The Life of John Martin in New South Wales: Convict First Fleet 1788

John Martin, an African: Tried and convicted at the Old Bailey on 3rd July 1782, for the theft of clothing value 39 shillings, he was sentenced to seven years transportation to the Coast of West Africa. On 1st November 1782 John and a small number of other convicts were to embark on the slave ship "Den Keyser" bound for Africa carrying trade goods in the first leg of the triangular trade. He was returned sick with Typhoid fever to Newgate Prison (newly rebuilt, having been burnt down in the 1780 Gordon riots) where he remained until sent to the "Ceres" hulk in 1785. Later he was slated to join another ill planned expedition to "the Coast of Africa", but the whole notion was quashed twice in the British Parliament by members such as Edmond Burke on human rights grounds. His transportation destination was was later changed to New South Wales rather than the coast of Africa. This required considerable legal handiwork.

Transcript of the Old Bailey Trial of John Martin on the 3rd of July 1782

John Martin was mustered aboard the convict transport the Alexander. The First Fleet left England on 13th May 1787.

John Martin was the only convict with that name on the First Fleet. However there were other Martins. Some sources claim that JM was originally an Atlantic Seaman. There is no record of reference anywhere found so far to support this claim. A possible source of the error is that John's entry in Gillins book "The Founders of Australia" has been confused with the nearby entry for Charles Martin, who was a seaman on the FF ship the Borradale. Average age of the FF convicts men and women, was 27 years old. John Martin was 34. He would have been born around 1756. The Convict Transport Alexander sailed with 195 male convicts on board. Thirty one died during the voyage. From wiki on the Alexander: Mutiny after leaving Capetown. Sinclair was the Captain of the Alexander, on the 17th of October 1787 he was able to thwart a clumsy attempt at a mutany after a convict betrayed the rebels. A band of five convicts and a number of able seamen had planned to take command of the ship and sail it too a non British Port. The rest of the convicts and crew were locked down untill the conspirators were identified. The mutineers were flogged and later transfered to the Prince of Wales. During the latter part of the voyage after the attempted insurection, Phillip had each convict interviewed to determine their skills and experience.
Arrival in Botany Bay
After passing Tasmania, on 16 January Arthur Phillip transferred from the Flagship Sirius to the tender Supply, and in company of the three fastest transports under John Shortland in Alexander, sailed ahead as the advance party. These were the first ships to reach Botany Bay on 18 & 19 January 1788. After the decision was made to move the site of the colony, Alexander arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, on 26 January 1788 to unload her convicts.

There is no offical mention of John in the Sydney Cove records until: On the 30th August 1788 , John Martin Received twenty five lashes for lighting a fire in the hut he shared with William Davis and John Parker. The other two men were also punished

On the 3rd of July 1789, roughly 18 monthes after his arrival at Sydney Cove, John had completed his sentence and should have been declaired a free man with all his rights reinstated. Unfortunately the documentation recording the length of individual convict's sentences hadn't been sent with them. The records weren't recieved untill the third Fleet's arrival on the 9th of July 1791. Besides John, six other convicts were in the same position. One of them complained to the Governor (Aurthur Phillip) about the injustice inherit in the situation. This led to an unfortunate confrontation between John Cullyhorn (aka Callaghan) and the senior officer of Marines, a Major Robert Ross. Cullyhorn was charged with insolence, convicted, and sentenced to 600 lashes and six months on a chain gang. John Martin was forced to give evidence against him, but suffered no additional punishment. He did however have to maintain his status as a Convict till further notice. later the matter was discussed by the British Parliment.

On the 26th of August 1792, John Martin married Ann Hoy (or Toy). The ceremony took place after Bans had been read on each of the preceeding Sundays, and the marriage was recorded in the register of St Johns Anglican Church Parramatta. Ann had arrived on the convict transport the Neptune in 1792. This was the most notorious of all the convict ships. Her fellow convicts include Mary Butler, John Randall's second wife, and a number of other women who will feature later in the story.

On the 29th of November 1792, John and Ann were granted 50 Acres of land in the area now known as North Parramatta, but known then as the Northern Boundary farms. This was also the date of the adjacent Randall/Butler grant. The modern Pennant Hills Road now passes through both sites and the area North of it is now occupied by the North Parramatta campus of The King's School. The grant (known as Number 93) by Governor Phillip was based on the rule of 30 Acres for a well behaved sentence expired convict, and an additional 20 Acres for a wife. Rent was to be one Shilling per year after ten years.

The Colonial records show the both John and his wife Ann nee Hoy or Toy, were off stores by 24th October 1795, indicating some prosperity.

John Martin is not mentioned again in the records untill the 2nd of March 1798. Governor Hunter had appointed the Reverand Samuel Marsden and Surgeon Thomas Arndell to prepare a report into rising numbers of bankrupcies and other economic failures amongst the settlers and farmers in the areas surrounding Parramatta.



Source: Table from the Marsden/Arndell report to Governor Hunter March 1798

The Reporters found that less than 29% of the original Parramatta district land grant farms gifted to time expired convicts in 1792 by Governor Phillip were still worked by the original owners. The trend was particurly obvious in the Northern Boundary farms, where John Martin was named as being not only the last of the originals but a sober and industrious worker. Interestly the table suggests that John Randall's farm adjoining Martin's was not worked by him. Two years later the former was involved in a number of incidents centered at his farm, so it suggests that he still lived there. This will be further explored in the page discussing the life of John Randall.
Arndell and Marsden were particuraly worried about the state of settler agriculture amongst the 1792 grantees because they had originally been chosen as being of good character. Their detracters particurly from the NSW Corps Officer class, claimed that the difficulties were due to the settlers being idle, worthless characters, and the cause of their own misfortunes. However the investigaters felt that many were sober and industrous men and women who didn't meet that discription.

By mid 1800 the Martins had: 3-Acres of Wheat
6-Acres ready for Maize
1-Hog
John was off stores but Ann was on. No Children.

By 1802 the Martins had:
Still owned 50 Acres, ten years having passed since the land grant was approved. 26-Acres Cleared
9-Acres in Wheat
6-ready for Maize
Both off Stores. No Children.


In 1804, it seems that John Martin was a trained member of the Parramatta Loyal Society (PLS). this was a para military self defence group set up by the Colonial Government to protect against possible Convict (mostly Irish) rebellions. A similar group was set up in Sydney town. It was called out on the night of the 4th, and continued on the 5th, and 6th of March to defend Parramatta from the convict rebellion at nearby Castle Hill. Unfortunately the surviving incomplete records don't show Martin's name. However he is listed in another contempory record as having been issued a gun and a sword the same as listed members. Research continues. It has also been suggested by researchers that as a favorite of Samuel Marsden, he had been a Night Watchman, Church attendance warden, and community Peace Keeper well before 1806. Iy seems that the notion of a Constable was yet to evolve in the Convict society into that role as performed in the British Isles.

By 1806 John had:
27-Acres in Grain
1-Acre as a Garden
20-Acres in Pasture
2-Acres in Pasture
2-Sheep
12-Hogs
6-Bushels of Maize
John was a Constable on Stores employing one Convict, and one freeman. By now John Martin could be described as a succesful Farmer. Unfortunately Ann Hoy Martin died in early 1806 leaving no Children.



The year 1806 was an eventful one for both the Randall and the Martin families.
John Randall's second wife Mary Butler had died and was buried on 29th July 1802. On the 10th of November 1800 the former had sold his well maintained property to Joseph Holt, for Forty Pounds and a letter of Introduction/Recommendation to the Commanding Officer of the New South Wales Corps to allow his enlistment.
Randall began training at the Sydney Barracks on 17th November 1800.
It has been postulated that:
(1) he abandoned his Wife Mary and his three children, Frances (B-1792), Mary (born 4-12-1793), and John (b-1797) to the care of the Martins on their adjoining property. Ann Hoy, Martin's wife, and Mary Butler had both been Second Fleet Convicts on the notorious Neptune transport. Being about the same age and living in close contact they were probably good friends.

An alternative scenario suggested has been that:
(2) John Randall, Mary and the family moved into the Sydney Barracks of the New South Wales Corps at the modern Wynyard site.


This is unlikely because: It had been the long standing practice in the British Army, that only five wives and their children per Company of Seventy men could accompany them on an overseas posting.
A General caralyfing Order was issued by the Governor, Philip Gidley King on the 16th of December 1801. Governor Gidley King wrote:

"Not more than five women are to be allowed to each company of the NSW Corps: the supporting of that number of women and their children at the public expense to be considered a great indulgence."

"In addition to the five families to each company of the NSW Corps victualled from His Majesty's Stores at the public expense, as a further indulgence the Governor has directed the Commissary to give a ration (according to the age) to the eldest children of each family not victualled from the stores, where the number of children exceeds two".




NSW Corps Wynyard Barracks: 1792 to 1848 by George Roberts. Credit: SLNSW
It's likely that King's Order was just reinforcing a well established Empire wide Army practice. The NSW Corps or the 102nd Regiment of Foot which it later became consisted of between four and eight Companies of about Seventy men in each. Since the Corps was a static body of men in a remote location it's unlikely that there would be room for the family of a new recuit.
So it makes much more sense that John Randall's family would stay back in North Parramatta with the Martin's.

The truth about the John Martin and Mary Randall bonding may be more complicated.




St Johns Parramatta death Registry entry for Mary Butler Randall 1802



St Johns Parramatta death Registry entry for Ann Hoy Martin 1806

Young Mary Randall would have been 13 years old in 1806 and probably taking care of the home duties as the woman of the house, Ann Hoy Martin, died and was buried 12th Febuary 1806. Certainly John Martin's first son (also) John Martin (Junior), was born to Mary in 17th November 1807. His conception would have occured about 7th March 1807. His birth was followed by Sophia in 1809, Frances in 1810, Henry in 1813, and Hannah in 1815*. These children were recogonised by John in his will.
An analysis of the Sydney 1806 Convict Muster has been done by Bob Pauling, and attached to the published version of the 1806 document. He found the following: In early 1800's boys Born in the Colony (BIC) and over Thirteen Years old were in employment mostly as an Apprentice. Most girls BIC, were in relationships. Children ceased being so and effectively became adults at about Thirteen years. In Britain at the time the Age of Consent was at Twelve Years Old, and the minimum age of Marriage was Ten Years Old.


The 1806 General Muster of the Colony.


A general muster of prisoners and freemen was taken on Tuesday 12th August 1806, with the landholders mustered on Thursday 14th August.

The muster gives information on "how employed" or "with whom lives (females)", which is information that is available nowhere else. A Land and Stock Muster was collected on the same day, containing acreages of the different crops, numbers of horses, cattles, sheep, goats and hogs, numbers of bushels of wheat, maize and barley on hand, and the numbers of persons and whether victualled by the government, with remarks about residence. John Martin's entry indicates that he had a wife, even though
Ann (Hoy) Martin had been dead since 12/2/1806.

Samuel Marsden's Concubine List.
The information contained in the Rev. Samuel Marsden's Female Muster was recorded to document what he saw as the immorality of the population, through the numbers of concubines and illegitimate children in the colony.

The Muster lists the names of the women in the colony, and Marsden added details of their marital status and the numbers of legitimate and illegitimate children living with them. The entries are arranged in the same sequence as those found in the General Muster of New South Wales 1806, indicating that the information was extracted from the General Muster entries. A few additional entries were added by Marsden for women omitted from the General Muster.

Mary Randall Martin doesn't appear on the Concubine list.


Reference: "Musters of New South Wales and Norfolk Island 1805-1806" edited by Carol J Baxter. Published by ABGR & SAG, Sydney 1989 ISBN 0 949032 093.





The 1812 Marriage of John Martin and Mary Randall





St Johns Parramatta Marriage Registry entry for John and Mary 20/7/1812
Their children, John, Sophia, and Frances were Baptised on the same day.

The Marriage Certificate for the wedding of John and Mary is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly the Marriage was by Banns, which means that the couple's intention to wed was mentioned from the pulpit to the congreation on three Sundays before the event. A formality which suggests a trend towards a more civil society.

Secondly John was able to write his own name on the document,where as when he was mustered onto the Convict Transport the alexander he did so with an "X". His signiture was perhaps with the unsteady hand of someone who is still mastering the skill. His duties as a Constable would require someone to authenticate personal marks on documents on a regular basis. For example to witness the personal "marks" of others. Samual Marsden was known to offer classes in basic Literacy and Numeracy at St Johns to those prepared to improve themselves. Alas the ability to sign documents didn't prove full literacy, but it did indicate a willingness to learn.

Thirdly, the document was witnessed by ex-convict Richard Partridge (aka Rice) who was married the same day. Richard was a prominent member of the Northern Boundary population, a neighbour, a "Jailor", a member of the Parramatta Loyal Society, and the "left handed flogger". He also played a minor role in the suppression of the Vinegar Hill uprising in 1804. Like John, Richard was also once in danger of once being dumped on "the shores of Africa". But that's another story.

Children with John Martin
John Martin jnr 1807-1885
Sophia Martin 1809-1870
Frances Martin 1811-1888
Henry Martin 1813-1894
Hannah Martin 1815-1871


Sometime a few years after the birth of Hannah, Mary left John Martin and moved in with Henry Pearce who lived nearby.

Spouse and children with Henry Pearce 1785-1833

Richard Martin 1819-1892
Frederick Martin 1821-1903
Mary Ann Martin 1822-1870
Amelia Wait Martin 1826-1886
Harriett Martin 1830-1883
Nicholas Martin 1832-1902

Who was Henry Pearce?

Henry Pearce was born in 1785 in Plymouth, Devon. In 1815 he was tried at Warwick Assizes and given a sentence of fourteen years. His documents suggest the he was a Seaman, possibly a Lieutenant. He arrived in Sydney on the convict transport the "Ocean" in 1816. He appears on the convict victualling List at Pennant Hills in 1821. He also received a Ticket of Leave in 1823 at Lane Cove. He recieved a Land Grant and an Assigned Convict about the same time. It is believed that he lived near John Martin's land Grant. It's claimed that he had three sons and three daughters with Mary Randall between 1819 and 1832. He died in 1833 in New South Wales at the age of 48, and left all his property to Mary Randall Martin and her children via a Deed of Gift since she was still married to John Martin.. John Martin died on 1837 The births of children in the era were often recorded at Baptism and/or also with the date of the baptism. There wasn't a Government required birth registration until 1856. As a married woman Mary was required by the Church to have her children baptised using her Husband's Surname. Mostly their father Henry Pearce, is only recognised on their NSW State death certificate registrations post 1856.

On May the 3rd 1826, a notice appeared in the Sydney Gazette Newspaper announcing the dismissal of John Martin from the role of Constable. John would have been aged about Seventy One Years old. The previous day at Parramatta he had been charged with serious assult of an individual and trespass. He was held over for an appearence at the General Sessions Sydney and convicted on both charges on the 14th May. He was released into Police custody after what seems to have been eleven days on bail. He had been dismissed as a Constable on the Third so he seems to have been allowed to retire and keep his pension. Perhaps it was a recognisation of the decades of faithful service to his community. The victim of his wrath was not named, but his wife's new partner Henry Pearce would seem to been a possibility. Beware the anger of a quiet man. Source: New South Wales Gaol Discription and Entrance Book 1818-1930. 3rd May 1826 Sydney Page 315 of 498.

The death of John Martin: John Died on December the 19th 1837, at his farm at the Northern Boundary, North Parramatta. (NSW Registration V18372523 21). He was buried at the St Johns Parramatta Church Burial Ground on December the 22nd. The current location within the yard is unknown. It is suggested that the grave was marked by a wooden marker which eventually rotted away. The Cemetery is about 500 Metres away from St Johns Church and has become surrounded by suburbia.

Dot Martin's Transcription of John Martin's 1837 Will. Source: "John Martin Convict"

The next time Mary is mentioned officially is in 1847, in the document accompanying the J.J.Galloway Government Survey of the Field of Mars Common in the North/East Ryde area of Sydney. The paper records that Mary (Randall) Martin whom it identifies as the daughter of "Black Randall", was squatting on the common, and that she had twelve children. If so one seems to be unaccounted for in the records.

The latter document suggests that she had one and a third Acres under cultivation as a Kitchen garden and that she had occupied the site for about four years. Sources vary slightly as to the actual site of the house mentioned. One report suggests the corner of Burns and Fiona Streets Beecroft. Another nearby at the corner of Copeland Road and York Street Beecroft. The distance between these two points is only 500 Metres so minor. However the former site is much closer to the upper reaches of Devlins Creek and so more likely.

Extract from the 1847 Galloway Survey encroachment document for the Field of Mars Common. Third line down from top, text says: "Mary Martin daughter of Black Randall now a widow with twelve children".

On August the 31st 1850 Mary Randall Martin was involved in an accident that was recorded in the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper in the News from Parramatta section. The accident occured on the "Kissing Point Road". Unfortunately today there are two Kissing Point Roads withing the modern suburb of Ryde, the current name for the general location. It's not clear which one it was from the article. See map.

On her death in 1857 Mary was described on her Certificate as having had one leg amputated. This was probably a consequence of her accident in 1850. Her Doctor wrote on her Death Certificate the following: "Habitual Constipation, lost a leg and been bedridden some years. Gastrititus".
She was buried in a grave with a headstone at St Johns Parrammata burial ground. The first of the R/M family to have a recognised resting place..

John Martin: an Epilogue

A final word on John Martin. From very unpromising circumstances our John eventually built a life for himself and his family in a difficult environment. Emma's Afterword captures the full extent of his achivement.

To be completed, a work in progress