Thomas Rowley
Parents
: George Rowley and Elizabeth Friend
(70%) (includes discussion of the evidence of Thomas'
origins in England)
Thomas Rowley (b 1747 Kingston on Thames Surrey, m Elizabeth Eyre,
1775 London. d 1806 Kingston House, Newtown). (60%?)
m Elizabeth
Selwyn, <<<< see separate webpage
Elizabeth Eyre died on the voyage out on the Pitt, probably 1791
children by Elizabeth
Selwyn
Isabella Rowley (b 1792 Sydney Cove, m William
(Lieut) Ellison 1807 Sydney Cove, d 1808 Sydney)
Thomas Rowley II (b
1794 Sydney NSW, m Catherine Clarkson 1818 Christ Church,
Castlereagh, d 1858 Minto).
John
Rowley (b 1822 Minto NSW, m Mary Jane (Jane) Onslow 1846
Liverpool, d 1909 Pertersham)
John Clarkson Rowley (b 1847 Liverpool,
NSW, m Sarah Jane Smart 1874 Beechworth
Vic, d 1928 Bethanga)
Joseph Smart Rowley
(b 1875 Yackandandah Vic, m Eircell Broome
1909 Albury NSW, d 1957 Bethanga)
m Avis Sirl 1922
Albury
John Rowley (b
1797 Sydney Cove, m Sarah Pear 1819 St John's, Paramatta, d 1873
Scone NSW) <- Not direct ancestor, but
an explorer of interest. See portrait at bottom of page
Mary Rowley (b 1800 Kingston House Newtown,
NSW, m John Lucas 1817, d 1869 Nunima, NSW)
Eliza Rowley (b 1804 Kingston House, m Henry Sparrow Briggs 1826 St
Johns, Paramatta, d 1882 Kingston)
Other possible children : Mary Mickle/Muckle Henry Rowley
This page now consists of three distinct parts
The standard tree and links above.
A writeup of the Tnomas Rowley story as I see it.
A collection of correspondence and research notes
that provides discussion and evidence for the preceeding story.
Thomas is our
most heavily researched ancestor and one of the most
interesting. Ian Ramage started the serious research with a 200
page book about him in 1981 and many others have followed.
Our story
starts in 1789 when Major Francis Grose receives official
warrant to raise the New South Wales Corps. Recruits to be
between 16 & 30 years of age. He organises the appointment
of "Adjutan" to serve under Grose, for "Gentleman" Thomas
Rowley. Under instruction from Grose, Thomas is instrumental in
dispatching the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fleets to NSW. At the time
Thomas was 42 years old, yet nothing conclusive has been found
about his life prior to this. For such a prominent member of
society in the colony this is puzzling. You wonder if Thomas did
not want to reveal his origins. Was he the black sheep of a
prominent family? To get the job he did he would have been well
connected and an able administrator.
Thomas sailed
for Sydney in 1791 as part of the Fourth Fleet. While it was
called a fleet the ships seem to have travelled to Sydney
separately. In the "Fourth Fleet Families in Australia, Dr C J
Smee", we get a list of 10 soldier's wives on the Pitt, which
include Mrs Elizabeth Rowley and Mrs Grose. Free children are
listed, including a 3 year old Francis Grose, but no Rowley
children. 402 convicts, including 58 women were on the Pitt when
she sailed from Yarmouth Roads on 17 July.1791. Dr Smee lists 2
Officers, 19 Naval Military, 4 Free persons, 10 soldiers wives,
1 convicts wife, 2 free children, and 5 convict children. This
comes to 445 plus crew starting the voyage. Elizabeth Selwyn is
listed among the convicts. The only figure for the for the size
of the Pitt I have been able to find is a weight of 775 tons.
However I found a ship of that time of 445 tons which was 119
feet by 30 feet. So the Pitt would have fitted comfortably on
our block at Stanhope Grove.
Smallpox appeared shortly after departure, and 15 prisoners had
died by the time she touched at St Jago, Despite it being an
unhealthy season in the Cape Verde Islands, sailors and soldiers
were allowed ashore. The Pitt experienced calms and incessant
rain in the Doldrums, and made scarcely any headway for a month.
The prisoners developed ulcers and scurvy but otherwise remained
relatively healthy. However among the military guards and their
families, and the seamen malignant fever appeared, and is said
to have caused 27 deaths in a fortnight. Her crew was so
depleted that in later gales convicts had to be recruited to
help navigate her. By the time the Pitt reached Rio de Janeiro
in October, 13 soldiers, 5 soldiers wives, and 13 seamen had
died.. Elizabeth Rowley was one of the deaths. Overall there was
one convict death on the voyage for every eleven convicts
embarked. The Pitt arrived in Sydney on 14 February 1792 after a
voyage of 212 days. On 10 Dec 1792 Capt Arthur Phillip returns
to England, replaced by Grose
In 1792 Elizabeth Selwyn has the first of five children she has
with Thomas. This was exactly nine months after the Pitt arrived
in Sydney so probably her status as common law wife was
organised on the Pitt before arrival in Sydney. Elizabeth
received an absolute pardon in 1794, The five children with
Elizabeth are specifically acknowledged in his will, and
Elizabeth was well provided for.
1793 "Hope"
arrives Sydney - all cargo including 7,500 gallons of rum was
purchased by NSW Corps - which from then on also known as the
Rum Corps. Currency in the form of coins was in short supply,
and paper currency had yet to come into use, So rum became a
convenient unit of exchange. The other means of facilitating
transactions was promissory notes. Eg a promise to pay a bag of
flour.
A steady stream
of land grants to Thomas followed. Of course, as the NSW Corp
were running the colony. Grose returned to England in 1794 but
the land grants continued
1793 Land grant
by Grose of 100 acres at Petersham Hill, nucleus of Kingston
Farm (located now between Newtown & Annandale)
1794 Additional
70 acres granted at Petersham Hill and 50 acres at Concorde.
1795 Land Grant
to Thomas at Mulgrave Place (Hawkesbury River)
1798 Land Grant
by Gov Hunter to Thomas, 260 acres which became Burwood Farm
(now Granville/Sth Granville)
1799 Further Land Grants by Gov Hunter to Thomas, 85 acres,
adjacent to Holdsworthy Army camp and 1500 acres added to
Burwood Farm
1804 Land Grant
by Gov Hunter to Thomas, 700 acres, at Holdsworthy
Norfolk
Island
Thomas Rowley
did a stint as governor of Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island at the
time was a source of supplies and timber for the colony in
Sydney. A couple of small extracts from a comprehensive
discussion in Ian Ramage's Cameo:
-
In the
period 1788-1813 which encompasses Rowley's stay, the
island outpost initially comprised well behaved convicts
and a small guard. It was not, during this period,
regarded as being a place of further punishment or
banishment. This is not to say that by to-day's
standards, cruelty did not often occur although it did
not sink to the level of that shown on the mainland.
11.16 Rowley succeeded to the command on 12 November,
1799.
“It seems that by this time the inhabitants' taste for
liquor had become an increasing problem.
Lieutenant-Governor King mentioned in his 1796 report
that some convicts habitually bartered their clothing
and other necessities with the settlers and soldiers for
spirits. John Turnbull, who visited the island around
1801, also commented on the drunkenness of the
inhabitants, noting that some were often intoxicated for
a week on end. In 1799 the people suffered a period of
ill-health, brought on, according to the surgeon, by
drinking spirits hot from the Norfolk stills. Captain
Rowley ordered the stills to be seized, and for this was
indirectly threatened with prosecution by two of the
owners."
Thomas Rowley, in spite of his unwelcome efforts to
enforce the sobriety of Norfolk's citizens, appears to
have been a popular Commandant. He stated that at his
departure the principal inhabitants wrote a joint letter
to the Governor expressing their sorrow at losing him.
He also earned a word or two of praise from the
Governor: “I think it wright to add that from every
account I have rec'd from thence that Captain Rowley's
conduct in administering the Government of that Island
was much to his credit and the advantage of Government.'
But Captain Rowley stated bluntly: 'I am 1,000 pounds
the worse for going to that island.”
Quotes from Historical Records of New South Wales
Thomas departed Norfolk Island June 1800, having resigned
due ti ill health. Elizabeth Selwyn presumably did not
accompany him, as Mary was born Mar 1800 in Sydney.
Farmer and Grazier
In his Cameo, Ian Ramage quotes P R
Stephenson, The History and Description of Sydney Harbour (p
293)
“The first Merinos in Australia were brought to Sydney from
Monterey, California, in April, 1793 in H.M.S. Daedalus, a
naval storeship. Of the six rams and twelve ewes that were
shipped at Monterey in December, 1792, only one ram and three
ewes survived the passage. They were degenerate Spanish
Merinos, descended from stock that had been shipped from Spain
to Mexico perhaps two hundred years previously. They were
acquired by Captain Thomas Rowley, a military officer who had
a farm at Camperdown, on the Parramatta Road, three miles west
of Sydney. The pioneer of the Merino in Australia, he built a
flock from them, twelve years before John Macarthur imported
Merinos from the royal stud in England in 1805. (Little or no
research has been done by historians of the Australian wool
industry in reference to the Daedalus sheep and Thomas
Rowley's part in their acclimatisation.)”
Thomas may well have done his place in history a disservice by
his answers to a survey organised by McArthur in August 1805
(again from Cameo, originally from "Some Early Records of the
MacArthurs of Camden", MacArthur Onslow p 119).
Questn.1st Have you any true bred
Spanish Sheep in your Flocks?
Ansr. I do not know.
Q. ----- 2nd Do you endeavour to
preserve the Spanish Breed of Sheep pure and Unmixed with
other Breeds ?
Ansr. No.
Q. ----- 3rd What other Breeds of
Sheep have you that produce Fine Wool?
Ansr. I am no Judge.
Q. ----- 4th What Rams have you had
in your Flocks and from whom and from what Country did you
Obtain them ?
Ansr. My first Ram was from California, and my second Two
Spanish Rams from Captain Waterhouse.
Q. ----- 5th Do you think Breeding
the Pure Spanish Sheep will be profitable to you as if you
bred other kinds?
Ansr. I do not know.
Q. ----- 6th Do you think the Wool
of all kinds of Sheep Improved in this Colony?
Ansr: I think it does.
Q. ----- 7th How many Sheep do you
possess at this time?
Ansr. Males 219 and Females 300 - Total 519 Sheep.
Q. ----- 8th How long do you suppose
it will be before your whole Flock will be Increased to twice
their present Number?
Ansr. I do not know.
Q. ----- 9th What means have you
adopted to Improve the Carcase and Fleece of your Wool?
Ansr. None.
It should be borne in mind that Thomas was probably very sick at
the time (He died within a year of consumption). To me though,
it reads like a typical farmer's response to a government
survey. Claude Rowley was Thomas Rowley's great great great
grandson and a sheep farmer, and when Elsie, Claude's wife saw
the above, she said that is exactly the kind of answers Claude
would have given. It might also be true that MacArthur had the
connections and self promoting ability to make sure he got the
credit anyway.
Merchant, and Simeon Lord
A couple of passages quoted by Ian Ramage
in Cameo
“When I arriv'd in the Reliance at Port Jackson in 1795,
Simeon Lord was a Convict in the service of Capt. Rowley of
the New South Wales Corps or had just left him, either his
time of servitude being out, or he was emancipated. From his
good conduct Capt. Rowley told him if he set him up in any
business he would assist him; in consequence he commenced
Baker & retailer of spirituous liquors, & I am told he
got himself taught to read and write."
Captain Henry Waterhouse to Sir Joseph Banks (Banks Papers.
Brabourne Collection. Vol 4 pp 272/4 ML Mss A 78 - )
Simeon Lord. He arrived in the colony in August 1791 with
nothing but a seven-year sentence. He was assigned to Captain
Rowley and endeared himself to that gentleman by making money
for him, and also, in a quiet way, for himself. When he was
freed he owned two houses. It was a beginning. His manners
were rough, his domestic morals far from strict, but he had
drive and imagination.”
"A History of Australia'', Marjorie Barnard, p 125
Stop Press: DNA Testing
Eliza (nee Rowley) Briggs (1804 - 1882)
Born 25 Apr 1804 in Newtown, New South
Wales, Australia
Daughter of Simeon Lord and Elizabeth Selwyn
Eliza was
raised as the daughter of Thomas Rowley. However it appears
(from DNA testing) that Eliza's biological father was Simeon
Lord.
Please note - The biological father of Eliza Rowley, is NOT
Thomas Rowley. The biological father of Eliza Rowley, is
Simeon Lord. Explanation:- The results of the AncestryDNA
test for Lyn Venn (nee Triggell), has ThruLines showing a
number of fellow contacts/matches for Elizabeth Selwyn, and
absolutely no contacts/matches for Thomas Rowley. Among
Lyn's DNA matches, were a "mystery" group, who, upon
checking their trees, descended - from Simeon Lord. Simeon
Lord (convict) arrived N.S.W. before Thomas Rowley. He was
assigned to Thomas Rowley, after Thomas landed in 1792.
Simeon Lord's and Elizabeth Selwyn's liaison would have been
late July 1803.
Back to Thomas
1796 Thomas
Promoted to Captain
1800 Thomas departs to Norfolk Island as Commandant
1801 Thomas places himself on the sick list, and returns from
Norfolk Island
Thomas retires from NSW Corps due ill health
1802 Thomas appointed Commandant of Loyal Sydney Association (a
civilian Militia)
1806 29 May Thomas dies, age about 59 years
He and his
descendants were prominent members of Sydney society of the day.
1843 22 Jun Elizabeth dies aged 78
Detailed correspondence, discussion
and research notes follows the above statement of the story as I
see it.
Les Rowley
Important Update to the Thomas story
- Link
Evidence Eliza was Simeon Lord's Child
The definitive work on Thomas Rowley was
published in 1981 - A Cameo of Thomas Rowley, by Ian Ramage. Sadly
Ian passed away in August 2007. He was a historian, whose interest
was sparked by the fact that his wife Nancy was a descendant of
Thomas. His "Cameo" remains the definitive work on the life of
Thomas Rowley. This page collects information that has turned up
since, and quotes some selections from Ian's Cameo The
full
text (200pps) is available as a PDF. I cannot express
too highly my appreciation of Ian's work. His facts have endured,
and his uncertainties still remain uncertanties thirty years
later. He sparked an enduring interest in family history (I am
also a Thomas Descendant). I have come across few forebears as
interesting as Thomas Rowley, except perhaps the rogue Thomas
Clarkson, whose daughter married Thomas Rowley' son. Thank you
Ian. I hope your work can be appreciated by a new generation via
the web
Les Rowley
In 1789 Thomas Rowley was appointed as Adjunant
by Francis Grose when Francis was tasked with raising the New
South Wales Corps (also known as The Rum Corps.). Thomas arrived
in Sydney on the Pitt
in 1792. He served as Acting Commandant of Norfolk Island, and was
one of the half dozen farmers who established Merino sheep in
Australia. He had five children by Elizabeth Selwyn, a convict who
also arrived on the Pitt in 1792. Thomas was in his forties when
he arrived in Sydney, and died in 1806. He and his descendants
were prominent members of Sydney society of the day.
Internal Links Chronology
The
Pitt and a Wife A
Marriage? John
Gray Artlcle Children
Norfolk Island
Farmer
Merchant and
Simeon Lord Endings
Scuttlebutt
References
Although this painting, which is hung at the Women's Pioneer
Society in Sydney, is supposed to be Thomas Rowley, there is a
doubt. The uniform he is wearing is a naval uniform not an army
uniform, and was not designed until after his death. However,
there is a remarkable family likeness to some descendants.
(Comment by John Gray).
The last contact I had with John Gray was 2007,
but I am sure he would be intersted in the following email from
Ric Lucas in August 2021
On your
page you suggest there is a doubt about the portrait of
Captain Thomas Rowley, because he is wearing a naval uniform.
The painting is a portrait
miniature, and is held by the Women Pioneers Society of
Australia. That would explain the brass plate naming him
at the foot of the portrait, which you can see in photographs
online.
Most soldiers in early NSW were
redcoats, which has led to speculation that the portrait is
not of Rowley, but perhaps of his famous namesake, Admiral
Rowley, RN and that his blue uniform is a naval uniform of the
1740s. I have always doubted this, because it seemed an
odd mistake by the original owner of the miniature, not to
mention the Australian who donated it to the Women Pioneers.
So I researched British
military uniforms. I discovered that after Captain
Rowley resigned from the redcoat NSW Corps, he was appointed
in 1800 by Hunter as Captain of the Sydney company of the
Loyal Volunteers. This militia was re-established in
1801 by Governor King in fear of foreign incursions and Irish
rebellion. The Parramatta company was involved in
suppressing the vinegar hill revolt by Irish convicts in March
1804. Later Rowley was promoted to be Captain Commandant of
the entire force. And guess what! They wore blue
jackets.
The evidence for this lies in
contemporary art depicting the battle of Vinegar Hill, and in
this rather wonderful doggerel from the Sydney Gazette of 8
April 1804.
It would not be surprising if
the blue jackets used by the Loyal Volunteers were not surplus
naval jackets from the government’s stores.
The mass of blue jackets behind the line
of redcoats must be the members of the Loyal Association who
assisted in suppressing the rebels at Vinegar Hill.
The doggerel Ric refers to can be found in
Ian Ramage's Cameo section 13-14. Ric also supplied a photo of the
original doggerel from the Sydney Gazette and an image of the
painting depicting the battle of Vinegar Hill,
Chronology
(extracted from a document by Bob Venn)
1789 Major Francis Grose
organises the appointment of "Adjutan" to serve under Grose, for
"Gentleman" Thomas Rowley
Grose
receives official warrant to raise the NSW Corps. Recruits to be
between 16 & 30 years of age.
Grose was
32, Thomas might have been the eldest at 42.
. Under
instruction from Grose, Thomas is instrumental in
despatching 2nd, 3rd and 4th fleets to NSW
1790 2nd Fleet arrives NSW. Elizabeth Selwyn steals
34/-, clothing from employer
1791 Elizabeth (22 years old) sentenced to
transportation for 7 years. 3rd fleet arrives in NSW.
Thomas
has been working at Chatham Barracks, promoted to Lieut Adjutant..
1792 14 Feb Thomas and Elizabeth arrive Sydney
on the Pitt as part of the 4th Fleet
19 Nov Birth
of first child Isabella (9 months and 4 days after the Pitts
arrival)
10 Dec
Capt Arthur Phillip returns to England, replaced by Grose
1793 "Hope" arrives Sydney - all cargo
including 7,500 gallons of rum purchased by NSW Corps - which from
then on also known as the Rum Corps
Thomas
purchases 2 acre land lease Sydney Town, cnr Church &
Brickfield St
Land
grant by Grose of 100 acres at Petersham Hill, nucleus of Kingston
Farm (located now between Newtown & Annandale)
1794 Absolute Pardon for Elizabeth.
Son
Thomas born.
Additional 70 acres granted at Petersham Hill and 50 acres at
Concorde.
Grose
returns to England
1795 Land Grant to Thomas at Mulgrave Place
(Hawkesbury River)
1796 Thomas Promoted to Captain
1797 Son John born
1798 Land Grant by Gov Hunter to Thomas, 260
acres which became Burwood Farm (now Granville/Sth Granville) (Image,
link courtesey Rhonda Kroehnert)
1799 Further Land Grants by Gov Hunter to
Thomas, 85 acres, adjacent to Holdsworthy Army camp and 1500 acres
added to Burwood Farm
1800 Thomas departs to Norfolk Island as Commandant
Daughter Mary
born
1801 Thomas places himself on the sick list, and
returns from Norfolk Island
Thomas retires
from NSW Corps due ill health
1802 Thomas appointed Commandant of Loyal Sydney
Association (a civilian Militia)
1804 Daughter Eliza born
June, birth of
possible daughter Mary Mickle (Positive link to Thomas yet to be
proved)
Land Grant by
Gov Hunter to Thomas, 700 acres, at Holdsworthy
1805 In his Will, Elizabeth is clearly mentioned
as Elizabeth Selwyn
Thomas fills
out very guarded return on sheep industry
1806 29 May Thomas dies, age about 59 years
After August,
birth of Henry at Holdsworthy (Positive link to Thomas yet
to be proved)
1843 22 Jun Elizabeth dies aged
78
The Voyage of
the Pitt, and a Wife
In the "Fourth Fleet
Families in Australia, Dr C J Smee", we get a list of 10 soldier's
wives on the Pitt, which include Mrs Elizabeth Rowley and Mrs
Grose. Free children are listed, including a 3 year old Francis
Grose, but no Rowley children. To see
images of the data
402 convicts, including 58 women were on the Pitt when she sailed
from Yarmouth Roads on 17 July.1791. Dr Smee lists 2 Officers, 19
Naval Military, 4 Free persons, 10 soldiers wives, 1 convicts
wife, 2 free children, and 5 convict children. This comes to 445
plus crew starting the voyage. Elizabeth Selwyn is listed among
the convicts. (Thanks Bob Venn for the Fourth Fleet reference).
The only information in the book about the source of this
information is that Mrs Nancy Gray transcribed the Pitt muster. It
is almost certainly wishful thinking, but if the original document
had ages of passengers, it would be very helpful. Another thought
- there should be embarkation records for the Pitt in England.
Bateson in "the Convict Ships" gives details of
the voyage. Smallpox appeared shortly after departure, and 15
prisoners had died by the time she touched at St Jago, Despite it
being an unhealthy season in the Cape Verde Islands, sailors and
soldiers were allowed ashore. The Pitt experienced calms and
incessant rain in the Doldrums, and made scarcely any headway for
a month. The prisoners devepoled ulcers and scurvy but otherwise
remained relativley healthy. However among thr military guards and
their families, and the seamen, malignant fever appeared, and is
said to have caused 27 deaths in a fortnight. Her crew was so
depleted that in later gales convicts had to be recruited to help
navigate her. By the time the Pitt reached Rio de Janeiro in
October, 13 soldiers, 5 soldiers wives, and 13 seamen had died..
No convicts had died, but 5 escaped, believed perished (at
Rio?).... Overall there was one convict death on the voyage for
every eleven convicts embarked.
There is an interesting description of the
voyage of the Pitt in Thomas Keneally's new book "The
Commonwealth of Thieves" (pages 399-405) . He adds to Bateson's
picture of the voyage. The death
rate of convicts on the voyage was one in eleven on the Pitt. They
arrived in poor health in mid February, Sydney's most oppressive
month,The colony was short of rations as well. Quoting the
book, "The record of burials,
chiefly of newcomers, during that late summer is sobering. On 16
February, four convicts were buried, and six the next day, and a
further six on 20 February. Five were buried the next day, a
further two the day after, on 23 February a further six, on 25
February another four- and these just at Parramatta. And so
through the first week of March the burials continued. On 8
March there were five male deaths, and on the next day two more
and that of a child, Margaret Tambleton. The regular multiple
burials of men continued throughout the month. By May 1792, of
122 male convicts who came out in the Queen, only 50 were still
alive." All this is a reminder that when we look at
convicts in our family tree who prospered, they were the lucky
ones. Many perished and appear on no family trees.
The Pitt (775 tons)
This image has been scanned at low resolution and heavily
cropped. Copies of the print itself can be purchased from the
Natioal Maritime Museum in the UK. www.nmm.ac.uk.
A Marriage?
Compare the following two signatures
|
|
Signature 1
|
Signature 2
|
Signature 1 is the signature of
a Thomas Rowley marrying Elizabeth Knott 19 January
1791 at Stoke on Trent Stafford England (witnesses
Samuel Poulson and Thomas Geen. Theses two names ring
no bells). Signature from Pallots Marriage Index
Signature 2 is the signature of
our Thomas Rowley as Adjutant of the NSW corps.
Are they the same person? I am not sure. Signature 1 came
out of one of the Ancestry,com databases, and is
obviously more carefully written, but that would be
expected. Signature
2 came from Ian Ramage. The fact that Rowley describes
himself as "Adjutant" indicates it was written between June
1789 (the date of the inception of the NSW Corps) and April
1791 (when he was promoted Lieutenant). Ian Ramage
Given
that Thomas did have a wife Elizabeth on the Pitt, the
timing is helpful, as the Pitt sailed in July the same
year. An earlier marriage would most likely have
produced children, and made athe move to Australia
much more difficult to contemplate. Perhaps it was the
other way round. The prospect of the move brought on
the sudden appreciation of the virtues of matrimony.
Planned research from here is to look for evidence
that this is not the marriage, eg children in England
when Thomas had left.
Signature 3
Thanks to "my family tree"in Ancestry for the
following Information. This is the wedding banns for a
Thomas Rowley marrying Elizabeth Eyre in 1775.
Location St Margaret Lothbury, London.
There is a Christenibg for Elizabeth Eyre 10
Oct 1754 at St Andrew, Holborn, Camden, London
So far I have been unable to find any children. But it
feels right. Our Thomas is twenty seven at the time,
this Elizabeth 21. The
lack of known children is also a plus. All up. this
Elizabeth would be a 60% chance?
John Gray Article
One of the prominent early
Thomas researchers is John Gray. The following link is to a very
readable article he wrote. It has been reproduced here in text
only form at the moment. The original article has photos, maps and
family tree diagrams. These might be able included at a later date
if webspace permits. John's
article also included Thomas'
Will.. John's permission to reproduce this article is
gratefully acknowledged.
Children
(5 definite, 1 probable. 1 possible)
Thomas acknowledged "my five natural children begotten in the body of
Elizabeth Selwyn namely Isabella Rowley Thomas Rowley John
Rowley Mary Rowley and Eliza Rowley" in his
will..Eliozabeth would have been the formative influece on the
children, as Thomas died when they were young. His main
contribution may well have to leave them the Sydney
properties
John is of interest in that he
was involved in early exploration. the younger
Thomas has a separate page.
However there are two other possible children.
Mary
Mickle (Muckle).
The following is extracted from Ian Ramage's
Cameo. The full text is recommended: (Includes thorough
documentation of information sources.)
16.29 Despite
the earnest endeavours of many descendants, no parish register
record of the birth in 1804, or subsequent baptism, of Eliza
Rowley, the fifth child of Thomas Rowley and Elizabeth Selwyn
has, so far as I am aware, been located. Perhaps, an explanation
is that Thomas Rowley had temporarily abandoned Elizabeth Selwyn
and transferred his affection to another young convict lass,
Jane Mickle. In June, 1804, Jane Mickle gave birth to a
daughter, Mary, who was baptised at St Philip's Church in June
the following year.
16.30 Frank
Clune expresses it nicely when, writing about the child, he
notes
"Captain Rowley had no objection
to his name being entered in the church records as her father,
but he would not, or could not, and in any case did not marry
the mother of the child."
16.31 Jane
Mickle was a convict who was transported on the Nile, arriving
on 15 December, 1801. She had received a seven year sentence,
and, at the time of her conviction, would have been only
fourteen years of age!
16.32 Frank
Clune suggest that Thomas Rowley provided for Jane Mickle in his
will. This is not so but perhaps the shop and dwelling which she
occupied in Phillip Street, the known as "Back Row East', were
provided by him.
16.33 Many a
mickle makes a muckle, the Scots say, and it was not long before
Jane Mickle became known as 'Jeannie Muckle".
"' Mistress Jeannie Muckle' as
Dr Lang used to call her in conversation, as far back as 1813,
held a wine and spirit licence in Phillip-street."
16.34 In the
construction of the first Presbyterian Church in the Colony,
Scots Church, Dunmore Lang received considerable assistance from
Jeannie Muckle.
"The actual subscription 1,500
pounds being exhausted, they had to raise the money as best they
could. The first assistance Dr Lang received was from a lady of
some historic interest, Mrs Jeannie Muckle, of Sydney, who
advanced the doctor on his personal security and without
interest the sum of 300 pounds -
in Spanish dollars at 5s. each, the regular currency in 1824.
... Some time after Mrs Muckle's loan, Rev. Samuel Marsden lent
Dr Laing 800 pounds sterling.
... The Scots Church ... had cost about 3,000 pounds and
the debt on it ... 1,480 pounds. For that debt Dr Lang was
exclusively responsible. His first effort was to pay off
Mistress Muckle's loan, as it was the first contracted; this he
did in due course."
16.35 In
March, 1826, Dr Lang officiated at the marriage of Jeannie
Muckle to Archibald McKellup. McKellup, a leading citizen, was
also a publican in Phillip Street.
16.36 Mary
Muckle, the daughter of Thomas Rowley and Jane Muckle, married
Richard Roberts, on 28 February, 1837. Roberts was the
native-born son of two convicts, William Roberts and Jane
Longhurst. Richard who died within three years of his marriage,
on 24 June, 1839, was a well-to-do merchant. Following the death
of her mother, stepfather and husband within five years, Mary
Roberts was, at the age of thirty-five, a wealthy property
owner. She remained unmarried and was most highly regarded as a
resident of Sydney-town until her death in 1885.
16.40 Mary
Roberts also was "an eminent benefactress to the Scots Church"
continuing her mother's generous interest.
16.42 Not all
descendants agree with Frank Clune's suggestion that Captain
Rowley was the father of Jane Mickle's child. They point out
that another Thomas Rowley (Corporal, Royal Marines) who was 39
years of age when he was buried at St Philip's on 20 September,
1822 and who would therefore been about 21 when Mary Mickle was
born, could have been the father.
Comment Les Rowley: If
asked to take sides on Mary Mickle as a child, I would give a
hesitant no. Reasons : Mary Mickle was born in June 1804, and the
acknowledged daughter Eliza born in the same year, month unknown.
Thomas retired from the NSW Corps due to ill health in 1801, and
was to die of consumption in May 1806, aged about 59. But perhaps
I am underestimating the man, and owe an apology to men in their
late fifties in general. It is worth remembering that there was a
also Thomas Rowley who arrived in the colony as a convict with the
second fleet. Does anyone know anyhing about this other
Thomas? (Convict from London, came on
the Neptune, arrived 28 June 1790, 7 year sentence- Margaret
Hardwick. Margaret found Thomas Godfrey Rowley's
trial papers from the Old Bailey at http://www.oldbaileyonline.org
(theft:burgalary 11th July 1787.)
Henry Rowley
In an article published in Australian Family
Tree Connections, Alan Hagenson makes a pretty good case for
Elizabeth Selwyn being pregnant with a 6th child when Thomas died.
(a) In the 1823-5 Muster, Elizabeth Rowley is said to be the
mother of Eliza and Henry, Elizabeth Selwyn is listed as Elizabeth
Silvin.
(b) On a couple of occasions, Henry gives his date of birth as
1806. He was not baptised in that year
(c) When Henry applied to marry Margaret Ellems in 1830, the
application is supported by John Lucas and opposed by Henry
Briggs. John and Henry are first generation Rowley husbands
(c) At his marriage in 1839 Henry is said to be living at
Holdsworthy, where the Rowleys have a property
(d) At his marriage, he states his father is Thomas, and his
mother is Elizabeth Sullivan.
Alan's very readable article should be read first hand. There is
obviously some connection there. Alan points to a few
inconsistences in the facts, but it is pretty convincing. The name
confusion is not surprising. Elizabeth was bringing up the
children on her own from 1806, and was probably illiterate. Does
anyone know? To read
Alan's article in full
Comment Les Rowley: If
asked to take sides, I would give a fairly confident yes. Doubts:
(a) The same doubt as for Mary Muckle. Thomas was dying of
consumption in 1806.
(b) One of the suggestions as to why Thomas came to Australia is
that he came to keep an eye on a son or relative who was
transported as a convict. If this was the Thomas Rowley of the
second fleet, it could be consistent with Alan's facts, but it
seems unlikely. There is no evidence for a connection.
(c) Another longshot with no evidence: Could Henry be Isabella's
child, brought up br Elizabeth? Isabella was to cause a minor
scandal by marrying William Ellison in May 1807 at age 14 and a
half. Perhaps she had a child the year before?.
Farmer
and Grazier
In his Cameo, Ian Ramage quotes P R
Stephenson, The History and Description of Sydney Harbour (p 293)
"The first Merinos in Australia
were brought to Sydney from Monterey, California, in April, 1793
in H.M.S. Daedalus, a naval storeship. Of the six rams and
twelve ewes that were shipped at Monterey in December, 1792,
only one ram and three ewes survived the passage. They were
degenerate Spanish Merinos, descended from stock that had been
shipped from Spain to Mexico perhaps two hundred years
previously. They were acquired by Captain Thomas Rowley, a
military officer who had a farm at Camperdown, on the Parramatta
Road, three miles west of Sydney. The pioneer of the Merino in
Australia, he built a flock from them, twelve years before John
Macarthur imported Merinos from the royal stud in England in
1805. (Little or no research has been done by historians of the
Australian wool industry in reference to the Daedalus sheep and
Thomas Rowley's part in their acclimatization.)"
Thomas may well have done his place in history a disservce by his
answers to a survey organised by McArthur in August 1805 (again
from Cameo, originally from "Some Early Records of the MacArthurs
of Camden", MacArthur Onslow p 119).
Questn.1st
Have you any true bred Spanish Sheep in your Flocks?
Ansr.
I do not know.
Q. -----
2nd Do you endeavour to preserve the Spanish
Breed of Sheep pure and Unmixed with other Breeds ?
Ansr.
No.
Q. -----
3rd What other Breeds of Sheep have you that
produce Fine Wool?
Ansr.
I am no Judge.
Q. -----
4th What Rams have you had in your Flocks and
from whom and from what Country did you Obtain them ?
Ansr.
My first Ram was from California, and my
second Two Spanish Rams from Captain Waterhouse.
Q. -----
5th Do you think Breeding the Pure Spanish
Sheep will be profitable to you as if you bred other kinds?
Ansr.
I do not know.
Q. -----
6th Do you think the Wool of all kinds of
Sheep Improved in this Colony?
Ansr.
I think it does.
Q. -----
7th How many Sheep do you possess at this
time?
Ansr.
Males 219 and Females 300 - Total 519 Sheep.
Q. -----
8th How long do you suppose it will be before
your whole Flock will be Increased to twice their present
Number?
Ansr.
I do not know.
Q. -----
9th What means have you adopted to Improve the
Carcase and Fleece of your Wool?
Ansr.
None.
It should be borne in mind that Thomas was probably very sick at
the time (He died within a year of consumption). To me though, it
reads like a typical farmer's response to a government survey.
Claude Rowley was Thomas Rowley's great great great grandson and a
sheep farmer, and when Elsie, Claude's wife saw the above, she
said that is exactly the kind of answers Claude would have given.
It might also be true that MacArthur had the connections and self
promoting ability to make sure he got the credit anyway.
Merchant,
and Simeon Lord
A couple of passages quoted by Ian Ramage in
Cameo
"When I arriv'd in the Reliance
at Port Jackson in 1795, Simeon Lord was a Convict in the
service of Capt. Rowley of the New South Wales Corps or had just
left him, either his time of servitude being out, or he was
emancipated. From his good conduct Capt. Rowley told him if he
set him up in any business he would assist him; in consequence
he commenced Baker & retailer of spirituous liquors, & I
am told he got himself taught to read and write."
Captain Henry Waterhouse to Sir
Joseph Banks (Banks Papers. Brabourne Collection. Vol 4 pp 272/4
ML Mss A 78 - )
Simeon Lord. He arrived in the
colony in August 1791 with nothing but a seven-year sentence. He
was assigned to Captain Rowley and endeared himself to that
gentleman by making money for him, and also, in a quiet way, for
himself. When he was freed he owned two houses. It was a
beginning. His manners were rough, his domestic morals far from
strict, but he had drive and imagination."
"A History of
Australia'', Marjorie Barnard, p 125
Norfolk
Island
A couple of small extracts from a
comprehensive discussion in Ian Ramage's Cameo:
11.03 In the
period 1788-1813 which encompasses Rowley's stay, the island
outpost initially comprised well behaved convicts and a small
guard. It was not, during this period, regarded as being a place
of further punishment or banishment. This is not to say that by
to-day's standards, cruelty did not often occur although it did
not sink to the level of that shown on the mainland.
11.16 Rowley
succeeded to the command on 12 November, 1799.
"It seems that by this time the
inhabitants' taste for liquor had become an increasing problem.
Lieutenant-Governor King mentioned in his 1796 report that some
convicts habitually bartered their clothing and other
necessities with the settlers and soldiers for spirits. John
Turnbull, who visited the island around 1801, also commented on
the drunkenness of the inhabitants, noting that some were often
intoxicated for a week on end. In 1799 the people suffered a
period of ill-health, brought on, according to the surgeon, by
drinking spirits hot from the Norfolk stills. Captain Rowley
ordered the stills to be seized, and for this was indirectly
threatened with prosecution by two of the owners."
"Thomas Rowley, in spite of his
unwelcome efforts to enforce the sobriety of Norfolk's citizens,
appears to have been a popular Commandant. He stated that at his
departure the principal inhabitants wrote a joint letter to the
Governor expressing their sorrow at losing him. He also earned a
word or two of praise from the Governor: "I think it wright to
add that from every account I have rec'd from thence that
Captain Rowley's conduct in administering the Government of that
Island was much to his credit and the advantage of Government.'"
But Captain Rowley stated bluntly: 'I am 1,000 pounfs the worse
for going to that island.'
Quotes from Historical Records
of New South Wales
Thomas departed Norfolk Island June 1800, having resigned due ti
ill health. Elizabeth Selwyn presumably did not accompany him, as
Mary was born Mar 1800 in Sydney.
Endings
Thomas Rowley's
will was a big stuff up. It was drawn up on 27 Feb 1805.
When he died in May 1806, all his executors were in England. This
led to problems which ended with the family eventually recovering
possession of Burwood farm in 1837.
For a discussion of the will in relation to Elizabeth Selwyn, go
to her page.
John Rowley Portrait
"John Rowley b 1797 became the city rate
collector. I found a reference to his appointment on
Trove" - Ric Lucas
Scuttlebut
The following telegram is the last known
communication received from Thomas Rowley. It was received by my
parents on their Golden Wedding.
(thanks to Glenn Rowley)
Acknowlegements:
Just about all the material here has been
supplied by other researchers, and we are very apprecitive of the
gift they have given us.
References
(1) A Cameo of Captain Thomas Rowley - Ian
Ramage. 200pps on Thomas and his descendants.
(2) Harvest of the Years, Dunlop.. History of the Sydney Suburb
Burwood. The land was originally granted to Thomas Rowley as a
farm.
At the end are two maps showing the farm and the suburbs today.
(3) Merinos Myths and Macarthurs., J.C.Garran and L.White. Thomas
Rowley as one of the half dozen who introduced merino sheep to
Australia.
(4) ADB Australian Dictionary of Biography
(5) Life and Work of the Pioneer Captain Thomas Rowley,
Huntington, H. W. H.
(6) Fourth Fleet Families in Australia, Dr C J Smee
(7) The Convict Ships, Bateson.
Email from Meaghan Bare
Meaghan Bare pointed out a reference in the
Surrey Archives to a sale of land by Thomas Rowley to Burwood Park
in 1769. Copies of the documents werew obtained (detailed Analysis)
Conclusion is it is not our Thomas, but it does strengthen the
argument that the Australian Thomas came from this area . Glenis
Crocker found a will for a Thomas Rowley that looks very
much like this Thomas
I was also
wondering whether it might be worth asking these people to
see whether they know anything of Rowley, as they seem to
have done a history of time at Burwood Park
Also have you seen this book
online, which seems to suggest Rowley imported the
first thoroughbred horse to NSW. Quite a good story
with the spring carnival coming up!
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