Catherine Clarkson - ENTER JAMES HOLT
In July 1831, Daniel Cooper (part of the Cooper and
Levey partnership)
suddenly closed his George Street Warehouse, called in all his debts
and announced his intention to leave for Hobart Town. The Sydney Herald
of July 1831 reported;
Mr D.
Cooper, having proceeded to Hobart Torn in the ship "Waterloo" on
a speculation which required secrecy, has given rise to a report very
prejudicial to his interest; viz; that he has clandestinely left the
colony in consequence of his being embarrassed in circumstances, the
result has been a run on his house for payment of Waterloo notes and
many persons refuse to receive them in payment. The return of Mr
Cooper, which is expected in two months will without doubt remove those
false impressions.
Daniel cooper was not to return at all. He proceeded
to England, where
he remained until his death in 1853.
The same issue of the Herald carried Cooper's
announcement that he had
given his Power of Attorney to his - associate James Holt, "he having
received full power" (to carry on the business of Cooper and Levey) for
a few months. It was signed; "Daniel Cooper, Waterloo Warehouse, June
23, 1831" (29)
On 15 October 1831, the writ on the Hunter Street
property was executed
and James Holt purchased the premises and land for
£l,050.(30) Image
- Bill of Sale - Holt
So after nine years of legal battles and much
anguish and stress, the
Clarkson home was about to change hands. That should have been an end
to it all, but N0! Catherine refused to be beaten. There was still the
matter of the title deeds, which had not been delivered to any party
who had applied for them, and there had been numerous applications.
Catherine herself, as previously mentioned, applied
for the deeds a
number of times. During 1831, both Thomas Clarkson Jnr, and his brother
Mountford, also made their bids for ownership.
Then Mrs Bigge (formerly Hester Stubbs, and a
neighbour of the
Clarksons) applied for the granting of the allotment she occupied in
her own right in Phillip Street. This bid included the allotment of
land at the rear of both her land and the land of the Clarksons and
which had been disputed by Mrs Bigge since Thomas Clarkson had acquired
ownership of it. This was Mrs Bigge's final attempt to recover what she
claimed was hers.(31)
On 22 February 1831, Catherine's daughter Ann
married William Simons
and moved to Goulburn to live. (32)
On 4 July 1831, Catherine sold all her household
goods to Thomas Jnr.
(obviously she was determined that they would not be sold with the
house). This included a variety of items:(33)
All
those one feather bed, bedding, one small table, one chair, 3 beds
and bedding, one table, washstand. and jug and basin, 3 window
curtains, one pair of bedsteads with hangings, one mattress, one other
bedstead, 2 pillows, one chest of drawers, one sofa, one washstand. jug
and basin, one box with bed, furniture, 3 other beds, 3 bolsters, bed
furniture, one coast of drawers, 3 boxes, one chest, one looking glass,
2 pictures, one window curtain. parlour; 2 window
curtains, one sofa, blankets, pillows, sheets etc_ two tables, one
looking glass, 2 window hangings, 2 tables in the Tap Room. Dining
Room; 10 _chairs. one box, 3 dining tables. Bar; one counter, a number
of glasses, tumblers, tin and pewter pots, pints, measures, casks etc..
Brewery; one copper, 2 coolers, several casks with sundry other
apparatus. Malt Room; one malt mill with sundry apparatus, sundry
kitchen culinary articles. One horse. harness, cart, one chaise, a set
of garden tools a set of baking implements, buckets tubs, etc.
Plus all the profits and interest in
the Woodman.
Alternative arrangements were now being considered
by the Clarksons as
to where they would spend the rest of their lives now that they were
forced into considering the possibility of the loss of their home ---
and this time for good.
The previous year, young Thomas had married Maria
Fielder and the
couple were expecting the birth of their first child.(34) Perhaps it
was this added responsibility that induced Thomas to petition the
Governor, Major General Ralph Darling, with a request for a grant of
land.(35) He stated he was the son of "Thomas Clarkson, late of Sydney,
deceased, who had in his time made several improvements in Sydney and
possessed a considerable property therein."
Thomas added he was 21 years old and was married to
a "respectable
native (here meaning born in the colony) female. and was willing and
able to cultivate and stock a farm." He was at this time employed at
the Herald offices as a Printer. and his address was given as No 7
Hunter Street. Image of Petition
His application appears to have been unsuccessful,
as a notation on his
petition dated 21 October 1831, states that the request could not be
complied with.(36)
Page last updated - 7
July 2006