Thomas Clarkson - THE WENTWORTH
INFLUENCE
The involvement of D'Arcy Wentworth and Thomas Hart
in this drama
became clearer when the financial dealings of Thomas Clarkson during
that period were consulted.
On 23 March 1818, only months after Forbes was to
have commenced his
occupation of the premises, Clarkson mortgaged the house and land to
D'Arcy Wentworth for £350.(42) This and an accompanying mortgage
appear to have been drawn up with great attention being paid to detail
in the contract. This could be attributed to one of two factors, either
Wentworth considered the property a lucrative prospect for ultimate
possession or he was aware of the wily Clarkson's methods and was
trying to cover all angles .
The three allotments were described as being at the
South extremity of
Macquarie St, adjoining Hyde Park, measuring 100 feet on the Macquarie
St. side and about 120 feet facing Hyde Park. Erected on the land was a
"capitol stone and brick dwelling house… together with all
the stables, barns, ciach houses, wells, waterways, gardens, trees,
plants, shrubs etc."(43)
Initially the contract was made out in the usual
format of any mortgage
of the time, containing the usual description of the premises, the
amounts of monies involved, details of interest rates and the terms (in
this case it was to be paid back within the year with
interest charged at the highest permissible rate) and
it contained a clause authorising redemption of the property on payment
of the loan.
However the very, next day something induced
Wentworth to draw a very
detailed contract which included not only the above considerations, but
a paragraph governing the ownership of the deeds, evidences, writings
and in particular the "grant of the same when such grant should be
delivered by His Excellency Governor Macquarie to the said Thomas
Clarkson". These mortgages were both witnessed Robert Lathrop Murray
and John Charles Wentworth, and were registered on 25 June 1818.(44)
The mortgage was apparently repaid and the property
redeemed by Thomas, as on 14 August 1819 the premises were offered for
sale under the disposal of R.L. Murray. They were advertised in the
Sydney Gazette "as part of the valuable estate of Mr Thos. Clarkson
proceeding to England".(45) The first item described was....
All
that capitol newly-erected stone built residence situate at the end
of Macquarie St, finished in the best and most expensive manner" with
double coach house, stables detached kitchens and offices, large
gardens and every convenience for a family of the very first
respectability.(46)
The part that was played by Mr Thomas Hart in the
fiasco of Francis
Forbes trying to gain access to these premises which he had rented from
Clarkson, became obvious when evidence was discovered that Thomas let
the house to the same Mr Hart. Hart was a dealer himself and perhaps
had more than this in common with Clarkson and his associates. Thomas
Hart was to occupy the premises from 1 October 1818 till 1 April 1819.
Ironically, Clarkson was then forced to take Hart to court to recover
the rent he owed and which Hart was now refusing to pay.(47)
Page last updated - 7 July
2006