William Eckford

Newcastle Harbour Pilot


William Eckford arrived free as a gunner on the Earl Cornwallis in June 1801. On the voyage out he met Mary Horrell, a prisoner from Devonshire who was only 14 years old when she was convicted of stealing a muslin apron and handkerchief and sentenced to 7 years transportation. [1]

As a free settler he began farming at Pennant Hills and Windsor however in 1813 in Sydney was convicted of stealing three sheep and was sentenced to death. (The Sydney Gazette recorded him as William Hickford) [2]. The sheep had strayed into Eckford's flock and were killed and pickled by overseer John Johnston.

Both William Eckford and John Johnston were convicted and condemned to death, however William's sentence was commuted and he was sent to the Newcastle Penal Settlement in 1814.

Newcastle

Robert Whitmore was employed as pilot at Newcastle in 1815 however fell into disfavour having grounded the Estramina in October; in correspondence from Commandant Lieutenant Thomas Thompson to Headquarters dated 27 October 1815, William Eckford was recommended for the position of pilot [3].
William Eckford's recommendation for the position of Pilot at Newcastle October 1815
At this time Newcastle had fewer than 100 townsfolk and was a place of secondary punishment.

Family

William and Mary produced six sons and three daughters:
Joseph and Peter were born in Newcastle, and his last daughter Mary Ann was also born there. Mary Ann and a native boy perished at Newcastle in 1826 after a calamitous explosion in the settlement's store house blew the roof off the building. Mary aged 6 and her friend had been playing inside and both died a few days later. The native lad was buried in the Parsonage garden[5] ; Mary was buried in Christ Church burial ground Read more about the explosion here.

The First School at Newcastle

The first school in Newcastle was started by ex-convict Henry Wrensford in 1816. William and Mary Eckford's children were amongst the first 16 pupils at the school

William Cossar

William Eckford's recommendation for the position of Pilot at Newcastle October 1815In 1819 William led a boat crew in the recovery of the vessel Cossar. He was given a pecuniary reward and the other men in the crew - Le Rose, White and McDonald received Tickets of Leave.[6]

Petition

In 1821 William petitioned and was granted a pardon. His petition refers to the occasion when the William Cossar was taken from Newcastle -
Your Petitioner well knowing the importance of Your Excellency's time will not venture further to intrude on it than formerly to state, that he was the Person who was dispatched with a boats crew from this Port to the Northward in search of the Cossar, and that after encountering great dangers and privations he succeeded in recovering her and after she underwent repairs took her to Port Jackson at which time your Excellency was pleased to give the persons who accompanied Petitioner Tickets of Leave. That when Your Excellency last honored this settlement with your presence you held out hopes to Petitioner that something should be done for him, which gracious promise now humbly emboldens Petitioner to approach you to state, that he has a wife and 8 small children on this settlement with very scanty means to support them [7]

June 1828

In June 1828 the sloop Dove was lost off Port Stephens after experiencing strong winds. Seven people lost their lives in this disaster. The famous Lord Liverpool also ran into difficulties in these June squalls, and if not for the skill of Captain Livingstone the cutter would have been lost. According to Captain Livingstone, William Eckford had attempted to come to the aid of the Lord Liverpool in his leaky old pilot's boat, ('a cockle shell' that should have been replaced eight months previously) but almost drowned in the process. [8]

Retirement

William Eckford retired soon after this after many years service as a pilot. Few probably knew the harbour better than William Eckford, however perhaps this near calamity with the Lord Liverpool was the last straw. He was over 70 years old by this time and retired to Maitland where his sons John, Henry, William, James, Joseph and Peter resided and where he had owned a farm since about 1818.

In 1823 there was already a barn on the land as well as a wattle and plaster cottage and a pig yard. [9]

He received a pension of 4 pounds, 13 shillings and 9d. on retirement.[10]

William Eckford died in 1833

The Evidence before J. T. Bigge:

William Eckford provided interesting information about the harbour and early Newcastle in giving evidence before Commissioner John Thomas Bigges' Enquiry in 1820:

Evidence of William Eckford, Pilot, 21 January 1820

1. How long have you been pilot? Two years and a half

2. By whom were you appointed? By the Governor on the recommendation of Captain Wallis

3. What is your pay and emolument?
A ration and a half daily, a house to live in and for piloting private vessels only, five shillings for those not exceeding fifty tons and all above, twenty shillings

4. How long have you been a prisoner in the country?
I was tried about six years ago before Judge Bent

5. Is every vessel bound to take a pilot?
I do not know whether they are obliged to take one, but they all do if not for the pilotage for the sake of the boat (i.e. to obtain the assistance of the pilot's boat, especially in tacking) as they are all weakly manned themselves.

6. Is the harbour difficult to enter?
It is and a very dangerous harbour, on account of the shifting of the sands and the variety of currents cause by the passage between the mainland and the island called Nobbys.

7. What draught of water is there at low and high tide?
Four fathoms at high water and two and a half at low, in some places it is more; but at low water without a leading wind a vessel could not enter, the channel is so narrow.

8. What is the greatest tonnage which vessels ought to be that come to load at this port?
Not exceeding one hundred though at spring tides larger may come. They must however wait for a fair wind and the springs to go out.

9. Have many vessels been lost since you have been pilot?
Only one and she drove from her anchors in the harbour on shore and was entirely lost

10. Have you heard of many being lost here?
A great many

11. Were these losses occasioned by being blown off in attempting to enter the harbour?
Chiefly by want of skill in the persons commanding and of those vessels bound to the Hawkesbury.

12. Are the colonial private vessels badly fitted out which come here?
Yes, they are

13. Is the anchorage in the harbour here good?
The holding ground is but there is a want of room

14. Is there any sand bank in the harbour?
There is a large one, that runs in the middle of the harbour leaving a channel on both shores.

15. What is the depth of those channels?
From three to five fathoms each

16. Would not the channel on the south shore afford good anchorage for vessels loading provided there was a quay?
It would

17. What is the length of the short where the deep water is
About fifty or sixty rods

18. Could they drop down after loading to the principal anchorage?
They could

19. Can a vessel go up the river to the place where they now cut wood?
Vessels drawing six foot water can go up and formerly private vessels did

20. How high does the tide rise here?
About six feet at spring tides but the height is affected by the quarter the wind blows from

21. What is the depth of water at the end of the wharf?
About three feet at low water and, at some time, twelve at high

22. Do you think that the pier now constructing will add security to vessels leaving and entering the port when it is finished?
When the pier is finished it will prevent the cross tide and afford a safe harbour to enter and leave in south or south easterly winds

23. Is there any considerable supply of fish on this part of the coast?
At times there is, but at others very little or none

24. What is the most plentiful sort?
Snapper on the outside, mullet and black fish on the inside

25. Is the coast favourable to fishing?
Only for lines, but not for trawling, the swell on all occasions is too heavy from the southward

26. Have any vessels or boats been run away with since have been here?
Yes, one, a sloop belonging to a man at Sydney taken by four prisoners. They have not been heard of since. No boats have been run off, they are sure of being brought back for they cannot take provisions enough to enable them to go anywhere

27. How many people were in the settlement when you came here?
Not exceeding one hundred

28. Was it customary at that period or since to send the prisoners back to Sydney on the expiration of their colonial sentences or were they ever detained?

Those who conducted themselves well were sent back, but those who did not were retained. In Captain Wallis' time, as there was a great demand for labour at the public works, he detained those who were useful after their colonial sentence had expired.

29. Were there any public buildings in the town before Captain Wallis' time?
None but the store and military barracks and a small gaol

30. Is there always abundance of water supplied from the well near the sea
There is

31. How has the settlement been supplied with provisions since you have been here?
Very regularly; but usually in the month of February there have been great deficiencies both of meat and wheat; but these have been always made up on the arrival of the vessel from Sydney [11]


References

[1] McRae-Clift, Aenone, (from Maitland District Pre 1900 Pioneer Register, Maitland Family History Circle Inc. 2001, p87)

[2] Sydney Gazette 20 November 1813

[3]. Colonial Secretary's Correspondence. Reel 6066; 4/1805 p.200a

[4]. Australian Royalty

[5] Australian 21 October 1826

[6]Colonial Secretary Letters. Series: NRS 937; Reel Numbers: Reels 6004-6016 Description Title: Copies of Letters Sent Within The Colony, 1814-1827

[7] Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856 , Series: NRS 900;Fiche Numbers: Fiche 3163-3253Title: Petitions To The Governor From Convicts For Mitigations of Sentences

[8] Australian 13 June 1828

[9] Colonial Secretary Letters. Series: NRS 898; Fiche 3264; 4/7029E pp.2-3. Title: Special Bundles, 1794-1825

[10] Sydney Gazette 8 September 1829

[11] J. Turner (ed.), Newcastle as a Convict Settlement: The Evidence before J. T. Bigge in 1819–1821 (Newcastle: Council of the City of Newcastle, 1973) p. 69-73


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