Simeon Lord
Simeon Lord | |
|---|---|
 Simeon Lord | |
| Born | c. 28 January 1771 |
| Died | 29 January 1840 (aged 69) |
| Burial place | Devonshire Street Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, auctioneer, publican & magistrate |
| Spouse | Mary Hyde(1779–1864) |
| Children | 1 adopted child, 2 step-children, 8 children with Mary Hyde (includingGeorge Lord) |
Simeon Lord(c. 28 January 1771– 29 January 1840)[1]was a pioneer merchant and amagistrateinAustralia.He became a prominent trader in Sydney, buying and selling ship cargoes. Despite being anemancipistLord was made a magistrate by GovernorLachlan Macquarie,and he became a frequent guest at government house. His business dealings were extensive. He became one ofSydney's wealthiest men. He was at various times a retailer, auctioneer, sealer, pastoralist, timber merchant and manufacturer. He is mentioned in many Australian History books, in particular regarding his status as an emancipist.
Background
[edit]Lord, the fourth child of ten children of Simeon Lord and Ann Fielden ofDobroyd(nearTodmorden),Yorkshire,England,was born about 28 January 1771. On 22 April 1790, as a 19-year-old, he was convicted to 7 yearstransportationat theManchesterQuarter Sessions in Lancashire for the theft of 21 pieces of cloth, 100 yards (91 m) of calico and 100 yards (91 m) of muslin.[1]Lord was thentransportedtoNew South Walesas part of theThird Fleeton board theAtlantic.He arrived inSydneyon 20 August 1791,[2] and theconvictlad was assigned toCaptain Thomas Rowleyof theNew South Wales Corps.
Businessman
[edit]Lord developed many business interests in the colony, and became one of Sydney's wealthiest men. Lord's first known business venture was to run a drinking house, and he purchased a license for it in 1798 for £5, after his sentence had expired. The drinking house was documented as being called "The Swan", but when he renewed the license, for a further £5 in 1799, the name was documented as beingThe Black Swan.Simeon also signed as surety onJames Squire's establishment calledThe Malting Shovelin 1799.[3]In 1801 it was reported that "Simeon Lord sells rum at 32/- a gallon"... "these are Governor Kings regulations for the benefit of the Colony while American ships who would be glad to sell their liquor at 5/-, 6/- or 7/- per G. are turned away!".[4]With help from the government like this, it is no wonder that Lord prospered.
In a few years Lord had established a general merchandise and agency business, and in 1800 with a partner purchased abrigtheAnna Josephawhile partnered with shipwrightJames Underwood.[5]He also became an auctioneer and prospered, a return made in 1804 said that the "estimated value of commercial articles imported from abroad in the hands of Simeon Lord and other dealers was £15,000". Though his position was not comparable with that ofRobert Campbell,it is clear that already he was one of the leading merchants of Sydney. His business was on the site of the corner of Bridge Street and Macquarie Place. In 1807Governor William Blighspoke adversely about his business dealings with the masters of ships, andJudge Fieldseveral years later spoke in a similar way. Aspersions of this kind against members of theemancipistclass at this period must, however, be accepted with caution. No doubt Lord was a keen business man well able to look after his own interests, but he also had enterprise and courage, valuable qualities in the developing colony.
About 1805 Lord began a relationship withMary Hyde(1779–1864), a convict who had arrived in Australia in 1798. Mary already had two children from a previous relationship a business associate of Lord's, the deceasedprivateer(state-sanctioned pirate) and ship's officerCaptain John Black,and Lord became their stepfather. He and Mary went on to have 8 children of their own over the next 15 years.
Also in 1805 Lord went into partnership withHenry KableandJames Underwood,but their association ended in legal disputes in the courts of New South Wales, as did many of Lord's ventures. Lord was immensely litigious, and his affairs also took up a large percentage of the early appeals from the Colony of New South Wales to thePrivy Councilin England. The records of the Privy Council indicate that his opponents may have had good grounds for arguing that he used the Privy Council as a means of warding off his creditors rather than in a genuine attempt to test the legality of judgments against him.[6][7]In his partnership with Kable and Underwood he was active in developing the sealing boom at theAntipodes Islandsto the south and east of New Zealand's South Island in 1805 to 1807.[8]
Before Lord had begun his relationship withMary Hyde,he had adopted the orphan Joanna Short (1792–1841). Joanna was the orphan of convicts Elizabeth Drury (died 1793) and Joseph Short (died 1795). In 1806 Simeon's adopted daughter, who was no more than 14, married Francis Williams, a business partner of Lord's, and the couple travelled together to London on business for Lord in 1807. On the ship with Joanna he sent Mary Hyde's 6-year-old daughter Mary Ann Black into the care of her grandfather Reverend John Black in England.[9]
Lord was engaged in trade withNew Zealand,and in 1809 had the misfortune to lose a valuable cargo of sealskins in the events surrounding theBoyd massacre.He had chartered the 'Boyd' and sent it to New Zealand to complete its cargo with a consignment of spars. The captain flogged aMāorichief for alleged misbehaviour, and in consequence the vessel was raided and looted, nearly everyone on board being killed. In spite of this disaster Lord joined in an attempt to obtain a monopoly to establish a flax plantation in New Zealand, and manufacture canvas and cordage from it in Sydney. The monopoly was, however, not granted and Lord turned his hands to other things. He employed a man to experiment in dyes and tanning, and was the first to weave with Australian wool. He succeeded in weavings coarse cloths, blankets and stockings and also made hats.
Long before this, in May 1810, Lord was made a magistrate and he became a frequent guest at government house. GovernorLachlan Macquariein his dispatch toViscount Castlereaghstating his intention to make Lord a magistrate described him as "an opulent merchant". He was, however, a man of little education, and whenJohn Biggewas making his investigations in 1819–20, the alleged unsuitability of Lord for his position was used as a stick to beat Macquarie. Lord soon afterwards resigned and appears to have been less prosperous in his business for a period.
On 27 October 1814, atSt Philip's Church, SydneyLord married his partner of many years,Mary Hyde.The marriage was held when their fifth child was only one week old.[10]A witness to the wedding wasWilliam Wentworth,the son of the family friendD'Arcy Wentworth.
In the 1820s Lord concentrated on pastoral and manufacturing interests. He also succeeded in compounding a claim for land resumed for public purposes in Sydney, by accepting in 1828 a large grant of land in the country. He did not come into public notice after this.
Lord became a large landholder during his lifetime, of both land he purchased himself, and of land grants. Lord's extensive land holdings included land atPetersham,Botany BayandTasmania.
Lord died "an immensely wealthy man" at the age of 69 on 29 January 1840 in the family home of "Banks House" atBotany.[11][12]
Legacy
[edit]Lord's sons also became well known in public life. One of them,George(1818–1880), a pastoralist, was elected to the firstNew South Wales Legislative Assemblyin 1856, and transferred to the legislative council in 1877. George was colonial treasurer in the thirdMartinministry from December 1870 to May 1872.[13]His eldest son Simeon Jnr. (1810–1892) was apastoralistinTasmaniaandQueensland.Another son,Francis(1812–1897), was a member of parliament for many years,[14]and a third son, Edward (1814–1884), became city treasurer at Sydney and mayor ofSt Leonards.His stepsonJohn Henry Black(1799–1867) later became the first manager of theBank of New South Wales.One of his sons-in-law was another successful merchant in Sydney,Prosper de Mestre(1789–1844) who married his stepdaughterMary Ann Black(1801–1861).
References
[edit]- ^abHainsworth, D R (1967)."Lord, Simeon (1771 - 1840)]".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved18 April2019.
- ^"Convict ships arrival dates".Members.iinet.net.au.Retrieved22 August2013.
- ^State Records of New South Wales. Dated 19 September 1798 and 14 September 1799
- ^Historical Records of Australiapage 90
- ^Hainsworth, D. R. (1967)."Underwood, James (1771–1844)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.II.
- ^Characters. Division of Law Macquarie University NSW
- ^+20… remembering the forgotten By E.V. (Tim) CramptonArchived28 August 2008 at theWayback Machine
- ^Rowley Taylor, "Straight through from London: the Antipodes and Bounty Islands, New Zealand", Heritage Expeditions New Zealand Limited, Christchurch, 2006, pp.58-63.
- ^Entwisle, Peter (2005).Taka.Port Daniel Press.ISBN9780473100988.Retrieved22 August2013.
- ^An unverifiable story handed down in the Lord family is that Mary and Simeon only married in 1814 as their newly born child was to be baptised in the new font gifted by Simeon Lord (and Mary) to the Church. However, the Clergyman suggested that they could not have the child baptised unless they were married, a service which was performed, it is said with no fanfare and a degree of secrecy.Convict Trades
- ^ "Died".The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser.30 January 1840. p. 3.
- ^"LOCAL".Australasian Chronicle.Vol. II, no. 53. New South Wales, Australia. 31 January 1840. p. 2 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^"Mr George William Lord (1818-1880)".Former members of theParliament of New South Wales.Retrieved18 April2019.
- ^"Mr Francis Lord (1812-1897)".Former members of theParliament of New South Wales.Retrieved18 April2019.
External links
[edit]- Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877,State Library of Queensland- includes digitised letters written by Lord to theColonial Secretary of New South Wales.
