Nathaniel Lucas
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Lucas was a convict
transported to Australia
on the First Fleet
. His occupation was listed as carpenter
.
, Surrey
, England
, to parents John Lucas & Mary Bradford in 1764.
Lucas was tried at the Old Bailey
, London
on 7 July 1784 for feloniously stealing clothing with a value of 40 shillings. Lucas was sentenced to transportation
for seven years and left England
on the Scarborough
in May 1787.
ordered Lieutenant
Philip Gidley King
to lead a party of fifteen convicts (9 men and 6 Women) and seven free men to take control of Norfolk Island
and prepare for its commercial development. Lucas was aboard the HMS Supply, which arrived at Norfolk on March 6, 1788.
On board the Supply, was where Nathaniel met Olivia Gascoigne (b. 1763 - d. 12 Jun 1830) and whom he later married, on 5 November 1791, on Norfolk Island. Nathaniel and Olivia had thirteen children, although twins (Sarah and Mary) were killed at two years old when a large Norfolk Island Pine fell on the Lucas house.
In 1791 he received a grant of fifteen acres (6 ha) and in 1793 purchased another sixty acres (24 ha) from Charles Heritage, a former marine. Lucas farmed this land and this venture proved fruitful, for in August 1802 he sold wheat
, maize
and pork
worth £450 to the government stores on the island.
22 May 1802, Lucas was appointed Master Carpenter, at Norfolk Island.
in the Investigator. The ship carried materials for a government windmill which Lucas was to erect in Sydney, and he was allowed to carry materials for another windmill for himself. Nathaniel also brought several pairs of capital mill stones.
In 1808, Nathaniel was appointed superintendent of carpenters in Sydney and holds this position until his retirement in December 1814.
3 Jan, 1810 Nathaniel was noted to be on the list of persons holding civil and military employment at Sydney and settlements adjacent, as Superintendent of Carpenters.
From 1810 until his death, Nathaniel appears on numerous Colonial Secretary's
documents. The majority of these documents refer to Nathaniel surveying land or property and constructing or repairing various structures.
1812, sees the completion of a Post Windmill behind the Battery at Dawes Point
. The price of grinding wheat into flour is fifteen pence per bushel, if brought and taken away by the owners of the wheat, or eighteen pence per bushel if brought and taken away by the owners of the Mill.
During the construction of the St Luke's Church, Liverpool
in 1818, which was designed by Francis Greenway
, Greenway alleged that Lucas was much addicted to the bottle and that he was using very poor stone at the church.
before his death at Liverpool, on Tuesday, 28 April 1818.
Nathaniel was buried on 5 May 1818.
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
transported to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
. His occupation was listed as carpenter
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
.
Life
Lucas was born in LeatherheadLeatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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...
, to parents John Lucas & Mary Bradford in 1764.
Lucas was tried at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 7 July 1784 for feloniously stealing clothing with a value of 40 shillings. Lucas was sentenced to transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
for seven years and left 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...
on the Scarborough
Scarborough (ship)
'Scarborough' was a transport ship of 430 tons, built at Scarborough in 1782. She formed part of the First Fleet, which commenced European settlement of Australia in 1788....
in May 1787.
Norfolk Island
After the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson in January 1788, PhillipArthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
ordered Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Philip Gidley King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
to lead a party of fifteen convicts (9 men and 6 Women) and seven free men to take control of Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
and prepare for its commercial development. Lucas was aboard the HMS Supply, which arrived at Norfolk on March 6, 1788.
On board the Supply, was where Nathaniel met Olivia Gascoigne (b. 1763 - d. 12 Jun 1830) and whom he later married, on 5 November 1791, on Norfolk Island. Nathaniel and Olivia had thirteen children, although twins (Sarah and Mary) were killed at two years old when a large Norfolk Island Pine fell on the Lucas house.
In 1791 he received a grant of fifteen acres (6 ha) and in 1793 purchased another sixty acres (24 ha) from Charles Heritage, a former marine. Lucas farmed this land and this venture proved fruitful, for in August 1802 he sold wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
worth £450 to the government stores on the island.
22 May 1802, Lucas was appointed Master Carpenter, at Norfolk Island.
New South Wales
In April 1805, Lucas returned with his family to SydneySydney
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...
in the Investigator. The ship carried materials for a government windmill which Lucas was to erect in Sydney, and he was allowed to carry materials for another windmill for himself. Nathaniel also brought several pairs of capital mill stones.
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. Dated 23 June 1805.
An excellent Post Mill, the first that has been erected in the settlement is now completed by Mr Nathaniel Lucas, behind Back Row East. It was undertaken and finished within the space of six weeks; has been for several weeks at work, is capable of grinding, with a sufficiency of wind, upwards of six bushels per hour, which was last week accomplished for 12 hours successively.
In 1808, Nathaniel was appointed superintendent of carpenters in Sydney and holds this position until his retirement in December 1814.
3 Jan, 1810 Nathaniel was noted to be on the list of persons holding civil and military employment at Sydney and settlements adjacent, as Superintendent of Carpenters.
From 1810 until his death, Nathaniel appears on numerous Colonial Secretary's
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
documents. The majority of these documents refer to Nathaniel surveying land or property and constructing or repairing various structures.
1812, sees the completion of a Post Windmill behind the Battery at Dawes Point
Dawes Point Battery
The Dawes Point Battery is an historical fortification that was located adjacent to the southern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Dawes Point, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
. The price of grinding wheat into flour is fifteen pence per bushel, if brought and taken away by the owners of the wheat, or eighteen pence per bushel if brought and taken away by the owners of the Mill.
During the construction of the St Luke's Church, Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
in 1818, which was designed by Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway
-References:* *...
, Greenway alleged that Lucas was much addicted to the bottle and that he was using very poor stone at the church.
Death
Nathaniel became increasingly addicted to alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
before his death at Liverpool, on Tuesday, 28 April 1818.
Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. Dated 9 May 1818.
On Tuesday last the dead body of Mr Nathaniel Lucas. for many years known in this colony and at Norfolk. Island as a respectable builder, was found left by the tide. at twenty yards distance from Moore Bridge. Liverpool; which unhappy catastrophe appears to have proceeded from' his own actSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. owing to a mental derangement. He had been six days absent from his family at Liverpool. on a pretext of going to Parramatta: but his long absence. connected with other circumstances that gave rise to apprehension, naturally Induced his sons to go in quest of him: the result of which was, that he was by one of his own sons found.
Nathaniel was buried on 5 May 1818.