on 22
November 1817 with 245 other convicts.
The ship's indents record that Charles Hughes was
19 years of age with dark hair, blue eyes and a dark sallow
complexion. Seventeen months after arrival in Sydney, he was
sent to the penal settlement at Newcastle
where in November of that year he and John Davis
were both punished with 25 lashes for gambling. This seems to have been his
only lapse and in the following years he was
employed as an assistant pilot at Newcastle
working under William Eckford.
He received a Ticket of Leave for the district of
Newcastle in 1827 which allowed him to work on his
own behalf and the 1828 Census records his
occupation as fisherman. However Hughes returned
to his work as assistant pilot probably taking
over the duties of Mr. Cromarty when that man was
injured and forced into retirement.
He was on hand
in 1834 to assist the crew of the vessel Mary
Jane when she ran into trouble in bad weather
off Newcastle. The incident was described by one
of the men - 'Mr. Charles Hughes, assisted by his
men, came out with his boat to our assistance, at
a very early hour of the morning of the 7th but,
from the heavy sea and swell, he was compelled to
go back, and he and his men immediately repaired
overland (a distance of 13 or 14 miles all of
which is a soft sandy beach) to the scene of our
distress where he remained that night and ensuing
day in a diligent endeavor to recover the vessel
but the sea still continuing to keep up with
increasing violence, the vessels bottom was
staved'
At this time, even after so many years service,
Hughes position was that of Assistant pilot and
perhaps there were others vying for the position
of Pilot at Newcastle - The Sydney Gazette wrote in March 1834
that 'In no harbour or river of the Colony is
the necessity of a pilot more urgent than in that
of the Hunter. Trade between Newcastle, Maitland,
and the numerous flourishing establishments and
villages formed upon the banks of that fertile
river, is now conducted upon a very extensive
scale. Large vessels occasionally touch and many
would probably do so if they were provided with a
public pilot, responsible for the safe navigation
of the river. The 'Australian' briefly notices the
want of such an officer, and we cordially join it,
in deprecating the negligence of the Government,
in so long withholding a pilot from a part of the
coast where it is much wanted. Mr. Eckford, once a
pilot has been superannuated. If his services were
wanted years ago, surely the increase of trade now
imperatively demand a person of this description'.
Stung into
action, Charles Hughes penned his reply to this criticism of his work
and in April the following letter appeared in the Sydney Gazette
-
'To the
Editor of the Sydney Gazette, Sir, Assured that you will enable me to
counteract any possible injustice, founded upon ex parte
statement got up, if not for interested purposes, with a view perhaps to
prejudice the hopes of reward after a servitude of seventeen years, I
humbly beg your insertion of this letter, in contradiction of an article
published in the Sydney Gazette of the 22nd ult, in reference to
the pilot duties and harbour of Newcastle. I beg leave to state for the
information of the Government, that I have performed the duties of pilot
at Newcastle, not only from the superannuation of the late Mr. Eckford,
which took place in the year 1827, but for ten years prior to that
occurrence without imputation or fault, that my conduct during which
space for capability and attention is now submitted to be subjected to
the most rigid scrutiny, and that I have individually safely conducted
into, and out of this harbour, the largest ship, and the largest brig,
which has ever entered it. In conclusion, Sir, I beg to annex the
certificate of Captain Dixon, of the Richard Reynolds (which is one of
numerous others similar to it in my possession) which ship has just
cleared hence from the Australian Company's wharf, laden with between
400 and 500 tons of coals, and draughted 14 feet 9 inches of water. I
remain Sir, Charles Hughes, Acting Pilot. '
In December 1834, the Sydney Monitor noted that Mr.
Hughes, formerly pilot at Newcastle, had been engaged as mate
on the steamer Tamar.
Charles Hughes later went on to pursue a career as
an Innkeeper first in Newcastle and later in
Maitland and
Anvil Creek.
