William Bateman Featured
Introduction
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This is a feature story on William Bateman, the father of John Batman, founder of Melbourne. William Bateman came from Yorkshire.
He married Mary Mobbs in London in 1794. Their first child, Maria, was born in London on 29 June, 1796. Maria Batman later married William White, the writer's great great grandfather. Right: Extract from the NSW Convict Records, shows William Bateman arriving in February, 1797. The family sailed on "The Ganges" and settled in Parramatta.
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The William Bateman Trial in England
On 20 December, 1795, William Bateman and his brother-in-law, William Mobbs were charged with stealing six hundred pounds weight (272kg) of saltpetre, valued at £48, from Edmund Hill, Esq., saying it be the property of the Sovereign Lord the King, the Second count.
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The trial took place in the Old Bailey Courthouse, in London and these facts were taken from the actual session papers of the trial and summarized by the writer. Bateman's trial was heard by a Middlesex Jury, before Justice Lawrence. It was alleged that William Bateman had planned organized, stored, processed and traded the saltpetre. This occurred between 14 April and 19 December, 1795, and property was owned by Mr Edmund Hill who operated the powder mill.
Mr Hill stated that when doing a stock check, large quantities were found missing. Quantities that were missing were ten hundredweight (508kg) in November and thirteen hundredweight (660kg) in December. The saltpetre was calicined at the Hill powder mill in a way that no other mill in the Kingdom does and only in this way, exclusively for the government of His Majesty’s Magazine. The cakes of saltpetre for His Majesty’s Magazine are always packaged and well marked, including its weight. A local man Mr Feilding, swore at the trial that he assisted Mobbs in obtaining and storing the saltpetre cakes. William Mobbs, Bateman's brother-in-law, arranged the obtainment of the saltpetre by entering through some missing palings at a back fence location, near the coal-house, at the powder mill owned by Mr Edmund Hill. On this occasion, they carried out about one hundredweight (50kg) of cakes and transported it all to be eventually stored in a shed, that was located near Bateman’s house. The shed was in Essex-Passage and Bateman lived just half a mile on. After delivery, they went on to Bateman's house and Bateman asked Mobbs to come upstairs to settle. Feilding received one guinea for his help. He was exonerated from being charged for giving his account of the crime. William Bateman (aged 30) was found guilty by the jury and the Justice sentenced him to 14 years transportation, despite calling 9 character witnesses. William Mobbs (aged 25) was also found guilty and was sentenced to 7 years transportation having 5 character witnesses.
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Footnote: Potassium Nitrate (saltpetre) is mixed with sulphur and charcoal to produce a chemical explosive called Gunpowder. The sulphur and charcoal act as fuels, while the saltpetre works as an oxidizer. Because of its burning properties and the amount of heat and gas volume that it generates, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms and fireworks. When saltpetre is calicined, it is refined to increase its quality. It is assumed that the His Majesty’s Magazine desired the better quality saltpetre to increase its military advantage, as at this time England was in dispute with France.
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The William Bateman Australian Story
Bateman was transported to Australia, at the age of 31, for his role in falsely obtaining gunpowder from the powder mill that supplied the King of England, George III's Magazine. Mary, who was only 26, along with 1 year old daughter Maria, were granted leave to accompany Bateman, as fare paying passengers, as he was not considered a vicious or dangerous criminal. In later years Mary was to be recorded as having "come free" to Australia.
The little young family boarded the transport ship, the "Ganges" at Portsmouth in early August 1796, their fellow transportees being largely the "scum of English and Irish seaports". The journey under appalling conditions, was to last nearly a year and the sufferings of a young mother can now hardly be imagined.
The little young family boarded the transport ship, the "Ganges" at Portsmouth in early August 1796, their fellow transportees being largely the "scum of English and Irish seaports". The journey under appalling conditions, was to last nearly a year and the sufferings of a young mother can now hardly be imagined.
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The Ganges reached Sydney on 31 March, 1797. In Australia, William set about with hard work and determination to make amends to his family for the one slip that brought them to this unkind wilderness.
His transportation was a common enough episode in England of that time, for eight years earlier the first fleet had arrived at Botany Bay to inaugurate the world's first prison colony. A prison without bars and walls, yet offering no chance of escape.
William Bateman later changed his family's name to Batman, possibly to remove any stigma and shame of his criminal past. But there was one result of William's sentence which was to prove unique and that is that one of his sons was to become the first and only born Australian to found an Australian capital city. The Batmans ended up living and working in the colony around the now known George St, Sydney area, where their first son, Robert was born on 1 March, 1798. William must have slaved and saved to good effect, for in the early 1800's, the family moved into a wattle-and-daub cottage of their own on the site of 64 Macquarie Street, Parramatta. |
HMS Ganges. Convicts 207, free passengers
and crew. Voyage took 10 months. |
It was here, at what was known as "The Settlement of Rose Hill", that on 21 January, 1801, Maria Batman's younger brother John Batman, the second son was born. William and Mary were to live here for the next 32 years. By 1810 the cottage in Parramatta housed a growing and thriving family. William 44 and Mary 39, had Maria 14, Robert 12, John 9, Henry 7, William 4 and Charles 2. All must have been strong and healthy children, enjoying this primitive environment and the freedom and outdoor life that they could never have experienced had they been brought up in their parent's homeland.
William, a tough, energetic, hard-working man, now made his living despatching fruit to the Sydney market and it is likely that Robert helped him. But John, very much against his will, had at an early age been forced by his father to attend school.
Parramatta's first school was commenced as early as 1791 with a convict teacher but in 1799 a free teacher, John Tull and his wife Dorothy who were regarded as excellent teachers, progressed the education of the young to a high degree. It was here that John Batman attended and met Hamilton Hume. They were to become close life-long friends and Hamilton many years later in 1824 was to become one of the first two overlanders to negotiate Sydney to Port Phillip.
William, a tough, energetic, hard-working man, now made his living despatching fruit to the Sydney market and it is likely that Robert helped him. But John, very much against his will, had at an early age been forced by his father to attend school.
Parramatta's first school was commenced as early as 1791 with a convict teacher but in 1799 a free teacher, John Tull and his wife Dorothy who were regarded as excellent teachers, progressed the education of the young to a high degree. It was here that John Batman attended and met Hamilton Hume. They were to become close life-long friends and Hamilton many years later in 1824 was to become one of the first two overlanders to negotiate Sydney to Port Phillip.
John Batman's life is continued in the story "John Batman Featured" in the Family Greats Menu.
William Batman's Will
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN.
I, William Batman senior of Parramatta, in the Country of Cumberland, being of perfect mind and memory to think proper, to give and bequeath all my personal estate and effects while I am living in the manner and form following (to wit).
First, I desire to be decently buried in the burying place or ground of Parramatta.
Secondly, I give and bequeath to my son Robert Batman one shilling at the expiration of twelve calendar months after my decease.
Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Batman my dwelling house and all the ground and all the outhouses and all other offices appertaining there, to with all my goods and chattles, my horses and all my horned cattle and all bonds together with every kind of property whatsoever to me appertaining only what I have bequeathed to my son Robert Batman aforesaid.
I do hereby utterly revoke all former will or will transfer or transfers by me hereunto made. And I hereby nominate and appoint my wife Mary Bateman the whole and sole execlutrix of this my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.
Signed: William Batman Sen
Signed sealed published and declared by the above named William Batman Senior, as for his last will and testament in the presence of us hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereunto in the presence of the said testator and the presence of each other.
John Eyre
William Schofields
William White *
* William White, witness to John Batman Sen's Will above, had married his daughter, Maria Batman and is therefore Gordon White's Great Grand Parents. So (John Batman, founder of Melbourne, being Maria's brother), he is my (Kim White) Great, Great Grand Uncle.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN.
I, William Batman senior of Parramatta, in the Country of Cumberland, being of perfect mind and memory to think proper, to give and bequeath all my personal estate and effects while I am living in the manner and form following (to wit).
First, I desire to be decently buried in the burying place or ground of Parramatta.
Secondly, I give and bequeath to my son Robert Batman one shilling at the expiration of twelve calendar months after my decease.
Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Batman my dwelling house and all the ground and all the outhouses and all other offices appertaining there, to with all my goods and chattles, my horses and all my horned cattle and all bonds together with every kind of property whatsoever to me appertaining only what I have bequeathed to my son Robert Batman aforesaid.
I do hereby utterly revoke all former will or will transfer or transfers by me hereunto made. And I hereby nominate and appoint my wife Mary Bateman the whole and sole execlutrix of this my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.
Signed: William Batman Sen
Signed sealed published and declared by the above named William Batman Senior, as for his last will and testament in the presence of us hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereunto in the presence of the said testator and the presence of each other.
John Eyre
William Schofields
William White *
* William White, witness to John Batman Sen's Will above, had married his daughter, Maria Batman and is therefore Gordon White's Great Grand Parents. So (John Batman, founder of Melbourne, being Maria's brother), he is my (Kim White) Great, Great Grand Uncle.