Free Settler or Felon
Vicars Jacob - Settler
Knock Finn and Miller's Forest - Map 1
Birth: Queens Co. Ireland 1788
Arrival: Medway to VDL in 1822
Occupation: Soldier; merchant
Land Grant: 2000 acres. Knock Finn and Millers Forests
Marriage: Ann Watson 1817
Death: Calcutta 1836
Arrival in the Colony
Vicars Jacob was attached to the 3rd Regiment Bengal Native Infantry when he first arrived in Australia.He arrived in Hobart with his wife Ann and their children Vicars and Australia on the Medway in 1822 with the intention of entering the mercantile industry.
An article in the Sydney Gazette in 1823 gives the reason for his decision to settle in Australia:
'Vickers Frederick Jacob, son of Vickers Jacob died on 9th instant. He was the third child of the Jacobs to die within four years. All had died from fever due to teething. The loss of the two former children was ascribed to the influence of the Indian climate. Mr. Jacob had retired from the service of the East Indian Company and settled in New South Wales under the hope of being here spared a similar trial but this last infliction has shewn the deceitfulness of such hopes and the inefficiency of human precautions.'
In May 1823 he was permitted at his own request to resign from the service of the 3rd regiment, to come into effect on 11 July 1822.
He established a mercantile business in George Street Sydney and was granted land on the Hunter River he named Knock Finn and Millers Forest.
Location of his grants can be seen top left on the map.
Newcastle
By December 1823 Vicars Jacob was attempting to have his land cleared. His name also appears alongside 192 other men who were granted allotments of land in Newcastle in 1824. His allotment adjoined that of James Reid.He was involved in a dispute with the military at Newcastle in this year when Magistrate Captain Henry Gillman entered Jacob's property without permission and was sued by Jacob for misuse of a search warrant. [1]
Assigned Convict Servants
Vicars Jacob also had difficulties with his convict servants. In correspondence to the Sydney Gazette in 1824 he vented his frustration....Extract....In the month of December last, in consideration of a grant of land received from Government, I took upon myself the maintenance of twenty convicts, whom I sent to the farm ; it so happened, that the greater proportion of them had just arrived from Ireland, for, in their own words, 'doing nothing,' an art of which they appear perfect masters. About the 1st of April I visited them, cherishing all the moderate characteristic expectations of a Settler, of seeing ' 80 acres of the finest maize in the Colony,' my land being the very best any where to be found ; but fancy, Mr. Editor, my disappointment at not finding one stalk. I had, however, the satisfaction to perceive that the Irishmen had not injured my timber, they having left the blue gum's and iron barks in statu quo antes.
Their huts appeared desolate, until I hailed ' Dennis' On his appearing, I enquired his present occupation ? ' Frying a rasher and a couple of eggs to keep the hunger out of my stomach.' 'And where's Larry ?' ' He's holding the frying-pan while I'm wid your Honor.' ' And where's Paddy ? ' - ' He's gone to Mr. M'Leod's smith to mend the gridiron which he broke on the dog's back, for looking at him doing a bit of a stake off one of the kangaroos the boys hunted this morning.' And where's Tim, and Jem ? - .'They are gone with the dogs after another kangaroo.' ' And where's Roger?' - ' He's gone to the stock-yard for milk to cool the tay.' 'And where's Morgan?' 'He's gone wid him to carry it ;'and similar throughout was the result of my enquiries
Convicts assigned to Vicars Jacob included:
| Name | Ship |
|---|---|
| Booth, John | Isabella 1832 |
| Brennan, Thomas | Captain Cook 1832 |
| Bryan, Catherine | Mary 1822 |
| Clinch, Patrick | Isabella 1823 |
| Crossley, Richard | Prince Regent 1824 |
| Fernhead, John | Henry 1823 |
| Finnegan, William | Isabella 1823 |
| Herring, Samuel | Lady Harewood 1832 |
| Hine, John | Portland 1832 |
| Humphreys, Thomas | Surry 1819 |
| Ibbotson, Robert | Surry 1823 |
| Jones, William | Hive 1834 |
| Kennedy, James | Isabella 1823 |
| Mears, James | Guildford 1824 |
| Mitchell, Thomas | Indefatigable 1812 |
| Morley, Robert | Guildford 1824 |
| Mullen, Arthur | Isabella 1823 |
| Murphy, John | Countess of Harcourt 1822 |
| O'Brien, John | Earl Grey 1836 |
| Potter, Timothy | Lord Melville 1829 |
| Price, Aaron | Guildford 1824 |
| Scott, John | Guildford 1824 |
| Thorn, Thomas | Mangles 1833 |
| Tunmore, David | Lord Melville 1829 |
| White, James | Captain Cook 1832 |
| Wright, Michael | Elizabeth 1820 |
| Vaughan, Henry | Minstrel 1825 |
Departure from the Colony
The Sydney Gazette reported in February 1824 that his daughter, Miss A.H. Jacob was to return to England on the Ocean. Vicars Jacob departed Sydney on the Princess Charlotte in February 1825 [2]. He became an indigo planter at Jessore.Bushrangers
Assigned convict servant Patrick Riley absconded from Jacob's estate in July 1825 after being sentenced to 50 lashes for losing sheep. Riley was soon joined by other convicts from the Estate as well as two more from the nearby estates of Dr. Moran and John McDonnell. They formed a bushranging gang that became known as 'Mr. Jacob's Irish Brigade. This gang terrorised settlers in the lower Hunter for months. In response to these bushrangers, the first Horse Patrols, forerunners of the Mount Police, were established in the Hunter region.Death
Vicars Jacob died of fever died in Calcutta in 1836 shortly before embarking for Hobart. His wife continued the journey with their four children and died soon after arriving in Hobart.Notes and Links
1. Walter Rotton was found guilty of embezzling goods belonging to Vicars Jacob in 1822 Sydney Gazette 25 October 18222. Vickers Jacob - a life in Ireland, India and Australia - Untold Lives Blog - British Library
3. Find out more about Vicars Jacob