Thomas Clarkson - FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Richard Clarkson

    The exact relationship of Richard Clarkson to the Thomas of our story, is uncertain, but it is not an unreasonable assumption that they may have been cousins.
    Richard Clarkson, the son of George Clarkson and Susannah, was baptised in Birmingham on 3 June 1773.(9) A Richard Clarkson, was married in Birmingham in 1796 to Jane Henshall.(10) It will be remembered that William Henshall was arrested and charged with forging at the same time as Richard and Thomas and he also accompanied them to NSW in the same ship. Was this marriage of Richard's the link between the men?
    Richard Clarkson, aged 32, (married man?) with no apparent family, was banished from his home and transported to NSW per the ship "Alexander" arriving in August 1806.(11)
    Time was to show that fate was a little harsher in its treatment of this Clarkson son.
    He was obviously not happy to remain in the colony after his arrival, for on 28 March 1807, he was before the Magistrates bench to answer charges of attempting to escape from the colony.(12)
Thomas Shirley, Richard Clarkson, Thomas Russell, Peter McGorden, Edmund White and Robert Fox charged with being found on board the "Star" and the "Lucy" with intent to escape from the colony.
Proved. 200 lashes each and qaol gang.
    Both parts of the punishment were severe; 200 lashes was a usual, but not a welcome punishment and the gaol gangs were reputed to contain the very worst of the convict types. These men suffered from extremely hard work and harsh treatment from some supervisors.
    In 1808 Richard Clarkson negotiated the sale of a house in what was then known as Barrack Row.(13)
Sale of a house, No 11 Barrack Row from James Bannister to Richard
Clarkson for £35 --- £20 paid and £15 to be paid.
The sale was continued and finalised 13 April 1810 when under the Governorship of Lachlan Macquarie the street names were changed and all leases and sales tidied up.
Bargain and sale dated 13 April 1810 from James Bannister of Sydney to Richard Clarkson of the same place in "Consideration of £35-- all that messuage and premises situate No 10 Soldier's Row Sydney, to he held by said Clarkson his heirs and assigns forever
signed by J. ??????
            X  his mark
In the presence of Francis Neason
             X his mark. (14)
    This sale was registered at the Attorney General's Office 22 April 1811. Richard Clarkson next appeared in the muster of 1811 which lists only name, ship arrived on and sentence. (15)
"Richard Clarkson Alexander 14 years"
    The muster taken in 1814 added the following;(16)
Richard Clarkson, Alexander 2, T of Leave. Tinman_
    It was during this year that we find the first official record of the association of Thomas and Richard to one another in the colony. (17)
Transfer dated 4 July 1814
Between Richard Clarkson of Sydney of the one part and Thomas Clarkson of the same place of the other part--- In consideration of the sum of £79/18/0 sterling due and owing by Richard Clarkson to Thomas Clarkson which he is at present unable to pay --- Hath granted payment sold to the said Thomas Clarkson, his heirs etc.  All that house and premises No 10 Soldier's Row,    now called York Street. To have and to hold
Executed in the presence of Richard Hughes
    In all probability Richard resumed possession of the premises after repaying the debt as the property does not show up in Thomas' negotiations but is referred to in an indenture made in 1817, by a later owner.(18)
    This indenture was made between Mary and William Wall, who agreed to live apart. In order to make provision for his wife and his three children, William left them the premises known as No 10 Soldier's Row, now known as York Street, premises formerly in the possession or Richard Clarkson and latterly in the possession of George Williams.
    There is also record of a house in Hunter Street Parramatta being sold by Richard Clarkson to John Curtis for £50. The house was once the property of James Hardwick. This was on 25 May 1815.(19)
    We are unaware of any other events in the life of Richard Clarkson of NSW.
    On the 30 May 1817 Richard Clarkson aged 45 years passed away.(20)
    He spent just 11 years here in the colony and left us wondering ---- "Just who was Richard Clarkson?".

   Page last updated -  7 July  2006