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FF ANDREW GOODWIN Convict ‘Scarborough’ (c1767-1835)
- this story is under review by Membership Team
On
7 July 1784 Andrew Goodwin and his partner in
crime, William Butler, were found guilty in the
Old Bailey, London, of stealing 200 pounds of lead to
the value of twenty shillings in June 1784. A witness,
Thomas Warton, saw them carrying their load on their
shoulders, thought this activity was suspicious and
reported them to a watchman on duty. After a struggle
the young men were taken into custody.
On
Wednesday 7 July 1784, the two men appeared in the
Justice Hall of the Old Bailey Courthouse, and at their
trial were found guilty and sentenced to 7 years
transportation. They were transferred to the Censor
hulk at Woolwich on 6 September 1784, giving their
age as 19. They were employed labouring on the Thames
docks for the next three years.
On
24 February 1787, Andrew was one of 149 convicts from
the Censor to be placed in a wagon for the
three-day journey to Portsmouth. On 27 February Andrew
boarded the ‘Scarborough’awaiting the departure
of the First Fleet.
After an eight-month voyage, the eleven ships of the
First Fleet were assembled in Sydney Cove on 26 January
1788. At dawn the next day, working parties of male
convicts were taken ashore to start the momentous tasks
of chopping down trees and grubbing out roots, pitching
tents, unloading provisions, building a blacksmith’s
forge and tending the animals.
Lydia Munro
(or Letitia) sailed with the First Fleet on ‘Prince
of Wales’ having been tried for stealing of ten
yards of cotton cloth on 28 October 1786, to the value
of 20 shillings. Her death sentence was reprieved;
instead her destiny was transportation for 14 years on
the ‘Prince of Wales’, another of the fleet’s 11
ships.
Andrew and Lydia were married on 2 March 1790.
Sydney Cove was now in drought, food had become
desperately short, and severe rationing imposed. To
avert disaster Governor Philip dispatched the Sirius
to Norfolk Island with convicts and marines hoping
to relieve pressure on the limited government rations
that remained. The Sirius was then to proceed to
Canton in China to purchase desperately needed food and
supplies for the colony.
Andrew, Lydia and six-month old daughter, Mary, were
among 184 convicts and their children who boarded
Sirius bound for Norfolk Island. Poor weather
conditions forced the unloading of convicts and some
marines at Cascade Bay on the northern side of the
Island. With improved weather conditions the Sirius
returned to the southern shore to complete the unloading
of cargo and provisions. Disaster struck as rising
strong winds and flood tides drove the ship onto the
jagged reefs. There was no loss of life but the
population of the tiny island had suddenly risen to 498
people. The arrival of huge flocks of mutton birds or
‘Birds of Providence’ saved them from near starvation
until more provisions arrived.
Andrew was allocated an acre of land at Sydney Town in
July 1791 where he raised his allotted pig; he later
expanded his holdings to twelve acres at Creswell Bay
(Lot 98) which he cleared to grow grain. Government
records list him as a farmer. In 1794 the family decided
to leave Norfolk Island as Andrew, and others, were
dissatisfied with the Government’s payment for their
crops. Lydia and son John sailed away on the Daedalus
on 6 November 1794. Andrew and their two girls
joined Lydia in Sydney, arriving on the Fancy in
March 1795. Regrettably, they found there was no means
of supporting themselves and they had to rely on
Government rations.
They decided to start again back on Norfolk Island.
Andrew sailed from Sydney on Fancy in July 1795
and arrived just five days later. Lydia and the three
children followed on the Supply arriving on 31
October. He purchased a land grant of prime sixty acres
(Lot 64) on Middlegate and Queen Elizabeth Roads,
Norfolk Island. Andrew’s crops were moderately
successfully as, on 31 December 1798, he received eight
pounds from the Government as payment for maize.
On
26 August 1802 Andrew acquired the lease of Lot 85 (23
acres) and the family moved location. In time the farm
buildings consisted of a house, 20 feet long by 12 feet
wide, which was shingled, boarded and had two floors.
His large barn was boarded and floored and the one
outhouse was boarded and thatched.
A
lengthy note from Major Foveaux dated 26 March 1805
convinced the British Government to evacuate the whole
of the Norfolk Island community to Van Diemen’s Land
(later Tasmania), outlining the details of compensation
to be awarded. The settlers and other inhabitants were
divided into two of three classes:
The
First to consist of discharged Seamen and Marines.
The
Second, which covered the Goodwin family, consisted of
former Convicts who have conducted themselves with
propriety, or who had large families. This group were to
be victualled and clothed, for two years at the Public
Expense, and allowed the labour of two Convicts for the
same period.
The Third consisted of the remaining inhabitants.,
including other settlers and convicts.
The Muster taken of settlers and landholders on 2 August
1807 records Andrew Goodwin as having 23 acres; 3 in
wheat, 9 in maize, nil barley etc. 11 pasture, 15 male
hogs, 15 female. In hand – 280 bushels maize. He was
supporting himself, wife and 7 children ‘off the
stores’, and had one free man in his employ
Andrew was amongst a list of settlers to receive a
General Order on 17 September 1807 stating that he, his
wife and seven children were to be removed to Port
Dalrymple or Hobart Town. On 9 November
1807 the Lady Nelson sailed from Norfolk Island
with the first group of settlers to be relocated at the
Derwent. The Porpoise followed on 26 December
1807 carrying 182 settlers including Andrew, Lydia and
seven children.
Temporary housing was offered in the town until they
selected their blocks. The new settlers received land
both up and down the river from Hobart Town and by April
1809 Andrew had selected his allotment, 23 acres of a 46
acre property at Clarence Plains opposite Hobart Town
which he worked in partnership with another emancipist,
William Hawkins. After they had erected shelters for
themselves and their families with the help of convict
labour and tools supplied by the government they began
to clear and farm their land. The land was later shown
on the map as being owned by James Garth and Andrew
Goodwin after William Hawkins left and later again James
Garth became the farm’s sole owner after Andrew Goodwin
left.
Not much is known of Andrew’s whereabouts thereafter;
he died in early August 1835 and was buried on 4
August in St David’s Burial Ground. He was described as
an ‘old settler’ in the Burials Register of the Parish
of St David in the County of Buckingham, Hobart Town.
Lydia passed away on 29 June 1856 from ‘decay of
nature’. She was buried with Andrew at St David’s Burial
Ground, Hobart Town, subsequently made into a park.
All the surviving headstones have been mounted on a
memorial wall.
The Fellowship of First Fleeters installed a FFF Plaque
forAndrew Goodwin on the Memorial Wall on 29thNovember
1992.
Refer FFF Web Site:http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/graves.html
Under
 FFF
Plaque 88 – Installed 29th November 1992for
FF ANDREW GOODWIN Convict ‘Scarborough’ (c1767-1835)
Written by #8853 Christine Frith
-References:
Frost Family Papers
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/136421/20141022-0039/
www.heavenandhelltogether.com/indexbfe3.html?q=node/26
https://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/convicts/andrew-goodwin-and-lydia-munro/
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1300961h.html
Amendments and corrections courtesy of Carol Brill.
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