FF 2^nd Lieutenant JOHN LONG  - Marine ‘Scarborough’

And FF MARY HARRISON - Convict ‘Lady Penrhyn’ - 'Prince of Wales'

- this story is under review by Membership Team

John Longhad been commissioned 2nd Lieutenant of Royal Marines 55^th (Portsmouth) Company on 27^th September 1779 and had done sea service and on HMS Surprize.

He came to NSW at a 2nd Lieutenant and Adjutant for the Port Jackson garrison and made the first part of the voyage in 1787 on HMS Sirius but transferred on 26^th November to ‘Scarborough’ with the party going ahead hoping to make an advanced survey of the site. In January 1788 he explored Botany Bay with Governor Phillip, Lieutenant King, Major Ross, Lieutenant Dawes and Lieutenant H.L. Ball.

At Port Jackson on 15^th February 1788 Long was put under arrest by Captain Campbell ‘in consequence of some words, which passed betwixt them’, only one of many instances of prickly relations between the Marine officers in the colony.

He was ordered by Major Ross on 18^th March to write to the five officers who had refused to reconsider a court martial verdict regarding Joseph Hunt Marine ‘Charlotte’ and to suspend them, placing them under arrest

His responsibilities, including correspondence, as required by Major Ross, were announcing orders, sitting at court trials, and a variety of administrative duties.

In common with several of the marine officers, Long had his own quarrel, almost leading to a duel, with Surgeon White, until White was convinced by others that he was in the wrong.

On 7^th December he was with a group searching for Captain Campbell at Rouse Hill, after he went missing overnight in the bush, and in August 1789 he was with the party going by sea to explore and survey Broken Bay

He was appointed town adjutant on 11^th July 1790

In 1790 he was cohabiting  Mary Harrison Convict ‘Lady Penrhyn’ and a daughter Johanna was born on 29^th October 1790 and baptised the following year on 3^rd November1791

Mary Harrison, convicted in Lincoln on 6^th March 1784 of theft of bills of exchange from the Gainsborough post office which she attempted to cash at Epworth, and sentenced to seven years transportation. Her age was given as 26 y/o

She remained in Lincoln gaol until ordered to Portsmouth for the ‘Prince of Wales’ on 16^th March 1787. At Rio on 31^st August she was one of the unnamed women transferred to ‘Lady Penrhyn’- her name appears in the list for that ship made by Surgeon Bowes.

She cohabited with Samuel Moore a seaman from the ‘Prince of Wales’, at Port Jackson , having a daughter baptised Gracy Moore born 15^thMarch 1789

Samuel Moore became master of the vessel on 9^th October 1788 when her captain John Mason died just before going to Rio on its return journey to England

John, Mary and the two girls Gracy and Johanna left the colony on Gorgon in December 1791 for England.

John was promoted to Captain 25^th Company on 1^st May 1798 and then on 6^th November 1823, John is noted as having sold his commission.

There are no further records of John Long or his family from that date of 1823, in England.

Complied by John Boyd 2020

Sources:

-The Founders of Australia by Mollie Gillen p223 & 224, 163,249 &250