor Lachlan Macquarie in Windsor, by Thomas Arndell. Thomas, a prominent Hawkesbury resident, Magistrate was the Assistant Surgeon with the First Fleet in 1788. The address read:

    

"We, the undersigned settlers, residents of the Hawkesbury and its vicinity, beg leave respectfully to congratulate your Excellency on your arrival at this settlement, and earnestly hope your Excellency will be pleased with the agricultural improvements and industry that pervade here; and trust that the continuance of our exertions will ever merit your Excellency's approbation. We also beg leave to return our unfeigned thanks for your Excellency's recent appointment of William Cox, Esq., as a magistrate at this place - a gentleman who for many years has resided amongst us, possessing our esteem and confidence, who, from his local knowledge of this settlement, combined with his many other good qualities, will, we are convinced, promote your Excellency's benign intention of distributing justice and happiness to all." 

The settlers signing the address were as follows:

Thomas Appledore    William Etrel       John Merritt

Thomas Arkell           G.W. Evans        James Milaman

Thomas Arndell         William Ezzy        Patrick Murphy

Benjamin Baits          William Faithful    Henry Murray

William Baker           Daniel Fane         Richard Norris

Henry Baldwin          Robert Farlow     Charles Palmer

William Baxter          Edward Field       Thos. Matcham Pitt

John Baylis               R. Fitzgerald        James Portsmouth

David Bell                Thomas Gordon   Edward Pugh

John Benn                John Gregory       Paul Randall

Elias Bishop             Jonathan Griffiths  James Richards

James Blackman      Robert Guy           Jacob Russell

John Boulton           Thomas Hagger     John Ryan

John Bowman         George Hall           William Shaw

Paul Bushel             Thomas Hampson  William Simpson

William Carlisle       John Harris            William Small

Richard Carr          William Heydon      Robert Smith

Benjamin Carver     Thomas Hobby      Stephen Smith

Thomas Cheshire     John Jones            Benjamin South

Patrick Closhel        Donald Kennedy   Thomas Spencer

John Cobcroft         Henry Lamb          John Stevenson

Pierce Collett          Thomas Lambley   Owen Tierney

George Collis          John Leese            James Wall

Roger Connor         Matthew Lock       John Watts

Thomas Cowling     John Lyoner           James Welsh

Hugh Devlyn           Joseph McColding Thomas Weyham

John Dight              Daniel McKay        John Wild

William Dye           Thomas Markwell    Caleb Wilson

Elizabeth Earl         Robert Martin          Robert Wilson

William Eaton         Laurence May         Thomas Winston

Rowland Edwards   Martin Mentz          John Yoel

John Embrey        

Governor Macquarie responded:

"I beg you will make known to those respectable settlers of the Hawkesbury who signed the address presented by you to me, that I am much pleased with the sentiments it conveys, and to assure them that it will always be an object of the greatest interest to me to promote their prosperity by every means in my power. With this view I have fixed on ground for four(sic) different townships for the accommodation of the settlers who have suffered so severely by the floods of the river; and by a speedy removal to those situations of security, I hope they will enjoy the fruits of that labour, which, I am happy to observe, promises this season to be rewarded with one of the finest crops I ever beheld in any country. I hope on my return to this part of the colony to find the new habitations built on an improved and enlarged plan to those hitherto erected on the banks of the Hawkesbury. I am very glad to find that my appointment of Mr. Cox has met with the satisfaction of the settlers, and I have every reason to believe that he will fulfil the duties of his office so as to gain the good will of all."

Hawkesbury River at Windsor NSW.  M. Nichols 2013