Miles Fieldgate

221

D Wong on 21st February 2021

Father: John Fieldgate. Miles was baptised 26/1/1775 at Brightlingsea, Essex. 1806 General Muster: Miles was self employed as a butcher. Colonial Secretary Index: FIELDGATE, Miles. Per "Hillsborough", 1799 1809 Jun 17: Appellant in action against Edward Wills; appeal from decision of Court of Civil Jurisdiction to be heard by Governor as Judge of the High Court of Appeal (Reel 6037; SZ993 p.67) 1810 Jan: Supplies promised by to H.M. Stores; appears as Falgate (Reel 6042; 4/1723 p.99) 1812 Aug 26: Re permission to marry (Reel 6002; 4/3491 p.320) 1814 Apr 23: Appointed Clerk of the Public Market in Sydney, Poundkeeper & a Constable (Reel 6038; SZ758 p.480) 1815 Jan 28-1818 Nov 28: Market duties received for Police Fund (Reel 6038; SZ759 pp.36, 96, 156, 181, 201, 319, 349, 445, 530) 1816 Apr 6: On list of persons licensed as publicans for 1816; at Sydney (Reel 6038; SZ759 p.193) 1817 Feb 8: Paid from the Police Fund for repairs at the Market House, Sydney (Reel 6038; SZ759 p.312) 1817 Apr 19: Publican of the Bull's Head, Sydney. On list of persons licensed as publicans for 1817; at Sydney (Reel 6038; SZ759 p.340) 1818 Feb 16; 1819 Feb 15: On lists of applicants for renewal of spirit licenses at Sydney (Reel 6006; 4/3498 p.62 & 4/3499 p.318) 1819 Feb 26: On return of writs issued from Supreme Court and Governor's Court against William Gore (Reel 6020; 2/8130 p.129) 1820 Jun 13: Petition for permission to hold horse races in Sydney for two days in Aug (Reel 6049; 4/1744 pp.370-2) 1821 Feb 17, Aug 21: Juror at inquests on Henry McMahon & James Wood held at Sydney (Reel 6021; 4/1819 pp.423-4, 739-40) 1821 Nov 4: Foreman of jury at inquest on John Patterson held at George Gambling's house in the District of Petersham (Reel 6021; 4/1819 p.515) 1825 Feb 9: Executors of his estate on list of debtors to William Oldfield (Reel 6063; 4/1785 p.98)

4

Geoff Yeatman on 1st January 2013

The Bull's Head Inn and an adjoining shop were built on the east side of George Street, a few blocks south of Market Street by Robert McIntosh, a military officer, on land granted to him by the Crown. The land was later inherited by his son James. The Bull's Head first host was Miles Fieldgate, who arrived in Sydney as a convict on the ship Hillsborough. When the ship arrived in Sydney on 26 July 1799 she disembarked just 205 of the 300 male passengers who had set sail from Gravesend, England in October 1798. An outbreak of typhoid killed 95 of the convicts. Twenty four year old Fieldgate was assigned work on the lower reaches of the Richmond River before he was given a conditional pardon in June 1803. He was working as a baker in a "desirably situate" weatherboard building in "Spring Row, near the end of South Street" near today's Circular Quay, Sydney by 1807. In 1812, at the age of 38, he married Ann Jones at Windsor, before he was appointed Clerk of Sydney's public market, as well as pound keeper, and a police constable in April 1814. That same year, Fieldgate's wife had left him. He placed the following advertisement in the Sydney Gazette on 24 September 1814: "I hereby caution the Public, against trusting my Wife, Ann Fieldgate, she having eloped from her Home without Provocation; and I will not hold myself responsible for any Debts she may contract. Miles Fieldgate." The fate of Fieldgate's wife remains a mystery. No records of Fieldgate having children could also be found. At the age of 42 Fieldgate turned his attentions to innkeeping and was granted a license for the Bull's Head, located opposite the Sydney Markets, in George Street in 1816. There were 50 licenses granted to sell liquor in Sydney that year, including seven in George Street. Just two years later, competition for thirsty customers intensified along George Street with the amount of licenses doubling. Fieldgate fell ill in March 1822 and he advertised the Bull's Head Inn for sale. He died aged 48 on 23 May 1822.