James Squire
Encyclopedia
James Squire a convict
transported to Australia, is credited with the first successful cultivation of hops
in Australia at the turn of the 19th century, and is also considered to have founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798, though John Boston
appears to have opened a brewery making a form of corn beer
two years earlier.
Squire was convicted of stealing in 1785 and was transported
to Australia as a convict on the First Fleet
in 1788. Squire ran a number of successful ventures during his life, including a farm, a popular tavern called The Malting Shovel, a bakery, a butcher shop and a credit union. He also became a town constable in the Eastern Farms district of Sydney. As a testament to the rise of position in society (from shame to fame), his death in 1822 was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony.
. Squire's parents were well known gypsies, Timothy Squires and Mary Wells, who were married on 8 December 1752 in West Molesey, Surrey. Their families had been embroiled in a dramatic incident (The Canning Affair
) which polarized England in 1754, the year of Squire's birth.
He then managed a hotel in Heathen Street, Kingston. This hotel was a popular haunt for highway robbers and smugglers.
His next attempt at a life of crime was similarly successful. Squire stole 5 hens and 4 cocks and diverse other goods and chattels from John Stacey's yard, just when the British Government needed people for the transported convict program. On 11 April 1785, he was sentenced to join the First Fleet
at the General Sessions of the Peace for the Town & Hundred of Kingston Upon Thames, England. Squire was sentenced to 7 years transportation, beyond the seas.
, Hampshire, England. Her parents were John Quinton and Elizabeth Harris. Martha bore 3 children to James – John (born 1778 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and baptised on 16 August 1778), Sarah (born 1780 in Kingston upon Thames and baptised on 23 August 1780) and James (born 2 May 1783 in Kingston upon Thames and baptised on 2 May 1783). When James was convicted and transported to Australia as a convict, it was very rare for convicts or their family to attain permission, or even afford to join them in their exile, so Martha and his children were left in England to fend for themselves.
While Squire was separated from his wife and family he met Mary Spencer. Mary was born in 1768 in the town of Formby
. She was tried at Wigan, Lancashire
on 9 October 1786 for with theft at Crosby
of one cotton and one black silk handkerchief, a green quilted tammy (glazed material partly wool) petticoat and a black silk cloak, of unknown value. She was sentenced to transportation for 5 years and left England on the Prince of Wales aged about 19 at that time (May 1787). She had no occupation recorded.
Mary gave birth to a son, who was named Francis (born and baptised on 1 August 1790 at Norfolk Island
). He died 20 September 1851 in Melbourne
). Unable to care for Francis, James enrolled him in the British Army at just 15 months of age. Francis was enlisted into the NSW Corps as a drummer, starting on the payroll on his 7th birthday.
In 1791 James began a relationship with Elizabeth Mason (born 1759 in London, baptised 20 February 1759 in London, died 10 June 1809 in Sydney), who was his live-in convict servant. James and Elizabeth had 7 children together – Priscilla (born 29 May 1792 in Sydney, died 1862 in Ryde), Martha (born 2 March 1794 at Kissing Point, died 15 November 1814 at Concord
, Sydney), Sarah (born 7 August 1795 at Kissing Point, baptised 13 March 1796 at St. John's C of E, Parramatta, died 23 May 1877 at Kingston, now a part of Newtown
), James (born 16 November 1797 at Kissing Point, died 3 July 1826 at Kissing Point and is buried in Devonshire Street Cemetery), Timothy (born 1799 at Kissing Point, died 7 October 1814), Elizabeth (born 16 May 1800 at Kissing Point, died 12 May 1830 in Sydney) and Mary Ann (born 1 August 1804 in Kissing Point, died 1 September 1850 in Ryde).
James then maintained an affair over a number of years with his live-in housekeeper Lucy Harding (aka. Lucy Vaughan-Harding). He eventually moved into her private residence on Castlereagh Street, Sydney
in 1816.
gaol to voyage to the British penal colony
in Australia in April 1787. The document was signed by Evan Nepean
on 10 March 1787. Though James began his journey on the Friendship
, he transferred himself to the Charlotte
in a reshuffle of the women passengers. On 18 January 1788, the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay
, Australia. The openness of this bay, and the dampness of the soil, by which the people would probably be rendered unhealthy, had already determined the Governor to seek another situation. He resolved, therefore, to examine Port Jackson
, a bay mentioned by Captain James Cook as immediately to the north of this. There he hoped to find, not only a better harbour, but a fitter place for the establishment of his new government. The first fleet then moved to Port Jackson by 26 January.
of pepper (or paper) and horehound
(a herb that imitates the tangy flavour of hops), belonging to Surgeon John White
. Though James claimed the stolen horehound was for his pregnant girlfriend, he later revealed at the Bigge inquiry
that he began brewing beer on his arrival to Australia, which he sold for 4d per quart
. Indeed, James was brewing beer for the personal consumption of Lieutenant Francis Grose
and William Paterson over that time. Perhaps that explains Squire's lenient sentence when petty theft was often punished with execution. His sentence of 14 November 1789 read:
19 August 1791, James and another man were fined ₤5 each for buying the necessaries of a private. They both protested of not knowing it was a crime!
and he was able to start his life over again. On emancipation James was granted 30 acre (0.1214058 km²) at Eastern Farms (Kissing Point) on 22 July 1795, and he noticed other emancipist
s had not claimed the nearby land. Displaying his resourcefulness, James marched them into the Colonial Secretary's
office (position held by David Collins
) to claim their land grants, and then purchased each property for one shilling
.
James was an extremely enterprising man and by mid 1800 he had ten sheep, 18 pigs and 35 goats. 5 acre (0.0202343 km²) were sown in wheat & another 45 acre (0.1821087 km²) ready for planting maize and barley. Two years later he owned 291 acre (1.18 km²) with 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) cleared and 28 acre (0.11331208 km²) in grain. His household was composed of him and Elizabeth Mason, six children, four free men and two government servants and was self supporting.
On 3 January 1813 an Aboriginal named Bennelong
was buried on the grounds of Squire's property, where he had often wandered. James had erected a plaque to commemorate his dear friend.
On 3 May 1817, James advertised his estate for sale in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. This may have been instigated because he had moved in with his mistress, Lucy Harding, in Sydney. Evidence shows that the estate did not sell as James was the name of the licensee until at least 1822.
1802 saw the revelation that the British Army was trafficking rum. This created an uproar in the fledgling colony and Governor King
was gravely concerned about the corruption spread by rum, so he began to officially endorse the brewing of beer. English hops and brewing equipment were regularly transported on convict ships at the government's expense;
in fact, part of HMS Porpoises botanical cargo was hops. There were 3 parties that were the most likely recipients of the shipment of hops, those being:
It is unclear what became of the hops on the HMS Porpoise, as there is no evidence of them being propagated within the first two years of its arrival in Sydney, on 6 November 1800. Then in 1806, after 3 seasons of toil, James successfully cultivated the first Australian hops.
On Friday, 11 March 1806, James Squire attended Government House with 2 bines of hops taken from his own grounds. On a bine from a last year's cutting were numbers of a very fine bunches; and upon a two-year-old cutting the clusters, mostly ripe, were innumerable, in weight supposed to yield at least a pound and a half, and of most exquisite flavour. Governor King was so pleased with the flavour and quality that he:
to the Ryde Rail Bridge and from the harbour to north of Victoria Road
.
It is most likely that James' hop growing knowledge broadened with the publishing of an article, in the Sydney Gazette
called, "Hop Plantation. Culture of Hops in Great Britain". This article ran over 3 issues of the Sydney Gazette and went into great detail as to the process of cultivation of hops.
As the 19th century gained momentum, Squire's enterprises did likewise. After the Rum Rebellion
in 1808, James began work as a baker (James had a bakery in Kent Street), and he also often supplied meat to the colony, not to mention his farming duties. He then worked in a credit union style of banking and was widely known for his fair play as a lender and a philanthropist to his poorer neighbours. James was nicknamed the 'Patriarch of Kissing Point'. Colonial artist Joseph Lycett
explained:
also stated that James was:
, in the Eastern Farm district of Kissing Point which is almost halfway between Sydney town and Parramatta. It was the ideal location to entice thirsty passengers from vessels along this busy thoroughfare.
Surviving records located in the State Records Authority of New South Wales show that, on 19 September 1798, there was a general meeting held at the Judge Advocates office in the presence of Judge Advocate William Balmain
. At this meeting, James (among others, including Simeon Lord
) obtained the judge's permission to be licensed for the sale of spirituous liquors at The Malting Shovel. This license cost him a princely sum of ₤5. The licence was renewed for a further ₤5 in September 1799. Simeon Lord countersigned as surety. Licences to brew or sell liquor were required to be renewed every year. Unfortunately a lot of this information is missing, but the Sydney Gazette and the State Records Authority of New South Wales fill in a number of gaps with evidence of licence renewals on the following dates:
The article from the Sydney Gazette:
His death was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony. He was buried at the Devonshire Street Cemetery
, and his remains and headstone were later moved to Botany Cemetery when Central Station was built. The headstone is now too worn to be identified. The headstone inscription is believed to have the following epitaph:
From 1823, Squire's brewery continued to successfully operate under control of his son James, producing about 100 000 gallons a year, until his death in 1826.
James Squire's daughter Mary Ann married Thomas Charles Farnell of Kissing Point on 30 March 1824. On 25 June 1825, Mary gave birth to James Squire Farnell. In 1828 the brewery was briefly re-opened by his daughter Mary Ann's husband, Thomas Farnell, until his ill-health forced the brewery to close in 1834. In 1877, James' grandson, James Squire Farnell, became the first Australian Premier of New South Wales
.
In 1999 Lion Nathan
renamed the previously-purchased Hahn Brewery as the Malt Shovel Brewery, releasing a line of James Squire beers in honour of Australia's first commercial brewer.
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
transported to Australia, is credited with the first successful cultivation of hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
in Australia at the turn of the 19th century, and is also considered to have founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798, though John Boston
John Boston
John Boston , was a settler in Australia who was known for plying his hand at a number of different trades including salt farming and brewing...
appears to have opened a brewery making a form of corn beer
Chicha
For the musical genre, see Peruvian cumbiaChicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, rather often to those derived from maize and similar non-alcoholic beverages...
two years earlier.
Squire was convicted of stealing in 1785 and was transported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Australia as a convict on the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in 1788. Squire ran a number of successful ventures during his life, including a farm, a popular tavern called The Malting Shovel, a bakery, a butcher shop and a credit union. He also became a town constable in the Eastern Farms district of Sydney. As a testament to the rise of position in society (from shame to fame), his death in 1822 was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony.
Birth
James Squire was baptised on 18 December 1754 in Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
. Squire's parents were well known gypsies, Timothy Squires and Mary Wells, who were married on 8 December 1752 in West Molesey, Surrey. Their families had been embroiled in a dramatic incident (The Canning Affair
Elizabeth Canning
Elizabeth Canning was an English maidservant who claimed to have been kidnapped and held against her will in a hayloft for almost a month...
) which polarized England in 1754, the year of Squire's birth.
Early crimes
In 1774, when Squire fled a ransacked house, he ran straight into several members of the local constabulary and was arrested for highway robbery. This was actually a lucky break. By escaping through the front door, which opened onto the highway, he avoided a more serious charge of stealing. Although Squire was sentenced to be transported to America for 7 years, he elected to serve in the army and returned to Kingston as a free man within 4 years.He then managed a hotel in Heathen Street, Kingston. This hotel was a popular haunt for highway robbers and smugglers.
His next attempt at a life of crime was similarly successful. Squire stole 5 hens and 4 cocks and diverse other goods and chattels from John Stacey's yard, just when the British Government needed people for the transported convict program. On 11 April 1785, he was sentenced to join the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
at the General Sessions of the Peace for the Town & Hundred of Kingston Upon Thames, England. Squire was sentenced to 7 years transportation, beyond the seas.
Wife, mistresses and children
In 1776 Squire married his local sweetheart, Martha Quinton. Martha was baptised on 15 Nov 1754 in Bishop's WalthamBishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
, Hampshire, England. Her parents were John Quinton and Elizabeth Harris. Martha bore 3 children to James – John (born 1778 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and baptised on 16 August 1778), Sarah (born 1780 in Kingston upon Thames and baptised on 23 August 1780) and James (born 2 May 1783 in Kingston upon Thames and baptised on 2 May 1783). When James was convicted and transported to Australia as a convict, it was very rare for convicts or their family to attain permission, or even afford to join them in their exile, so Martha and his children were left in England to fend for themselves.
While Squire was separated from his wife and family he met Mary Spencer. Mary was born in 1768 in the town of Formby
Formby
Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It has a population of approximately 25,000....
. She was tried at Wigan, Lancashire
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
on 9 October 1786 for with theft at Crosby
Crosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
of one cotton and one black silk handkerchief, a green quilted tammy (glazed material partly wool) petticoat and a black silk cloak, of unknown value. She was sentenced to transportation for 5 years and left England on the Prince of Wales aged about 19 at that time (May 1787). She had no occupation recorded.
Mary gave birth to a son, who was named Francis (born and baptised on 1 August 1790 at Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
). He died 20 September 1851 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
). Unable to care for Francis, James enrolled him in the British Army at just 15 months of age. Francis was enlisted into the NSW Corps as a drummer, starting on the payroll on his 7th birthday.
In 1791 James began a relationship with Elizabeth Mason (born 1759 in London, baptised 20 February 1759 in London, died 10 June 1809 in Sydney), who was his live-in convict servant. James and Elizabeth had 7 children together – Priscilla (born 29 May 1792 in Sydney, died 1862 in Ryde), Martha (born 2 March 1794 at Kissing Point, died 15 November 1814 at Concord
Concord, New South Wales
Concord is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
, Sydney), Sarah (born 7 August 1795 at Kissing Point, baptised 13 March 1796 at St. John's C of E, Parramatta, died 23 May 1877 at Kingston, now a part of Newtown
Newtown, New South Wales
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Marrickville Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
), James (born 16 November 1797 at Kissing Point, died 3 July 1826 at Kissing Point and is buried in Devonshire Street Cemetery), Timothy (born 1799 at Kissing Point, died 7 October 1814), Elizabeth (born 16 May 1800 at Kissing Point, died 12 May 1830 in Sydney) and Mary Ann (born 1 August 1804 in Kissing Point, died 1 September 1850 in Ryde).
James then maintained an affair over a number of years with his live-in housekeeper Lucy Harding (aka. Lucy Vaughan-Harding). He eventually moved into her private residence on Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street is a major north-south street in the centre of the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .-Description:...
in 1816.
The First Fleet
In 1787 James was released from SouthwarkSouthwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
gaol to voyage to the British penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
in Australia in April 1787. The document was signed by Evan Nepean
Evan Nepean
Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC was a British politician and colonial administrator.-Early career:...
on 10 March 1787. Though James began his journey on the Friendship
Friendship (ship)
Friendship was an Australian First Fleet transport ship, built in Scarborough, England, in 1784.A brig of 278 tons, she was among the smallest of the transports. Her master was Francis Walton and surgeon Thomas Arndell. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, carrying seventy-six male and twenty-one...
, he transferred himself to the Charlotte
Charlotte (ship)
The Charlotte was a First Fleet transport ship of 335 tons, built on the River Thames in 1787. She was a light sailer, and had to be towed down the English Channel for the first few days of the voyage...
in a reshuffle of the women passengers. On 18 January 1788, the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
, Australia. The openness of this bay, and the dampness of the soil, by which the people would probably be rendered unhealthy, had already determined the Governor to seek another situation. He resolved, therefore, to examine Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
, a bay mentioned by Captain James Cook as immediately to the north of this. There he hoped to find, not only a better harbour, but a fitter place for the establishment of his new government. The first fleet then moved to Port Jackson by 26 January.
In Sydney town
On 5 March 1789, James gave evidence on the theft by 2 fellow convicts of 6 cabbages. The thieves received 50 lashes each. James was then hauled before the magistrate, charged with stealing 'medicines' from the hospital stores where he worked at Port Jackson. These medicines were, in fact, 1 poundPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
of pepper (or paper) and horehound
Horehound
Horehound or hoarhound is a common name applied to two related genera of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae:*Ballota*MarrubiumSpecifically, it may refer to the following species:*White Horehound or Common Horehound...
(a herb that imitates the tangy flavour of hops), belonging to Surgeon John White
John White (surgeon)
John White was an English surgeon and botanical collector.White was born in Sussex and entered the Royal Navy on 26 June 1778 as third surgeon's mate. He was promoted surgeon in 1780, and was the principal surgeon during the voyage of the First Fleet to Australia...
. Though James claimed the stolen horehound was for his pregnant girlfriend, he later revealed at the Bigge inquiry
John Bigge
John Thomas Bigge was an English judge and royal commissioner.Bigge was born at Benton House, Northumberland, England, the second son of Thomas Charles Bigge, High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1771...
that he began brewing beer on his arrival to Australia, which he sold for 4d per quart
Quart
The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
. Indeed, James was brewing beer for the personal consumption of Lieutenant Francis Grose
Francis Grose (Lieutenant-Governor)
Lieutenant-General Francis Grose was a soldier and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales.-Early life:Grose was born in Greenland, Middlesex, England around 1758. He was the eldest son of Francis Grose the well-known English antiquary, and Catherine Jordan...
and William Paterson over that time. Perhaps that explains Squire's lenient sentence when petty theft was often punished with execution. His sentence of 14 November 1789 read:
"one hundred and fifty (lashes of the whip) now, and the remainder when able to bear it".
19 August 1791, James and another man were fined ₤5 each for buying the necessaries of a private. They both protested of not knowing it was a crime!
Post convict years
Land grant
Somewhere between 1790 and 1792 James' sentence had expired and he was now a free manEmancipist
An emancipist was any of the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given conditional or absolute pardons...
and he was able to start his life over again. On emancipation James was granted 30 acre (0.1214058 km²) at Eastern Farms (Kissing Point) on 22 July 1795, and he noticed other emancipist
Emancipist
An emancipist was any of the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given conditional or absolute pardons...
s had not claimed the nearby land. Displaying his resourcefulness, James marched them into the Colonial Secretary's
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
office (position held by David Collins
David Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
) to claim their land grants, and then purchased each property for one shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
.
James was an extremely enterprising man and by mid 1800 he had ten sheep, 18 pigs and 35 goats. 5 acre (0.0202343 km²) were sown in wheat & another 45 acre (0.1821087 km²) ready for planting maize and barley. Two years later he owned 291 acre (1.18 km²) with 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) cleared and 28 acre (0.11331208 km²) in grain. His household was composed of him and Elizabeth Mason, six children, four free men and two government servants and was self supporting.
On 3 January 1813 an Aboriginal named Bennelong
Bennelong
Woollarawarre Bennelong was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia, in 1788...
was buried on the grounds of Squire's property, where he had often wandered. James had erected a plaque to commemorate his dear friend.
On 3 May 1817, James advertised his estate for sale in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. This may have been instigated because he had moved in with his mistress, Lucy Harding, in Sydney. Evidence shows that the estate did not sell as James was the name of the licensee until at least 1822.
Hops and brewing
James stated at the Bigge inquiry into New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land in 1820 that he had been brewing for 30 years and that he made it from hops he got from the Daedalus. This statement highlights the fact that James had been brewing beer since 1790, which makes this the first evidence of brewing beer with hops in Australia.1802 saw the revelation that the British Army was trafficking rum. This created an uproar in the fledgling colony and Governor King
Governor King
Governor King may refer to:* Governor King , an Australian schooner wrecked at Newcastle in New South Wales.* Philip Gidley King, the third governor of the Australian state of New South Wales....
was gravely concerned about the corruption spread by rum, so he began to officially endorse the brewing of beer. English hops and brewing equipment were regularly transported on convict ships at the government's expense;
in fact, part of HMS Porpoises botanical cargo was hops. There were 3 parties that were the most likely recipients of the shipment of hops, those being:
- The Government Gardens;
- John BostonJohn BostonJohn Boston , was a settler in Australia who was known for plying his hand at a number of different trades including salt farming and brewing...
(who was a potential rival for Australia's first brewer); and - James Squire.
It is unclear what became of the hops on the HMS Porpoise, as there is no evidence of them being propagated within the first two years of its arrival in Sydney, on 6 November 1800. Then in 1806, after 3 seasons of toil, James successfully cultivated the first Australian hops.
On Friday, 11 March 1806, James Squire attended Government House with 2 bines of hops taken from his own grounds. On a bine from a last year's cutting were numbers of a very fine bunches; and upon a two-year-old cutting the clusters, mostly ripe, were innumerable, in weight supposed to yield at least a pound and a half, and of most exquisite flavour. Governor King was so pleased with the flavour and quality that he:
"directed a cow to be given to Mr Squire from the Government herd".By 1806, the Squire estate now stretched across approximately 881 acre (3.57 km²), from the current Gladesville Bridge
Gladesville Bridge
Gladesville Bridge is an arch bridge near Gladesville that spans the Parramatta River, west of central Sydney, Australia. It links the suburbs of Huntleys Point and Drummoyne. It is a few kilometres upstream of the more famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and is part of Victoria Road...
to the Ryde Rail Bridge and from the harbour to north of Victoria Road
Victoria Road, Sydney
Victoria Road is a major road in Sydney, Australia.Victoria Road connects Parramatta with the Rozelle end of Anzac Bridge. Victoria Road passes through the Sydney suburbs of Rydalmere, Ermington, West Ryde, Ryde, Gladesville and Drummoyne and is currently one of the longest roads in Sydney.The road...
.
It is most likely that James' hop growing knowledge broadened with the publishing of an article, in the Sydney Gazette
Sydney Gazette
The Sydney Gazette was the first newspaper in Australia. Governor King authorised the publication of what was initially called 'The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser in 1803. Subsequently the first edition was published 5 March...
called, "Hop Plantation. Culture of Hops in Great Britain". This article ran over 3 issues of the Sydney Gazette and went into great detail as to the process of cultivation of hops.
As the 19th century gained momentum, Squire's enterprises did likewise. After the Rum Rebellion
Rum Rebellion
The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's history. The Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh, was deposed by the New South Wales Corps under the command of Major George Johnston, working closely with John Macarthur, on 26 January 1808, 20...
in 1808, James began work as a baker (James had a bakery in Kent Street), and he also often supplied meat to the colony, not to mention his farming duties. He then worked in a credit union style of banking and was widely known for his fair play as a lender and a philanthropist to his poorer neighbours. James was nicknamed the 'Patriarch of Kissing Point'. Colonial artist Joseph Lycett
Joseph Lycett
Joseph Lycett was a portrait and miniature painter, active in Australia. Lycett specialised in topographical views of the major towns of Australia, and some of its more dramatic landscapes.-Early life:...
explained:
"Had he not been so generous, James Squire would have been a much wealthier man".Joseph Lycett
Joseph Lycett
Joseph Lycett was a portrait and miniature painter, active in Australia. Lycett specialised in topographical views of the major towns of Australia, and some of its more dramatic landscapes.-Early life:...
also stated that James was:
"Universally respected for his amiable and useful qualities as a member of the lower class of settlers... his name will long be pronounced with veneration by the grateful objects of his liberality".Despite his previous convict status, James also became a resident district constable. This was due to the number of trespassers on his property and theft of his belongings. The Sydney Gazette is riddled with articles submitted by James, warning others of trespassers and thefts. For example, in the Sydney Gazette on 3 July 1803 James submitted a notice of a theft of boat.
The Malting Shovel
James opened the "The Malting Shovel" Tavern on the shores of Parramatta RiverParramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
, in the Eastern Farm district of Kissing Point which is almost halfway between Sydney town and Parramatta. It was the ideal location to entice thirsty passengers from vessels along this busy thoroughfare.
Surviving records located in the State Records Authority of New South Wales show that, on 19 September 1798, there was a general meeting held at the Judge Advocates office in the presence of Judge Advocate William Balmain
William Balmain
William Balmain was a British naval surgeon who sailed as an assistant surgeon with the First Fleet to establish the first European settlement in Australia, and later became its principal surgeon.-Early life and career:...
. At this meeting, James (among others, including Simeon Lord
Simeon Lord
Simeon Lord was a pioneer merchant and a magistrate in Australia. He became a prominent trader in Sydney, buying and selling ship cargoes. Despite being an emancipist Lord was made a magistrate by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and he became a frequent guest at government house. His business...
) obtained the judge's permission to be licensed for the sale of spirituous liquors at The Malting Shovel. This license cost him a princely sum of ₤5. The licence was renewed for a further ₤5 in September 1799. Simeon Lord countersigned as surety. Licences to brew or sell liquor were required to be renewed every year. Unfortunately a lot of this information is missing, but the Sydney Gazette and the State Records Authority of New South Wales fill in a number of gaps with evidence of licence renewals on the following dates:
- 26 February 1809;
- 16 March 1811;
- 8 April 1815;
- 15 February 1816;
- 19 February 1820;
- 24 February 1821; and
- 22 March 1822.
Death of James Squire
James Squire died on 16 May 1822.The article from the Sydney Gazette:
Deaths: – On Thursday evening last, at Kissing Point, after an illness of about 3 months, Mr James Squire, in his 68th year. As one of the primary inhabitants of the Colony, having come hither in the first fleet in 1788, none ever more exerted himself for the benefits of the inhabitants than the deceased. He was the first that brought Hops to any perfection and hence was enabled to brew beer of an excellent quality. "Squire's Beer" was well known. He might for long residence, be styled the Patriarch of Kissing Point; as he had lived, where he died, 26 years. The "OLD HANDS," by the frequent visitation of death, are becoming thinned in their ranks; this should lead to reflection, for the day will soon arrive when even those, now living, shall cease to say, "I came in the first fleet."
His death was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony. He was buried at the Devonshire Street Cemetery
Devonshire Street Cemetery
The Devonshire Street Cemetery was located between Eddy Avenue and Elizabeth Street, and between Chalmers and Devonshire Streets, in Sydney, Australia. It was consecrated in 1820. The Jewish section was used from 1832...
, and his remains and headstone were later moved to Botany Cemetery when Central Station was built. The headstone is now too worn to be identified. The headstone inscription is believed to have the following epitaph:
"In Sacred Respect to the Loving Remains of Mr. Jas. Squire, late of Kissing Point who departed this Life 16 May 1822 at the age of 67 years. He arrived in the colony in the First Fleet and by Integrity and Industry acquired and maintained an unsullied reputation. Under his care the HOP PLANT was first Cultivated in this Settlement and the first BREWERY erected which Progressively matured to Perfection. As a Father, Friend and Christian he Lived Respected and Died Lamented.
James' legacy
James Squire's last will and testament was dated 6 April 1822.From 1823, Squire's brewery continued to successfully operate under control of his son James, producing about 100 000 gallons a year, until his death in 1826.
James Squire's daughter Mary Ann married Thomas Charles Farnell of Kissing Point on 30 March 1824. On 25 June 1825, Mary gave birth to James Squire Farnell. In 1828 the brewery was briefly re-opened by his daughter Mary Ann's husband, Thomas Farnell, until his ill-health forced the brewery to close in 1834. In 1877, James' grandson, James Squire Farnell, became the first Australian Premier of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
In 1999 Lion Nathan
Lion Nathan
Lion Nathan National Foods is the parent company created in October 2009, into which Lion Nathan and National Foods were merged. It is fully owned by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited...
renamed the previously-purchased Hahn Brewery as the Malt Shovel Brewery, releasing a line of James Squire beers in honour of Australia's first commercial brewer.