Mary's Guardian (17 page)

‘Thank you, Tom. I appreciate this,’ William said gratefully. ‘It’ll give me and Mary a new start.’

‘What about Dan?’ Elizabeth had stood quietly by her father listening to the conversation, and could contain herself no longer.

‘Don’t worry about that lad, missy,’ Tom answered, grinning down at the girl. ‘He’s a fine worker. I’ve already offered him a position. We’ve had quite a few scamper back to the city after this last flood.’ He watched as her face broke into a beaming smile, and then shook William’s hand firmly. It seemed everyone was satisfied with the arrangements.

***

When the river flooded again in August that year and then a third time in October, William and Mary were very relieved that they were not amongst those who’d gone back to the low lands and rushed into replanting. All the work that had started was washed away. New crops were destroyed again and the horror rescues of the March floods were repeated twice over as settlers again hung to trees or floating debris waiting for those with boats to lift them from swirling muddy waters.

‘How can they stand it, Will? Thank God we’ve been able to stay here.’

‘And I’m glad I haven’t tried planting again yet. What’s making it worse for the poor wretches is that they’ve spent everything they had on that seed that’s just been washed away.’

‘It’ll be the end for some, I imagine,’ Mary said sadly, knowing that so many of the farmers had only just hung on to start again.

‘For quite a few, I think, especially now that there are Officers from the Corp and their friends ready to take advantage. They’re offering to buy the farms for next to nothing. I heard some of the farmers have been told they can stay on and work for the Officers if they’re prepared to be paid in liquor.’

‘They wouldn’t?’

‘I think some are discouraged enough to accept it. They can’t keep the farms up themselves and they don’t know where else to go.’

‘It’s disgusting, Will. It shouldn’t be allowed.’

‘And who’s to stop it? If we don’t get a decent Governor soon, I wonder if there’s any future for the farmers at all.’

***

‘What do you think of the new Governor, Will?’ Joseph Hilton asked as he packed a box of goods for William in his Parramatta store.

‘Well, he seems to be trying to put a stop to some of these rogue practices of the military men. That’s a good sign.’

‘He is. A strong man, William Bligh, I think. More able to deal with the likes of John Macarthur, who’s only concern is to see himself and his kind prosper. Macarthur’s bought up most of Parramatta in these past few years. Thinks we’re all here to serve his needs.’

‘You’re not wrong, Joseph. There’s many a good man who’s served his time and is willing to do honest work for honest pay, despite what some think, but they’re being ruined by the attitude of the free men towards them.’

‘It’s a sad thing, William. Do you think any of you will survive out there at the Hawkesbury?’

‘Things have looked up quite a bit since Governor Bligh acquired some of the land on the edge of the ridge. He set up a model farm and put Andrew Thompson in as overseer. He’s a good man, that one. He’ll do us ex-convicts proud. It’s encouraged some of the others to stick at it. I’m renting fifteen acres now, higher up. A few acres of wheat and barley, a bit of corn. It’s enough to feed us and keep up a contract for selling some.’

‘That’s great, Will. And how’s the wife and those children of yours?’

‘Mary’s having another baby, actually. She’s as happy as a pig in mud. Oh, I shouldn’t use that term. She’s already chipped me for it. Says I’ll jinx us. Pigs in mud is how we’ve felt all too often in those floods.’ He chuckled as he paid Joseph for his stores. ‘She’s been determined to have another baby, so now she doesn’t want anything else to go wrong.’

‘I’ve noticed she’s a determined woman,’ he smiled. ‘I hope it goes well for you both.’

‘So do I, Joseph. God willing, next time I’ve need to come in here to Parramatta I’ll be bringing Mary and a new little one.’

***

‘What a wonderful blessing, eh, love?’ William stood looking down at his new son.

Mary looked up at him wearily. The birth of this baby had taken a lot out of her and she could barely stay awake.

‘Let me see, Pa.’ Elizabeth pushed her way in between her father and the baby’s cradle.

William grinned and stood aside. ‘What do you think, love?’

‘He’s very beautiful,’ she beamed, trailing her finger down his cheek.

‘Well, now that you’re twelve, you’ll be a real little helper for Ma because she’s very tired.’ He was about to say that her Ma was not so young any more but thought better of it. ‘Little boys are lots of work and mothers need lots of help.’

‘I know that already, Pa. Thomas is a lot of work, isn’t he, Ma?’

Mary chuckled lightly. ‘He is a bit of a handful, sweet heart, but we love him all the same, don’t we? We wouldn’t be without him.’

‘But he’s only four, so he won’t be able to help with the baby, will he? That’s for you and me to do.’

‘Yes, it is. Baby’s are for mothers and sisters.’ She smiled up at William and wrinkled her nose. ‘So have you decided what to call this new son of yours?’

‘I thought you would decide that, seeing babies are for mothers and sisters,’ he said playfully.

‘Well, I want to call him William,’ she said quickly.

‘We can’t do that,’ Elizabeth objected. ‘That’s Pa’s name. We can’t have them both the same.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that. Having two of your father would be quite wonderful.’

‘Thank you, my dear,’ William grinned. ‘But I think it’s unnecessary to confuse people when there’s so many names to choose from.’

‘Then we could call him Billy.’

‘You are determined, aren’t you?’ He shook his head.

‘The world will be the better for another William Douglass, my love.’

‘But he’s not going to be William, is he?’ Elizabeth cried. ‘He’s going to be Billy.’

‘It seems he is, dear,’ her father said.

***

A few months later William and Mary made another trip to Parramatta and stopped into Joseph Hilton’s store to show off their new son.

‘He’s bonny.’ Joseph smiled at the small bundle, held close to Mary’s breast.

‘Caused a little trouble along the way,’ William nodded. ‘But worth it, eh, lass?’

‘He is,’ Mary beamed. ‘We got through with a little help from our friends, didn’t we, little one?’

‘And two mothers, if I’m not mistaken,’ Joseph added, watching Elizabeth patting the baby’s shawled head solicitously. He noted that the girl looked much happier than the last time he’d seen her. Her cheeks were rosy, her light brown hair shiny and pulled back with a ribbon.

‘Oh, yes, our Elizabeth’s one for babies, she is,’ Mary confirmed, glowing with pride.

‘And how’s this young man doing, eh?’ Joseph peered over the counter at Thomas at his father’s side. He had a mop of brown hair like his father and a ruddy, handsome face which broke into a broad grin when he realised he was being spoken about. He stood tall and looked up at his father adoringly.

‘He’s a fine lad, this one.’ William tousled the boy’s hair. ‘I’m a lucky man, Joseph. Two fine sons and a beautiful daughter. What more could a man want?’

‘He’s being kind again, Joseph,’ Mary said, looking up from Billy’s face. ‘He’d like twice as many young ones as I’ve managed.’

‘She’s jealous because her friend, Ellen’s just announced she’s to have her seventh early next year. But it makes no difference to me. I’m happy with these three.’ William glared at Mary, daring her to contradict him.

‘You would be happier if you had two sons out working for themselves and bringing in something for the family like the Wrights have,’ Mary insisted.

‘I’ll not argue with you, lass. There’s no point.’

Joseph smiled to himself, secretly relieved he didn’t have a woman to be arguing with. Even though the benefits of marriage were clear, he’d not been able to bring himself to take up the challenge. Besides, he mused, the types of women still coming into the colony were even more difficult to imagine living with than Mary Douglass. On last report only about four hundred of the nearly fifteen hundred convict women in the colony were married. The rest cohabited openly with men and not always the same one for long. The few women who arrived from the English counties were generally well behaved but were quickly taken up by the industrious settlers. No, marriage did not seem a likely prospect to Joseph Hilton, at least not until some better type of woman was brought to the colony.

‘Business must be better since Governor Bligh prohibited the exchange of spirits for grain, food, clothes and such, eh?’ William said, interrupting Joseph’s thoughts.

‘Yes, it was a good move, not that the likes of Macarthur were happy about it. That’s one of the reasons for all the trouble between him and the Governor. In and out of the Criminal Courts they’ve been, ever since Bligh arrived. Macarthur’s always accusing Bligh of breaking some code of practice or other. Sending letters back to England, complaining about him and saying that the Home Office needs to investigate. Now the Corps has declared martial law again, under the direction of John Macarthur, no doubt. Poor Governor Bligh is virtually deposed and under house arrest. It’s ludicrous. Macarthur doesn’t like being overridden. He thinks he should have all the say about how things work. But Bligh’s way is much fairer for the settlers. He believes a man should get paid in money for his work. None of this bartering in grog. I sure hope he gets the Home Office to see reason. His ways are better for the colony.’

‘Any fool ought to be able to see that, Joseph.’

‘Well the new acting Governor has already arrived, a Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Foveaux. He’s supposed to sort out the conflict. Goodness knows whose side he’ll take.’

Before William could comment a man came through the back door of the store carrying a large bag of flour on his shoulder. His hair was dark and thinning, his skin tanned and creased. He was short of stature but bulky, his shirt straining across his chest. The sweat and dust indicated he’d been unloading heavy bags for quite some time.

‘All done, Mister Hilton,’ he said, puffing as he dropped the bag at the back of the store. ‘How many of these do you want inside?’

‘Three or four will do it, Tommy, thanks.’

‘The good worker you told me about?’ William asked as the man disappeared out the door.

‘It is,’ Joseph confirmed. ‘I just hope he remains so.’

‘Oh?’

‘He’s infatuated with a young piece who’s working at the hotel. She comes in here as often as she can. Don’t know how she does the work she’s supposed to do. I’d wager she doesn’t lift a finger except to beckon men to her bed. You know the type.’

Joseph shuddered as he remembered the first time he saw Eliza Whitmore. No more than sixteen he estimated, and flirting shamelessly with Tommy Plumb, who was old enough to be her father. The poor man was very distracted by her and Joseph had decided he’d have to be warning him soon that his job was in jeopardy if he couldn’t concentrate on it. ‘She could be the ruin of a good man, I know that,’ he continued. ‘Tried it with me first but when I paid her no mind she started in on Tommy. He’s a man in his forties. Hasn’t had much time for women lately from what I can see. There’s a few hags around here that have been on the game for years by the look of them. But this one’s fresh and making no secret of the fact that she’s available.’

‘Perhaps she’ll find a good man and settle down,’ William suggested.

‘Hah!’ Joseph was having none of it. ‘You’d see for yourself if she was about, William. That type’s nothing but trouble.’

‘Are you two finished catching up on all the gossip now?’ Mary said, having found all she needed to buy.’

‘Politics, love,’ William chuckled. ‘We’re discussing the politics of the colony. But we’re done now. We’ll be on our way.’ He paid for their goods and shepherded his family back to their cart.

August, 1809

‘It’s coming down in sheets again, Mary. Thank God we’re safe up here. I’m going to see if I can help. I’m guessing Andrew Thompson’s already out there with his boat, and Dan and Tom Biggers as well.’

‘But Will…’

‘No buts. There’s people need help, lass. I can’t sit here in the warmth of this hut.’

Mary rolled over drawing Billy to herself, knowing it would be useless to argue. ‘Then I’ll do what I’ve come to do often lately.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Pray.’

‘It’s the best thing for you to do, lass.’

‘Do you think Joe and Ellen’s land will be flooded again?’

‘I do, I’m afraid. But the boys will give Joe all the help he needs. You just rest easy.’

William was gone all night and when he came in late the following morning Mary thought she’d never seen him so weary.

‘You’re getting too old for this, Will. You’ll have to let the younger ones do it.’

‘I’m going to have a bit of a rest and go back. Andrew Thompson and Tom have been on the water all night and will be for another twenty-four hours I reckon.’ William began dragging his wet clothes off and passing them to Mary. ‘There are people hanging in trees and on roof tops for miles around. It came up really quick this time, about four feet an hour. Nobody had a chance to get out. Women and children have been lifted off floating pieces of roof and stacks of barley. You wouldn’t believe the number of pigs floating in that river, screeching and squealing. And I’m afraid we’ve lost a few lives this time. Some roofs didn’t hold till we got there. It was hard to hear their cries over the roar of the rain and the rushing water and then not be able to get there quick enough. We’ve been back and forward to the church building on Green Hills that many times.’ William dropped onto the bed, his eyes rolling with fatigue.

‘Is Dan all right?’ Elizabeth asked, her eyes wide with fear.

‘Yes, love, I think so. He’s been bringing people in all night too.’

‘Are the people at Green Hills getting fed?’ Mary wondered out loud.

‘Yes, from the Government Store,’ William mumbled, now half asleep. ‘Marsden ordered it. His property’s under water…all those sheep…’ His voice trailed away.

‘Poor dear,’ Mary sighed. She wiped William’s face of the drops still running from his hair and put a rug over his body. She couldn’t help but notice that his hair and beard were more grey than brown now, and his once hard and muscled body looked thinner and aged.

‘This is madness.’ She gritted her teeth. As she turned from her husband’s sleeping body she noticed Elizabeth looking down at her father, her face creased with worry. ‘He’s fine, love. Just weary. But he’ll go back out, you mark my words.’

But William didn’t wake for over twelve hours and by then it was pitch black outside. The rain had eased and he had no idea what was still needed out on the water.

‘You can’t just plunge out there and thrash about in the darkness, Will. For God’s sake, let it be. Andrew and the others must have got to the stranded by now. Please be reasonable.’

‘Perhaps you’re right, Mary. I’ll wait till morning and help with the cleanup.’

The cleanup went on for days. Over one hundred workers were sent from other settlements to help with the clearing and re-sowing of the land. It was estimated that losses from the May and August floods that year were over two thousand bushels of wheat, a thousand bushels of maize, four hundred bushels of barley, three hundred acres of maize, nearly seven hundred pigs and as many sheep and goats.

William shook his head sadly. ‘This will surely be the end for more of the settlers. They can’t keep recovering from these losses.’

‘And you can’t keep going out there risking your life to save people who try!’ Mary’s voice was harsh. She’d had enough of the worry of losing William. ‘How many times do you tempt fate?’

‘I’m afraid it’s Andrew Thompson who’s tempted fate, lass. He’s really ill with the fever. He was drenched for nearly three days rescuing people this time. We must pray for him and thank God he’s been willing to risk his life to save so many others.’

‘I do thank God for him. He’s saved us on more than one occasion but he hasn’t a young family to be concerned with. We couldn’t manage without you, Will.’ Mary dissolved into tears and fell into his arms. ‘This is too hard. Can’t we move on? Try something else?’

‘We’ve not the money or means to move on yet. We’ll be all right. You’ll see.’

‘But you’re not as strong as you were. You can’t keep doing this farm work. A lot of our crops are gone again this time as well. Every time we think we’ve seen the river as high as it will go, another flood comes and goes further up the hills. It’s madness.’

‘We’re safe in this hut, love. And the land we’re leasing from Tom is well above the flood line. We’ll hold on a while yet. Don’t worry.’

William was holding on for Thomas and Billy’s sake, Mary knew. But Thomas was only five years old. She couldn’t imagine how her husband would keep up his strength long enough to see their boys farming.

***

‘I don’t know how your Joe can keep up this kind of work either,’ Mary lamented to Ellen in May the following year. ‘He’s not a well man, that’s obvious to anyone.’

‘No, he’s not. His health is really failing. The doctor thinks it’s his heart. I am really worried about him.’

‘And what man’s heart wouldn’t be failing with the hardship we’ve suffered here. I’m sure Will has the heart of lion. He’ll not give up. I just thank God we’ve not had a flood this year. I’d like to think we’d never again see the water rise like it did last year.’

‘Yes, it just about ruined us. Our Joey’s not interested in staying on. He’s more excited by the idea of exploring the interior of the country. Keeps going on about these attempts to cross the mountains and see what’s on the other side. Robert’s fifteen now but it’s not in him to stay on the land either. They’re both bringing in a bit working with the blacksmith in town. Joe applied to the new Governor for help to keep this fifteen acres going but he was refused. That was nearly the end of him, I’m afraid.’

‘I thought this new Governor… what’s his name? Macquarie…was going to do right by the small farmers.’

‘Well, I hear he’s a man of good moral character at least. Perhaps he’ll take up where Bligh left off. I read in the Sydney Gazette just this month that he’s disgusted by the moral depravity he’s seen here. Even banned work on Sundays. Said it was a shameful and indecent custom. He believes we should all be in divine services on Sundays. That’s where men will learn to be honest, sober and industrious, he says. I certainly wouldn’t argue with that.’

‘And I heard he also removed all those land grants and gifts made to the Corps while they had Bligh under house arrest. Those acting Governors were certainly acting for themselves and the military. All egged on by John Macarthur, who’s sitting pretty in his grand farm. Makes me sick.’

‘They have been greedy men, no doubt, Mary. But isn’t it grand that Governor Macquarie has appointed Andrew Thompson as Justice of the Peace and Chief Magistrate of the Hawkesbury? Now there’s a good sign for emancipists, eh? Shows that this Governor believes that an ex-convict can rise well above his station.’

‘Yes, Will is very pleased about that. He thinks the world of Andrew. But he’s not a well man either, you know. He hasn’t been the same since the floods last year when he was out in that boat of his for nearly three days straight. Will says he’s had bouts of the fever ever since and it seems his lungs are damaged. Dear man’s only mid thirties and he’s never had a family of his own. Never given himself time with all his helping of others.’

‘Well, he believes he’s done the Lord’s bidding so now we’ll have to trust God to look after him, won’t we?’ When Mary had nodded Ellen changed the subject. ‘And how is your Elizabeth going? ’

‘Just fine. She reads me all the interesting things in the Sydney Gazette. Can’t get enough of reading, that one, nor enough of Dan Jurd. He’s encouraged her all the way.’

‘It seems things are getting serious between Elizabeth and young Dan?’ Ellen rolled her eyes mischievously.

‘Please,’ Mary scowled. ‘She’s not fifteen yet. Far too young to be serious about a young man. And Dan’s not so young, you know. He’s more than twice her age.’

‘Oh, Mary, fifteen’s not too young for a girl to be looking to who she wants to marry. There’s plenty already hitched by then. We were late getting wed. And only because we were in prison…or on the streets, like me,’ she sighed. ‘I’d have loved the chance to find romance at a young age.’

‘Good Lord, Ellen. Listen to you. Romance indeed! We’re women in our forties, for heaven’s sake.’

‘Not too old to be thinking romantically, Mary. Especially for our daughters. And if Dan’s a good man then Elizabeth will do well to stick with him. God knows there’s plenty of bad ones around. So many robberies and murders and attacks we hear about now. There’s a lot of disillusioned convicts who are out for anything they can get. And there’s plenty of unscrupulous free men as well, who just want a young girl to service them and raise their children with no concern for the girl’s welfare. And certainly not for romance. You should see the hand of God in the meeting of Dan and Elizabeth, I think.’

‘Perhaps. I do try to do that, Ellen. It’s hard to see the hand of God in so much of what has happened here on the river. But no doubt Dan and Elizabeth see it that way. He’s come to her straight from heaven’s gates, in her mind. And he thinks the same of her. They go off to church together every Sunday, and then to the school through the week. I don’t know how he manages to work as hard as he does. But Tom Biggers thinks he’s God’s own man as well, so it’s hard to fault him.’

‘He’s a great example of what can become of a young man who’s started badly but is determined to finish well.’

‘I see that too, Ellen. I’ve never found it easy to see the good in men. Too much experience of the other. But I trust Will’s judgment and he trusts our Elizabeth to Dan so that’ll have to be good enough for me.’

‘There you are then.’ Ellen giggled. ‘I think it’s lovely to see what’s developing with Dan and Elizabeth.’

‘Hmm,’ Mary mused. She’d have to think some more about all that later. And she determined to talk to Elizabeth about it as well. ‘I must say I’m happier to be going to services myself,’ she said, ‘now that Reverend Cartwright has been appointed Chaplain for Windsor. He’s a much more agreeable chap than Samuel Marsden. And now they’re looking to build a new church and a new schoolhouse, with a residence for the Chaplain. He’ll be more available to us, like a real chaplain ought to be. Marsden only ever screeched hellfire and brimstone to those who don’t behave Christian-like and then himself acting like a…’

‘Now, Mary,’ Ellen stopped her. ‘It does no good to get het up about the likes of Marsden. We’ve got to see the improvements and be positive about the future. That’s what’ll keep our chins up in these hard times.’

‘Always the optimist, Ellen. You and Will make a good pair. I often thought perhaps you should have been the ones together.’

‘Mary!’ Ellen’s eyebrows arched into a warning.

‘I know. Will would box my ears for saying such a thing, but it still surprises me that he’s stuck by me all this time. He makes me laugh, Ellen. Says I’d be a treasure if I’d just keep some of my thoughts to myself. In other words, he thinks I should keep my mouth shut more.’

As Ellen laughed Mary noticed the creases around her eyes had deepened. She knew there were streaks of grey though her own red hair, dulling it’s earlier brightness. They were all aging. They’d dared to hope for much when they started here in the colony. They could only hope now that they’d done enough to set up a better life for their children in the future. If that came to pass, Mary knew she could be content.

***

William strained to hear the words over the gusty wind that swirled around them as they stood around a grave site that October.

‘…Justice of the Peace and Chief Magistrate of the District of the Hawkesbury, a native of Scotland. Sent at the age of seventeen. From the time of his arrival he distinguished himself by the most persevering industry and diligence. He raised himself to a state of respectability and affluence which enabled him to indulge the generosity of his nature in assisting his fellow creatures in distress. Particularly in the calamitous floods around the Hawkesbury in the years 1806 and 1809 when at the risk of his life and health he exerted himself over three successive days and nights in saving the lives and properties of numbers who but for him must have perished. In consequence of Andrew Thompson’s good conduct Governor Macquarie appointed him a Justice of the Peace. This most useful and valuable man closed his earthly career on the twenty second of October in this year of 1810.’

‘Nice words, eh?’ Mary sniffed back a tear.

‘Fitting,’ William nodded, also holding back his emotions. ‘Damn shame to lose such a good man, and much too young. I can only hope that our children might be so well thought of in years to come.’

‘And why wouldn’t they be? With all the education they’re getting one of ’em ought to become Governor.’

‘It wasn’t education that made Andrew the man he was, Mary. It was his character. That’s what will be important for our children, to have good character.’

‘No doubt you’ll teach them that,’ Mary assured.