No ordinary guys
Samuel GUY 1777 - 1858
Benjamin GUY 1799 - 1856
"Belmont", Richmond, Tasmania
Max Carrick
2015
Page | 1
Cover photo of former Benjamin Guy residence at Richmond, Tasmania copied from website
of Richmond Village (http://www.richmondvillage.com.au/vineyards.html). The building and
surrounding acreage is now owned by Pooley Wines, 1431 Richmond Road, Richmond,
Tasmania 7025, an outstanding winery.
This image from http://www.pooleywines.com.au/
Page | 2
(5)
Benjamin Guy was born just before Christmas and just before the new century, on 16
December 1799 at Hawkhurst, a small village in the borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent,
England. (1) His parents are listed as Samuel and Elisabeth (sic) Guy and they christened him
on 9 February 1800 at the Independent Church, Cranbrook, Kent, about six kilometres north
of Hawkhurst. (2) This is in an area known as The Weald of Kent after an old Saxon word
meaning "woody country".
The surrounding area has always been worked for pasture and stock and a contemporary at
the time of Benjamin's birth, Edward Hasted wrote in 1797 " The pastures in it are very rich
and fertile, and great numbers of fine cattle are continually fatted on them, as well for the
supply of this county as the London markets. The soil of the Weald is particularly adapted to
the growth of the oak, which in these parts increase to an amazing size, one of which was
felled a few years ago at Penshurst, in the park there, which had twenty one tons of timber
in it, or eight hundred and forty feet. Every inclosure in the Weald is surrounded with these
trees, and every coppice and wood is full of them, and though they yearly afford a supply for
the royal navy of Great Britain, yet in all probability there will be sufficient remaining for the
use of it for ages yet to come." (3)
The modern town of Hawkhurst still remembers an infamous band of thieves from its past
who were known as the Hawkhurst Gang (Holkhourst Genge). This group of smugglers and
murderers were the worst of the years 1735 to 1749 in the area and they are supposed to
have had their "headquarters" at the still- standing Oak and Ivy pub..
Page | 3
Little has been found about Benjamin's early life but it can be safely assumed he received a
reasonable to good education as his later efforts proved. There were numerous public and
private schools in the area and we know his father was a farmer doing well enough to able
to send his children to school. Benjamin probably also learned some farming techniques
while he assisted his father but his later pursuits were not on the land.
(31)
This is an early lithograph of the Presbyterian Meeting House at Cranbrook which became
known as the Chapel on the Hill, also as The Independent Church. An archivist from the
Cranbrook Museum advises it started in 1710 and was sold in 1848 and has been replaced
Page | 4
by housing. The interior of the meeting house reflects the fairly Spartan design of the
Dissenters (in this case, Presbyterians) as opposed to the relative opulence of the
mainstream churches.
(31)
Benjamin was the first born to Samuel and Elizabeth:
Benjamin 1799
George 1801
Matilda 1803
Ann 1805
Andrew 1807
Alfred 1810
Francis Henry 1812
Emma 1815
Helen Eliza 1821
Page | 5
Most of the children except Emma and Helen Eliza were christened at Cranbrook
Independent Church. Emma was christened in Speldhurst, north-west of Tunbridge Wells.
Eliza was born in Kent but not christened until many years later, in Hobart. Unfortunately for
researchers, the name Samuel Guy is fairly common and it had been difficult to decisively
attach Benjamin to this Samuel and Elizabeth and the children mentioned above but that
has now been resolved by later documents. There is a marriage record for Samuel Guy to
Elizabeth Honeysett on 10 October, 1799 at the nearby village of Lamberhurst.(4) This is the
correct couple, and Elizabeth was seven months pregnant at the time and perhaps the child
Benjamin and his later siblings were baptised at the Independent Church because they were
shunned by the mainstream churches?
Hawkhurst
from the main
church steeple
(5)
This speculation is not too far-fetched as morals in the late 18th century were strict and
small villages may not have contained many liberal thinking residents - I don't know.
Samuel Guy was an educated farmer and I'm pretty sure he was the one mentioned above he may not have had as much good fortune as others because in 1822 at the age of 45,
Samuel applied to Lord Bathurst for a grant of land in Van Diemen's Land. Henry Bathurst,
3rd Earl Bathurst served in the government of the Earl of Liverpool as Secretary of State for
War and the Colonies and was in a position to receive and grant such requests. Both the
British Government and the administration of Van Diemen's Land were anxious to assist free
settlers to VDL to help address the massive imbalance of convicts and their descendants
who had previously outnumbered everyone else.
Lord Bathurst acceded to Samuel’s request who then proceeded to sell up his farm and
chattels and prepare himself and his family for the arduous trip to Van Diemen's Land. Just
before they left England, Samuel wrote to Mr. R. Wilmot of the Colonial Department in
Downing Street, London.(6) He asked that as his "Capital is so small, the Passage Money
(£285/0/0) will reduce it very materially." He mentioned that he had "four sons grown up or
Page | 6
nearly so," and respectfully requested that the passage money be included in the value of
the land grant he was to receive; in other words he was asking for an advance on his grant
to enable him to reasonably set himself up after arrival, with his original capital intact. There
is no evidence whether this was agreed or not.
One fact emerging from Samuel's own words is that he had four sons at the time of this
letter and that matches the births mentioned above, excluding Benjamin. We could
speculate that the government did not agree to Samuel's request as there is evidence that
some of the children did not migrate.
For some months in the first part of 1822, advertisements had been appearing in the press
in England for the impending departure of the brig "Christiana", a ship of 316 tons bound for
the colonies of Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales. This one appeared in the
Caledonian Mercury of Edinburgh, Scotland on 28 February and 28 March 1822:
To Sail in all April
for VAN DIEMEN'S LAND and NEW SOUTH WALES
Will leave to call at RIO DE JANEIRO and the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
The fine fast sailing ship
CHRISTIANA
WILLIAM HALL, Commander
Burthen 316 Tons, A.1
Copper fastened and newly Coppered
Lying in the London Docks
This Vessel has very superior accommodations for Cabin and Steerage
Passengers
Consignments will be taken on Commission by the Master, by whom the most
satisfactory references will be given.
For freight or passage apply to
Mr EDWARD RULE
24, Lime Street, Fenchurch Street, London
This was the ship chosen by Samuel Guy and his family and also Benjamin Guy and his new
wife - just one month before it sailed, Benjamin married Ann Rose on 17 June 1822 at St.
George Church, Hanover Square, London.(7) He was 22 years old and she was 18. How they
came to know each other is not known but being married in London matches with the
certainty that Samuel was also living in London at the time, at 247 Southcote Road, near
Hampstead Heath when he wrote his letter to the Colonial Office. The "Christiana"
eventually sailed from Gravesend on 4 July and arrived at Falmouth on the 11th. After a stay
there of four days, the ship sailed from England on 15 July 1822 and made its way down the
Atlantic to South Africa and across to Van Diemen's Land. Despite the above assertions that
the ship would "call at Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope", Samuel's later letter
states they never saw land "after we left the coast of Spain till we arrived here." (6)
The colony of Van Diemen's Land had been established for only eighteen years when the
Guy families arrived and they arrived a year earlier than another ancestor of mine, Jonathan
Whiting who arrived in December 1823. Jonathan, a convict from Kent arrived in
circumstances that were very different to those of the Guy family.
The arrival of ships in the port at Hobart Town always created excitement as there were
new people to meet and importantly, the newspapers from England carrying all the latest
Page | 7
news. The shipping records of unassisted migrants or even government assisted migrants in
the years 1788 to at least 1828 are very sketchy and usually not found, if in fact any were
kept in those early years. There are no government records of the arrival of the Guys or of
other passengers who travelled on to Sydney per "Christiana", however the local press in
Hobart Town did record the event and thanks to the brilliant Trove online collection at the
National Library of Australia, we can see exactly what the citizens of Hobart saw on the
morning of Saturday 23 November, 1822:
"Hobart Town Gazette & Van
Diemen's Land Advertiser", issue of
Saturday 23 November 1822,
through Trove, 2015
Page | 8
This clearly shows two families of Guys arriving and I am convinced that as he was now
married, Benjamin was listed separately to the rest of his family and that seems fitting. The
interesting part is that Samuel and Elizabeth were accompanied by only four of their eight
other children and I believe this is because in the absence of government assistance with
ship fares, it was decided that some children could stay in England and look after
themselves or stay with their extended family. My research, based around the children's'
ages as at July 1822 shows:
Benjamin, aged 22 and married. Definite evidence he migrated to VDL
George, aged 20. Evidence he stayed behind in Sussex. Died there.
Matilda, aged 18. Probably stayed behind in Kent or Sussex, no definitive records in VDL
Ann, aged 16. Probably stayed behind in Kent or Sussex, no definitive records in VDL
Alfred, aged 11. Probably stayed behind in Kent or Sussex, no definitive records in VDL
ooooooooooooooOOOOoooooooooooooo
Andrew, aged 14. Probably migrated with his parents. Later evidence has him in VDL.
Francis Henry, aged 9. Probably migrated with parents, no definitive records in VDL
Emma, aged 7. Definite evidence she migrated to VDL (married Ebenezer Geiss in Hobart)
Helen Eliza, aged 9 months. Definite evidence - Newspaper report of her death in Hobart.
I had assumed that the parents decided to take their youngest children with them, Alfred,
Francis, Emma and Helen leaving the four older children George, Matilda, Ann and Andrew
to fend for themselves or stay with family. This idea however is not supported by Samuel in
his letter to his brother in Chiddingly, Sussex wherein he apologises for not telling anyone he
was migrating! Neither is it supported by firm evidence. A lack of records has hindered this
research and I am a little surprised Samuel makes no mention of anyone's names in his long
letter to brother Thomas.
Page | 9
Hobart Town 1827 showing migrants arriving, by George Frankland. Original in ALMFA, State Library of Tasmania.
A useful note on migration to Van Diemen's Land comes from the University of Tasmania's
Companion to Tasmanian History (9):
"The population increased from 1915 in 1816, to over 5000 in 1820, and to 24,000 ten years
later. The system of land grants, whereby people were given an acre for each pound of cash
or goods brought to the colony, was replaced in 1831 by the Bounty system. The government
now helped pay the passage money for needed migrants, such as men with special skills and
single women aged fifteen to thirty. Even during the 1840s Depression, the government
continued to help skilled men migrate. Migration was always a two-way process, with many
Tasmanians leaving in the 1830s and 1840s to settle in the new colonies of Port Phillip
(Victoria) and South Australia, but it was the huge exodus of workers to the 1850s
mainland gold rushes which led Van Diemen's Land to introduce new Bounty regulations.
These helped pay the passage for suitable migrants, in return for working for two years for
an employer. Between 1851 and 1860, 16,636 assisted migrants came, many settling in
newer areas in the north. Immigration societies appointed agents to select suitable settlers
from Britain."
Page | 10
The famous
Cascade Brewery in
Hobart established
soon after the Guy's
arrivals.
In an introduction to the published version of Samuels' letters(6), the Tasmanian historian
and genealogist, Irene Schaffer states that Samuel was from "Little Stanmore, Elstice,
Herefordshire, England, where he was a farmer." I can find no reference to the placename
Elstice, not even on Google and the only reference to Little Stanmore is for an area near
London, a long way from Herefordshire. I can't say Ms. Schaffer's research is wrong but I
cannot find any evidence to support it, even in placenames. New information from Sussex
now indicates that Samuel was living and farming in Little Stanmore, Elstree, Hertfordshire.
Peter R. Guy from the Guys of Chiddingly & Chalvington Communications Circle advises
“Little Stanmore was a parish in North London bordering Edgeware and with its northern
boundary in Bushey Heath which falls into Hertfordshire." More on the GCCCC later.
It seems that Samuel was farming some distance away from his brothers and other kin who
were still in the same approximate area and that is the southern quarter of Kent and the
south-easterly section of Sussex. The following map shows the location of the towns named
Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Chiddingly and Chalvington and these are all within about 20
kilometres of each other. These towns are known from birth and baptism records and from
the address on Samuel's letter so we have some certainty about them.
Page | 11
Cranbrook
Hawkhurst
Chiddingly
Chalvington
East Sussex
Page | 12
Kent
I feel much more comfortable with these scenarios of children and places as they are based
on known facts. Our story can continue from here...
The first priority for Samuel and Benjamin was to find and arrange accommodation for
themselves and families in the new settlement of Hobart Town. The record of Land Grants
for New South Wales (VDL was still a sub-colony of NSW at the time) shows that on 30 June
1823, just seven months after arrival, Samuel had exercised his letter of approval from Lord
Bathurst when the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane signed a grant of 800
acres of land at New Norfolk, north of Hobart to Samuel Guy.(11) How big is 800 acres? - the
standard building block in Sydney was a quarter-acre so you have to imagine as much room
as for over 3,000 homes plus roads etc! This was to be his family farming enterprise in their
adopted land and the terms of the grant were for no rent for the first five years, then at 16
shillings("of lawful Sterling money") per annum thereafter. New Norfolk was the third
settled area after Hobart and Launceston, up the Derwent River from Hobart Town in a
north-westerly direction. It had received 30% of the convicts transferred from Norfolk Island
in the early 1800s and this largely influenced the name of the area. It is beautiful:
(12)
Somewhere after the grant approval, things appear at first to have changed: Samuel's letter
to his brother (6) advises that he actually chose his 800 acres at "Macquarie River, 70 miles
up the country" and this is near the present day township of Longford. By happy
coincidence, Longford is not far from the small village of Carrick, just outside Launceston.He
then tells brother Thomas that as "there being yet but few settlers in that district, and not
Page | 13
any hut or shelter for to sleep in, (so) I thought it more prudent to buy a brick cottage with
four rooms and twenty acres of land at this settlement (New Norfolk) and commenced as a
shopkeeper, and think it will answer my purpose better for two or three years, so I can have
an opportunity of getting Stock - better to put on my land when convenient." So Samuel and
his eldest son Benjamin were in the same occupation at least for a while. It is likely that he
met Ebenezer Geiss in these early years and this man and his association to the family will
be explored later. Samuel had his capital so he was able to buy a house and land however
rudimentary in the beginning, and start to provide an income and a living for himself and his
family.
New Norfolk circa 1834 - the building on the right is the Bush Inn (12)
Benjamin appears to have also moved into action soon after arrival and he established a
trading enterprise with Captain William Robinson some time before 1824 as evidenced by
the following notice to the public which appeared in the Hobart Town Gazette of 1 October
1824:
"Notice is hereby given to all those indebted to the late Firm of Guy and Robinson, that
unless their Accounts are immediately paid to Mr. Guy, Goulburn-street, who alone is
authorised to receive the same, that legal Measures will be resorted to without delay for the
recovery thereof.
BENJAMIN GUY
R.L. MURRAY) Executors to the late Capt. Robinson
P. TAYLOR
Page | 14
) September 29th, 1824 " (13)
It is fascinating to me that the same newspaper report of the Guys' arrival shown earlier also
records the fact that a ship called General Gates from America was also tied up in Hobart
harbour when the Christiana arrived. The town's early history records that Captain William
Robinson arrived in Hobart in 1822 as Master of the General Gates and that after finding the
settlement much to his liking, personally requested the Lieutenant Governor to allow him to
stay and settle. His son later recalled that after his father died unexpectedly on 13 July 1824,
he too became a seafarer and there is a wealth of information on this son, James William
Robinson. It appears that the Captain became too ill to continue in business with Benjamin
and so the partnership was dissolved on 7 February 1824. Benjamin by now had established
one of a number of shops or stores in the Hobart Town centre and was an active importer
and merchant - he is recorded in 1826 as a merchant and among others in Hobart
petitioning the Lieutenant Governor to ensure that only British currency (Sterling Pounds)
was to be used in the colony.(14)
In early 1826, an advertisement appeared in the press which gives more support to the idea
that Samuel and Benjamin were indeed, father and son. It said:
"Lost, on Friday last, about 6 miles from Hobart Town, on the road to Roseneath Ferry, a
Letter, directed to B. Guy, Hobart Town, containing a Cheque on the Bank, drawn by Mr.
Joseph Bradbury, payable to Mr. S. Guy, or bearer, for the sum of Eighty Dollars; dated the
4th January, 1826. The words "Pay to Benjamin Guy" written across the face of it.- Whoever
will bring it to Mr. B. Guy, Collins-street, shall be rewarded for their trouble. Payment is
stopped at the Bank, so that it is of no Use but to the Owner." (15)
This is further evidence of their relationship - perhaps Samuel had made over the cheque to
Benjamin to assist the latter with his business or perhaps Benjamin had "cashed" the
cheque for his father - obviously difficult to be sure but to me, firm evidence of kinship.
In 1827 a major row erupted in Hobart between the VDL administration and the proprietor
of a local newspaper, Andrew Bent of The Colonial Times, the re-named Hobart Town
Gazette mentioned previously. It seems someone in office had taken exception to articles
printed in the newspaper which had not been written by Mr. Bent. In a very heavy handed
response, the Lieutenant Governor George Arthur acting on instructions from London now
required all newspapers and their proprietors to be licensed and for the papers to be
subject to stamp duty. This contravened all the British traditions of a free press, unhindered
by might etc and Mr. Bent and a good proportion of the citizens of Hobart were up in arms.
Not only was the imposition of licensing the problem, Mr. Bent had been refused a license.
Page | 15
Benjamin Guy joined his name to the lengthy protests but after many pleading requests, the
administration refused to budge - no licence and none either for the man who Andrew Bent
sold the paper to...very intractable government by decree. Then, as the year turned to 1828
the Colonial Times was still publishing each Friday and there was no further mention of the
license system because the regulation had been overturned by the British Government.
Benjamin Guy and many others were supporters of a man who was often in trouble for libel
and who started and closed a number of newspapers in VDL and NSW. Bent died in 1851.(16)
By 1829 Benjamin was a prosperous merchant in Hobart having at least two stores in
Elizabeth Street and a notice in the Hobart Town Courier in March of that year shows the
extent of his merchandise:
"Received by the last arrivals, and on sale at the stores of B. Guy, Elizabeth-street, near
Wellington bridge:


















A fresh supply of Brazil sugar (equal to loaf) by the ton, bag, case or cask. This sugar
is recommended to purchasers, as a substitute for loaf sugar
120 bags of the best East India Ginger ever imported
630 boxes of fresh Chinsurah segars (cigars) (Hoffsmaker)
A few boxes Havannahs
150 boxes white and yellow soap
23 Crates wine bottles
Brown wrapping paper in reams or quires
690 twilled 3 bushel corn sacks
40 boxes pickles assorted for families
2 bales striped shirts, the cheapest ever imported
19 bags Rio and W. Indies coffee
Real Yarmouth and Dutch herrings in kegs
Pork in half-barrels 1828
A fine batch of Sydney cheese
Cape wine in pipes, hogsheads and quarter casks, or in quantities of not less than five
gallons
Delamain's real cognac brandy, of fine flavour
Holland's gin, do do
Jamaica rum, do do
Real Devonshire cider, do do
Brazil and negro head tobacco in and out of bond which together with the following and
many other goods will be sold at low prices, for cash or approved bills. (an extensive list
continued including gunpowder!) " (17)
Page | 16
In that same year, thieves obviously knew of his wealth and there is a report of the robbery
of £26 worth of goods from his home, always a traumatic experience. The newspaper
continued to document Benjamin's life and work in Hobart with for instance, the
importation of 6 casks of Cheese and 5 cases of oranges per Brig "Bee" which may have
come from either Sydney or the Cape of Good Hope and which would have been eagerly
sought by his customers. (18) Then, later in 1830 he announced "On sale at the stores, an
assortment of snuff in one pound canisters, per Princess de Lisbon". (19)
Benjamin was often called upon to do his civic duty, signing petitions to the Sheriff for the
establishment of a local Legislative Assembly and even in one case in 1830, being a member
of a jury in the libel trial of the same Andrew Bent whom he had previously supported. In
1833 he was again empanelled on Juries where he was described as a "Grocer of Elizabethstreet" and again as a "General Dealer of Elizabeth-street."
In April 1833 he joined an application to the
Lieutenant Governor to "grant us a Race
Course at Government Farm at New-Town..as
we are interested in the breeding of
horses..and had experience of several years.."
Sounds like Benjamin has now accumulated enough wealth to engage in "the sport of
kings". He was also very busy acquiring properties in and around Hobart as well as being a
father to eleven children born between 1823 and 1842. In order of their birth, these
children were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Matilda Guy, born 26 June 1823 in Hobart
Unknown child, born c.1824/5
George Guy, born 2 May 1826 in Hobart
Charles Edmund Guy, born 27 January 1828 in Hobart
Elizabeth Anne Guy, born 10 January 1830 in Hobart
Page | 17
6. Alfred Luscombe GUY, born 18 August 1831 in Hobart
7. Frederick William Guy, born 6 September 1833 in Hobart
8. Arthur Guy, born 7 May 1835 in Hobart
9. William Edward James Guy, born c.1837 in Hobart?
10. Benjamin Guy, born 29 September 1839 in Hobart
11. Henry Guy, born 14 December 1842 "born at sea" (20)
In 1834 with many other prominent citizens, Benjamin petitioned for all trials to be decided
by jury, obviously some magistrate's decisions were not well regarded. In 1835 with other
"members of the mercantile and legal classes of Hobart Town", he petitioned, objecting to
any more convicts being sent to Van Diemen's Land. This however, did not prevent him
accepting two prisoners, J. Nisbett and A. Rheuben who were assigned to him from the
Prisoners Barracks in Hobart Town, much later in 1839.(21)
By April 1835, Benjamin Guy was in such a sound financial position, he had decided that it
was no longer necessary for him to get his hands dirty, so to speak, and he decided to sell
his shops:
(22)
Page | 18
So, after a hectic twelve years in the general store business and having amassed a fortune in
cash and property, Benjamin Guy had decided to sell up the stores in Elizabeth Street and
become what was normally known as a "Gentleman". There was a brief mention in the
Trove articles that he had been involved with the Richmond Agricultural Society since at
least 1830 and it must have been around that time that he bought a substantial acreage at
Richmond and commenced building himself a mansion fit for a Gentleman. The following
map shows four towns and cities that are important in the story of the Guys- they are
Hobart, Richmond, New Norfolk and Bridgewater:
New Norfolk
Bridgewater
Hobart
Richmond
Samuel Guy farmed at New Norfolk; Ebenezer Geiss farmed at Bridgewater (more later on
Ebenezer), Benjamin Guy set himself up in Hobart and later Richmond.
In the years between the 1835 sale of his stock and shops and the year 1841, Benjamin Guy
channelled his efforts into building what is still a most magnificent Georgian style house on
the main road at Richmond - this is the house that appears on the front cover. He now had
his wife Ann and their children to care for so the house was of substantial proportions. The
children were aged from 18 to 6 in 1841 and it was then that he decided to return to
England. In January 1841, The Auction Company announced in the press that it had been
instructed to sell by public auction "all the valuable Household Furniture, Books, Plate, Glass,
Page | 19
China, Horses, Cows etc., the property of Benjamin Guy, Esq., returning to England..." (23)
Catalogues were to be printed for potential buyers and the newspaper advertisement was
very extensive. A later one also advertised "32 pure Leinster rams, just imported" for sale. It
could be that Benjamin had kept a very close weather eye on the Van Diemen's Land
economy as, commencing in London with low prices for Australian wool, a severe
depression was experienced during the 1840s in both New South Wales and VDL. He must
have made a conscious decision to sell up most things (except land) and take a break in the
Old Country. The Companion to Tasmanian History sums it up:
DEPRESSION OF THE 1840S
The Depression of the 1840s, experienced Australia-wide, was a major halt to rapid economic growth in
Van Diemen's Land. The continued low price of wool in the London market after 1837, the 1839 English
recession, the collapse of the mainland markets for grain and livestock, and the downturn of Tasmanian
capital invested in Port Phillip speculations led to the Depression. Goods piled up in shops as lower
earning power led to reduced spending. The influx of British capital ceased. Banks restricted credit. By
1843, bankruptcies no longer involved mainly small retail traders and merchants, but extended to the
landed interests. Two banks closed.
The Depression saw the first major crisis in public finance, when lessening land revenue and settler
demand for labour combined with increasing costs of supporting the penal system. Lt-Governor EardleyWilmot was unable to meet expenditure and was forced to borrow on the money market. Free
immigration was encouraged on the basis that newcomers would bring money and stimulate
consumption and investment. Rather, it glutted the labour market as free workers competed with ticketof-leave men and probation passholders who congregated at the hiring depots on an unprecedented
scale – resulting in mass unemployment. A public works system was instituted to create a demand for
labour, with prisoners employed on water works, irrigation and the bridge at Bridgewater. By 1845, land
sales had ceased, and new taxes imposed to raise finances led to the resignation of the 'Patriotic Six'
from the Legislative Council. Fortunately rising wool prices brought returned prosperity.
Further reading: R Hartwell, The economic development of Van Diemen's Land 1820–1850, Melbourne,
1954.Wendy Rimon. Copyright 2006, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies (24)
There is no
mention of
Benjamin Guy
in the local
press between
early 1841 and
1843 during
which time we
can assume he
was in England
as advertised.
This would
also explain
the birth of his
last child,
Page | 20
Henry Guy, on 14 December 1842, "born at sea" according to the Van Diemen's Land Birth
records. There is a very solid reference to Mr. and Mrs. Guy and Miss Guy returning to
Hobart on 22 December 1842 from London aboard the barque Auriga (25) which is the vessel
shown above.(26) The Miss Guy on this vessel would no doubt be Elizabeth Anne aged at that
time, almost 12. There is also a shipping record which shows that son George Guy and his
sisters may have returned via Sydney although just who went to England and how they all
returned is unknown. Suffice to say, Benjamin Guy and his family were back in residence at
Richmond by 1843 in the beautiful mansion he named "Belmont". Between April 1843 and
1855, Benjamin was often mentioned in the local press in articles ranging from his
impounding a cow on his property, to receiving rent from the Colonial Treasury for some of
his properties to being made a churchwarden of Richmond Anglican Church to calling for
tenders to erect fencing for him. In December 1847 he was empanelled as a jury member in
a civil case and in the same year warned trespassers onto his land "on the water side" at
Battery Point, Hobart.
On 16 January, 1855 along
with anyone who was
anyone, Benjamin was
invited to the first Levee*
of the new Governor of
Tasmania, His Excellency
Sir Henry Young KCMG, the
first Governor of the newly
named Tasmania
(previously there had been
Lieutenant-Governors of
Van Diemen's Land).
Benjamin was certainly moving in the upper circles and he must have achieved great
respect.(27)
*(an afternoon assembly at which the British sovereign or his or her representative receives only men )
oooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo
Benjamin's father Samuel had meanwhile been improving his lot in New Norfolk and there
he continued with his shopkeeping and building up his stock of cattle. A report in the press
in May 1837 records two men being charged "with stealing a bullock, the property of Samuel
Guy of New Norfolk".(28) He also complains to his brother that "There is a great number of
Settlers (in New Norfolk), but most of them came from Norfolk Island, and are much
addicted to drinking Spirits, which causes them to be poor and very ignorant and lazy."(6)
Obviously Samuel shared his son's views on convicts..
Page | 21
His lengthy letter to Thomas Guy gives an excellent description of life and times in Van
Diemen's Land in the 1820s and a copy is appended to this story. Samuel tells how sheep
stealing is so very different in VDL than it was in England.."They do not steal here as in
England. One in two you seldom lose at a time. I have frequently known from 100 to 500
taken at once, & some that have been possessed of that quantity today, perhaps tomorrow,
are not worth a single head." Samuel wrote that he had met in Hobart Town, two people
who came from Chiddingly and nearby Laughton in East Sussex and whom he knew or
whose families he knew of - a small world even then.
I have found exactly where Samuel's 800 acre grant was located and what he did with it. The
earlier reference in his letter to his brother that he had selected land in the north near
Longford does not appear to have happened - I am unable to say why he used that
reference because there is a clearly marked map, probably dating from around 1830 which
shows his 800 acres leading down to the River Derwent in New Norfolk. The map was drawn
by George Woodward who was an Assistant Surveyor for the government until his
appearance in court for forgery in July 1831 (29) - we could safely assume the map was drawn
before this as he was found guilty and probably did not continue this type of work. Finding
this map also explains why, in newspaper reports of land dealings by Samuel Guy, the
location is always shown as "Arundel Parish" and this turns out to be in Monmouth District
at New Norfolk. A copy of the original map has been obtained from the Tasmanian
Archives, as shown on the next page:
Page | 22
(30)
There were numerous newspaper advertisements which mention this block of land with
Samuel's name on it in 1837 but it is very confusing as to what these indicate. The
Tasmanian Archives office agrees that it is difficult to trace but were able to find this map
for me - the service for viewing of Tasmanian records is superb. In the photo above it is
possible to see the modern township of New Norfolk and we can assume this is where
Samuel had his shop, at least until he started work on his farm. In small print near the river
end of Samuel's land is the notation "Cultivated land within these fences" and an indication
of a "hut" within the area. This could be where Samuel slept when on farm work while his
family lived in the cottage across the river in the township.
Later evidence shows Samuel named his place Arundel Farm, after the Parish name. At some
point in the 1840s or 1850s, it appears Samuel's son Andrew joined him in farming and that
same evidence shows that Samuel carved off 100 acres of his original grant and gave it to
Andrew to farm. The shop in New Norfolk township was continued and this mercantile
activity by both father and son helped to establish them as people of means.
ooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo
Page | 23
The story of Ebenezer Geiss.
I first came across this man's name in the Last Will and Testament of Benjamin Guy wherein
Ebenezer was appointed one of three Trustees and Executors. I then found that Benjamin
had actually appointed his brother-in-law because Ebenezer had married his sister Emma.
They were married on 30 July 1845 in New Norfolk when Ebenezer was aged 37 and Emma
was 30. Due to later cross references it is evident that Samuel and Benjamin Guy and
Ebenezer Geiss were good friends and close business associates.
Research has shown that the Geiss family of Anthony (1765-1850), his wife Mary, nee
Harriot (1775-1849), their sons, George (1803-?), John (1806-1877), Ebenezer (1808-1867)
and daughter Mary (dates unknown) migrated to Van Diemen's Land per "Thalia" which
arrived in Hobart Town on 27 April 1823 from London. (1) The sons had all been baptised at
St. Marys, Whitechapel, London, the same church (below) where Anthony and Mary had
been married on 7 June 1802. (2)
(5)
Anthony had obviously brought a good deal of money with him as he was very soon granted
approx. 1000 acres of farming land at Glenorchy, upriver from Hobart along the Derwent
River. Ebenezer was granted a block of 1500 acres at Mount Nassau, Bridgewater a little
further upriver. The sons John and Ebenezer also obtained by grant or purchase, 866 acres
of land at Marlborough(Lot 354) at almost the geographical centre of Van Diemen's Land.(3)
This Cockney family must have been very welcome settlers for the colony which as we
know, was awarding one acre of land for every pound in cash or kind brought in.
Ebenezer had been granted his land between 1825 and 1828 when he was aged only 17 to
20. It is mentioned in an article on the website of the Australian Heritage Database,
Department of the Environment, Australian Government which was about the construction
Page | 24
of a causeway across the Derwent onto the corner of Ebenezer's land. (4) The construction
lasted for nine years until 1838 and afterwards, a swing bridge was added to the causeway.
(6)
The estate was known as "Mount Nassau" after a local landmark and is situated on the
southern bank of the River Derwent at a place now called Granton. That marvellous piece of
land now forms the winery "Derwent Estate" and the view down to the river is spectacular:
Page | 25
Anthony Geiss was an obviously pious man and he became a pillar of the local church
community. In January 1824 he was elected to the committee of the Wesleyan Branch
Missionary Society in Hobart (7) and the following year was a member of the Van Diemen's
Land Presbyterian Tract Society (8). In 1823 not long after arriving, Anthony was named as
one of 73 capitalists who were authorised by the Governor of NSW Sir Thomas Brisbane to
set up the Bank of Van Diemen's Land, so he was moving among the wealthy(30).
Page | 26
Whilst residing at the Black Snake (Bridgewater) his house was burgled and the fact
reported. (9) In 1827 Anthony decided to take up full time duties on his farm and he
advertised for rental his house in Murray Street, Hobart of "four rooms below and two
above, as the proprietor is going to reside on his farm." (10)
On 21 May 1828 Anthony's only daughter Mary Geiss married the Reverend Archibald
Macarthur, Minister of the Presbyterian Church. (11) More later on Archibald.
oooooOOOOOooooo
On 24 November 1849 after 26 years in the colony, Anthony's "beloved wife Mary" died at
their home at Mount Nassau aged 74 years. (12) On 22 September 1850, less than a year
after his wife's death, Anthony Geiss died at Mount Nassau aged 85. His obituary in the
Hobart Town Courier read "After a course of Christian usefulness of more than sixty years,
Mr. Anthony Geiss (died) in the 85th year of his age. His end was peace". (13)
oooooOOOOOooooo
Very little is known or can be found about George Geiss - it seems evident that he migrated
with the rest of his family to Hobart in 1823 but there are no recordings of marriage or
death or any newspaper reports.
oooooOOOOOooooo
John Geiss was granted land as stated before but he also pursued a career in the infant
finance sector and later the colonial administration. In 1825 at a meeting of "The Bank
Proprietors" (presumably the Bank of Van Diemen's Land), John Geiss was elected Assistant
Accountant on a yearly salary of £75, a good amount. (14) In 1830 the Lieutenant-Governor,
Colonel George Arthur appointed John as Division Constable of Van Diemen's Land (15). A
week later John was also appointed as Keeper of the Pound at the Black Snake in the Police
District of New Norfolk. (16)
In February 1831 John and brother Ebenezer took out a newspaper advertisement warning
trespassers not to cut wood or otherwise be on their land adjoining the township of
Bridgewater. (17) In March of that year and after showing considerable zeal towards his
duties as Pound Keeper, John Geiss was appointed Inspector of Stock in Police District of
Glenorchy. (18) In 1833 John also turned his attention to religious matters becoming
Secretary of the Union Chapel, Hestercombe (20), just near Bridgewater, now known as the
oldest Congregational Church in Australia, photo follows.
Page | 27
(19)
John was taking an increasing role in church matters and is mentioned in several articles
through the 1830s, 40s and 1850s. He joined a petition to support a candidate for
parliament who was known to be vehemently opposed to further transportation of convicts
to Tasmania (like John's friends, the Guys) but also joined a Patriotic Fund to raise money for
the widows and children of British soldiers lost in the Crimean War, 1855.On 6 July 1865
John Geiss took out an advertisement in the Hobart Mercury which stated:
"The Partnership hitherto subsisting between the undersigned, under the firm of J & E Geiss,
is this day dissolved by mutual consent; the liabilities of the firm will be discharged by E.
Geiss, to whom all the assets will be paid.
John Geiss
Ebenezer Geiss" (21)
The reason for this move will soon be apparent.
oooooOOOOOooooo
Page | 28
Ebenezer Geiss was perhaps the most successful of the Geiss family who came to Tasmania
in 1823. Between 1825 and 1828 he was granted 1000 acres of good land at a place that was
known as the Black Snake, then Bridgewater, and today Granton. He named his property
"Mount Nassau" and most surprisingly, the buildings he erected are there to this day:
(22)
Page | 29
As mentioned earlier, Ebenezer Geiss and Samuel Guy had struck up a friendship having
arrived in VDL within a year of each other, both being farmers and both connected with
other than mainstream churches. After more than twenty years building up his property
Ebenezer married Samuel's daughter Emma on 30 July 1845 in New Norfolk (23). They lived
at Mount Nassau and raised four children, two boys and two girls.
Ebenezer was active in the community and his church and on 25 January 1858 the Governor
in Chief appointed him as a Magistrate for the Bridgewater area. (24) In the years between
1858 and 1865 Ebenezer continued with his work and his church, looking after his family
even after their first daughter died at age 11 months in 1847. During the latter part of this
period, his family and friends may have noticed some changes to Ebenezer's behaviour and
attitude and this led to a tragic conclusion on 20 October 1865. On this date, his brother
John completed the necessary paperwork to have his brother committed to the New
Norfolk Hospital for the Insane. (25) Two independent doctors certified to having examined
Ebenezer and they found him to be "of unsound mind, incoherent, hallucinating" and "I have
seen a diary in his handwriting in which the most extravagant delusions are recorded (such
as building a steam boat to travel the world). I learn from his brother John Geiss that for a
long time past he has had no sound sleep and has been in the habit of wandering about the
premises during the night."
John also attested that "He several times attempted taking my life and has often threatened
it." There is no mention of wife Emma in this document but it must have been hell for her
and the remaining children - perhaps that is why brother John had apparently kept a close
eye on Ebenezer. After spending a year or more in the Hospital, Ebenezer was transferred to
a house at Battery Point which was probably family owned or perhaps owned by Benjamin
Guy. On 4 January 1867 Ebenezer Geiss died aged 58 and his passing must have been a
release for all concerned. His cause of death was registered as "Disease of brain". In his will
dated 17 November 1866 (26) he left everything to Emma and Probate was granted to her in
the estate valued at only £300. This amount does not include the value of his property
holdings.
oooooOOOOOooooo
I can't help wondering if Ebenezer's flight of fancy about the steam boat had been inspired
by a visit to the Hobart docks in earlier years when he and the whole city would have been
amazed to see the wondrous SS Great Britain, the brainchild of the genius of the industrial
age, Isombard Kingdom Brunel. The ship had regularly visited Hobart and Sydney from 1852
to 1881 on the profitable migrants/manufactured goods inward and wheat, butter and wool
outwards. It weighed 5000 tons not long after most migrants to VDL had travelled the same
route in ships of usually 300 to 400 tons...
Page | 30
(28)
Emma Geiss died of tuberculosis eighteen months later aged 53 on 27 June 1868 at Colville
Street, Hobart and her estate was valued at only £250 (excluding property)...more mystery
as there is no mention of children that can be seen - the copy of the probate document is
extremely hard to read.(27)
Ebenezer's magnificent property "Mount Nassau" was put up for sale on Friday 25 March
Page | 31
1870 as shown in the advertisement lodged in The Mercury, Hobart on 7 March 1870 (29),
three years after his death and we can assume Emma lived there until her death in 1868.
Page | 32
Brother John is a co-seller of the property with the lawyers from Emma's estate but despite
being advertised well before the auction date, the place did not sell and a little later Mount
Nassau was available for rental, "To Let, By Tender" in an advertisement placed by John
Geiss on 31 March 1870. He was then residing at 3 King-street, New Town Road, Hobart so it
appears everyone had left the land and moved to the city. I have not been able to trace the
further sale or lease of Mount Nassau until it was purchased by a Mr. Rathbone in 1913 and
whose family is still on site and now operate Derwent Estate Winery. John Geiss died on 11
August 1877.
oooooOOOOOooooo
a footnote on the Reverend Archibald Macarthur
I have no direct relationship with this man but after reading his story, I cannot resist telling
it. The Reverend married Mary Geiss, only daughter of Anthony Geiss on 21 May 1828 in
Hobart. He had been trained in the University of Edinburgh on the sponsorship of the
Scottish Missionary Society and was destined to be ordained in the "Scots Church"
(Presbyterian) but he did not complete the course. In 1821 the United Associate Presbytery
of Edinburgh received a request from the good Scottish migrants now in Van Diemen's Land
for a Minister. Macarthur volunteered and was ordained as a missionary minister. He
arrived in Hobart Town in December 1822 and is recorded as having preached the first
Presbyterian sermon in Australia, on 5 January 1823.(31) For the next five years he devoted
all his talent and zeal to the establishment and growth of the Presbyterian Church in VDL.
He married and he and Mary had four children; Archibald born 1829, Mary born 1830, John
born 1832 and William Henry born 1834.(32)
On 26 October 1835, the Church in Sydney sent the Reverend John Dunmore Lang to preside
over a ceremony to make Archibald fully ordained in the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
The problem was that by then, Archibald had seriously blotted his copybook and the
members of his congregation were about to hold a meeting that night to call for his
dismissal. He was facing charges of "highly disreputable and disgraceful facts". In evidence
to a meeting of the Elders, Mrs. Turnbull the wife of the Private Secretary to the LieutenantGovernor, said that on a home visit to see Macarthur's dying wife, the Reverend Archibald
Macarthur had attempted to kiss her and when she rebuffed him he said "You cannot
mistake me, you must often have observed how I looked down upon you from the pulpit".
Another woman testified that the Reverend had once bitten her on the back of the neck in a
similar moment of attempted passion.(33) Archibald Macarthur admitted his guilt, resigned
his ministry ( I'm sure at the urging of Dunmore Lang and the Elders) and quietly left Hobart
for Launceston.
His poor wife Mary died on 2 December 1835 just a couple of months after her husband's
Page | 33
disgrace - she was buried on the old Presbyterian cemetery on Trinity Hill, Hobart.(31) Later
in the early 20th century Presbyterian Church leaders laid a wreath on her grave in
commemoration of the early work
done by her husband.
Archibald addressed a meeting of
the Launceston Teetotal Society in
September 1842 where he said
that only total abstinence could
achieve the desired result (34)
Perhaps Archie had been too fond
of a "wee dram" and the demon
drink had aroused his desires in a
most inappropriate manner. He
then sailed for England with only
one child, son John and was soon
established as Minister of a new
Congregational chapel at Barley, Herefordshire and in October 1843 married Martha
Dobson (daughter of a Reverend) at Chishall in Essex. The old "reprobate" as one VDL
newspaper described him, died in Bayswater, London on 2 January 1847. (31)
The most surprising thing in all this is how Archibald Macarthur is remembered by the
Presbyterian Church in Australia - his pioneering sermon and the establishment of the
church in this country is well documented and there is little if any mention in the church
references to his dalliances and disgrace. Oh well, victors write the history I suppose.
oooooOOOOOooooo
Page | 34
The end for Benjamin Guy and Samuel Guy
It’s often said that parents should never have to bury their children but sadly that is what
happened to Samuel Guy. After returning from his trip back to the Old Country and settling
back into the comfortable life of a gentleman in Richmond, Benjamin Guy died on 31
January 1856 at his magnificent house "Belmont" in Richmond. He was aged just 56 and the
cause of death is listed as "Rheumatism" - a doctor friend told me that in the mid 19th
century, it was common and acceptable for doctors and coroners to record such a cause
when usually they were describing a symptom of something else, more deadly. At that time
it appears perhaps only Ann his wife and son Frederick were left at the home - the
whereabouts of the others will be discussed later. Benjamin was buried on Monday 4
February 1856 in the graveyard at St. Lukes Anglican church, Richmond where he had been
a church warden in his later years. His father attended the funeral as did many friends and
family.
His obituary in the Colonial Times is impressive(1):
"Our obituary of this days date contains the brief announcement of the demise, on Thursday
last, of one of our oldest and most respected colonists, the late Benjamin Guy, Esq., of
Belmont, Richmond. The deceased had been thirty-four years in the colony. During these
many years Mr. Guy had attracted to himself much consideration and esteem on the part of
Page | 35
those with whom he came in contact, and, in his death, may be said to be universally
regretted. Mr. Guy did not come much before the public, choosing rather to enjoy the
undisturbed ease of private life after the active engagements of business. His death had
been expected by his family for some few weeks past, for his recovery from an affection of
the head had for some time been hopeless. The funeral will take place at two o'clock on
Monday next, at Richmond."
Benjamin's gravestone is four-sided and the others mentioned on it will also be covered
later.
(2)
Benjamin Guy had taken a huge leap of faith by joining his father on the long and perilous
journey to Van Diemen's Land and perhaps especially so with a wife of just one month.
There is now a lot of evidence particularly from East Sussex, that shop-keeping was in the
family and Benjamin was able to prove himself an excellent merchant. His wife Ann was
made of sterner stuff it seems as she lived on until at age 86, when she died in Inveresk,
Launceston on 30 May 1890(3). She had probably been living in Launceston with her son
Frederick William.
Benjamin's Last Will and Testament (4) is lengthy and drawn up in such a way as to indicate
he had commissioned solicitors to do so for him. He appointed the following as Executors
Page | 36
and Trustees:



Ebenezer Geiss of Mount Nassau near Bridgewater, Van Diemen's Land, Esquire
Robert William Nutt of Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land, Solicitor
Joseph Benson Mather of Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land, Draper
The solicitor later declined to act as Executor and made a lengthy excuse to the Supreme
Court to that purpose.
In summary, Benjamin directed:









to his "dear Wife, Ann Guy absolutely the wines, fuel and other consumable
household stores and provisions of which I shall die possessed. I bequeath to my said
wife the use and enjoyment of such part of my plate, linen, China, glass, household
furniture and effects as she may select for her use within six months of my decease,
and after her decease I direct the same articles to be disposed of as part of the
residue of my personal estate." He also directed Ann be paid an Annuity of Stg£250
during her life in four equal quarterly instalments, the first three months after his
death.
All of Benjamin's real estate was bequeathed to the Trustees/Executors "to sell by
public auction or private treaty...to sell singly or in blocks with full authority and no
responsibility for any loss. To rent for up to 14 years if expedient and collect best
rents in these periods." No property was to be sold in Ann's lifetime without her
consent in writing.
To each of his sons George Guy (aged 30), Charles Guy (aged 28) and Frederick Guy
(aged 22) during 1857, the sum of Stg£1000.
To his son Arthur Guy (aged 20) "if and when he shall attain the age of 24 years,
Stg£1000."
To each of his sons Alfred Guy (aged 24) and Henry Guy (aged 13), the like sum of
£1000.
To "my daughter Elizabeth Guy (aged 26) for her separate use, £1000...free from
marital control.. whether she was "covert or sole at my decease".
The Trustees were to hold the 3 X £1000 for Alfred, Henry and Elizabeth and pay by
instalment or invest in annuities in their name(s)
"If Alfred Guy (who is absent from this colony and respecting whom no intelligence
has lately been obtained) does not claim the £1000 within his mother's lifetime or
within seven years after her decease, the sum reverts to the Trustees."
A common fund was to be established for all children, grandchildren and more
remote issue "for their advancement in life", not exceeding £500 in any one claim.
The Will was proved at the Supreme Court of Tasmania on 15 February 1856 and both
remaining Trustees affirmed that they believed that the "Goods, Chattels, Rights, Credits
Page | 37
and Effects of the said deceased at the time of his death did not exceed £2,500. This
obviously does not take account of Benjamin's extensive property portfolio as the above
bequeaths could not have been made. Soon after Benjamin's death, his Trustees put up for
sale the family home at Richmond and an advertisement appeared in the local press (5)
"Messrs. Brent & Westbrook are instructed by the Representatives of the late Benjamin Guy,
Esq., to offer for Sale by Public Auction, at their Exchange Mart, Murray-street, on Thursday
13th March 1856 at one o'clock: THE VALUABLE PROPERTY OF BELMONT, in the township of
Richmond, late the residence of Benjamin Guy, Esq., and comprising a newly-built Mansion
and 46 acres of capital land, subdivided into ten convenient Paddocks, most suitably fenced.
The mansion was erected by the late proprietor some few years since regardless of cost, of
fine cut stone, and contains on the ground floor four good rooms, the drawing room being
16 by 18 feet, the dining room 16 by 14, breakfast parlour 13 by 14 and the kitchen 16 by
12½ feet, with six good-sized bed-rooms over; adjoining is the back kitchen, dairy and other
useful offices, and detached is a servant's room, granary, barn, stable, lodge and coachhouse, four stall stable, cow shed, men's dwelling, fowl house, piggeries, tool house and
liquid manure tank. There is also an excellent tank for rain water, capable of holding 6000
gallons. The garden is in excellent order and well stocked with choice fruit trees in full
bearing, and seven of the paddocks are laid down to English grasses, the other three being
under cultivation. The house is situated on an eminence, commanding extensive views and is
fitted up in a style that is well adapted for the residence of the country squire or Richmond's
Duke; (my emphasis) and the Auctioneers confidently invite an inspection by those who are
in search of a good property with a comfortable home. Terms - 20 per cent cash deposit etc
etc...."
The mansion did not sell at this auction and was still being advertised for sale in 1868. This
was truly the home of a very wealthy man and even today it is impressive.
Page | 38
In March of 1860 the Trustees of Benjamin's estate instructed agents to sell by auction eight
separate blocks of land at Battery Point in Hobart, now the site of the famous Salamanca
Markets. Some of them fronted Napoleon-street and some fronted Guy-street - the latter
no longer exists.
(6)Battery Point, Hobart
The start of the year 1878 saw a concerted effort on the part of the Trustees to sell more of
the estate properties. On 30 January, agents were instructed to sell by auction "Valuable
Town and Suburban Properties"; three large blocks of improved and vacant land in Hobart,
an allotment in Battery Point and several allotments in Kangaroo Point.(8)
In February 1878 the Trustees again instructed the auction of a "large Garden, Upper
Elizabeth Street having a frontage on Elizabeth, Queen and Argyle Streets as well as a large
block of land on Macquarie Street, extending to Hobart Rivulet." (7)
The value of these properties must have been many, many thousands of pounds so the
beneficiaries of Benjamin's Will would have been comfortable to say the least. The fate of
his wife and sons will be covered later. Benjamin had proved the validity of his father's
determination to improve his lot, migrate to Van Diemen's Land and not to see his fortune
drift away in his farming ventures in England. Benjamin was clearly the most successful of
the two and may have even exceeded the wealth of the merchant members of the Guy
family back in East Sussex; obviously difficult to tell and of little importance now because for
all of that grand wealth, nothing came down to Guy descendants, at least not this one...
ooooOOOOOooooo
Page | 39
Samuel Guy had lived a good life and had proven to himself at least the wisdom of migrating
to Van Diemen's Land in 1822 when it looked like his capital was going to disappear if he
stayed on farming in England. His wife Elizabeth had pre-deceased him, dying on 15
November, 1848(9) at Mount Nassau of "Hydrothorax" which is an effusion of liquid in the
pleural cavity. We could assume she was living with her daughter Mary at the time of her
death. Samuel finally succumbed on 29 October 1858 (10), and at the time he was living in a
cottage in Murray Street, Hobart. His cause of death is listed as "Decay of Nature" which I
suppose says it all. Both are buried in the Hestercombe Chapel graveyard together with
their last daughter Helen Eliza:
Page | 40
Samuel died at age 81 whereas his eldest son had died at only 56; tragic. Samuel had been a
successful shopkeeper and farmer and had amassed a good fortune in his adopted land. He
could never have imaged that a letter he wrote in 1823 to his brother in England would now
be available to the world through the copy held in the National Library of Australia and
appended to this tale. Samuel's will is dated 1849 (12) , just after his wife's death and
contains a couple of surprises - he wrote:








He appointed son Benjamin Guy and friend and son-in-law, Ebenezer Geiss,
Executors
He directed his farm of seven hundred acres called Arundel on the northern banks of
the River Derwent in the District of New Norfolk comprising land, dwelling house,
barn and all the appurtenances thereunto and now in the occupation of John McKay
Esquire, be sold by public auction or private sale as soon as his Executors thought fit
after his decease.
His first bequest was to his "son George Guy of the Parish of Chiddingly in the
County Sussex England, the sum of Two Hundred Pounds sterling." Unfortunately by
the time Samuel died George had also died, just five months earlier. This must have
led to the reference to the Supreme Court of Tasmania in the estate matters of
George. (11) Two of Samuel's sons had now died at the early age of 56.
"I give and bequeath to my daughter Emma Geiss the sum of One Hundred Pounds
sterling. "
"I give and bequeath to my son Andrew Guy the sum of One Hundred Pounds
sterling." This was the first mention I had seen to this son as he was not on record
where most of the other children were born and baptised.
"..and the residue of the monies arising from the sale of the said farm, I give and
bequeath to my son Benjamin Guy." By this time Benjamin had also died so
Ebenezer was left as sole Executor.
"I give and bequeath to my daughter Emma Geiss all my sheep that are in the charge
of John and Ebenezer Geiss, Mount Nassau for her sole use and disposal."
"I give and bequeath to my daughter Helen Eliza Guy my dwelling house and twenty
acres of land with all its appurtenances thereunto belonging and now in my
possession at New Norfolk with all the household furniture, plate, linen, Books,
Cows, pigs, crops, farming implements and all other my said property thereon at my
decease for her sole use and disposal. I give and bequeath to my said daughter Helen
Eliza Guy one bank share of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land and all monies that may
be standing in my name in the above Bank."
Probate of Samuel's Will was granted in the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land, now
called Tasmania in December 1858, noting that "one of the Executors in the said Will named
Benjamin Guy....having long since departed this life." The estate was valued at One
Thousand Pounds, excluding land.
oooooOOOOOooooo
Page | 41
The children of Samuel Guy
1. Benjamin, born 1799. His story is well documented above
2. George, born 1801. George did not emigrate to VDL with his parents but stayed on in
Chiddingly and became a very successful farmer, shopkeeper, grocer and butcher. (11)
3. Matilda, born 1803. Probably stayed in England; no evidence of marriage or death in
Van Diemen's Land. No record yet found in UK either.
4. Ann, born 1805. Probably stayed in England as she is recorded in 1821 Census as
living in Chiddingly, before her parents migrated. No evidence of her in VDL.
5. Andrew, born 1807. Migrated to VDL with his parents. His father gave him 100 acres
of his own farm and Andrew was granted or bought another block of land of 219
acres at New Norfolk. He became a successful farmer and involved member of the
community. The first mention of him I can find is in June 1831 when he appeared as
a witness in a court case; Andrew deposed "I serve in the shop of my brother, who
lives in Liverpool-street, and I recollect selling the prisoner some tobacco...". (13) (This
was obviously Benjamin's shop). Later that year he was noted as a Hearer of the
Methodist Church, Hobart (14) and in 1840 Andrew Guy and William Triffitt were
authorised to keep trespassers off their land situated "between Front and Back River
Farms, New Norfolk." (15) In 1841 he was on a committee with the object of forming
the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Co. with capital of £6000 - the River Derwent was
navigable up to and past New Norfolk from Hobart.(16)
By 1849 Andrew Guy was doing well for himself as indicated by his interest in horse
racing like his brother Benjamin - In April of that year his name was listed as a person
to whom prospective entrants in a Silver Cup race to be held at New Norfolk could
lodge their entry for the race to be held the following January. (17)
There is no evidence Andrew ever married and after a good life, he died on 10
November, 1878 at New Norfolk aged 71(18). The fact that his death was reported by
"Friend, Alexander Riddoch, New Norfolk" is another indication that he had no wife
or children.
6. Alfred, born 1810. Did not migrate with his parents and died in Chiddingly, East
Sussex in June 1829.(11)
7. Francis Henry, born 1812. Aged only 9 when his parents migrated and we could
assume he went with them but there is no record of him in VDL/Australia. The only
half-credible record is of the death of a man by the same name in Hailsham, Sussex,
not far from Chalvington/Chiddingly in the last quarter 1863. (19)
8. Emma, born 1815. Definitely migrated with her parents to VDL. Married Ebenezer
Geiss in 1845 at New Norfolk, VDL. Died in Hobart 27 June 1868.(20)
9. Helen Eliza, born 1821. Definitely migrated with her parents to VDL. No evidence of
her marriage (her Will states “Spinster”) although she was christened in Hobart on
23 June 1830. She died at Mount Nassau on 29 September 1861 after "a lingering
illness" (21), just 40 years old. Helen’s Last Will & Testament was proven in the
Page | 42
Supreme Court on 22 October 1861 and names George Salier, Merchant of Hobart
and William John Rout, Ironmonger also of Hobart as joint Executors and Trustees.
Salier was a prominent Hobart merchant and probably a friend and associate of both
Samuel and Benjamin Guy. Mr. Rout was a fellow businessman. In her Will (22), Helen
left the following bequests:
 To her friend, “Anne Jane Hodgson, Spinster of Hobart, her gold watch and
fifty pounds of lawful money..”
 To her friend, “Mary Ann Hill, Spinster of Brighton, twenty five pounds of
lawful money..”
 To her sister, “Emma Geiss, the whole of my property as residual legatee” to
be invested by her Trustees ..interest to her for her life time..
 To her niece, Frances Elizabeth Geiss, the interest from the invested property
“for her advancement in life” and if she married, for the funds “to be free of
marital control”
 If her niece Frances died before her or remained unmarried and without
issue, the invested funds are to be directed to Helen’s nephews, Arthur
Ebenezer Geiss and John William Henry Geiss after they reach 21 years of
age.
There is a wonderful, strong thread running through the Wills of the Guy and Geiss families
– where bequeaths are made to females, both family or friends, the funds are to be theirs
alone and the expression “free from marital control” is used often. This attitude pre-dates
the Suffragette and women’s rights movements by more than fifty years and must have
been unusual at the time. Good for them.
Page | 43
The children of Benjamin Guy
1. Matilda, born 1823 in Hobart. Died aged 13 in Richmond, VDL. Buried at St. Lukes
Anglican Church, Richmond.
2. George, born 1826 in Hobart. Recorded along with three of his brothers, as being a
cabin passenger on the ship Creole from Hobart to Melbourne on 9 October 1852. (23)
Why would they all sail to Victoria? GOLD! The gold rush was well under way and
perhaps 100,000 people migrated to Victoria and NSW from all around the world.
We can assume he may have attended the funeral of his father in 1856 but he was
certainly home by April 1860 when he married Elizabeth Maycock in Hobart. (24) She
is recorded as a widow at marriage. George died at age 50 at his home on Broadway,
Dunolly, Victoria (below) on 21 July 1876. (25) This town is near Bendigo in the heart
of the goldfields where George was an auctioneer and secretary of the local turf
club.
Charles Edmund, born 1828 in Hobart. Also went to Victoria in 1852 with his
brothers. I am descended from Charles and his separate story will follow.
Elizabeth Anne, born 1830 in Hobart. Raised in Hobart and Richmond. Married
Frederick Augustus Spotswood on 26 February 1857 at St. David’s Anglican Church,
Hobart. (26) The couple had at least four children, all born in Launceston where
Frederick was an accountant. He died of tuberculosis in 1872 but her death record
cannot be found. She may have remarried. Difficult to trace more information at this
time.
Alfred Buscombe, born 1831 in Hobart. Raised in Hobart and Richmond. Went with
his brothers to Victoria in 1852 and later appears to have “run away to sea”. At his
father’s death he had not been heard of for quite some time. There are good records
based on his uncommon name that he became a seaman and was married to Ann
Pearson on 24 September 1860 in York, England. His death was registered in Great
Page | 44
Britain and shows he died at
sea aged 50 on 17 August 1881,
an Able Seaman in the
Merchant Marine.(27)
Frederick William, born 1833 in Hobart. Raised mainly in Richmond and also went to
Victoria with his brothers in 1852. He benefitted from his father’s estate and later records
show his occupation as Gentleman. He moved to Launceston at some time after his gold
adventure and he probably provided accommodation and care for his mother Ann in that
city. There is no evidence he married and in his Will he leaves his estate in equal quarter
shares to:
1. His sister, Elizabeth Ann Spotswood
2. The Launceston General Hospital
3. Launceston Benevolent Society
4. Tamar Street Independent Church
The Will was proven at £577 and there would have been property values on top of this.
William died on 16 December 1902 at age 69 (28)
Arthur, born 1835 in Hobart. Raised in Richmond and obviously a bright scholar as he went
on to study law. On graduation in 1859, the Hobart Mercury (29) reported that his bar exam
was “the best which has yet been passed here”. He was admitted as a Barrister, Attorney,
Solicitor and Proctor of the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Within a very short time, the
newspaper also reported that Arthur was leaving Hobart immediately to take up a position
with one of Melbourne’s most influential law firms but failed to name the firm. In a
surprising action, Arthur commissioned Messrs. Burn & Co. in Hobart to sell all his law books
in the same year – surprising for a law graduate and practising lawyer. (30)
After moving to Victoria it seems Arthur came up against the entrenched attitudes of the
Melbourne silks as he was refused permission to practice at the Supreme Court of Victoria
basically because he was too young at 25! He was ordered to practice in other Victorian
courts for twelve months before they would reconsider his application. He did so by
becoming a Partner at law firm Broadribb, Crisp, Lewis & Guy in the gold rush city of
Geelong where he practiced for at least twelve years. There was an unfortunate civil law
Page | 45
case in which Arthur was supposed to have gained an advantage over his partners in a land
dealing and he was declared bankrupt for a brief period. He continued practice in his own
right and seems to have become a bit of a champion of those people who were made
bankrupt, a sort of poacher becoming the gamekeeper. Arthur married Caroline Lamartine
Sidders on 12 August 1865 in Geelong but there does not appear to be any children of the
marriage. Arthur suffered at age 37 a “sudden and severe attack of paralysis” in December
1871 and lingered on until he died on 30 May 1872 at his home in Ryrie Street, Geelong, (31)
(below)
His obituary in the Mercury includes “It is often said of him that he was never known to turn
his back on trouble or distress, and that the poverty and vicissitudes of a client only served to
stimulate his exertions. He was successful in his practice but he studied more the interests of
others than his own.” A brilliant life snuffed out much too soon.
Benjamin, born 1839 in Hobart. Poor little Benjamin (junior) lived only to age four and a
half, dying in Hobart on 13 March 1844 of a “putrid sore throat”(32) This, together with
Arthur’s death above, are again in the style of naming the symptoms and not the causes of
the problem. Benjamin was buried in the same plot as his sister and eventually his father at
St. Lukes Anglican Church, Richmond.
Page | 46
Henry, born at sea 1842. Young Henry was born when his parents were returning from their
trip back to England during the early 1840s and the birth was registered when they reached
Hobart. (33) No doubt he grew up at the family mansion at Richmond and he later made his
way north to Launceston where he was employed as a clerk in the Commercial Bank at
Launceston. There on 26 November 1868 Henry married Margaret Ferguson at St. John’s
Church (34) an event which was newsworthy enough to be mentioned in the Cornwall
Chronicle of Launceston in issue of 5 December 1868. This record is considered solid as it
actually mentions that Henry is “the youngest son of the late Benjamin Guy, Esquire, of
Richmond.” He became a committee member of the Tamar Yachting Regatta and Honorary
Secretary of St. Andrews Church Young Men’s Association. I can find no record of any
children born in Tasmania to this couple.
There is a large gap in my knowledge of Henry and
Margaret between 1868 and May 1886, a period of eighteen years. The only reference I can
find that has any semblance of credibility is an advertisement in the Melbourne Argus in
December 1883 where an auctioneer had been “instructed by Henry Guy Esq., who is
leaving the colony” to sell all his “useful and well-kept furniture and effects”.(40) Could well
be him.
At the end of this time the couple is now found in Newcastle NSW where in May 1886,
Henry was appointed Secretary of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce (35). A month later
he was noted in the same newspaper as a sub-agent for the Canton Insurance Office Ltd.
His performance in his role in the Chamber was widely regarded as exemplary and the
newspaper editors were always singing his praise. No children are recorded as being born in
NSW. He suffered a blow when on 23 September 1887 his wife Margaret died at the age of
only 41 (36) and within two weeks he had sold all his household furniture and moved out of
their home at Perkin Street, Newcastle. He then resided at the Great Northern Hotel.
In October 1890, Henry was appointed Auditor of the Newcastle
Permanent Investment & Building Society, a body which continues to this
day.(37)
All of these facts are given credence by a newspaper report in June 1890 which ran an
article on the death of Henry’s mother – it pinpoints him, therefore his wife and his
whereabouts:
“DEATH OF AN OLD TASMANIAN COLONIST. Our obituary of to-day contains notice of the death at
the ripe old age of 89 of Mrs. Benjamin Guy, mother of Mr. Henry Guy, Secretary of the Newcastle
Chamber of Commerce. The deceased lady was at the time of her death one of the oldest, if not the
oldest, resident in Tasmania, having arrived in that colony in 1821 with the late Mr. Guy, who, after a
Page | 47
most successful career as a leading merchant in Hobart Town, retired with a competency within 15
years of his arrival. Out of a large family of 11 Mrs. Guy leaves but four, of whom Mr. H. Guy is the
youngest, having seen seven of her children pass away during her lengthened life. Mrs. Guy died at
her daughter's residence, Inveresk, Launceston, and her remains are to be interred in the family vault
at Richmond, Tasmania, the country residence of the late Mr. Guy.” (38)
The report does however, bring up another two mysteries, one of which can now be quickly
resolved. It says “having seen seven of her children pass away…leaves but four..” I had previously
found only nine children but there was a very feint name on Benjamin Senior’s gravestone which
looked like William Edward James Guy, and the dates were not very clear, probably 17 December
1837 and xx March 1844. This birth would fit in with the others and it also means that there might
have been a terrible family tragedy – the other small boy Benjamin Junior died on 18 March 1844.
Two small brothers dying on the same or close day in no doubt awful circumstances. I cannot find
any BDM references to this lad nor any reports of the death of the two of them.
That takes me to ten children….who was the other? There was a chance that another child had been
born between June 1824 and August 1825 which allows for the usual “mother’s rest” between child
births. No records are apparent and this child, who we can only say died before 1890, may never be
known.
In May 1891 Henry suffered “complications of internal complaints” and was soon taken to
hospital. He died on 13 June 1891 at Newcastle Hospital and was buried two days later at
Sandgate Cemetery. The Mormon Church transcribers recorded that both Henry and
Margaret were buried in the same grave. (39) Henry was only 48 years old and his obituary
said “The deceased gentleman was greatly respected.”
oooooOOOOOooooo
Who was at the funeral of Benjamin Guy?
Given that at the time of his death, Benjamin and Ann’s children had already begun to
disperse across Tasmania, the rest of Australia and the world, this question makes an
interesting point. There was a gap of only four days between his death on 31 January 1856
and his burial. My research indicates that the following family would have been present at
Benjamin’s funeral and burial:




His father, Samuel Guy aged 78 and possibly frail but living not far away.
His wife Ann, aged 52 and in apparent good health – she lived until 86 years old.
His daughter Elizabeth, aged 25 – she married the following year.
His son Henry, aged 13.
Page | 48
There is more certainty about those who were not at Benjamin’s funeral:









His mother Elizabeth who had died in 1848.
His first daughter Matilda who had died young in 1836.
His son George aged 29 who was living and working in Victoria from 1852*.
His son Charles Edmund, aged 28 who was also living/working in Victoria from 1852*
His son Alfred Buscombe aged 24 who had run away to sea, never to return.
His son Frederick William aged 22 who had also gone to Victoria in 1852*.
His son Arthur aged 20 who was living and working in Victoria from 1852*.
His son, William Edward James who had died young in 1844.
His son, Benjamin who had also died young in 1844.
*These sons would have been physically unable to travel from Victoria to Tasmania
in time for the funeral even if they had heard in time.
oooooOOOOOooooo
Page | 49
My Great, Great Grandfather, Charles Edmund GUY
Charles was born in Hobart in 1828 and was christened at St. David’s Anglican Church in
Hobart on 20 April 1828. By 1843 he was attending school at Richmond at the Eunopia
Academy where he received a commendation for his school work.(1) There is only one
mention of this school on the mighty Trove website so it may not have been very big but I’m
sure, exclusive all the same. After all, Charles was the second eldest son of the wealthy
Benjamin Guy.
Researching my ancestor has been made a little more complicated as there was another
man by that name that was in Van Diemen’s Land about the same time, but the latter was a
convict and that quickly separates the sheep from the goats.
By June 1846 at age 18, he was apparently living and working on his own at a place called
Prosser Plains, not far from Richmond.(2) In October 1852 Charles joined his brothers
George, Alfred and Frederick and they all sailed in cabin class to Melbourne on the coastal
ship Creole.(3) The reason no doubt, was to join the gold rush that had gripped Victoria and
other states and as we know, brother Alfred decided to join a ship there and apparently
never returned to Australia. The brothers’ fortunes at the gold fields were probably like
those of so many others with the glint of gold in their eyes – lots of good intentions, will and
work but in the end, it was mainly the people who sold goods to the miners who made any
money. With their father’s experience, I wonder…..
Charles left the main gold field area of Bendigo/Ballarat and headed north where he next
appears in Bialla, a district near Crookwell in NSW where he was employed as a stock
superintendent for a grazier. Charles had been called as a witness in a court case in February
1850. (3)
Page | 50
A few years later, Charles is most definitely at Beechworth, Victoria (above and below), up
close to the border with New South Wales and another gold mining hotspot. Beechworth
rejoices in being surrounded by towns with distinctly Aboriginal names such as
Yackandandah, Tangambalanga and Eldorado..
The only thing we can be certain of Charles’ activities here is that at age 25 he married
Isabella Baker in the Presbyterian Church at Albury on 7 July 1853 (4), just over the border in
Page | 51
NSW. This record stated they were both living in Beechworth at the time and they probably
travelled because there was no Presbyterian presence in Beechworth until 1857. Isabella
was aged 21 and was born in London, the daughter of George Baker and Anne Sophia
Parish. It appears they then moved north to the Goulburn area because at a court case in
1857, the witness told the court that he had purchased 246 cattle from Mr. Charles Guy in
1853.(7) No doubt Charles and his brothers had been taught animal husbandry by at least
their grandfather Samuel and perhaps their uncle by marriage, Ebenezer Geiss – I get the
impression their father Benjamin didn’t get his hands too dirty with the animals.
The couple’s first child Sarah Guy was born on 3 May 1854 in the NSW town of Yass, a major
wool growing area so they had now permanently left the state of Victoria and were heading
for where they would spend the rest of their lives. It is interesting to speculate whether
Charles and Isabella were notified in time to attend his father’s funeral in Richmond,
Tasmania in January 1856 and even if they were, could they physically get there in time?
Within a year or so, Charles and Isabella had moved further north again, up into the
northern foothills of the Snowy Mountains Range in southern New South Wales. They
settled in the town of Tumut with its small nearby villages, Adelong and Brungle. Tumut is
due west of Canberra and due east of Wagga Wagga; the national capital and the major
regional city of the Riverina respectively.
Due only to the later arrival of their second child Charles Edwin Guy, I could imagine they
did travel to Tasmania to at least be with Charles’ mother Ann in her bereavement. Charles
Edwin was born in 1858 in Tumut.(5)
(6)
Page | 52
Page | 53
Info on vineyards Inveresll at http://www.uralla.com/viticulture-new-england-australiaregion-56.html
http://www.nswera.net.au/biogs/UNE0073b.htm
Page | 54