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CAPTAIN JOHN READMAN CLARK

(1836 – 1905)

Whitby (Yorkshire), Tasmania and Melbourne

HIS STORY

by Jenny Warner

Acknowledgements

I gratefully acknowledge the work over a long period of Bob Holderness-Roddam and his researchers. Bob commissioned most of the Yorkshire research. Also Suzanne Griffin for her “Brown” research, for putting all the researchers in touch with each other, but particularly for her break-through in finding JRC alive and well in the 1870s. Thanks also to cousins Steve Duke and Peter Arnold for sharing their research results.

His Forebears

John Readman Clark descended from a family that was established in the North Yorkshire parish of Hinderwell before the middle of the 16th Century.¹ The Parish of Hinderwell takes in the villages of Hinderwell, Staithes and Runswick. ² The first mentioned in the Parish Registers are Ralph Clark (c.1550-1603) and his wife Jane (d.1608). Ralph, along with at least three of his children died in the plague of October 1803. This plague came ashore from a Turkish boat³ that was wrecked at Runswick Bay. The plague was contained to the Parish.⁴

By 1724 it is established that the family is living in Runswick.⁵ (In about 1670 the whole village fell into the sea!)⁶ The family were fishermen, boatmen, ship owners⁷ and mariners. I think it can be safely assumed that they were involved in smuggling as well, (as this was rife along the North Yorkshire coast, especially during the Napoleonic Wars,) and may have been the source of wealth that allowed the gentrification of the family by the mid-18th Century.⁸

According to the notes of Rev. John Clark, Vicar of Egton, near Whitby in 1985⁹, John Clark of Runswick (1743-1811) , grandfather of John Readman Clark, was the Master of “Brothers” a 30-ton coal vessel in 1790¹⁰, exempted from the Press Gang from 1778 to 1793, Master of “Two Brothers”, another 30-ton vessel “taken by the enemy” in 1810, and owner of the 114-ton Brigantine “Three Brothers”.

His Father

George Clark was born at Runswick on 18th April 1788¹¹. His father (John) was described as a Fisherman and Boatmaster when he married Elizabeth Jackson, daughter of Simon Jackson, on 10th September 1775¹². George was the fourth child and probably the youngest. In 1809 at the age of 21 George married Jane Martin. Jane was the daughter of William and Jane Martin and was baptised at Whitby in 1791.¹³ George and Jane had seven children, born in Whitby¹⁴.

Jane died in June 1830¹⁵ and five years later, when he was nearly 47 George married Jane Readman¹⁶. Jane was 25 and living in Stockton in Co. Durham. They were married by license. Interestingly, in George’s application for the licence, he swears his age as “forty years and upwards” and Jane’s as “thirty years and upwards”¹⁷. Conscious of the age difference ?

George is described in various church registers as Master Mariner of Whitby (1811 –1824), Gentleman of Haggersgate¹⁸ (1836), Shipowner of Haggersgate (1839 – 1843)¹⁹ and Ships Chandler²⁰. George was also referred to as “Dandy George Clark” (Master of “Susannah”) in George Harrison’s Recollections (17 Sept. 1881)²¹, implying a fashionable appearance and concern for his clothes, and perhaps even a swaggering manner. George was wealthy enough to make public donations: in 1824 he made donations of £5 each to the Whitby Lancasterian School for Girls and the Whitby Public School.²²

George died on 30th December 1846, aged 58, and a brass memorial plaque was placed in the SE walk of St. Mary’s Church, Whitby. In his Will²³ George left Jane the house at Haggersgate, all its furniture, linen, plate, china, etc. (and her clothes, trinkets, etc!) and Pew 20 in the Whitby Church. The proceeds of the sale of the residual (Freehold, Leasehold and Personal estates) he had put in Trust. £3000 was to be invested and the interest and dividends paid to Jane, specifying that it was for her use “independent of any (future) husband … and not subject to his debts control or engagements”. He directed that after Jane’s death this money should be equally divided between his and Jane’s children, and failing this, among his children by the previous marriage. The rest of the Trust was to be divided equally among all his surviving children (or their heirs) as they turned 21. The estate was sworn at less than £4000 on 6 April 1847. Jane, although not wealthy, was left secure and independent.

His Mother

Jane Readman was born on 7 May 1809 and baptised in the Northallerton Parish Church.. Her parents were John Readman, a brewer, and his wife Margaret Carter. Margaret was born at Bedale, Yorkshire in September 1782²⁴. Her father, a tailor is listed in the 1823, 1829 and 1840 Directories at Bedale, (1834 at Hemgate).²⁵ Margaret and John were married (3 March 1806) in Whitby²⁶. Jane was second born in a family of nine children, most born in Northallerton²⁷. Both Northallerton and Bedale are west of the Moors and in farming country quite removed from the coastal areas around Whitby and Runswick. Perhaps this John Readman is the one born at Egton in 1782.²⁸

Jane was 25 when she married George Clark and 36 when he died. They had a son and three daughters born between 1836 and 1843. Of George’s previous children, the eldest daughter had married before her mother died and it is possible that she or her mother’s family took the younger children when Jane (Martin) died. None of George’s previous family was living with Jane Readman Clark and her children when the 1851 Census was taken.

About five years after her husband’s death Jane gave birth to another daughter, Emma. According to George Harrison’s Recollections of 1881²⁹ Emma’s father was Edward Corner: certainly, the Birth Registration³⁰, although not giving a father’s name, names the child as “Emma Corner”. Emma was born at 9 West Terrace, Darlington on 21 September 1851. Jane was 42 years old.

There were at least four Edwards Corner born in the Whitby district between 1800 and 1835: cousins born 1823 and 1825³¹; one born to George Broaderick Corner and Jane Huntriss in 1819; one born to Edward and Susanna (Brecon) in 1811³². This latter was probably the Draper listed in White’s Directory of 1840 and the 1881 Census. At the time of Emma’s birth he was a married man with at least one child (Mary, born 1841)³³.

Jane was still resident at Haggersgate on Census day (Sunday, 30 March 1851) but went to Darlington for Emma’s birth, perhaps to be closer to her family in Stockton. The possibility of the child being Jane’s granddaughter rather than daughter is extremely unlikely: the oldest of her daughters was 12 at the time.

Jane was listed amongst the “Gentry” in the 1849 and 1855 Directories and as “Gentlewoman” in the 1861 Census. At least one of her daughters went away to school.³⁴ She openly acknowledged Emma as her daughter and they share a headstone. Her other daughters married well (if rather later than she had expected). From her letters to her son John in Tasmania, it appears that her relationships with her extended family were not affected by this illegitimate birth.

Three of Jane’s letters to her son have survived, written in 1857, 1859 and 1861. They give news of John’s sisters and various of the Readman family - some in ill health, some with money (and drinking!) problems – and gadabout Grandma – in London, at Redcar for summer (she would have been 67 at the time). Most interestingly, they often mention money – how much Mr Brown left, how much Fanny’s beau has, wanting to know how much he is saving – (“there is nothing to be done you see without money”). Jane also expressed shock at John’s having married.

Jane died on 27 June 1877 at the residence of her daughter Lucy at Burton Garth, York and was buried in the Whitby Lapool Cemetery.³⁵ Her grave (and daughter Emma’s) is marked with a white marble headstone.

His Sisters

John Readman Clark was born on 28th April 1836 , Harriet on 10th January 1839, Fanny Readman on 9 September 1840, Lucy on 13 April 1843³⁶ and Emma on 21 September 1851. Emma died on 6 October 1866.

In a letter to John in Tasmania (1/6/1861), Jane Clark refers to his sisters, expressing a certain amount of anxiety at their not being married (“I wish I had two of them married”) and noted that Lucy (aged 17) is considered “the most stylish young lady in Whitby. She describes “Harry” and Lucy as “both very tall³⁷ and in the same letter says that Fanny not only has a beau but at 19 is “considered the Belle of Whitby”. Jane talks about their education and how she has brought them up to be “highly respectable”. Both Harriet and Lucy married in 1869.

Harriet married Edward Howard a widower ten years her senior on 11 August. Edward was from Newcastle-on-Tyne and gave his occupation as “Agent”. They were married in the Whitby Parish Church.³⁸ By 1881 they had two daughters (Emma aged 9 and Lucy aged 2), and a son William aged 7. Edward was working as a Commercial Traveller and they lived at 8 Crofts Terrace, Clifton in York. They employed two servants. Edward died in 1890 at the age of 61.³⁹

Lucy married on 30 June 1869 at St. Mary’s Bryanston Square, London. She married William Surtees Hornby, Esq, only son of the Rev. Dr. Hornby of Clifton Garth near York⁴⁰. William was younger than Lucy, his parents (Robert William Bitton Hornby and Ann Smales ) were married in 1844 and had children christened in 1845, 1849 and 1856.⁴¹ By 1881 they too had two daughters (Lucy aged 9, Annie 5) and a son Robert aged 4 and were living at Burton Garth, Clifton in York.⁴². William was employed as a Land & House Agent. They employed a groom, a nursemaid and a general servant. The name Surtees (which was passed to all of the next generation) probably refers to the old Durham family (which included the famous Robert Smith Surtees (1805-1864) the sporting journalist and novelist). Lucy died in 1888 at the age of 45.⁴³

Despite being considered “the Belle of Whitby” at the age of 19, being well educated, having a gentleman (the Comptroller of the Customs) paying her his addresses in 1859 and receiving letters from Mr Llenay of “Morne Abbey” in 1861⁴⁴, Fanny did not marry until later in life. Did the beaux get a whiff of “Emma scandal” ? Was Fanny too independently minded to accept a proposal ? When she did marry she was over 40 and married a much younger man: Harry Holt Highley. They married on 23 June 1881 at Holy Trinity Church, Halifax, Yorkshire. She was less than three months short of 41 (although she gave her age as 38 when the census was taken) and he was 25⁴⁵. At the time of the 1881 Census Fanny was staying as a guest of Christopher Ward, a Worsted Manufacturer (employer of one thousand people!) and his wife Annie, at 21 Saville Place Halifax. ⁴⁶

There does not appear to have been any issue from the marriage and Fanny died at 449 Lordship Lane, London SE on 2 September 1898. Her name was given as Fanny Readman Highley Clark.⁴⁷ Perhaps the marriage had not lasted.

His Story

John was 10 years old when his father died and 15 when Emma was born. With Jane’s family domiciled in Durham, and unless his half-brothers⁴⁸ took a supportive interest in the young family, John must have felt that a lot of pressure was on him to “protect” his mother and sisters. It may have been upsetting to him therefore when Edward Corner began to show a more than avuncular interest in the family.

George Harrison⁴⁹mentions that John attended “The Blue Coat School”.⁵⁰ The Blue Coat Schools were a network of Church of England schools. At least some were charity schools for the children of one-parent families. John was apprenticed as a seaman and his ticket (no 459 740)⁵¹ was registered on 16 February 1850 (issued on the 20), the day he signed on to W&M Brown. The information on his Seaman’s Ticket is confusing. Although it gives his place of birth correctly it gives his date of birth as 29 April 1833 and his age when ticketed as 17⁵². It also says that he first went to sea as an apprentice in 1849. (The Agreement document for the W&M Brown says there was no previous ship.) And it says that when unemployed he resided at Norfolk. There was a Bluecoat Charity School founded in Yarmouth in 1713⁵³, and being a major seaport, the school may have had maritime studies in its curriculum. (Note that the Navy refers to its shore bases as “ships” and so it is possible that John first went to “sea” at the Blue Coat School in 1849. A question that should be considered it why John was sent to Norfolk when Whitby provided excellent opportunities for apprentice seamen – Capt James Cook being possibly the most famous graduate.

John was actually still short of his fourteenth birthday when he went to sea on the W&M Brown. He signed on in London. W&M Brown was a Whitby ship of 297 tons first registered in 1838. The Master was Richard Bainton from Hull in Yorkshire. There was a crew of 12 and 1 apprentice. Each crewman was to be provided with 1lb flour and ¾ pint peas weekly as well as 1lb biscuit, ½ lb beef or ¼ lb pork, 2 oz sugar, ½ lb chocolate or cocoa or ¼ lb tea, and 3 quarts water daily, “Vinegar, Limejuice and sugar according to the Act.”

The ship sailed for Ceylon on 16 February 1850 , called at Colombo in July, Madras in September and Demarara (now Georgetown, Guyana) in December. Although the voyage terminated in London on 11 March 1851, the ship was in Whitby at the end January 1851⁵⁴ and I expect that John had shore leave and plenty to tell his Mother and sisters.

John’s second voyage commenced on 20 May 1851 with a crew of 11 and 2 apprentices, most of them new to W&M Brown. The crew signed on for a voyage that could take them virtually anywhere in the world – ports of the Indian Ocean, China Seas, Australasia, South Pacific, Mediterranean , Black and Baltic seas, and the Sea of Azov (Russia!) , with the stipulation that the voyage was not to exceed three years. Unfortunately there is no record of the ports at which they did call. The ship returned to London on 6 May 1852 where the crew was discharged, with the possible exception of John: (there is a note that he “remains”. ⁵⁵ )

John’s third voyage commenced at London on 20 August 1852 with a new Master (George H. Roberts) and a completely new crew (with the exception of John).⁵⁶ The crew had been further reduced to 9 seamen and 2 apprentices. The ship was owned by Mr W. Brown of Whitby⁵⁷, probably the man referred to by Jane Clark in her letter to John ( 8 March 1857) who was “buried last Tuesday … worth £100,000”.

This is the voyage that was wrecked on 23/8/1853 off Albatross Island, Bass Strait en route Melbourne (departed 19 August) to Singapore, having come from Mauritius. The crew made it to Hunters Island where they survived for 2 weeks on shellfish. They were rescued by David Howie and taken to Circular Head on the NW coast of VDL. A subscription was taken up for the crew because they had lost everything. The crew later embarked for Melbourne on the brig Mary Stewart ⁵⁸ but only Capt. Roberts is mentioned on the Passenger List in the Argus newspaper. It is possible that John chose to remain in Van Dieman’s Land. John was now 17. John was already settled on The Tamar by March 1857 – his mother’s letter mentions the Bank of Launceston – and she notes that it is a long time since she had heard from him.

The next “confirmed sighting” we have of John Readman Clark is when he married Elizabeth Brown of “Richmond Hill” on the West Tamar on 9th November 1858⁵⁹. Their first child (John Redman Clark) was born on 26th June the following year. The birth of this child was registered and the father’s occupation was given as “Farmer”, although he may also have been involved with his father-in-law in coastal trading. The Government Valuation Rolls confirm that John was resident on the West Tamar: on 16 acres, part of “Richmond Hill” , a grant of 1000 acres to Thomas Scott and leased by James Reid. It was situated downstream of Whirlpool Reach (site of Sidmouth) and Devil’s Elbow, upstream of the Little Elbow. This was formerly the residence of his wife Elizabeth and her family. Her family had pioneered this land as tenants/employees of James Reid. Elizabeth’s father had cleared the land, and worked as a sawyer, a labourer and a boat builder.⁶⁰ John Clark paid the “rates” in 1860, 61, 62.⁶¹

Elizabeth was the granddaughter of convicts and although her father may have been an educated man, she would probably have been very rough and uneducated in John’s well-educated and gentrified eyes. Later photos show her as a rotund woman with a heavy jaw and a thin, straight mouth. As an 18 year-old she must have had her charms. Her mother had died in 1854 leaving a family of 10 children ranging in age from 22 years to 3 months. Elizabeth was 14 when her mother died.

More children were born to John and Elizabeth: Jane on 9th August 1861, and Alfred George Clark on 9th July 1863. A fourth child, William Edgar was born on 4th February 1866⁶². John was back at sea by this time and there is a suggestion in the Family Bible that the last-born, William Edgar was not a Clark.⁶³ Arthur Westwood, the first of Elizabeth’s many Westwood children was born on 27th Feb 1870.

There is no mention of the Clarks on the Valuation Rolls between 1862 and 1868. It is possible that they moved to the North Coast where John was engaged in local shipping. In 1868 “Mrs Clark” reappears as a resident of Sidmouth, living in a hut on land owned by her brother John Brown of George Town. This property was listed as vacant from 1865 to 1867.⁶⁴

In September 1862 a Mr & Mrs Clark and their two children are listed as passengers on board SS Tommy arriving in Melbourne. Although it cannot be confirmed that this is our family, this is the ship of which J Readman Clark was registered as Master in 1865. They may have been prosperous enough for a trip to Melbourne, or John may have been wanting to enquire about employment.

When Clark was Master, the Tommy traded between Melbourne and Victor Harbour (SA), Port Frederick (?), Leith, Ulverstone and River Forth on the North Coast of Tasmania.⁶⁵ It was probably based on the River Forth.

Clark transferred from Master of the Tommy to You Yangs in September 1865⁶⁶ and worked his way up through 3rd, 2nd and 1st Mate and was Master in 1868⁶⁷. You Yangs and John’s subsequent commands were mostly passenger-collier steamships on the Melbourne to Sydney (and Newcastle) run, a fortnightly service. He would have been resident in Melbourne. Perhaps his wife Elizabeth was there with him but with his absences, wanted to be back at Sidmouth near her family.

Here is a summary of the ships that he commanded ⁶⁸:

You Yangs of Melbourne. 457 tons 1868 – 1874

Dandenong of Melbourne 575 tons 1870 –1871

Macedon of Melbourne 532 tons 1876

Cheviot of Melbourne 764 tons 1877 –1878

Barrabool of Melbourne 588 tons 1878 – 1883

Rodondo of Melbourne 1119 tons 1883

At least You Yangs and Barrabool , but probably all of these ships were owned by the Howard Smith shipping Company.⁶⁹ He stayed with this Company until he retired.

Both You Yangs and Barrabool were involved in mishaps while John was in command. In November 1868 You Yangs left Sydney in a strong southerly with high seas running. By 10pm the ship was off Kiama, a gale was blowing and so much water was coming in over the decks that the saloon was filling and deck cargo was being washed adrift. By 2am the gale had not abated and Clark decided to turn around. While turning the vessel a “monster” wave broke on board and washed one of the men at the wheel overboard. “Captain Clark ran to the wheel and succeeded in getting his vessel before the wind”, but a second wave came over the deck and washed away the wheel and binnacle. “Sail was, however, got on ship, and she arrived in port (Sydney) without any further mishap.”⁷⁰ The women passengers and Mr Henry Levy, Merchant of Melbourne, attested to John’s “skilful seamanship” and “valiant conduct” in letters published in the Argus. He replied with appropriate modesty!⁷¹

On 10th March 1879, just on dark, Barrabool rammed and sank SS Bonnie Dundee off Lake Macquarie (NSW) with the loss of five lives.⁷² John Clark was exonerated but Thomas Crawford, mate of Bonnie Dundee found guilty of negligence and lost his Coasting Master’s Certificate for 12 months.⁷³

Although John was Master of vessels from 1865, he was not accredited as a Master Mariner until 1878. (Certificate #187 Passed at Victoria ).⁷⁴ Interestingly, he was also Secretary of the Marine Board of Victoria in 1897⁷⁵

John was probably based in Melbourne from 1865. If he was alone he would probably have stayed in the Sailor’s Home, at a boarding house or even on board ship for the few days per fortnight that he was in town. From 1879 he seems to have maintained a residence. This is probably an indication that he has, at this time, set up house with Fanny Church whom he would later marry. He is listed⁷⁶ as resident in Taylor Street Essendon (adjacent to Railway) (1879-81), 2A King William St Fitzroy (corner Nicholson St) (1882), 18 Victoria Parade Fitzroy (corner Young Street) (1883-87), and Darebin St, Northcote (Nth side, between Kelvin Grove & Alexander St - near railway) (1899). For 1901 and 1902 he is listed at Cowes on Phillip Island, although he gave his address as Darebin Street when he married in 1903. It is possible that he had retired to Cowes.

John’s wife Elizabeth Westwood died on 1st November 1902 and John married Fanny Church (a widow since 1863) three months later They were married by Free Christian Church rites at 448 Queen Street Melbourne. Fanny was the daughter of John Weeks (a Mine Manager) and Dinah Parsons. She was born in Somerset, England and gave her age as 65. John was 67 (although he gave his age as 65 and he stated that he had no children by his former marriage!).⁷⁷ Fanny had a son John Thomas, born at Port Sorell or Prosser Point and baptised at Launceston in 1855, son of Charles Church.⁷⁸ Fanny Church (née Weeks) and her husband Charles, as well as Henry Weeks & his wife Priscilla (née Caswell) arrived in Tasmania on the Merlington in 1854. Weeks/Caswell were married in Wales 1853. They had eleven children in Tasmania. Church/Weeks had two children John Thomas and William. William died young.⁷⁹

John Readman Clark died at Cowes on 27th September 1905 of cirrhosis of the liver and cardiac failure. He had been sick for about three years. His death was registered by his step-son J.T. Church. John was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery on 29th September. His death certificate makes no mention of a first marriage and children.⁸⁰

John made his will on 21st July 1905. He left his entire estate to his wife Fanny but indicated that if she should predecease him, that it should be divided equally between Thomas Weeks’ son and daughter, the children of Henry Prescott and “J F Church” and his wife Elizabeth, etc.⁸¹ This “J F Church” was Fanny’s son and only child John Thomas Church of Clifton Hill, Victoria (and his wife’s name was Mary Elizabeth). Fanny was living at his house at the time of her death. It strikes me as strange that John Clark did not know or could not remember his step-son’s name when he was making his will. Perhaps he and Fanny had not seen much of him prior to John’s death. In fact one of John’s assets at the time of his death was £175/-/11 owed by J T Church.

John’s estate was valued at £743/6/2 with liabilities of £305/5/8. Included was real estate valued at £690, being the property at Cowes (Vol 2746 fol. 549051) and the property 124 Victoria Street Fitzroy (Certificate of Title Vol 1403 Fol.280448). Both were mortgaged.⁸² Among the liabilities are bills for 17 ½ lb butter, £6/13/5 to the store, £1/13/6 to the publican and 15/10 for milk! He also owed a total of £33/12/- in promissory notes, one of which was overdue. Money in the house when he died: nil!

Fanny died at her son’s house on 17th May the following year without making a will. The house in Fitzroy , Fanny’s furniture and personal possessions (the remnants of John’s estate) and £150 in the bank, was the total of Fanny’s estate( net value of £467/8/8). He son John Thomas Church was granted Letters of Administration and, presumably, got the lot!⁸³

John had led a varied and exciting life. He was born and raised in an educated, cultured, genteel family in the small maritime port of Whitby in Yorkshire. He went to sea at the age of 13 and travelled to Asia, South America and Australia. He was shipwrecked and had other near-death experiences on the sea. I suspect that he was inveigled into marriage in the “wilds” of early Tasmania and that after a few years was disillusioned and disappointed in it. He abandoned his wife and children but evidently found happiness with Fanny Church.

Jenny Warner

Adelaide

January 2005

Further research Blue Coat School, York & Yarmouth: registers 1845 – 1850; curriculum (maritime studies?)

Fanny Church – Melbourne directories, death of her husband 1863 – VDL or Victoria?

Where was William Edgar Clark baptised ?

Where was Port Frederick ?

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