Family Treeof Trudy Mae COWLEY
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BirthRuth THOMPSON born at Sydney Cove on 9 January 1794. She was a ‘currency lass’, born to Mary CAMPBELL, an Irish convict and John THOMPSON, who may have been a convict or a marine. However, Mary must have been pregnant with Ruth prior to disembarking from Boddingtons as Ruth is born just five months after the arrival of Boddingtons at Sydney Cove on 7 August 1793. Thus, John THOMPSON cannot be Ruth's natural father, unless he was one of the 125 male convicts or a marine aboard Boddingtons, as it is highly improbable that a 4 months premature baby would have survived in Sydney Cove at that time, even though his name is given on her birth certificate. To complicate matters, Smee (1991) lists John THOMPSON as being the convict from Lincoln transported per Matilda, arriving at Sydney Cove on 1 August 1791. However, the source for this information is not provided. If this is the John THOMPSON on Ruth's birth certificate, then he could not have been her natural father. Furthermore, other researchers have thought this John THOMPSON was the convict transported per Atlantic as part of the third fleet! DeathA death notice for Ruth appeared in the Hobart Town Gazette on 27 June 1818. It read: Died on Thursday, at the Black Brush, the wife of Mr. Staples, settler, of that district, leaving two young children. Marriage 1On 15 August 1808, John BLACKLOW married Ruth THOMPSON. Ruth was single and from Hobart. John was single and from Hobart. They were married by Banns at Hobart Town, River Derwent, Van Diemen's Land by Rev Robert KNOPWOOD (who also arrived per Calcutta. Witnesses to the marriage were James MCCAULEY, a Sergeant of the Royal Marines, and Francis BARNES. (NS 282/8/1 p.12) This is to certify that John Blacklow, single man and Ruth Thompson, single woman both of this town were married by banns at Hobart Town, River Derwent, Van Diemen's Land, this fifteenth day of August in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eight by me Robert Knopwood ... In the presence of Jas McCauley, Sergt RM and Francis Barnes. John was aged 35 years and Ruth was about 15 years old at the time of their marriage. Francis BARNES was witness to many marriages around this time, officiated by Rev Bobby KNOPWOOD. BARNES had come out on the Calcutta as a convict and worked in Hobart around this time as a clerk. Marriage 2On 17 May 1813, Ruth THOMPSON married again. She married John STAPLES, also of the Royal Marine Corps (LSD 1/90 pp.16-17). This is to certify that John Staples single man and Ruth Blacklow widow both of this town were married by banns at Hobart Town, River Derwent, Van Diemen's Land this 17th day of May in the year of Our Lord 1813, by me Robert Knopwood ... in the presence of John Taylor, Wm Thos Starkey. (NS 282/8/1 p.55) It is likely that John STAPLES was a friend of John BLACKLOW. PropertyJohn was supposed to receive a grant of land upon his discharge from the Royal Marine Corps, but died before it was received. AOT Correspondence File suggests John was granted land at Black Brush and the property was named Blendon, however, it would seem this was the land granted to John STAPLES, Ruth’s second husband and step-father to John and Mary. In 1813, 60 acres of land was granted to Ruth by Governor Lachlan MACQUARIE in right of her first husband, John BLACKLOW as a disbanded Marine. 60 acres Unto Rebecca
Staples his heirs and assigns to have and to hold for ever sixty acres of
land lying and situate in the District of Melville, Van Diemen's Land. In testimony of
this day 20th of September 1812
Before signing it is here inserted that the foregoing
Witnessed by: Registered at the Secretary's Office, Sydney 31st July 1816. A map of the land grants in that region shows that the grant claimed by John BLACKLOW which was located Ruth THOMPSON (aka Rebecca STAPLES), was adjacent to that claimed by John STAPLES, Ruth's subsequent husband and that of another former Royal Marine, Pryce PRITCHARD. John BLACKLOW was also noted on the map as the occupier of the grant on the other side of John STAPLES, land granted to James TURNBULL. The land to the south east of these properties was granted to Joshua FERGUSSON. At the north west the land grant was bounded by the original course of the Jordan River - the present course of the Jordan River runs through the grant. The land grant to the south west of John's grant was located to Price PRITCHARD (a fellow Calcutta marine with John BLACKLOW and John STAPLES). The size of the grant located to Ruth THOMPSON was approximately 284 acres. In 1820, Ruth was listed on Land Grant Returns – No.21, Melville, 60 acres. (HRA Series III Vol.III, p.578) as the proprietor of the land near Brighton. A letter regarding land grants for discharged marine soldiers from Governor MACQUARIE to Lieutenant-Governor DAVEY dated 30 January 1813 reads: 12. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having signified to his Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies their approbation of such of the Marine Soldiers, who have been for some years past doing Duty in Van Diemen’s Land and who wish to remain in the Colony instead of returning to England, to become Settlers, and Twenty Eight Noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers of the Detachment of Marines having made their election to remain and become Settlers in the Country, I have acquiesced in their request, and have forwarded a Return of their Names to the Lords of the Admiralty, requesting that regular Discharges may be sent out for them. These Twenty Eight men continue still embodied and doing duty at the Derwent, the rest of the detachment, fourteen in number, having made their election to return to England, were accordingly sent thither on board the Private Ship Isabella early in last month. As it will be a long time before the Discharges for these Twenty Eight Marines can be received from England, and as I understand they are very anxious to go to settle on the Lands to be assigned to them, you are hereby authorized and directed to disband them on the 6th of the Month of March next, and to strike them off duty from that date, paying one Month’s subsistence to them in advance from the 6th of March, previous to your disbanding and striking them of all further Military Duties. Mr Meehan the Surveyor must be directed to locate and measure out Farms for them at Coal River, or at any other part of the Settlement they may prefer. Private
soldiers to get 80 acres if single, 100 acres if married, and ten acres for
every child. To be victualled and
clothed for 18 months from the King’s Stores, and to receive gratis seed grain
and agricultural tools and implements which can be furnished.
To get 1 male convict labourer, clothed and victualled from the King’s
Stores for 12 months. Get 1 cow on 18 months credit. Ruth died intestate and her eldest son, John BLACKLOW jnr had to appeal to the government for the land to be allocated to him. Even though Ruth was dead at the time, a notice in the Hobart Town Gazette of 25 April 1829 regarding quit rents owed on land grants listed Rebecca STAPLES as having a grant of 60 acres of land at Queenborough, granted by Governor MACQUARIE on 20 September 1830, owing £1 quit rent annually with the first year's payment due on 20 September 1819. The amount owed as at 25 April 1829 was 10 shillings. It is assumed that the grant stayed in Rebecca's name even though the land now belonged to her son, John. |
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