POSIBILIDADES DE FUTURO

Shortly after his arrival in the colony Sorell received the first of his own land grants from Macquarie: located at Macquarie Plains, he named it ‘Norton Mandeville’. On 17 July 1817 as well as Andrew Whitehead’s farm being purchased for him, Sorell received a grant of 600 acres. According to Sorell, Macquarie told him that he was entitled to a grant which, according to rank, all the Lieutenant-Governors, Judges

Melville, The History of Van Diemen’s Land,, p.16. 69

West, The History of Tasmania, p.138. 70

Sorell resumed land from Andrew Whitehead, George Guest and Andrew McGill, all were compensated, HRA III, iii p.324 Evans to Bigge, 23 March 1820; pp.571-2 Return of Resumptions and Return of Purchases and Exchanges. According to Evans, several parties had allotments taken away because of not fencing, however, an order dated 23 October 1817 prohibiting the erection of skillings was not obeyed, HRA III, iii p. 327 Evans to Bigge, 26 May 1820.

and civil officers received.71 Also according to Sorell, when questioned in 1820 about lack of improvements on his property, he said he told Commissioner Bigge that the reason he had not made any attempt to improve his land was because he was in charge of the distribution of convict labour, and he did not want to be judged as having taken advantage of his position.72

In a ‘Private’ letter of 20 January 1819, Sorell requested Macquarie send him the ‘Grants of his Land’.73 Of the six grants made in the colony that year, three were made to Sorell on 19 February, and were exempt from the usual restrictive clauses.74 He received 2,200 acres on the River Derwent in the district of York, ninety acres at Sandy Bay in the district of Argyle adjoining Knopwood’s thirty-acre grant, and 710 acres on the Coal River in the district of Ulva, at what was later to become the township of Richmond.75

Just two months later in a ‘private’ despatch Sorell thanked Macquarie for his grants, but then requested an exemption from the clause requiring the land to be held for five years and cultivated in part, previous to any alienation. Sorell said that he realized this exemption was one which was only allowed in one or two particular

HRA III, iv p.890 n164; HRA III, iv p.567 Sorell to Bathurst, 24 August 1824; A. McKay, Journals of the Land Commissioners for Van Diemen’s Land 1820-1828 (Hobart, 1962), p.148.

72

HRA III, iv p.567 Sorell to Bathurst, 24 August 1824. 73

Historical Records of Australia. Series III. Despatches and Papers relating to the settlement of the states. Volume ii. Tasmania July 1812-December 1819. (Sydney, 1921), p.377-8 Sorell to Macquarie, 20 January 1819.

74

For restrictions, see Historical Records of Australia. Series I. Governors’ despatches to and from England. Volume vii. 1803-June 1804 (Sydney, 1916), Enclosure No. 5 p.626 in Macquarie to Liverpool, 17 November 1818 pp.580-648.

75

HRA III, iii p.578 Memorial to H.M. the King, pp.580-1 Memorial to H.M. the King; HRA III, ii p.785 n150; Morgan, Land Settlement, p.16; McKay, Journals of the Land Commissioners, p.4.

cases, and he asked that it be extended to him as a special indulgence. Macquarie did not answer this request in either of his next two despatches, despite answering other matters which Sorell raised. According to a note in Historical Records of Australia, both despatches originally had enclosures; however, copies of these are not available so it is not known whether or not Macquarie replied to Sorell’s request.76

By deeds dated 22 June 1821 Macquarie gave Sorell two more grants, 2,200 acres in the Macquarie district and 1,000 acres on the Coal River adjoining his former grant of 710 acres.77 Sorell explained to Lord Bathurst that he ‘did not ever ask’ for the extra two grants.’78 When Macquarie was in the colony in 1821, as well as finding ‘Immigration flowing in’, he also realized that with the ‘altered Duties and enlarged claims attaching’ to Sorell’s position as Lieutenant-Governor, it was impossible for Sorell to meet the additional demands from his salary.79 In October Sorell received another two grants, each of 500 acres. One was on the Macquarie River in the district of Bathurst, and the other on the Western River.80 In January 1824 ninety acres of land situated between the Barracks and Sandy Bay Creek and fronting the River Derwent were advertised for sale in the local newspaper. According to a reference in the Archives Office of Tasmania, this was Sorell’s grant which was adjacent to the grant belonging to the Reverend Knopwood.81 On 26 February 1824

HRA III, ii pp.391, 393-8 Sorell to Macquarie, 6 April 1819. 77

HRA III, ii p.785 n150. 78

HRA III, iv p.567 Sorell to Bathurst, 24 August 1824. 79

HRA III, iv p.567 Sorell to Bathurst, 24 August 1824. 80

HRA III, ii p.785 n150. 81

Sorell received 900 acres in the Breadalbane Parish and the following month another 1,005 acres, this time in the Hamilton Parish.82

Sorell’s ‘Norton Mandeville’ property was mentioned in correspondence over the years. One such time was on 26 February 1824 when he requested the use of 900 acres of crown land adjoining his grant until such time as he left the colony.83 In January 1827 Under-Secretary Hay wrote from Downing Street to Lieutenant- Governor Arthur about the same land. According to Hay, Sorell requested that Bathurst grant him the 900 acres in question, upon the conditions in force at the time. Hay enclosed a letter he had received from Sorell, in which Sorell claimed that the land was held as a reserve preliminary to his present request. He continued, that upon notification of Arthur’s appointment, Bathurst was pleased to signify he had given orders for Sorell’s wish to be attended to with respect to a further grant, in addition to what Macquarie had granted. Sorell explained that at that time he did not avail himself of the proposed favour (which he reminded Bathurst he had also

mentioned in his despatch forwarded from Rio de Janeiro on 23 August 1824). Also according to Sorell, as the alienation of the land, though in itself ‘of no peculiar value (but on the contrary ineligible as a detached location, from it being so much surrounded)’,84 would be very injurious to his grant; and therefore begged that Bathurst would authorize him to receive the 900 acres.85

Trespassers were causing problems on ‘Norton Mandeville’, which resulted in warnings about trespassing by cattle, sheep ‘or otherwise’, and in both June 1824 and July 1826, notices were published in the press cautioning against the practice.86 The following August, John Beamont, who was naval officer from 1818 to 1820 when he was appointed Provost Marshall,87 tendered 11s 3d per acre for the land described in a proclamation issued by Arthur for 105 acres of land bounded on both the east and west sides by the ‘Norton Mandeville’ grant of William Sorell Esquire, and on the north by a grant to his son, William Sorell junior. Interestingly, the tender document, addressed to Colonial-Secretary Burnett was signed by ‘John Beamont, Agent for Colonel William Sorell’.88 According to Arthur in October 1824, Sorell left the management of his property in the colony to Edward Foord Bromley.89 Dr. Bromley had succeeded Beamont as Naval Officer at Hobart Town during Sorell’s administration,90 but was suspended as Naval Officer and Treasurer by Arthur in November 1824, because of a deficiency of £7,096 in the department. Bromley’s clerk may have had the major role in the defalcation, however Bromley was held responsible.91 According to Edward Abbott junior, when Sorell left the

AOT GO 2/3 pp.14-15, 25 or 27 January 1827. 86

Hobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter 11 June 1824 p.1, col. 4 signed by Thos. Wells; HTG

29 July 1826, p.3, col. 3 signed by Andrew Dounie (sic). 87

HRA III, vii pp.767-8 n 304 for details on Beamont. 88

LSD 1/76 pp.418-422, 22 August 1828. 89

HRA III, iv p.206 Arthur to Bathurst, 27 October 1824, also p.152 Arthur to Bathurst, 9 June 1824. 90

D. Pike (General editor), Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 1 1788-1850 A-H (Carlton, 1966), pp.155-6.

91

P. Chapman (editor), The Diaries and Letters of G.T.W.B. Boyes: Volume 1 1820-1832.

colony Abbott bought all his cattle at £10 per head and ‘other stock at an equal high rate’.92