Frederick Meyers

221

D Wong on 25th October 2020

From: http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/c31a31290239 Information originally submitted by JohnMeyers66 http://foundersandsurvivors.org/node/114 (plus the additional word document sent by John meyers). FREDERICK AND JUDITH MEYERS Frederick Meyers, son of Herman Meyer, was born on 5 June 1785 in Bremen Germany. It has to be assumed at this point that this same Frederick Meyers emigrated to the UK. In April 1818 Frederick was arrested with four others on a charge of stealing 200lbs of lead valued at 20 Shillings from a dwelling house in Mortimer Terrace, Kentish Town, London. He appeared in court at Middlesex Gaol Delivery on 6 May 1818 and was duly convicted of larceny and transported to Van Diemens Land for seven years. In the ‘remarks’ column of the Criminal Register there is a notation as follows: ‘In Newgate (Prison) before’. Frederick (convict No. 49266) arrived in Hobart from Portsmouth on the Caledonia (1) on 17 November 1820. The muster roll for the Caledonia on its arrival in Van Diemens Land described Frederick as a sugar refiner, 36 years of age, 5’8½” tall with grey eyes and brown hair. He appeared in the General Muster of 1821 as residing at Pitt Water in receipt of “Government Stores” in the employ of J. L. Roberts at Hobart Town. In the muster of convicts for 1822-3 he is shown as married with three children (unnamed) and still employed by Roberts. Judith, his wife, was born in 1788 in London, England. They were married in England in 1811 or 1812 and together they appear to have had three children. On 23 March 1820, Judith Meyers was convicted of larceny at the Surrey “Lent” Assizes and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales for seven years. {It is interesting to note that one Jane Wilson was convicted in the same court on the same day – The same Jane Wilson was later bracketed with Judith on the Muster list for the ‘Morley’ on their arrival in Sydney. Was she a relative?} Judith arrived in Sydney as a convict with three children on the “Morley (3)” on 12 September 1820. The children were listed as follows; 1 boy aged 8, one boy aged 6 and 1 girl aged 3. The records of the Church of the Latter Day Saints list the children as follows: Frederick b.1812, Charles b.1814 and an unnamed female b.1817. Upon arrival, she and the children were dispatched with 28 other women to the infamous Female Factory at Parramatta. At the time that she arrived, the Female Factory consisted of one long room on the second floor above the Parramatta Gaol, which had a fireplace at one end for the women to cook on. Their work at the Factory usually involved rope making and scanning and carding wool. This building was replaced by Governor Macquarie during Judith’s time there by a three storey barracks factory which was first occupied by the inmates on 12 February 1821. The first floor was set up for cooking and meals while the second and third floors were taken up with sleeping quarters. It is unsure whether or not Judith’s three children resided with her at the Factory or were admitted to local orphanages. Mothers were usually allowed to keep children under the age of four, after which time they were sent to orphanages with little further contact with their mother until her release from the Factory. There was no doubt that Frederick Meyers was anxious to have his wife and children join him in Hobart. In a letter from the Colonial Secretary to Henry Grattan Douglass, in relation to charges for postage of letters from Sydney to Parramatta, unfairly inflicted upon female convicts with no means, Judith Meyers is mentioned as having received nine letters in the previous six months from her husband at the ‘Derwent’. Letters were sent in June and July 1821 to the Colonial Secretary’s Office from Lt. Governor William Sorrell in Van Diemens Land on her husband’s behalf requesting her release and allowing her to join him there. On 18 August, she was informed by the Colonial Secretary, Frederick Goulburn, that she was to be discharged from the Female Factory and was permitted to join her husband in Van Diemens Land at the first opportunity. On 25 August 1821 she and the children boarded the brig Campbell Macquarie bound for Hobart. In the 1821 Muster of Convicts, taken just after Judith’s arrival in Van Diemens Land, she is listed as living at Pitt Water, but there is no mention of her children. In the subsequent musters of 1822 and 1823 she is noted as ‘wife of Frederick Myers’ and living at Pitt Water. Judith was drowned on 18 June 1825 at Pitt Water according to the newspaper account of the accident and was buried 5 days later in the parish of Sorell according to Church of England custom. She was described in the account as leaving a ‘most affectionate husband’ and a ‘large family’ to lament her passing. There is some dispute about which children travelled with Judith on the Morley in 1820. The 1827 Van Diemens Land Census Papers for Children lists three motherless boys living in separate households apart from their father, Frederick. These three are as follows; FREDERICK MYERS (Jnr) – Born c1811 in London. At 16 he was living in Murray Street Hobart with Ticket of Leave holder William Figg a tailor by trade who arrived on the Commodore Hayes in 1823. Frederick also listed as a tailor. He died of consumption on 2 January 1844 at Port Arthur. 3 BENJAMIN MYERS – (Also known as James) Born c1813 in London. At 14 he was living with Ticket of Leave holder, Benjamin ‘Hines’, a bootmaker by trade who arrived on the Lord Melville in 1818. Benjamin eventually worked as a bootmaker, having a long relationship with Benjamin Hines, later becoming his brother in law. THOMAS MEYERS – Born c1815 in London. At age 12 he was living in Elizabeth Street………..and was indented to a Mr Lightfoot. He died 8 October 1849 in Tasmania. The Census papers mentioned above do not include any female Meyers/Myers children. The three year old girl listed with Judith on her arrival in New South Wales on the Morley in September 1820 was probably born about 1817 and would have been 10 by 1827. Frederick (Snr) initially applied for an allotment of land at Sorell in 1822 while still listed as a prisoner. In November 1831, he made a further application for land at New Norfolk, stating that he intended to build a brick or stone house of 35 feet with a substantial fence and that he did not own any other allotments. In his application he referred to the house he had built at Sorell (Pitt Water) as having been sold. This appears to confirm that his original application for land at Sorell had been successful. The New Norfolk land consisting of 3 Roods and 1 Perch allotted to him on 9 December 1831 was sold to William Barton for ?15 on 25 July 1832. On 28 April 1833 Frederick and an unnamed son left Hobart Town on the barque “Adventurer” bound for Sydney. According to the Sydney Morning Herald of 26 April 1833 the passengers were named as Frederick and Henry Myers both tailors from Hobart Town. The name Henry may have been a clerical error as Frederick (Jnr) was a tailor by trade. On 7 October 1833 Frederick married again, this time to Rebecca Wylde. The service was held at the Scots Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth Street, Sydney. This union produced five children. Their first child, Richard Joseph Meyers was born in July 1834 and baptised in the Church of England Parish of Maitland during September the same year. The couple appear to have returned to Launceston sometime after Richard’s birth. We know this because three of their children were born in Launceston namely William b.1836, Benjamin Henry b.1837 and Alfred George b.1839. Frederick was also noted as a licencee of two hotels in Launceston, The Crown in 1837 and the Queen’s Head in 1839. Sometime later the family moved to Hobart where a daughter, Henrietta was born in 1842. A further son, Charles may have been born on the return of the family to Sydney in the late 1840s. Frederick died in Sydney 1 August 1851 and was buried two days later at the Presbyterian Church, possibly the Scots Church where he was married.

110

Ron Garbutt on 21st March 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 21 March 2020), May 1818, trial of FREDERICK MEYERS CHRISTOPHER FERNANDI, alias CLARKE THOMAS WHITE JOHN WHITE SARAH WHITE (t18180506-84). FREDERICK MEYERS, CHRISTOPHER FERNANDI, THOMAS WHITE, JOHN WHITE, SARAH WHITE, Theft > theft from a specified place, 6th May 1818. 822. FREDERICK MEYERS , CHRISTOPHER FERNANDI, alias CLARKE , THOMAS WHITE , JOHN WHITE , and SARAH WHITE were indicted for stealing, on the 2d of April , 200lbs. of lead, value 20s., belonging to William West , Richard Laycock , William White , and Andrew Mensal , and fixed to a building of their's . THOMAS BINNING . I am servant to William Segnier , who is a baker, and lives in Green-street, Kentish-town. On the 2d of April, between ten and eleven o'clock at night, I heard that some persons were stealing lead off the premises, No. 7, Mortimer-terrace, Kentish-town - I went there, remained at the door, and saw some persons doing something at the top of the house; I waited there a few minutes, and Thomas White came out of the door- I collared him. He asked me why I collared him? and said he had been at work for Meyers, but knew nothing of him, and asked me to let him go- I took him to the watch-house. The door was shut the moment he came out. Cross-examined by MR. ARABIN. Meyers lived in the house. WILLIAM SHIPTON . I am a carman, and live in Pleasant-row, Mortimer-terrace. I was coming from my stable at half-past nine o'clock at night, and heard a noise on the top of some uninhabited houses in Mortimer-terrace. I got over a garden opposite the houses, waited there sometime, and saw some men go along the roofs of the uninhabited houses to the roof of No. 7, with something under their arms. I went to Segnier and told him. ROBERT VIZER . I am a timber-merchant, and live at No. 8, Mortimer-terrace. I came home about nine o'clock, Mr. Mensal gave me information - I staid there listening, and thought I heard something rattling. On coming out of my door, I saw somebody open the door of No. 7, and peep out. I then went and supped with Mr. Mensal. While we were at supper Segnier fetched us- we all went to the back of the terrace. We got some pistols, went on the top of No. 10, and got on the roofs of the houses. I found a large hole in the roof of No. 7. We returned, and went to the front of the house, and found the constable demanding admission, which was refused by persons within. I went to the back of my house to prevent their escaping behind. I heard them climbing over the palings to make their escape. I ran through my own house, gave information, and returned to the back again. One of them came running back and climbed over the paling into the garden of No. 7. I told him to stand, or I would blow his brains out- he ran into the house. I got over, tried the back-door, and called out that I would fire if they came out. Segnier and the constable came to my assistance. We broke the back-door open and got in. Meyers ran from the back-door into the front parlour; I followed, pushed the door open, and told him I would fire if he resisted- we secured him. I found John and Sarah White in the back parlour. Sarah White called out, "For God's sake, what is the matter? here are only me and my brother." We secured them, opened the back-door, and let the witnesses in. I went down to the kitchen, and found the copper and range, which had been fixed, was removed. When we got to the upper floor we found a ladder under the trap-door, which communicated with the roof, and a great deal of dirt on the floor, as if something had been taken off the roof. I found a quantity of lead rolled up, and put in the fire-place of the front room- it was fresh cut; there were two or three hundred weight. We took the prisoners to the watch-house - We found Fernandi and Thomas White there. JOHN HENSON . I am a constable. I was sent for about a quarter after eleven o'clock, and took charge of the prisoners. I took the lead to the office, and afterwards fitted it to the houses Nos. 5 and 6, Mortimer-terrace, and found it fitted the gutters. - there was about 21/2 owt. Nos. 5 and 6 were empty houses. WILLIAM SEGNIER . I am a baker, and live in Green-street. On the 2d of April, after nine o'clock at night, I was informed that some persons were stealing lead, I went through No. 10, got on the roof, and saw a person on the roof of No. 7, handing something down to the upper room. We came down, went to the door, and demanded admittance. Sarah White said that Meyers was not at home- that no person was at home but her, and she would not open the door. I went through Vizer's house, next door, to the back, which is close to the back-door of No. 7, and heard a scuffling over the palings which parted the gardens of the empty houses from No. 7. I went round to the back of the empty houses to No. 7, and heard somebody running before me. Vizer and I broke open thedoor; we found John and Sarah White in the passage- I found Meyers in the front parlour behind the door. I told him he appeared a very different character than when he came to my house two days before; he was then like a gentleman, but now he was like a plumber's labourer. He was dressed as a labouring man, and appeared to have been working very hard; his hands were very black, as if he had been getting lead off the roof. I found nineteen pieces of lead folded up in the fire-place of the upper room- it appeared to have been recently cut. There was a hole in the roof; the tiling had been taken off and the lafhs broken-the trap-door only goes into the cock-loft. I took Meyers to the watch-house - I found a false frill on him. He came to my house two days before, and said he had taken the house, No. 7, Mortimer-terrace, and a stable in Glocester-place, and wanted hay, straw, and corn. John White afterwards came with an order from him for hay and corn, and represented himself as his groom. Cross-examined. The girl would not let us in. I heard her voice. The people called to her from the top of the house to refuse admission. RICHARD JONES . I am a watchman. I went to the back of No. 7, about a quarter before ten o'clock. Fernandi came over a fence seven feet high, making his escape from No. 7- I laid hold of him. He said, "What is the matter? I have done no harm, let me go;" I refused until I knew what was the matter. WILLIAM BROWN. I am constable of the night. I was fetched to the premises, saw Thomas White come out, and stopped him. He said he was Meyers's hostler. ANDREW MENSAL . The houses No. 5 and 6 are vested in the hands of William West , Richard Laycock , William White , and myself, as trustee s. (Property produced and sworn to.) MEYERS' Defence. The lead, ladder, and dirt were in the house when I took it. FERNANDI'S Defence. I went to take Meyers some clothes. I heard an alarm, and jumped over the palings. THOMAS WHITE 'S Defence. My son and daughter went to clean the house down for Meyers. I went to fetch them-as I came out I was taken. JOHN WHITE'S Defence. We were going home with our father. CORNELIUS HILL . I am a labourer. Meyers sent for me to white-wash a room. I saw the lead in the fire-place there. It was about the 26th of March. COURT. Q. Was it in the upper room- A. I do not know whether it was in the upper room- it was the two pair of stairs back room. It was in the Easter holidays. I did not do the room. I live at Shadwell. It was to come to 4s. 6d. - he said he would consider of it. He lived at Limehouse. MR. SEGNIER. The prisoner, Meyers, first went into the house on the 31st of March-it was a new house. MEYERS - GUILTY . Aged 33. T. WHITE - GUILTY . Aged 45. Transported for Seven Years . (See Nos. 745 & 756.) FERNANDI - GUILTY . Aged 37. JOHN WHITE - NOT GUILTY . SARAH WHITE - NOT GUILTY . Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Common Sergeant. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t18180506-84

7

John Meyers on 5th May 2014

Frederick was a sugar worker who was born in Bremen Germany. he was given a ticket of leave on May 13th 1825