Captain Richard Brooks
Encyclopedia
Richard Brooks pioneer New South Wales
settler, was born in Devon
, England
, the son of Henry Brooks, a clergyman of Salcombe Regis
and Honoria Hall (daughter of Joseph Hall the vicar of Salcombe Regis and his wife Honoria Burchinshaw).
, Wales
and Joseph Hall, English bishop and satirist.
's service at an early age, rising to command his own ship. During the first French Revolutionary War he traded to Oporto, the Mediterranean and the Baltic
, carrying a letter of marque
, but later returned to the East India service.
He began his association with New South Wales
in 1802 when he captained the convict transport Atlas I.
The 222 day voyage of the "Atlas I" was one of the worse in the history of transportation to Australia. During the voyage 64 people died, another four dying shortly after disembarkation. The remainder were "in a dreadfully emaciated and dying state" (Governor King). Governor King asked a committee of enquiry whether Captain Brooks' private trade goods which took up space in the hospital and prison and the unnecessary stops en route to Australia contributed to the deaths. The committee stated that mortality had been caused by "the want of proper attention to cleanliness, the want of free circulation of air, and the lumbered state of the prison and hospital".
In 1806 he was captain of another transport, the Alexander; thereafter he made a number of trading trips to the colony, in the Rose in 1808, the Simon Cock in 1810, and the Argo in 1811, and built up large interests in the colony. In 1812 he fathered an illegitimate child with Ann Jamieson in Sydney . In February 1813 Brooks was on his way to England
in the Isabella when she was wrecked near the Falkland Islands
, and he sailed to Buenos Aires
in a long-boat for help. In July he asked for permission to go to New South Wales
as a free settler. Allowed to go, he arrived in March 1814 with his wife Christiana, née Passmore (1776–1835), daughter of another East India captain, and children in the Spring.
, a prominent settler, a member of the New South Wales Agricultural Society, a vice-president of the Benevolent Society, member of the committee of the Bible Society, and a strong supporter of religious charities of all denominations. He owned properties in Sydney
at Cockle Bay and Surry Hills and had extensive holdings in the Illawarra
, Williams River
and Lake George
districts. In 1816 he was censured for profiteering during a drought in the colony by withholding cattle from sale .
Brooks was described by his daughter, Christiana Blomfield, in a letter dated 20 January 1828 as ... a nice looking old gentleman of 65, hale and very active for his age. He was 6 ft high when a young man, and I dare say very handsome, but he now loses some of his height by stooping. He is a very affectionate father and I believe particularly fond of me.
In a letter dated 15 March 1831, Christiana wrote that her father had been “very ill from the effects of an accident occasioned by a wild cow running at him while on horseback and goring him in the calf of the leg, while returning from one of his journeys to his cattle stations in the interior. The confinement from such an accident has injured his health and he is weak and rather inclined to be hippish”.
Richard Brooks died on 16 October 1833. He was buried in a vault at Denham Court. The Church of St Mary the Virgin was later built to enclose the remains of Richard and his wife, Christiana, who died on 12 April 1835.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
settler, was born in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Henry Brooks, a clergyman of Salcombe Regis
Salcombe Regis
Salcombe Regis is a coastal village in Devon, England, near to Sidmouth. It is often confused with Salcombe, which is some distance away in Devon.Mentioned in the Domesday Book as " a manor called Selcoma" held by Bishop Osbern of Exeter, the manor house being on the site now occupied by Thorn Farm...
and Honoria Hall (daughter of Joseph Hall the vicar of Salcombe Regis and his wife Honoria Burchinshaw).
Pedigree
Often described simply as the son of an "impoverished clergyman", Richard Brooks had notable maternal ancestry, his mother having descended from the Burchinshaws of LlansannanLlansannan
Llansannan is a rural village in Conwy County Borough, Wales.thumb|500px|Llansannan- Location :It lies on the bank of the River Aled and is about 8 miles to the south of Abergele and to the west of Denbigh...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Joseph Hall, English bishop and satirist.
Ship's Captain
Richard Brooks is said to have had little formal education before entering the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service at an early age, rising to command his own ship. During the first French Revolutionary War he traded to Oporto, the Mediterranean and the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, carrying a letter of marque
Letter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
, but later returned to the East India service.
He began his association with New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1802 when he captained the convict transport Atlas I.
The 222 day voyage of the "Atlas I" was one of the worse in the history of transportation to Australia. During the voyage 64 people died, another four dying shortly after disembarkation. The remainder were "in a dreadfully emaciated and dying state" (Governor King). Governor King asked a committee of enquiry whether Captain Brooks' private trade goods which took up space in the hospital and prison and the unnecessary stops en route to Australia contributed to the deaths. The committee stated that mortality had been caused by "the want of proper attention to cleanliness, the want of free circulation of air, and the lumbered state of the prison and hospital".
In 1806 he was captain of another transport, the Alexander; thereafter he made a number of trading trips to the colony, in the Rose in 1808, the Simon Cock in 1810, and the Argo in 1811, and built up large interests in the colony. In 1812 he fathered an illegitimate child with Ann Jamieson in Sydney . In February 1813 Brooks was on his way to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the Isabella when she was wrecked near the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, and he sailed to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in a long-boat for help. In July he asked for permission to go to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
as a free settler. Allowed to go, he arrived in March 1814 with his wife Christiana, née Passmore (1776–1835), daughter of another East India captain, and children in the Spring.
Settlement in New South Wales
Richard lived at Denham Court in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, a prominent settler, a member of the New South Wales Agricultural Society, a vice-president of the Benevolent Society, member of the committee of the Bible Society, and a strong supporter of religious charities of all denominations. He owned properties in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
at Cockle Bay and Surry Hills and had extensive holdings in the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
, Williams River
Williams River
Williams River may refer to any of several rivers:Australia* Williams River * Williams River * Williams River United States* Williams River * Williams River...
and Lake George
Lake George (New South Wales)
Lake George is a lake in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia about 30 minutes drive north-east of Canberra along the Federal Highway en route to Sydney.-Geography / Geology:...
districts. In 1816 he was censured for profiteering during a drought in the colony by withholding cattle from sale .
Brooks was described by his daughter, Christiana Blomfield, in a letter dated 20 January 1828 as ... a nice looking old gentleman of 65, hale and very active for his age. He was 6 ft high when a young man, and I dare say very handsome, but he now loses some of his height by stooping. He is a very affectionate father and I believe particularly fond of me.
In a letter dated 15 March 1831, Christiana wrote that her father had been “very ill from the effects of an accident occasioned by a wild cow running at him while on horseback and goring him in the calf of the leg, while returning from one of his journeys to his cattle stations in the interior. The confinement from such an accident has injured his health and he is weak and rather inclined to be hippish”.
Richard Brooks died on 16 October 1833. He was buried in a vault at Denham Court. The Church of St Mary the Virgin was later built to enclose the remains of Richard and his wife, Christiana, who died on 12 April 1835.
Public service
1817 - appointed to be a Justice of the Peace and Magistrate in the Territory of New South Wales and Member of the Supreme CourtFamily of Richard and Christiana Brooks
- Henry BROOKS (1798–1841) married in 1825 to Margaret Mackenzie, daughter of Alexander McKenzie
- Christiana Jane BROOKS (1802–1852) married Thomas Valentine BlomfieldThomas Valentine BlomfieldThomas Valentine Blomfield was a British soldier, pioneer New South Wales settler and pastoralist, Magistrate, Justice of the Peace and Liverpool District Council member.-Birth:...
- Mary Honoria BROOKS (1804–1868) married Captain William Wilson in 1828; widowed 1835; married Captain George Wardell in 1838
- Jane Maria BROOKS (1806–1888) married in 1827 to Edward Cox, Pastoralist and Member of New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- Honoria Rose BROOKS (c1809 - 1839) married in 1833 to William Edward Riley (1807–1836), pastoralist and sketcher, son of the pioneer pastoralist Alexander RileyAlexander RileyAlexander Riley was a merchant and one of the most important early pastoralists in Sydney and in New South Wales. Born in London to George Riley Snr, a well-educated bookseller, and Margaret Raby, he was the older brother of Edward Riley, also a merchant and pastoralist in Sydney...
- Charlotte Sophia BROOKS (c1811 - 1885) married in 1837 to Nathaniel Powell (1812–1874)
- Richard BROOKS (1814–1855) illegitimate son?, born Sydney, married Augusta Sydney Weston (1837)
- Maria BROOKS (1814–1892) married in 1836 to Lieutenant Henry Zouch (1811–1883)
External links
- http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an2723147 Drawing of Denham Court by William Hardy WilsonWilliam Hardy WilsonWilliam Hardy Wilson was an Australian architect, artist and author. He "is regarded as one of the most outstanding architects of the twentieth century".-Early years:...
- http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/collection/australian/painting/e/apa00145.html Portrait of Captain Richard Brooks by Augustus EarleAugustus EarleAugustus Earle was a London-born travel artist. Unlike earlier artists who worked outside Europe and were employed on voyages of exploration or worked abroad for wealthy, often aristocratic patrons, Earle was able to operate quite independently - able to combine his lust for travel with an...
- http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/collection/pub/itemDetail?artworkID=48454 Portrait of Mrs Richard Brooks by Augustus EarleAugustus EarleAugustus Earle was a London-born travel artist. Unlike earlier artists who worked outside Europe and were employed on voyages of exploration or worked abroad for wealthy, often aristocratic patrons, Earle was able to operate quite independently - able to combine his lust for travel with an...
- http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010144b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography
- http://www.dcac.org.au/History.html Church of St Mary the Virgin
- http://wwwsoc.murdoch.edu.au/cfis/abs/maher.html Irish Convicts—Captain Richard Brooks and Irish Convict Transportation by Christine Maher
- http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/shipNSW2.html Convict Ships to New South Wales
- http://members.pcug.org.au/~ppmay/cgi-bin/irish/irish.cgi?requestType=Search&ship=Atlas%20I%20(1)%20[1802] Irish Convicts onboard Atlas I
- http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/628332?searchTerm=captain+richard+brooks#pstart6818 The Sydney Gazette of 5 October 1811
- http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16027019?searchTerm=captain+richard+brooks The Sydney Morning Herald of 6 January 1923 - historical article by Captain James H Watson
- http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16036843?searchTerm=captain+richard+brooks#pstart1235848 The Sydney Morning Herald of 10 January 1923
- http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/17021199?searchTerm=captain+richard+brooks The Sydney Morning Herald of 4 November 1933