William Cook

342

Maureen Withey on 4th August 2022

In 1833 William Cook was working at Castle Forbes, the farm of Major Mudie. A number of men took to the bush and attacked Mr Larnach, the overseer there. There was a trial at Sydney, resulting in sentence of death for the men. William Cook went to Sydney as a witness. As a result of the trial, the Governor ordered an Enquiry into the treatment of their assigned men by Major Mudie and Mr Larnach. Again, William Cook gave evidence at the enquiry, which lasted nearly two weeks. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32145498/4245825 William Cook’s evidence at the Enquiry, Published in The Sydney Monitor, 28 Jan 1834. William Cook sworn-(Claudine ship)-I am assigned to Mr. Mudie; the rations seven pounds of beef, ten pounds of flour a week, in harvest we got four pounds of pork in place of beef; since we returned from Sydney we got a quart of milk, before that we got only a pint; we got two ounces of tobacco; we got soap about two ounces a week, and salt with fresh meat; there are no slops due but a pair of shoes; I did not ask for those shoes as I did not want them ; I was at Sydney to give evidence I believe for the prisoners at the late trials; I told Mr. Mudie I had nothing to say for them before I went to Sydney; I can not say Mr. Mudie was a hard master to me; Pool and I always lived in the same hut, and on account of building a mill, we had tea and sugar, and were better off than the others on the farm; I was only once brought to Court by Mr. Mudie, on a charge of refusing to work, but Mr. Glennie would not punish me until I was examined by a Doctor, as I pleaded that I had the Rheumatism ; but Doctor Sloane certified that I was able to work and I got 50 lashes; Mr. Mudie was an indulgent master to me and Pool ; he never called me a convict rascal or scoundrel, or any of the rest of them to my knowledge; we had sometimes rations fit for any one to use, and at other times very bad; we had it very bad about six or eight weeks ago, for such a thing as a month or more; the flour was particularly bad ; I never complained to Mr. Mudie, he was not on the farm when the flour was so bad ; Pool along with the other men complained to Mr. Larnach of the flour, and he promised them if they put up with it until what was then served out was used, they should get better; It after that improved, but not much; the men who complained to Mr. Larnach, intended to get passes to complain to the magistrates if the flour was not better in the future; I think the men thought if they came to the Bench, they would get justice one way or other; by that, I mean that the flour would be improved, or that they would be returned to government from Mr. Mudie; Mr. Larnach has called me a damned scoundrel several times; he has often threatened to send me to Court when he had no cause; Pool used to say, while Mr. Mudie was at Sydney, that he was afraid he would get himself into trouble if Mr. Mudie did not soon come back; he could agree a deal better with Mr. Mudie than Mr. Larnach; I was not much with the other men; I worked in my shop; I recollect a bullock breaking his leg, and the meat served out to the men; the meat was very bad, it was not fit for use the day after we got it; I dont know whether any complaint was made about it; Pool or I made none; we have good meat at times; some times there is a bullock of four hundred weight killed, and at other times of three hundred weight; Mr. Mudie's cattle are not large; I cant say that we got beef as often bad as good; we get it passable oftener than bad; Pool was allowed tea and sugar always, even when it was stopped from me; we were both allowed to do jobs for ourselves ; I never heard Pool say he would not get justice at the Bench; he had not occasion to say so ; he was never there but once that he got punished, the day before he took the bush, and once he was brought up to Court for not attending divine service, but not punished; I know Big Brown ; I never knew of his giving any advice to me or any one ; Pool never spoke to me of taking the bush; he was a close minded man, and would scarcely tell his brother of any thing he was going to do ; Reilly had got a deal of flogging, and I used to hear it said, he could not stand it; all the men used to complain of shortness of rations; in our hut we would often be in want, but Mr. Maudie used to send some from the kitchen to us; Pool was born in Dublin, but reared in Manchester; Hitchcock and Pool were not any particular friends on the farm ; I was due for my Ticket-of-leave the 7th of December, and when Mr. Mudie was going to Sydney, he promised to forward my application ; I have no reason to suppose that the Bench would not grant me my Ticket, only I got fifty lashes. Cross-examined by Mr. Mudie - I was cautioned by Mr. Mudie before he went to Sydney to take care of my self, and not get into a scrape about a female prisoner; Mr. Mudie used to give us pot-herbs and vegetables and bring us down potatoes himself, and superintend the making of stews, and taste it himself to see whether it was good or not; this was in addition to rations, and continued for the last two years; Mr. Mudie promised Poole five pounds when the mill was finished; I recollect his getting a pound of it at one time, and ten shillings, and a flute and a music book, and when Mr. Mudie was going to Sydney the last time he told me to tell Pool if he wanted anything to put it down on a bit of paper and Mr. Larnach would send for it to Sydney, and that he would get it; Mr. Mudie was absent at Sydney about three months; he did not return home until a few days after Pool took the bush ; I delivered the message to Pool, but he said he was not in want of any thing, and he would let it alone till his master returned; before he done any thing to the mill he got a fustian jacket and trowsers and waistcoat and white shirt; I never heard Mr. Mudie speak harshly to Pool; Pool has made-ploughs for his own account; Mr. Mudie paid him one pound ten shillings for one; Pool showed me the money; he gave the plough to Mr. Mudie, though another offered him the same, because he was afraid the other would not pay him; I was allowed myself to do jobs on my own account during the time I was bound to work for Mr. Mudie; I have had medicine whenever I required it ; Mr. Mudie often gave Pool and me grog and wine; a bottle of wine, and when it was finished, Pool used to get another bottle sometimes by asking for it; this was at different periods within the last two years ; I got a duck jacket and trowsers from Mr. Mudie, about a year ago; a jacket and a shirt were promised to me that I did not get; this was when Mr. Mudie went to Sydney last; if any person swore that Pool was starved, I think he would not swear the truth; (there were large cattle with little meat, killed for the men;) the reason the men got but a pint of milk latterly, was the scarcity of it; all the men were told to come on Sunday morning to get vegetables in the garden; cabbages, carrots, and some cauliflowers and pot herbs; they had leave to take turnips in the season. Cross-examined by Mr. Larnach- Mr. Larnach always found fault with my not doing enough of work, but I done my best; he also found fault with the number of nails I used to make; on these occasions he used to bounce me ; Mr. Larnach found tea and pork in my hut, but no sugar; the day the tailor Ponsonby, was taken into custody he found fat, but I knew nothing of it; I never was refused a pass from Mr. Larnach to go to Court; I never asked one; I kept one dog and used to feed him with some bread and milk; Pool also had a puppy; I cannot say I broke off the connection Mr. Mudie cautioned me about the woman; I have got notice whenever prayers were in the barn or in the parlour; I never made any complaints about light weights; (I never heard the men name the word nagging or hagging;) I never heard of its being complained of on the farm that cattle that were drowned, were given out to the men. (Signed) WILLIAM X COOK, His mark X. Sworn before F. A. Hely, J. P., In presence of John H. Plunket. (A COPY.) ALEXANDER M'LEAY. Colonial Secretary Index.