My interest in Richard Morgan came about because prior to going to Norfolk Island I read "Morgan's Run" by an Australian Author, Colleen McCullough. Sadly Colleen passed away in 2015. Colleen's Partner Ric Robinson was a 4 times great grandson of Richard Morgan. After Colleen's death Ric Robinson contested the Will and won!
It is a story about the "First Fleet" which left Portsmouth in May 1787 and arrived in Port Jackson January 1788. It was one of the greatest human experiments ever undertaken; to populate an unknown land with the criminal, the unloved and the unwanted of English society. Amid conditions of brutality that paralleled those of slavery, "The First Fleet" was sent to a place no European but the legendary Captain Cook had ever seen.
Left to live or die on the hostile Australian continent, these convicts and their equally isolated guards occupy the centre of Colleen McCullough's compelling new epic. Richard Morgan - a convicted felon and educated, intelligent, resourseful man finds the will to survive, experience the joys of love, and finally make an indelible mark upon the new frontier. A thoroughly researched historical saga rich in romance, adventure and unforgettable characters.
As I read this novel I could not but help translate in my mind the names of "my" convicts who would have had similar experiences as Richard. After reaching Port Jackson they were exiled to Norfolk Island between 1788 and 1790. As if that was not enough, by 1808 they were exiled again as the British decided to close down Norfolk Island. They were resettled in Van Diemen's Land as "free settlers".
Richard Morgan (1749-1837) married Margaret (Peg) Biggs (1750-1784) on 18 October 1767. They had a daughter Mary Morgan in 1770 who died at 3 years of age and William Henry Morgan was born 1775 and died in 1784. Margaret died in 1784, just months before William's death.
Richard was tried on 23 March 1785 in Gloucester and given 7 years transportation to Africa which was changed to Port Jackson. He was transported on Port Jackson on "Alexander" and sent to Norfolk Island on 8 January 1790 on "Supply". Elizabeth Lock had arrived in Port Jackson on "Lady Penrhyn" and on 30 March 1788 they married in Port Jackson. Elizabeth went to Norfolk Island in February 1790 but they had no further association.
Richard took a third wife, Catherine Clark who arrived in Port Jackson on "Lady Juliana" on 28 June 1790 and sent to Norfolk Island on "Surprise" in August 1790. They married in 1791. Catherine died in Clarence Plains on 27 July 1828. Richard died 1837 in Tasmania.
Together they had 9 children born:
Catherine Morgan (1792-1877)
William Henry Morgan (1794-1850)
Richard Morgan (1796-1877)
James Morgan (1798-1798)
Mary Morgan (1799-1821)
Sophia Morgan (1801-1844)
Margaret Morgan (1801-?)
George Morgan (1804-1815) Fell from a cart & died.
James Morgan (1804-1836).
I really enjoyed reading "Morgan's Run". I hope you get an opportunity to read it too. It was interesting to note that when Richard Morgan arrived on Norfolk Island he met an attractive and intelligent-looking couple, Eddy Garth and his wife Susan. (refer to my post on Edward Garth & Susannah Gough).
RICHARD MORGAN (1761-1837) By Reg. A. Watson
The old barn at Rosny on the Municipal Golf Course has
become a most significant historic building in Tasmania. Probably the oldest building on the eastern
shore, it may have been built for the owner, Richard Morgan, by Richard Clark
(c1815) who came with Lt Bowen’s party in 1803. The barn had a multiple purpose
other than just storing things. It could
have been a place of worship and where Morgan’s servants slept.
The original owner, Richard Morgan, arrived with his family
on October 7th 1806. Richard was a First
Fleeter and a Norfolk Islander.
Authoress, Colleen McCulloch, who visited the site in August 2000, has
released a book called “Morgan’s Run”, a novel based on Richard Morgan’s
life. McCulloch’s book, first and
foremost, is a novel, a somewhat romanticised version of the life of Richard
Morgan; nonetheless, “Morgan’s Run” gives a reasonable account of life how it
was.
But who was the real Richard Morgan? Was he the man of comely appearance of the
book? A man who had sensitive New Age qualities? Was he a strong moralist with a strong sense
of the religious? Was his son, William
Henry, almost a mystical child as portrayed?
As mentioned, Richard
Morgan was a first fleeter, arriving in 1788 with Gov. Arthur Phillip. Alas for Richard, he travelled not in style,
but with the other convicts, having been convicted in 1785 at Gloucester on the
oaths of “John Trevillian Ceely Trevillian esq and others” The offence was
“stealing in the dwelling house of the said Richard Morgan (sic) one metal
watch value three pounds and also charged with assaulting the said John
Trevillian Ceely Trevillian and threatening to murder him and by force
unlawfully obtaining from him a promissory note for the payment of five hundred
pounds.” Morgan was convicted and was
sentenced to be transported to Africa for seven years.
Morgan, however, appealed and his complicated story was rather
different. Morgan, asserted among other things, that he found Ceely in bed with
his wife and that Ceely offered him the promissory note of five hundred pounds
as compensation. I will quote from the
book “The Founders of Australia” by Mollie Green. (P. 250) of the affair. (to quote)…”His own account of the incident
was a little different in the long petition he submitted on 5th April to Lord
Sydney. He said that when working in a
Bristol distillery he had noticed a lot of pipes erected to defraud the
Revenue, and out of a sense of duty he had reported the fraud to the Collector
of Excise, who investigated and ended the practice.
Morgan had been required as a witness to the
subsequent prosecution and had been approached with bribes to compromise. A trial was avoided through delay in bringing
it forward and Morgan understood that the case had been settled out of court
for 800 pounds and costs, and thought he was entitled to some of this money as
informer. He was then told (he said)
that there had been criminal connection between his wife and one Ceely of
Bristol, a man of property and to test this he hid with a witness in the house
and found Ceely in bed with this wife.
Morgan said Ceely then offered him the promissory note for 500 pounds as
compensation, which he accepted so his wife would not be shamed by public
infamy. He said that in his fright Ceely
had left a watch in the bedroom and that he had kept it, thinking that he had a
right to do so. He intimated that the
present charge against him had been instituted to avoid paying the 500
pounds. He added, ‘Your Petitioner had
no criminal intention in what he did but has always acted as a faithful and
honest Subject both towards the Government and his neighbours’. If no free pardon was offered, he asked for
permission to transport him with the money he still believed due to him for his
services in disclosing the fraud. (end of quote).
The appeal, sadly, was rejected and Morgan was transported
to the prison hulk, “Ceres”. McCulloch
has him married to the dainty, demure, Margaret nee Biggs at this time and
according to her, she was a first cousin.
Records State that he was transferred to the vessel Alexander in January
1787 and it was on this vessel he arrived at Port Jackson as a member of the
first fleet, 26th January 1788. The
Alexander was not a happy ship as most of the deaths occurred on this boat and
at one time there was a mutiny.
Two months later, Morgan received permission to marry
another convict, Elizabeth Lock, who had been in gaol with him at
Gloucester. Elizabeth had actually
received a death sentence for two accounts of breaking into a house and
stealing, but the sentenced was reprieved to seven years transportation.
They were married 30th March 1788 at St Phillip’s Church,
Sydney with witnesses, Ann Colpitts and William Whiting. There was no church building at the time, so
they were no doubt married under a large gum tree. On the 8th January 1790
Richard was sent to Norfolk Island on the Supply with 21 other male convicts
and one female. Elizabeth followed in
Feburary 1790. There appears to have been no further contact between the
two.
Morgan had now been given his
freedom and was granted two acres on the island, which he called “Morgan’s
Run”, Queensboro, the title of McCullough’s book.
Morgan was a randy fellow, for he took up with another
convict, Catherine Clark arrived later in the colony (1789) aboard the Lady
Juliana. He and his second wife, Elizabeth Loch, had obviously separated, she
finding a protector on Norfolk Island, with Thomas Scully, a marine.
Richard had actually
committed bigamy as he still had a wife back in England. Now he lived in a de facto relationship with
Catherine Clark. Catherine had been charged along with three others, an
Elizabeth Riley, Mary Barnes and Ann Bryan, for the theft of muslin. She was
convicted in Middlesex in 1788 and was sentenced for seven years.
There does not appear to be any children to his previous two
wives. The first, by records, came in
1792 with the birth of Catherine.
William Henry came second (1794) although McCulloch has him being born
to his wife in England, many years before.
Morgan was a hard-working and energetic man and with the
help of Catherine they prospered on Norfolk Island (lot number 80) – and
increased their acreage to 50, eventually supplying pork to the
government. He was also employed as a
sawyer and an overseer. On October 15th
1805, they left Norfolk Island (now with seven children, including one set of
twins, (George and James) for Port Jackson. It is interesting to note that
“James” was the second child of that name.
An early James was born on Norfolk Island in 1798 and died 1798, parents
Richard Morgan and Catherine Clarke.
There has been general belief that for a short period
Richard was occupied as a self-employed tree faller at Port land Head, near
Windsor NSW. While falling a tree, he
miscalculated its fall, it falling across the man’s house who contracted him,
Richard Dunn. Tragically, two of Dunn’s
children were killed, Catherine (10) and James (7). They were asleep at the time. For this affair, Richard was sentenced to 500
lashes. According to the Sydney Gazette 21 Sept 1806 P.4, Richard fell the tree
“before day-light” with the subsequent tragic results. The Gazette records, “A
servant of James Dunn, being employed in falling timber near to his master’s
house, a tree of immense size fell upon it, and renting it asunder, killed two
fine children as they lay in bed, besides maiming the mother in a most dreadful
manner as she sat by the bedside. Dunn
had himself providentially got out of bed an instant before or must have
inevitably shared the fate of his unfortunate children, one of whom was a girl
of ten years and the other a boy of seven. – An inquest was taken on the bodies
and under some peculiar circumstances Richard Morgan the servant, was committed
to custody.”
For some time, this was accepted to be ‘our’ Richard
Morgan. Family researcher, Cec Quin from
Sydney, however, has disproved that. The
above is another Richard Morgan. This
latter Morgan was a convict assigned to J. Dunn and is shown as arriving on the
Coromandel 1. This arrived in 1802. Our
Richard certainly was not a convict in 1806 and as the newspaper stated, Morgan
“the servant”. Our Richard Morgan was
free at the time of the tragedy. Henceforth we can dispense with the story.
However, it is believed that particular Morgan avoided the
flogging.
On October 7 1806 ‘our’ Richard Morgan and family arrived at
Hobartown on the King George to take up 130 acres at Kangaroo Point, Clarence
Plains. The Morgans were the first
settlers at Kangaroo Point. Two assigned
servants accompanied them.
The Morgans were part of a number of Norfolk Island families
sent to populate Van Diemen’s Land. They
were to be victualled at the expense of the Crown for two years and allowed
convict servants for several years. This
influx of arrivals placed an enormous strain on the colonial government of
Lt-Gov. David Collins.
Knopwood records: “At
11 I went over to Morgan’s farm and took refreshment with me. Came home at 5 pm. Mr and Mrs McCauley with me.” (January
1808). Lt. Gov. Collins also visited his
farm “across the water” A year later, (1809) when the notorious Captain Bligh
was on his ship on the HMS Porpoise, Morgan who had known Bligh while in New
South Wales. Richard supplied him with
fresh provisions. It was a tricky situation supporting Bligh in the light that
Collins opposed him. Indeed, Collins sentenced Morgan’s friend, James Belbin to
500 lashes for boarding Bligh’s vessel as it was moored in the River Derwent. I
understand the sentenced was not carried out.
In 1813, Surveyor
G.W. Evans plotted 190 acres of Richard’s grant. In the survey (which was based on original
marks left by James Meehan on tree stumps in 1803), reference is made to survey
points such as ‘on Morgan’s wheat’; ‘on the other side of the farm’; and
‘Morgan’s cultivated land.’ Evans also marked out 100 acres for William Morgan and
Richard senior’s boundary, but this appears to have been taken up by Richard
junior.
In 1815, he was
constable at Kangaroo Point, a post that he was dismissed from on July 26th
1817. In that year he was commissioner
for wheat. Both Richard Morgans tendered for wheat and meat
contract. Richard Senior tendered for
15090 lbs of meat every three months and 77-100 bushels of wheat in
season. The farm at Kangaroo Bay was not
large enough to carry the number of cattle that supplied meat to the
store. These may have come from the
additional lease Richard Morgan Snr. had at Prosser’s Plains (now
Buckland). They may also have come from
stolen stock. They also had sheep at
Scantling Plains (York Plains) as Knopwood records in November 1815: “the natives had killed and destroyed 930 of
his sheep, (and) had piled them up together and burnt them.”
In 1818 Thomas Florance, who first owned Rosny Point, ran a
scow or open ferry across to Hobart Town from Morgan’s, carrying
livestock. The Hobart Town Gazette (11th
Aug 1819. 2c) reports: “All live animals
to be received at the Point adjoining Mr. Morgan’s land, but all produce and
luggage will be received at the command landing places…until two or three weeks
have elapsed, when a road will be completed at the said Point, passing to and
through Mr Morgan’s Farm, forming a junction with the Pittwater Road, a few
rods south of Mr Ballance’s Inn.”
Richard in supplying the meat to the government had his own
slaughtering house, for which he was licenced. The exact location of the
enterprise is not known. Probably close
to the water’s edge of Kangaroo Bay. This
would help in the ferrying of produce to Hobart Town situated opposite. It was a lucrative and demanding business as
all the convicts and soldiers were dependent on the government.
In 1818, Richard Morgan and Rowland W. Loane were jointly
charged with slaughtering cattle without a licence. Morgan stated that he had rented the place to
Loane, and that he was not there at the time of the slaughtering. Loane it
would appear was not popular and a number of people gave evidence against him,
including the owner of the vessel Derwent, William Carr, re illegal
slaughtering. Nonetheless in 1820 both
Richard and son William signed a petition in favour of Loane. They year before
(1819) both Richard and Loane are on record in donating money (Loane five
pounds and Richard one) to the Bible Society of Van Diemen’s Land. The HTG (22/8/1818) reported: “By Public Auction at the
Premises of Mr R Morgan on Monday 24th instant at 12 o’clock, Ten horned
cattle.”
It was rumoured that the Morgans were heavily involved in
sheep theft and that they co-operated with outlaws. His son, William was definitely heavily
involved. He and brother Richard lived at Hollow Tree (now Cambridge). William
with his brother-in-law, Derwent Hibbens, who was also involved in stock theft,
ran some type of crime partnership. Indeed Derwent was sent to Port Arthur for
his efforts. It was a touchy situation, as sister Catherine had married John
Wade, who pursued offenders with vigour.
It is also believed the situation made it some-what difficult between
the Wades and the Morgans. Eventually the evidence was overwhelming and a
warranted was issued against William and against Richard Hibbens and his
brother, Douglas. William “took to the
hill”, but was pursued by a groups of constables, led by Daniel McKenna. They found and arrested him at Richard Morgan
Junior’s home at Hollow Tree and William was sent to Hobart. On August 14, 1819, he was committed for
trial in Sydney. Despite a petition to
the effect that he was “honest” William was sentenced to death, but fortunately
for him and his family, Governor Brisbane pardoned him. He certainly led a
charmed life, for it was known that his and brother Richard’s farms at Hollow
Tree was a base for illegal transactions involving stolen livestock. This was the
era of Michael Howe, perhaps the best of the very early bushrangers and there
is evidence that the Morgan boys were associating with the gang, especially
George Watts, a member of Howe’s gang. Watts, while no relation, was an
interesting fellow, as he married Margaret Eddington, the mistress of the late
Lt-Governor of the colony, David Collins.
In 1819 there were 21 acres of wheat, 2 acres of barely, 2
acres of potatoes, half an acre of beans (usually used as feed for horses) and
174 acres of pasture. The property
consisted of 81 cattle, 2 horses and 231 sheep. Three years later he had 22
acres of wheat, 2 acres of barley, half an acre of beans, 2 acres of potatoes,
174 acres of pasture out of a total of 200 acres. He owned 2 horses and 81 cattle plus 230
sheep.
In 1822 Richard Morgan Senior was compelled to caution
people from grazing stock or cutting timber on his farm at Kangaroo Point. The
farm included an additional 200 acres, which Richard Morgan had purchased from
Colonel Davey in 1817, when Davey returned to England.
Richard’s son, Richard Junior, (bn.1797) was later granted
50 acres, also at Clarence Plains, later increasing his holding to 80 acres. On
this grant consisted, 18 acres of wheat, one of beans, 3 of potatoes and 58 in
pasture and was running 28 cattle.
The Muster Lists for 1818-1821 showed a number of prisoners
worked on the Morgan farm. Those for Richard Senior were John Brown; John West;
James Donovan; James Manton; John Webster; James Johnson; while for Richard
Junior were John Snell; Neale Carey; William Cullen; and Samuel James. James
Manton was given 50 lashes twice, in 1820 and 1823 for neglect of duty,
disobedience of orders and abusing his master, Richard Morgan junior. John West
was also given 50 lashes for disobedience of orders and neglect of duty. John
Webster was given in 1820, 25 lashes. He
was freed in 1828, but in 1848 was sentenced for life for sheep stealing.
Richard Jnr, being a freeman, became a prominent member of
the local community. He married
Elizabeth Thomas 22nd May 1823 at St David’s Church, Hobart. We touched briefly
on his early life and his exploits with brother William. In October 1823 he had to sell his Hollow
Tree to clear his debts. The property
was described as: “Right and title to a weatherboard house and farm of 60
acres, with barn and out-houses, etc, at Hollow Tree near Kangaroo Point.”
(Hobart Town Gazette 4/10/1823).
However, it would appear it did not sell, for in 1828 his father’s farm
at Kangaroo Point was put up for sale, father Richard being forced to sell
because of a severe financial depression which hit the colony. The Hobart Town Courier (22/March 1828)
recorded: “A farm of 130 acres one mile
from Kangaroo Point on the Pittwater Road, bordered on one side by the Rivulet,
60 acres of which are in a high state of cultivation and clear of stumps with a
good house and most excellent Barn.”
In that same year 1828 both Richard Morgans tendered for
more land, which was rejected with it being written on Richard Snr, “This man
has always borne a suspicious character and to whom no encouragement should be
given as an occupier of land”. On
Richard Jnr’s it states, “This is the son of the elder Morgan to whom I believe
the same suspicions are attached as to the father” (CSO papers, Archives of Hobart). The farm was sold in 1831 to Joseph Hone, Attorney-General.
In 1858 Richard Junior built the “Bellerive Hotel”, which
was called The Villa. Originally a two storey structure it faces Kangaroo Bay.
In 1939 fire destroyed a major part of the building. It is now single storey. However, Christopher
James Todd was in charge of the hotel in 1860. In 1919 an advertisement
declared it having “excellent accommodation”. The author of this work,
co-incidentally, worked as a journalist for the community newspaper, Eastern
Shore Sun, the early years of the 21st century, which operated from The Villa.
Richard Junior died 11 June 1877. Richard Jnr was to marry a
second time, to Elizabeth Dart (1806-1869) on 23rd May 1838 at Trinity Church,
Hobart. He, together with sisters, Mary Louise, Elizabeth Sussannah, and Ada
Augusta are buried in the grounds of St Matthew’s Rokeby, Tasmania. Their
tombstone still can be seen today (2002). His second wife, Elizabeth, is
mentioned on the tombstone, but it is believed she is buried in the Risdon
(Bellerive) cemetery. With Elizabeth (Dart), he had six sons and six daughters,
with his first wife, Eliza, just one son, Charles Morgan.
A daughter of Richard Snr, Catherine, married an ex-convict,
John Wade, who arrived with David Collins to settle Sullivan’s Cove in 1804.
Richard Morgan Snr died at Clarence Plain and was buried on
Sept 26th 1837 at Clarence Plains (Rokeby) aged given as 78 years. His wife, Catherine, was buried July 27th
1828, also Clarence Plains, age given as 57.
I cannot find their burial site, but they are listed in ‘Burials in the
Parish of Clarence Plains and Kangaroo Point’.
William Henry had an interesting career. Emmeline Hibbens
married William Henry 23rd April 1814 at Hobart Town. She was daughter of
Thomas and Elizabeth Bushy. Thomas was a
free settler and another Norfolk Islander. On 16th February 1819, William Henry
stole 200 sheep, the property of Edward and William Kimberley, Daniel Stanfield
and William Nichols junior, from Tin Dish Holes near York Plains. Hobart historians, Irene Schaffer and Thelma
McKay state, “William escaped from gaol with John Oliver, he was described as
25 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall, of stout build with dark hair and eyes and
was born on Norfolk Island…A reward of 25 pounds was offered for his capture.
“He was captured and fully committed for trial and sent to
Sydney on the ‘Prince Leopold’ on August 12 1819 with 12 men to give evidence,
his wife accompanied him…’Mrs Morgan wife of the prisoner and child.’
“On 7 September 1822 their son Thomas was born in Hobart, on
his baptism on 3 December 1822 it was noted…’E.M. (Emmeline Morgan) was married
to Morgan, but at the time she was pregnant, he was confined in the gaol at
Sydney, where he had been two years and she was delivered after his return to
Hobart.’
“William was granted 100 acres of land in September 1816, he
later sold this to Edward Lord. No
record of Emmeline’s death has been found.
William died in 1850 in Hobart.”
Richard and Catherine’s children included:-
Catherine (1792-1877), William Henry (1794-1850) married
Emmeline Busby/Hibbens, Richard (1796 or 97-1877), Mary (1799-1821), Sophia
(1801-1844), Margaret, twin to Sophia. Sophia was grandmother to Emma Gaylor
Graves who had a relationship with first cousin, once removed Brereton Rolla
Jnr. Sophia died 15th January 1844 at
Kangaroo Point, the same day of her daughter's (Georgina) wedding. Sophia married twice, firstly to Robert
Graves (M.18th Feb 1821) who was a “gauger of spirits in His Majesty’s bonded
stores.” and secondly to Peter Buchanan, who died at George Town 27th October
1891. She with sister Margaret owned livestock and gave testimony at a trial of
the rape of Catherine McGinnis, a servant of John Wade. (see above section on
John Wade).
George* and James (1804-1836), twins thus Richard and
Catherine had two sets of twins.
The stout barn still stands.
It is not exactly known when it was built, but no doubt in the second
decade of the nineteenth century. (c1813). In 1831 it was sold to the
Attorney-General, Algernon Sidney Montague and it was probably he who built the
cottage close to the barn. Like his
son-in-law, Richard Morgan snr was a member of the colony’s earliest racing
fraternity.
As a matter of interest, the colonial government had plans
for the erection of a military battery on land belonging to Montagu at Kangaroo
Point in 1840. (Colonial Times 1st December).
In the following year, the new battery was commenced further up the hill
near the new flagstaff.
*George died in 1815.
The Rev Knopwood reported that he buried Mr Morgan’s son who fell from a
cart and was killed.
Richard Morgan is one of the main subjects in Reg Watson’s
book “Tasmania! – a saga of a pioneering family”
Note: Some points in the above article are questionable.
First Fleet
Fellowship Victoria Inc. - Richard Morgan
JUNE 19, 2015 BY CHERYL TIMBURY
Richard Morgan arrived in Van Diemen’s Land with his family
on 7 October 1806. He was a First
Fleeter and Norfolk Islander.
Richard Morgan was born in England. He was convicted in 1785 at Gloucester on the
oaths of ‘John Trevillian Ceely Trevillian Esq and others’. The offence was, stealing in the dwelling
house of the said Richard Morgan (sic) one metal watch value three pounds and
also charged with assaulting the said John Ceely Trevillian and threatening to
murder him and by force unlawfully obtaining from him a promissory note for the
payment of five hundred pounds. Morgan
was convicted and sentenced to be transported to Africa for seven years. He was transferred to the vessel Alexander in
January 1787 and it was on this vessel he arrived at Port Jackson as a member
of the First Fleet, 26 January 1788. The
Alexander was not a happy ship as most of the deaths occurred on this boat and
at one time there was a mutiny.
Two months later, Morgan received permission to marry
another convict Elizabeth Lock (Lady Penrhyn), who had been in gaol with him in
Gloucester. Elizabeth had actually
received a death sentence for two accounts of breaking into a house and
stealing. The sentence was reprieved to
seven years’ transportation. They were
married on 30 March 1788 at St Phillip’s Church Sydney. There was no church building at that time so
they no doubt married under a large gum tree.
On 8 January 1790 Richard was sent to Norfolk Island on the
Supply with 21 other male convicts and one female. Elizabeth followed in February 1790, and had
no further known association with him.
Morgan was granted two acres of land at Queenboro on Norfolk Island. He called it Morgan’s Run.
Morgan was a hard-working and energetic man and with the
help of Catherine Clark (Lady Juliana), they prospered on Norfolk Island and
increased their land to 50 acres, eventually supplying pork to the
government. He was also employed as a
sawyer and overseer.
On 15 October 1805, Richard and Catherine and their seven children,
including twins, George and James, left for Port Jackson. It is interesting to note that ‘James’ was
the second child of that name. An early
James was born and died on Norfolk Island in 1798.
It is believed that for a short period Richard was a self-employed
tree feller at Portland Head near Windsor NSW.
On 7 October 1806, Richard Morgan and family arrived in
Hobartown on the ‘King George’ to take up 130 acres at Kangaroo Point, Clarence
Plains. The Morgans were the first
settlers at Kangaroo Point, Van Diemen’s Land.
Two servants accompanied them.
In 1815 he was a constable at Kangaroo Point, a post he was
dismissed from on 26 July 1817. In that
year he was Commissioner for Wheat.
Richard tendered for 15,090 lbs of wheat every three months and 77-100
bushels of wheat in season. The farm at
Kangaroo Bay was not large enough to carry the number of cattle that supplied
meat to the store. These may have come
from the additional lease Richard Morgan Snr had at Prosser Plains (now
Buckland). They may also have come from
stolen stock. They also had sheep at
Scantling Plains (York Plains) as the Reverend Knopwood recorded in November
1815 the natives had killed and destroyed 930 of his sheep, (and) had piled them
up together and burnt them.
In 1818 Thomas Florence, who first owned Rosny Point, ran a
scow or open ferry across to Hobart Town from Morgan’s carrying livestock. The Hobart Town Gazette on 11 April 1819
reports: All live animals to be received
at the Point adjoining Mr Morgan’s land, but all produce and luggage will be
received at the command landing places … until two or three weeks have elapsed,
when a road will be completed at the said Point, passing to and through Mr
Morgan’s Farm, forming a junction with the Pittwater Road, a few rods south of
Mr Ballances’s Inn.
Richard in supplying the meat to the government had his own
slaughtering house, for which he was licensed.
The exact location of the enterprise is not known. Probably close to the water’s edge of
Kangaroo Bay. This would help in the
ferrying of produce to Hobart Town situated across the river. It was a lucrative and demanding business as
all the convicts and soldiers were dependent on the government.
In 1818 Richard Morgan stated the he had rented the place to
Loane, and he was not there at the time of the slaughtering. Loane it would appear was not popular and a
number of people gave evidence against him, including the owner of the vessel
Derwent, William Carr, re illegal slaughtering.
Nonetheless in 1820 both Richard and his son William signed a petition
in favour of Loane. In 1819 both Richard
and Loane are on record in donating money (Loane gave 5 pounds and Richard one)
to the Bible Society of Van Diemen’s Land.
It was rumoured that the Morgans were heavily involved in sheep theft
and that they co-operated with the outlaws.
In 1828 both Richard Morgan and his son both tendered for
more land, which was rejected, because it was written of Richard Morgan Snr.
This man has always borne a suspicious character and to whom no encouragement
should be given as an occupier of land. On Richard Morgan Jnr it was written. This is the son of the
elder Morgan whom I believe the same suspicions are attached as to the father.
Article by Reg Watson from “Island to Island”, (supplement book
to a set of 5) which are a collection of articles and family stories to
commemorate the Bicentenary of the arrival of settlers from Norfolk Island to
Van Diemen’s Land between November 1807 and October 1808. Compiled by Kate Carlisle, 2007. Permission
granted from Reg Watson and the Hobart Town (1804) First Settler’s Association
Inc.
Postscript:
The children of Richard Morgan and Catherine Clark included
Catherine, William, Richard, Mary, Sophia, Margaret, George and James. They were all born on Norfolk Island.
Catherine Clark, age given as 57, was buried on 27 July 1828
at Clarence Plains. Richard Morgan died
at Kangaroo Point, age given as 78, and was buried on 26 September 1837 at
Clarence Plains.
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| Richard Morgan 1761 - 1837 |
Norfolk Island
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| Information in HMS Sirius Museum, Norfolk Island. |
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| Information in HMS Sirius Museum, Norfolk Island. |
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| First Fleet Wall in HMS Sirius Museum. |
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| Richard Morgan - a First Fleet Convict. |
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| Richard Morgan's 10 acres (Parcel No.80) was to the right, behind the huge row of Morton Bay Fig trees on New Farm Road on Norfolk Island. |
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| Huge Morton Bay Fig trees in New Farm Road opposite Hundred Acres. |
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| Richard Morgan - Parcel No.80, 10 acres |
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| Looking towards Richard Morgan's land 1790-1805. |
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| Memorial in St David's Park, Hobart to the First Fleeters and Norfolk Islanders. Unveiled 1992. |
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| Richard Morgan, wife Catherine Clark with children Catherine, George, James, Margaret, Mary, Richard, Sophia and William. |
If you have any comments, corrections or additions to make, please contact the author of this blog, Joy Olney via email - joyolney@gmail.com
