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William Bell Carlyle was a surgeon in the Royal Navy and
Surgeon Superintendent of the convict ships
Asia 1820
Morley 1823
Henry 1825
Andromeda 1827 Phoenix 1828
and
Marquis of Huntley 1830.
He was granted 2000 acres
of land which he took up near Kingdon Ponds. In the 1828 Census, 350 acres were
cleared and there were 9 horses, 87 horned cattle and 475 sheep on the property.
In
1935 the Sydney Morning Herald published 'Memories of Pioneers' written
by Mary Graham in which she refers to William Bell Carlyle:
Scone, one of the
finest and most progressive towns in the Upper Hunter district is a place with
an interesting history, the home of many pioneers who have left memories of good
works and noble deeds. One of the earliest settlers was William Bell Carlyle,
R.N., a ship's surgeon, who was given first a grant of 2000 acres of land at
Kingdon Ponds which was called Satur. Last year (1934) the centenary of the
Scone Hospital was celebrated, and many interesting facts were brought to light.
The first settlement of the Scone district took place during the penal period,
and there was a convict establishment at Segenhoe. Governor Hunter was Hunter
was considered a fine man, and very proud were the old settlers that the river
running through the district should be named after him - the Hunter - and proud
too, are the descendants of these pioneers living today of the fact that the
Hunter Valley has produced so fine a stamp of people. Without digressing the
names of McIntyre, Potter Macqueen, the Parburys, Bowman, Dumaresq, Bell, Clark,
Rankin, Docker, Robertson, Cox, Brodie and Little are among those with many
others always spoken of with respect.
It was when what was
called the Queen Caroline trouble was taking place in England in the early
twenties of last century that many of the upper classes in England became
involved in the trouble and, being considered politically undesirable, were sent
overseas and given grants of land; and it was many of these that settled in the
Satur or Scone district.
One thing claimed for Dr.
Carlyle was that it was he who introduced the prickly pear, and it is said its
more extensive growth in Queensland can be traced to this district, it having
been taken north and transplanted by one of Queensland's first squatters,
Patrick Leslie on one of his journeys. It was in 1823 that nephews of Dr.
Carlyle, the Messrs
Francis Little
and
Archibald Little came to Invermein and the first settlement was formed
with a Court and Bench of magistrates for the whole district which was becoming
extensive. Dr. Carlyle, Captain Dumaresq and Francis Little were the first trio
of magistrates.' SMH 6 April 1935
William Carlyle was assigned convict
servants in the 1820's - Jonathon Savage who arrived on the
Asia in 1820 and Robert Challens who arrived on the Surry .
He later moved to the Port
Macquarie district where he established a vineyard. In May 1844 Dr. Carlyle
travelled to Sydney from Port Macquarie on the steamer
Maitland under
Captain Parsons. Also on board were
Major Innes
with
his wife and daughter, Dr.
Dawson, Mr. Todd, Mr. Middlemas and members of the 99th
Regiment.
William Bell Carlyle
died on 5th September 1844 at Hamilton, Port Macquarie.
Select here to find other prisoners assigned to William
Bell Carlisle

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