Thomas Clarkson - AND EVEN A PAPER MILL,

On 13 February 1819 a notice was published in the Sydney Gazette as follows;

all persons having claims on Mr Thomas Clarkson are hereby requested to present the same for payment as it is his intention to proceed to Europe in a few days.(1)

    The notice went on to say that although frequent requests had been made for the settlement of outstanding debts owed Thomas, unless prompt payments were met he would resort to action in the Courts of Civil Jurisdiction to recover his monies.
    Later events suggest that he probably had no intentions of leaving the colony but was using this as a ploy to encourage quick settlement of accounts. This was not altogether an original approach on Thomas' behalf, as it had been tried by others before him, to obtain similar effects.
    The use of the announcement in the paper was in fact making use of a regulation put into force by Governor Macquarie. This regulation made it mandatory to declare intentions to leave the colony. This was to enable accounts to be settled and to keep tabs on who was coming and going.(2)
    About the same that Thomas Clarkson was announcing to the colony that he was about to leave and travel to England he entered into a contract to provide a commodity that was very scarce in the settlement; this was paper. Already there was a mill erected at a short distance East of the New road to Botany Bay which was producing paper from linen and cotton rags. On 18 April 1818 the proprietors of this mill, George Duncan and a Mr Warren, gave notice in the Sydney Gazette that their mill was operational and that they were desirous of receiving linen and cotton rags, at a satisfactory price, to produce "a paper which will be made fit for all purposes , and at as cheap a rate as in Great Britain".(3) The mill was driven by water power from the water stream situated between Sydney and Botany Bay, known as the Botany Stream.
    Apparently problems arose with this existing mill for in February 1819 Thomas Clarkson was assigned an allotment of ground by Governor Macquarie just two portions below the site of the original mill and in agreement with George Duncan of Bank Mill near Botany, Clarkson undertook to build a complete mill for manufacturing paper there. George Duncan sold him the old mill and it's site with the proviso that Thomas pay the debts still owing on the machinery at the old mill. The allotment between these two portions belonged to John Hutchinson and the mill was to be built on "that part of the run of water or water stream situated between Sydney and Botany Bay."(4) Thomas agreed to allow George Duncan 10/- per week for provisions and another 10/- for his services in completing the mill and the machinery. This payment was to continue until they were cleared of the expenses of the project and were showing a profit. At that point George Duncan was to have a third share of the business. This interest would cease on his death and was not transferable to any of his family or associates. The agreement was witnessed by Richard Palmer (Thomas' partner in the windmill at Surrey Hills) and Frederick Fisher, who appears to have had an interest in the original site of the mill.(5)
    On 23 September 1820 Thomas Clarkson mortgaged various properties to Robert Cooper and Samuel Levey and one inclusion was "That newly erected watermill with the land and premises adjoining, situate on the Botany Bay stream and known by the name of the Macquarie Paper Mill".(6)
    The mill was situated two miles to the right of the flat used to train horses and at the head of a swamp which supplied Sydney with water. In 1833 the mill was in ruins.
On 17 February 1821 the Sydney Gazette, as well as mentioning the expensiveness of paper at the time also announced that the supplement Gazette for that day had been printed on paper manufactured in the colony.(7)
    Beyond this point we have not investigated the mill any further, however we did note that, according to the Sydney Gazette of November 1826 a Colonial Paper Mill had been erected.(8)
    On 2 April 1819, the day after the deadline given in an announcement in the Gazette for the settling of his accounts, Thomas mortgaged four of his town properties to Mr John Lawrie, a Sydney merchant.(9) These premises were at the Market Street end of Pitt Street, (bounded on the South by Market and on the west by Pitt) and were numbered 71, 72, and 73. The mortgage was for £253/15/- and also included a property in Phillip Street known as No 21. There was a proviso on this mortgage for redemption of the premises on settlement of the debt. This was redeemed by repayment and the properties again became part of the Clarkson estate.(10)
    In March, Thomas Moore Esquire, of Liverpool, had cause to sue Thomas for money overdue on a note dated 24 January 1818.(11) Thomas asked for the judgement on the case not to be signed until July and promised payment of the debt if given the extra time.
    The case was heard on the 24 July and Moore was awarded his debt and damages, amounting to a total of £106/4/-. To cover the excess still owing a levy was imposed and once again Thomas' goods and chattels were to come under the hammer.
    The Provost Marshall returned the writ to the court with the following report: "Pursuant to the within writ of Fieri Facias to me directed, I caused a levy to be made on a certain dwelling house and premises together with sundry articles of household furniture, the property of the defendant, therein named, which was afterwards withdrawn an payment of the damages". (12)
    The receiving of summonses was becoming a common part of Thomas Clarkson's life. "Thomas Clarkson take notice that the said complaint will be examined at the Courtroom Sydney on 27th July instant when and where you will duly attend with your witnesses and also two sufficient bail, according to the exigency hereof or on default the court will proceed to judgement thereon". (13)
    This was to answer the suit of Daniel Cooper, destined to become a thorn in the side of Thomas Clarkson before too long. Thomas owed Cooper upwards of £25/7/11 on a note and was now refusing to pay. He was duly arrested and bail was taken to assure his appearance in court on the required day.

Images

Land Titles Office Document - Duncan to Clarkson
Account with Murray and a Promissory Note

Page last updated - 7 July 2006