Richard Leonard

4

Marg A on 21st May 2021

THE CONVICT MUSTERS & ELIZABETH COOKE 1801/1802 muster: There is no mention of Richard Leonard. 1806 General Muster: His name is also missing. Despite the omission, there is an indirect reference to him. A convict woman, Elizabeth Cook/e, had "Lennard of Parramatta" recorded in the "How employed/with whom lives" column. (The Convict indents show that Elizabeth had arrived in the ship, Atlas 1, in 1802 and Brooke was the master. She had received a 7-year sentence in Dublin City and was due to obtain her freedom in 1808.) There is no doubt that the "Lennard" she referred to was Richard, as, 10 years later, in the 1816 convict muster, Elizabeth stated that she was "wife to Rchd Leonard". Ref: Return of Female Convicts and those that have been 1810-1816, Home Office 10/4, PRO reel 61. Early in 1817 Richard and Elizabeth appear to have still been together, as, on 2 February of that year, the couple was in St John’s Church, Parramatta, witnessing the marriage of 31-year-old Mary Leonard, and Thomas Foran, aged 30. Ref: St John’s Parramatta marriages 1817, #539 (There seems to be no relationship between Mary Leonard and Richard.) For some reason, by the end of 1817 and after being partners for a significant length of time, Richard and Elizabeth had split up. The year after the separation, Richard married a woman from Ireland, Jane Doyle. Could Jane have been responsible for the parting of ways or was there some other reason? Exactly what happened to Elizabeth is confusing. Even the musters do not provide clear answers. In one muster (to Dec 1817), she was noted as residing in the colony and being the wife of J. Cooke, stone mason. After separating from Richard, was she remembering a husband she had been forced to leave behind in Ireland? Anything is likely. Elizabeth seemed to use the term ‘married’ indiscriminately. In the four following musters, taken after Leonard married Jane Doyle, Elizabeth was recorded as:- To 31/12/1818—a single woman. (Only a year after stating J. Cook was her husband, Elizabeth was listed as being single!) To 31/12/1819—a washerwoman. To 31/12/1820—a married woman living in Sydney. (Had she found a partner?) To 31/12/1821—a married woman in Sydney. Refs: Return of Male & Female Convicts up to 1818, HO 10/11, PRO reel 63. Return of Female Convicts up to 1819, HO 10/2, PRO reel 60. Return of Female Convicts up to 1820, HO 10/14, PRO reel 64. Return of Female Convicts up to 1821, HO 10/17, PRO reel 65 Despite the musters stating she was married, no NSW marriage document whatsoever has been found that could apply to an Elizabeth Cook/e round this period. After 1821, Elizabeth completely vanished from all official records, even death. These early musters were full of inaccuracies. Significantly, a burial took place in Parramatta of an Elizabeth Cook, aged 43, who died in December of 1817. Roughly five months later Richard married Jane Doyle. However, the Convict indents show that this particular Elizabeth Cook/Cooke appears to have arrived with a 7-year sentence on the 'Indispensible' in 1796. Thus, there were two Elizabeth Cook/Cooke's in Parramatta. Nevertheless, it is highly possible that a clerical error had occurred in the records and it had actually been Richard’s partner who had died. Disregarding the death entry, the subsequent musters showed that it is unlikely a mix-up had taken place. In the musters, convicts were identified by the name of their ship and date of arrival. Except for a few minor mistakes, all the above muster information related to an Elizabeth Cook/e who arrived in 1802 on the convict transport, Atlas (1). If these records are to be believed then Richard's Elizabeth did not die in Dec 1817. The timing of the death, however, coupled with Richard marrying five months later is a rather strange coincidence. There is a somewhat unlikely possibility. If Richard’s partner had died, could a convict, knowing that a mistake had been made in the records, have assumed Elizabeth’s identity? No matter how it came about, by 1818 Richard and Elizabeth were no longer together and the reason remains an intriguing mystery. JANE DOYLE AND ELIZA Jane Doyle arrived from Dublin on the Canada in 1817 with a 7 year sentence and a young child, Eliza. She married Richard Leonard in 1818. Richard Leonard’s 1824 petition for land mentions that he had a wife and two children to support. One child was Sarah, born in Parramatta in 1820 to Richard and Jane. However, there is confusion about the second child, Jane’s. The Bringelly Population and Stock Book, 1824, shows Jane’s daughter is listed under Eliza Doyle:- Eliza Doyle, born 1812, arrived free per 'Canada' in 1817. Eliza was noted as being “Daughter to Leonard”. In the 1825 NSW General Muster, A-L, she is again listed under Eliza Doyle and was employed by Mr Hassall, Bringelly. If, as Leonard’s two petitions (1824 & 1825) show, he was supporting only two children, then perhaps, Ann Leonard, the infant who died in 1826, might not have been. I have not been able to trace Eliza after 1825. Interestingly, in September 1822, the month after Jane’s freedom was granted, a general muster took place. Richard was listed as having two children, one aged two (Sarah) and the other, aged 8 (Eliza). Both were recorded as born in the colony. (Eliza’s details are not strictly correct, as she had arrived free and, if her birth date was exact, should have been 10. Mistakes abounded in the musters. (The naming of the first three children of Joseph and Sarah, Ratcliffe, nee Leonard, is interesting: The 1st child, Elizabeth, was possibly named after Joseph’s sister/cousin struggling in Suffolk. Back in Dec 1814 in Layham, Suffolk, an Elizabeth Ratcliffe had married Abraham Bacon. The 2nd child was called Jane after Sarah’s mother, Jane Doyle. The 3rd was called Eliza after her half-sister.) THE BARGO GRANT The 1828 census, shows that Richard was not on the Bargo property but off earning cash. He is recorded as aged 55 and working as a blacksmith in Parramatta. His long horned cattle had increased from 5 to 15 head and were being kept in Burragorang. It is unknown if this arrangement was due to his not living on his Bargo property or because of drought. Though almost three years had elapsed since he first obtained his grant, no acres had yet been cleared. On 6 August 1830 Richard Leonard’s 50 acre grant obtained from Governor Brisbane was cancelled by a fresh order from Governor Darling (No 30/825). Why Governor Darling did so is not known. He was not averse to revoking a number of Brisbane’s grants for various reasons. Perhaps the action was taken because Richard was not residing on his Bargo property and he had failed to clear and farm the land as was expected. [In March of that year there is a marriage record (he was a witness) showing he was living at Macquarie Grove.] It is also possible that his grant was revoked because it had not been surveyed. At this stage Richard had not received the deed to his property. At some point Richard apparently regained his Bargo grant, as, three years after it had been cancelled he "assigned" it, on 19 October 1833, to Timothy Beard for "certain valuable considerations". (The transaction was possibly similar to a mortgage). Ref: Register of Claims Court; Reel 1420, April 8, 1834, Claim 181 On 5 Nov 1833, shortly after the assignment to Beard, Gov Bourke issued a Proclamation giving Commissioners the power to decide on all claims to grants. Any person (such as Beard) who had a land grant passed on to him from an original grant holder (such as Richard) was required to apply to the Commissioners to determine that the grant was now legally their own. The applications had to be made within six months of the Proclamation. Ref: NSW Government Gazette, 1833, p.453/4. This meant that Beard who had received the grant from Richard now had no option but to apply to the Commissioners to make sure the grant legally belonged to him. As Richard had not received a deed, Beard had to make sure the property was recognized as his by law. Thus, for certain valuable considerations, Beard had gained the deed as security to the property. No records have been found of Richard repaying Beard, but he must have done so and regained his land, as in his will he left his Bargo grant to his daughter, Sarah, and her husband.

71

Robin Sharkey on 30th November 2015

Richard Leonard transported on “Earl Cornwallis” for 7 years, tried and convicted at Warwick Assizes, England on 25 March 1800. Probably aged 27 years (calculated from 1828 Census age) * 7 year sentence of transportation would most likely be for a stealing offence. * UK Criminal Register - Warwick Assizes of March 1800 not recorded. Gloucestershire Journal -Monday 14 April 1800 page 4, (column 3 of 5) “At the continuation of Warwick Assize, Thos. Perkins for uttering a forged 1l promissory note of Dixon and Amphlett’s of Dudley, and Thos Maddox, are condemned and left for execution. Mary Pickard, William Goldingay and John Henson are also condemned, but the two former are recommended to mercy, and the latter reprieved. —Thomas and Benjamin Hunt are to be transported for 14 years; and Rich. Leonard and Joseph Hamson for seven years.” All these men with transportation sentences arrived NSW 12th June 1801 on “Earl Cornwallis”.on "Earl Cornwallis" NSW 1806 Muster - Richard Leonard's name is not found 1807 - received his Certificate of Freedom (per his own statement made in his 1824 petition for land). 1810 - member of Parramatta Loyal Association (per list prepared by James Larra, Col Sec records) 1814 Muster (now Free by Servitude) - name not found. 1816 muster record - Blacksmith, Parramatta 1817 - February - Richard Leonard was a marriage witness for Thomas Foran marriage at St John’s Parramatta to Mary Leonard, nee Dunn (an Irish woman) 1818 MARRIAGE 1818, 25th May, married Jane Doyle at Parramatta. Richard’s abode given as Parramatta, so was Jane’s. Jane had arrived in 1817 as a convict per “Canada”, tried in England, 7 yrs for stealing a sheep. [ See separate entry for Jane Doyle, “Canada”] Richard signed his name. One of the witnesses was JOHN JONES. This man was a cattle pound keeper and overseer, appointed by government to these positions in 1815, who made his mark, not his signature (however he signed at his own marriage in 1821). The other witness was Hannah O’Harra (per St Johns Parramatta Marriage registry) MARRIAGE WITNESSES After their own marriage, Richard was the witness for five other marriages in Parramatta, including that of John Jones who had been their own wedding witness; and Jane was witness with Richard to three of those. AS well, Jane was witness to Mary Carol’s marriage, Mary then being was a witness the next year with Richard to john Jones’ marriage. It seemed they had a wide circle of friends/acquaintnces (perhaps from Richard’s blacksmithing work) … or else they lived near St john’s church! * 22 Feb 1819, Edward Williams, 29 arrived per “Fanny” in January 1816. Married Caroline Walker, 28 arrived 1818 per “Maria”. Witnesses: Richard & Jane Leonard * 24 May 1819 John Whitehead, arrived on 7 November 1818 per “Morley”. He married quickly since he was 45 yrs, of Parramatta married Maria Clapson , 28 arrived per “Broxbournebury” in 1815, prisoner, of Parramatta. Witnesses: Richard & Jane Leonard. In 1822 Whitehead was a grave digger at Parramatta, then 1825 was sexton at St John’s Parramatta and in 1828, Parish Clerk.. * 24 January 1820 - for Mary Williams per “Northampton” in 1815 aged 31 marriage to John Carol aged 28 per “Guildford”; JANE Leonard was witness with William Carston. * 18 Dec 1820 - for William Grady aged 42 arrived per “Chapman” in 1817, of Parramatta married Mary McAvoy (written as Muckroy) aged 25 prisoner per “Elizabeth”, of Parramatta. Witnesses: Richard Leonard and Mary Ready. [ Mary Ready was Irish per “Lord Wellington” January 1820 and she married almost 2 years later on 6th December 1821 to Dennis Green who had been on “Earl Cornwallis” with Richard Leonard.] The bridegroom, William Grady was a horse-shoer and farrier. with a ticket of leave. By 1820 he was working as a blacksmith at Parramatta - same occupation as Richard Leonard - so he may have met Richard Leonard through this occupation. * 29 January 1821 Margaret Perry aged 23 arrived on “Alexander”, lived Parramtta married Richard Partridge, free, of Parramtta and witnesses are Williamd Stewart and Jane Leonard (signed her name). * 4 June 1821 John Jones married Ann PUGH aged 30, prisoner off “Morley” 3 arrived Sept 1820, of Parramatta. Witnesses: Richard Leonard & Mary Carol (John Jones had been the marriage witness for Richard) * 12 August 1822 James Clark, 29 arrived per “Malabar” in 1819, married Mary Hartford 42, per “Providence” 2 aged 30, of Parramatta. Witnesses: Richard & Jane Leonard James Clark was a Brazier ( worked with making and repairing brass goods). Since in 1822 Muster he was GS to J Leonard, at Parramatta. So Richard Leonard knew Clark because Clark ( as a brazier) was his assigned servant. CHILDREN 1820 - birth of daughter Sarah on 12 August, baptised 8 October 1820, registered at St John’s Parramatta. Sarah was recorded in 1822 Census as aged 2, resident at Parramatta and in 1825 as aged 5 resident at Bringelly, child of Richard Leonard in 1824 - now has TWO children (per petition for land Richard said he had two children). However the other child, most probably called Ann, is not recorded as a baptism. 1826 death of “infant” Ann Leonard (no parents listed) who is very likely to be the second child of Richard Leonard. This second child does not appear again. Richard Leonard had no sons, and ultimately only the one daughter Sarah to carry on. _____________ RESIDENCE & OCCUPATION Parramatta Bench of Magistrates: * Jul 15 1822; Richard Leonard, Ship: Earl Cornwallis, Year: 1801, Trade or Calling: Smith; Parramatta NSW AUS; Denis Doyle tried by Bench of Magistrates, Parramatta, with assaulting Leonard * 17 August 1822, Mary Jones FREE was “charged on suspicion of Stealing a Shirt from Richard Leonard of Parramatta” and was before Rev Marsden. She was “Ordered to make good the shirt stolen” It would appear Richard stayed as a blacksmith in Parramtta until at least 1822 after which (perhaps 1824) the family moved to work on Samuel Hassall's property "Macquarie Grove" on the eastern bank of the Nepean River. In 1824 (per his petition) Richard was living in the District of Cook with his wife and two children, and was employed by Samuel Hassall.  He owned five cattle but had no land. NOTE: Samuel Hassall’s property was “Macquarie Grove” on the eastern bank of the Nepean. In 1825 further petition following up his 1824 earlier petition for a land grant and although it is mostly illegible, it can be made out that he “ … received his Certificate of Freedom in the year 1807 and now resides on [illegible] of Mr S O Hassall [illegible] “. Again states that he has a wife and two children to support. also five head of horns cattle and no pasture to maintain them." Supported by a note from Rev Cartwright. Land Grant: 12 March 1825. Reply letter from the COL SEC that he would be given 50 acre land grant. 12 March 1825 - List of people getting land grants - Richard Leonard. Received 50 acres at Bargo. Land Grant of 50 acres - From 1835 Gazette (see below) the Deed of grant for land at Camden, Parish of West Bargo, “promised on 12 March 1825” was not transmitted until 1834, when there was an application by Timothy Beard, victualler, for the land grant to be transmitted to him. The land was “bounded on the west by the Argyle Road, on the north partly by Donohu's farm, and on all other sides by vacant land” (as per Sydney Gazette, 19 April 1834). 1825 Muster - Daughter Sarah aged 5 is listed as living at Bringelly, child of Richard Leonard. January 1826 Richard ran a sly grog shop on the banks of the Nepean near his employer Samuel Hassall’s “Macquarie Grove” - from trial of James McNamara, who was the boatman on the Nepean River near Samuel Hassall’s property. McNamara was reported as being often absent at one of the sly grog shops nearby up and down the Nepean banks. Trial of James Mcnamara - SRNSW Reel 667, 30 January 1826: On 22 January 1826 McNamara was not at the river crossing point when constable John Robinson came through from the Cowpastures. Robinson could hear noise from Richard Leonard’s sly grog shop further along the river. He approached and called out to him, and McNamara came out of the hut very drunk supported by another convict worker. Robinson arrested McNamara for being drunk and away from his place of work, and McNamara lost his boatman job. 1826 - Death of Ann Leonard, infant. Most probably Richard Leonard’s daughter. 1828 Death of his wife Jane, recorded phonetically as “Lynyard” NSWBDM “Jane LYNYARD” ‘age 48” Perhaps because of Jane's Death, Ricahrd went back to Parramatta working as a blacksmith and boarded out his surviving child, Sarah. 1828 Census: Richard Leonard, aged 55, Free by Servitude, 7 years, per Cornwallis in 1801. Protestant. He’s a Blacksmith whose residence is with Thomas Wenner at Parrramatta. Wenner was a 28 year old blacksmith, who also employed a carpenter, a 15 yr old male servant, and a TL man. Richard Leonard has 15 head of cattle but no land listed. * There is no wife named Jane. * The daughter called Sarah aged about 10 yrs is not listed as living with him, * No other likely Leonard child is listed . Sarah was probably boarded out by her father, as her mother is now dead. * She is not in the orphan school. * She is probably the child listed under her mother’s maiden name “Doyle”: as “Sophia” Doyle” aged 10, BC and Protestant, boarder at James Smith’s, Parramatta. [This James Smith is probably the one per "Indian" in 1810. He had a Cond pardon in 1816, lived at Parramatta and quoted on contracting work as a carrier for the government, then in 1824 was an innkeeper, and 1828 Census publican at Parramatta with 35 yr old wife and many children of his own including two girls around Sarah Leonard's age.] 1830 - Richard lived at “Macquarie Grove” - Samuel Hassall’s property on the east bank of the Nepean River. First Owned by the father Rowland Hassall and then after his 1820 death by Samuel Ottoo Hassall, who himself died in 1830 aged 35 yrs. 11 March 1830 - Richard Leonard, living at Macquarie Grove, was witness to the marriage of George Whiticker (Grenada (2) and Elizabeth Sutton, at Narellan, by Rev Thomas Hassall.. George Whitekar, Free, Abode: Sutton Forest, Camden [NSW AUS], Signed X; & Elizabeth Sugden, Abode: Sutton Forest, Camden [NSW AUS], Signed X; Married 11 Mar 1830 Chapel [NSW AUS], registered St Pauls Church of England Cobbity [NSW AUS] by Banns, with consent of Governor; Witness: Richard Leonard, of Macquarie Grove [NSW AUS], Signed; Catherine Murphy, of Macquarie Grove [NSW AUS], Signed X 1834 - Timothy Beard ”victualler” (innkeeper) claimed he had the right to Richard LEoanrd’s 50 acre land grant at Bargo. Sydney Gazette, 19 April 1834 " Memorials Nos. 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180,181, 182, 183,184, 185,180. Register No. 1. "THE Commissioners for hearing and determining upon Claims to Grants of Land, within the Colony of New South Wales, under the Act of the Governor and Council 4th Wil. IV. No. 9, do hereby give Notice, that the following Claims have been filed with their  Secretary:- To wit--. " No. 181. By Timothy Beard, victualler, resident at Bringelly, to 50 Acres of Land, promised by Sir Thomas Brisbane to Richard Leonard, described as follows: situate at West Bargo, in the county of Cumberland, and parish unnamed, bounded on the west by the Argyle Road, on the north partly by Donohu's farm, and on all other sides by vacant land." However, Timothy Beard probably dod not get his hands on Richard Leonard’s land because when Leonard died in 1853, and according to documentation with SAGNSW his daughter Sarah, then Mrs Joseph Ratcliffe, inherited 50 acres at Bargo in 1853. 1837 - Richard’s daughter Sarah Leonard married 06 Nov 1837 Church of England, Narellan NSW to Joseph Ratcliffe. She would be aged 17 years. 1853 - DEATH Died 1853 at Bargo - from info held with SAG bio info. NSWBDM - 1853 death of Richard Leonard. Australian Biographical & Genealogical Record - Series 1 - 1788-1841 Daughter Sarah - education Heber Chapel, Cobbitty NSW, r/w; Land: inherited 51 acres on 31 May 1853 at Bargo NSW; MARRIED 06 Nov 1837 Church of England, Narellan NSW to Joseph Ratcliffe (B1800 D1881) son of Thomas Ratcliff of Layham, Suffolk England, & Ann Hynard; CHILDREN: * Elizabeth (1838-1919) (m Whitfield), Jane (1840-1856), died aged 16 Eliza (1842-1931) (m Whitfield), Sarah (1844-1864), died aged 20 19/4/1834 Mary (1847-1905) (m Whitfield), Jessie (1849-1936) (m Blatch), Ann (1852-1901) (m Randall), Caroline (1857-) (m Randall), Brittania (1859-1878), died aged 19 Joseph Richard Leonard RATCLIFFE(1861-1932). Sarah Ratcliffe, daughter of Richard and Jane, died at Colo Vale in 1906.