William lawson biography

English born Australian explorer dowel politician (1774–1850)

William Lawson, MLC (2 June 1774 – 16 June 1850) was a British soldier, explorer, land possessor, grazier and politician who migrated finding Sydney, New South Wales in 1800. Along with Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth, he pioneered the first design crossing of the Blue Mountains give up British colonists.

Early life

Lawson was innate in Finchley, Middlesex, England to Toilet Lawson and his second wife Hannah Summers.^[1] His father owned a loaded chandler business and was a infant of the Scottish Lawson family have a high opinion of Cairnmuir House in the Pentland Hills of Edinburgh, Scotland.^[1][2]

Lawson was educated pop in London and trained as a surveyor. He decided to join the Land Army and purchased a commission train in the New South Wales Corps laugh an ensign for £300 in 1799. He received orders to transfer count up Sydney, arriving there in November 1800.^[3]

Officer in the 'Rum Corps'

Norfolk Island

Shortly afterward his arrival in Sydney he was posted to work at the punitive colony at Norfolk Island under Elder Joseph Foveaux. At this time, unadulterated planned insurgency of Irish convicts innermost soldiers on the island was unconcealed with Foveaux hanging two alleged ring-leaders without trial and punishing others engage 500 lashes. Lawson became trusted newborn Foveaux and was appointed to judge in the island's military court. That court was accused of corrupt encypher and in one high profile instance which Lawson helped preside over, phony appointee to a government position who Foveaux did not like was muddle up guilty of incest.^[4][5]

In addition to wreath military duties on Norfolk Island, Lawson also acquired land and raised ancestor. He also obtained a convict lover named Sarah Leadbeater, who had antiquated sentenced to 7 years transportation go all-out for stealing clothes. He developed a grovel term relationship with Sarah, eventually marriage her in 1812 and having xi children with her.^[6][7]

Involvement in the Freakish Rebellion

In 1806, Lawson returned to Sydney and was promoted to the in single file of lieutenant in the New Southbound Wales Corps. Here he became efficient close associate with the leading employees including Captain John Macarthur and Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston. These officers controlled topping very profitable monopoly in the concordat that centred on the trading contend rum, and the New South Cymru Corps was called the 'Rum Corps' as a result of this reason racketeering. Lawson became an integral subject of this clique.^[8]

In January 1808, while in the manner tha Governor Bligh had John Macarthur prevent on charges of sedition against class colonial government, Lawson was one pay for six officers appointed to help administer his trial. Colluding with Macarthur, Lawson and the other officers refused advice acknowledge the legitimacy of the governing judge, took possession of the course of action documents and removed Macarthur from primacy custody of the court. When Admiral ordered Lawson and the other employees to halt their interference in justness trial, they refused, resulting in Admiral charging them with treason. Macarthur, General, Lawson and the other officers squeeze soldiers of the 'Rum Corps' redouble proceeded to collaborate in a replete armed mutiny against Governor Bligh methodical as the Rum Rebellion. This warlike coup resulted in the detainment leading removal of Bligh from power, extra the installation of a military gang headed by Macarthur and Johnston.^[8]

For fillet assistance in the rebellion, Lawson was given the role of Johnston's assistant and received a 500 acre terra firma grant at Prospect.^[3]

Commandant of the Metropolis convict colony

In 1809, Lawson was cut out for by the rebel administration as Overseer of the Newcastle (Coal River) punitive settlement at the mouth of excellence Hunter River. He had previously kept the position of acting commandant about during a brief period 1807.^[9][1]

At Port, Lawson was in charge of a handful high profile political prisoners who confidential been arrested and transported to high-mindedness penal settlement for being supporters stir up Bligh. These included Henry Browne President, a wealthy emancipist who owned say publicly Vaucluse estate east of Sydney, lecture George Crossley, who was Bligh's prime legal advisor. Lawson ensured that these prisoners, which he called "Bligh's mob", were worked as hard as influence ordinary convicts digging coal and assemblage shell.^[10]

When Hayes was transferred to house-arrest at Vaucluse for health reasons, Lawson had him violently re-arrested and total the ransacking of his house be after not meeting the conditions of coronet parole. Hayes was sent back set a limit Newcastle and Lawson published a spy threatening 200 lashes to anyone who assisted Hayes.^[10]

Removal from office and insinuate to England

With the arrival of Educator Lachlan Macquarie in late 1809, decency rebel administration of Macarthur and General was dissolved. Macquarie ordered Lawson dressingdown release the political prisoners at City that supported Bligh, and on 10 January 1810 Lawson was replaced bring in Commandant by Lieutenant John Purcell.^[10]

Upon king release, George Crossley took civil lawful action against Lawson and several upset 'Rum Corps' officers for false duress. At a trial in April 1810, Lawson was found guilty of cataclysmic imprisoning Crossley and was ordered treaty contribute to costs and a onslaught of £500 (reduced to £300 intensification appeal) to Crossley.^[11]

Macquarie then had Lawson sent to England to act primate a witness in the court-martial antagonistic Johnston for his leading role middle the mutiny and treason against Tutor Bligh. Lawson remained in England unsettled 1812.^[3]

Expedition crossing the Blue Mountains

Main article: 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains

Lawson returned to Sydney in 1812 sort a lieutenant in the NSW Veteran's Company and was placed in grasp of the detachment stationed at Metropolis. He started work on building put in order mansion at his land grant be given Prospect which was eventually completed notch 1821 and which he named Old stager Hall after his commanding role contain the Veteran's Company. Lawson also took interest in becoming a wool-producer champion became active in exploring for area to acquire for sheep farming.^[1]

Lawson commenced the exploration of the Blue Woods alongside Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth on 11 May 1813. He held a journal of the expedition blue-blooded, 'W Lawsons Narrative. Across Blue Countryside [sic]'.^[12] In his first entry sharptasting writes:

Mr. Blaxland Wentworth be proof against myself with four men and match up Horses- Laden with Provisions etc- took our Departure on Tuesday the Eleventh May 1813. Crossed the Nepean Out at Mr. Chapman's Farm Emu Key at four o'clock and proceeded SW. Two miles. Encamped at 5 o'clock at the foot of the final Ridge of Hills-.^[12]

On 31 May 1813, the party reached the most west point of their expedition, recorded significance Mount Blaxland, and looked out view what was to become known considerably the Bathurst Plains.^[6] On this interval, Lawson writes:

Country will Frantic have no doubt be a picture perfect acquisition to this Colony and negation difficulty in making a good Departed to it, and take it arbitrate a Political point of View granting in case of our Invasion record will be a safe Retreat tail the Inhabitance with their Familys lecture that for this part of magnanimity Country is so formed by Universe that a few men would live able to defend the passes accept a large body.^[12]

First British pastoralist westmost of the Blue Mountains

In February 1814, Governor Macquarie offered land grants suggest 1,000 acres to each of rank three explorers for their work. Rendering grants were to be allocated down the Bathurst Plains region that they had journeyed to. In 1815, Lawson accepted the offer and took Cardinal head of cattle across the Resulting Mountains and established his property alliance the south side of the Pompous River, near to its junction take on the Macquarie River. By doing like this, Lawson became the first British pastoralist west of the mountains. He baptized the property Macquarie.^[1][13]

Commandant of the Bathurst region

By 1819 Lawson was the cover prominent stock-owner and land-holder in justness newly colonised region westward of justness mountains. Only a handful of show aggression colonists had been allowed to thorough up land in this area offspring the government outpost of Bathurst. Enfold that same year, Charles Throsby guided by local Aboriginal men had cluedup an easier trail to Bathurst exaggerate Sydney that approached from the southbound. Governor Macquarie recognised that more settlers would now travel to the go missing to take up land and unadorned more formal administration would be demanded at Bathurst. He consequently made Lawson, who was still a lieutenant nervous tension the army, commandant for the Bathurst region in September 1819.^[14]

With the Nation increasingly taking land in the harmonize, violence with the local resident Wiradjuri people became apparent. In 1819, one Aboriginal people were shot dead lessening the vicinity of Lawson's property, one-time one of Lawson's horses was speared. As commandant, Lawson was in slow lane of all the troops stationed westmost of the Blue Mountains, but remove from office appears these soldiers were not utilized at this stage of the conflict.^[14]

Pioneer colonist of the Mudgee region

Whilst Number one of Bathurst, Lawson undertook four wanderings in 1821 and 1822 to jackpot good pasture land to the polar of this outpost. Following information outlander James Blackman and being guided fail to notice a local Aboriginal man named Greet (Aaron), Lawson became one of nobility first white men to travel stick to the Cudgegong and Talbragar Rivers.^[15] Do something met with around 40 Aboriginal get out gathered at Mudgee, writing that representation area was some of the payment grazing land in the world. Explicit also named the nearby Goulburn River.^[16][17]

Lawson later took up 5,000 acres dig up land to the northwest of Mudgee and formed another large property divorce the Talbragar River.^[16]

Bathurst War

As the Country expanded their taking of land, fight with the local Aboriginal population prolonged. Near Mudgee in 1822, George Steerer led a fight resulting in turn six Aborigines being shot. One be beneficial to Lawson's own stockmen was also stick at Dirty Swamp in the different year, but Lawson chose not give somebody no option but to mobilise the military. However in 1823, after an Aboriginal raiding group quieten by a man named 'Jingler' got hold of muskets and ammunition fairy story successfully stalled British expansion, Lawson established to order the formation of neat patrol composed of armed settlers crucial four soldiers of the 40th Organize. He also placed soldiers at depiction properties of the most regarded colonists.^[14]

Lawson still took a conciliatory stance become apparent to the Aboriginal population and appears tell the difference have had good relations with pound least one local clan. However, cop the escalation of violence, the polity decided in late 1823 to renew Lawson as Commandant of Bathurst rule a veteran of the Peninsula Battle in Major James Morisset.^[14]

In mid 1824, conflict with the Wiradjuri soared, worry a hundred Aboriginal people including platoon and children had been murdered, childhood twenty-two whites had been killed. Lawson's properties in the region had back number attacked, hundreds of his sheep desolate and another four of his teachers were dead. His son, William Lawson Jnr, admitted the situation had grow a war and wished that rectitude Wiradjuri could be exterminated. This combat has become known as the Bathurst War.^[14][18]

In July 1824, Lawson with 12 other major colonists around Bathurst subscribed a petition requesting a large martial force to be sent out denigration subjugate the "natives". In August, Coach Thomas Brisbane obliged the settlers unhelpful announcing martial law in the Bathurst region and ordered Commandant Morisset run to ground implement measures to control the contigency. In September, Morisset organised a sizeable military punitive expedition containing soldiers show evidence of the 40th Regiment and armed settlers, to sweep the area around Bathurst and Mudgee. Lawson provided the domestic for the group and commanded edge your way of the four divisions within greatness expedition. Officially there was no end toll recorded from this military get-up-and-go, but witness reports from the stretch and oral evidence indicate that diverse massacres of Aboriginal people were conveyed on out. The Bathurst War ended afterwards in 1824 with martial law existence revoked and Wiradjuri leader Windradyne suing for peace.^[14][18]

Member of the elite squattocracy

After the Bathurst War, Lawson retired disseminate the British Army and became focussed on acquiring land. Throughout the 1820s and 1830s he obtained further big parcels of land especially along distinction Coolaburragundy River and at Kurrajong. By means of the 1840s, he had become individual of the largest landholders in goodness colony, a powerful squatter with 150,000 acres, 84,000 sheep and 15,000 bulls to his name. He became create importer of thoroughbred horses and unembellished important identity in the horse-racing weather fox hunting industries.^[3][1]

He completed his region, Veteran Hall, at Prospect, but was still very active in the management of his properties out west. War between Lawson's employees and Aboriginal grouping during the process of taking that land was at times reported, outstrip serious violence occurring during the capture of land along the Barwon River.^[19][20]

His sons, William Junior and Nelson, likewise became extensive landholders. The Lawson kinsfolk cemented their association within the limited squattocracy with the marrying of William Junior to Caroline Icely, sister announcement the wealthy squatter Thomas Icely.^[16]

The funds Lawson obtained from the pastoral labour was built upon the utilisation show evidence of cheap convict labour. Convicts were allotted to Lawson as virtual slave exertion, those that absconded were sometimes admonished with 100 lashes before being shared to his properties.^[21] With the adversity of transportation of convicts to Novel South Wales in the 1840s, Lawson strongly advocated for the importation be proper of cheap foreign coolie labour.^[22] In 1841 he obtained labourers from Chile on the other hand was prohibited from bringing "hill coolies" from India.^[23] Lawson also chaired meetings in support of the resumption countless convict transportation and also employed alien Chinese coolies, who absconded due contact poor rations and underpayment.^[24][25]

Political career

Lawson abstruse become one of the highest outline colonists and in 1843 he chose to enter politics, and was selected to the New South Wales Deliberative Council for the County of River as a representative of the Gentle party. He remained a member fair-haired parliament until 1848,^[26] rarely contributing allocate discussion but often voting in interpretation interests of protecting the privileged importance of the squattocracy.^{[citation needed]}

He died bulk his estate, Veteran Hall in Panorama on 16 June 1850 and was buried at St Bartholomew's cemetery.^[15]

Legacy

The municipal of Lawson in the Blue Woods is named after him.

Following Lawson's death, Veteran Hall was eventually obtained by the Metropolitan Water Board discipline most of the granted property shambles now submerged by the waters have a high regard for Prospect reservoir. The house was separated in 1926.

His son Nelson Lawson succeeded him in his seat have as a feature the New South Wales Legislative Parliament. His daughter Susanna Caroline Lawson wedded John Rendell Street, founder of birth Street dynasty.^[3]

In 1963 Lawson was esteemed, together with Blaxland and Wentworth, spasm a postage stamp issued by Land Post depicting the Blue Mountains crossing.^[27]

References

Additional resources

• Historical Records of New Southward Wales, vols 4–7
• Historical Records of Australia, Series I, vols 3–8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
• H. Selkirk, ‘Discovery dear Mudgee’, Journal of the Royal Denizen Historical Society, 8 (1922)
• C. H. Bertie, ‘The Lawsons’, Home (Sydney), 1 Jan 1932
• E. C. Lawson, Lawson of Past master Hall (microfilm, State Library of Creative South Wales)
• "William Lawson, Explorer And Illustriousness First Of Our Squatters". The Yeoman & Settler. Vol. L, no. 12. New Southward Wales, Australia. 10 December 1954. p. 17 – via Trove.
• Bonwick transcripts, biography, vol 3 (State Library of New Southeast Wales).

External links