Jan 1846 - The first full year in Australia

In an earlier post I put up the transcript of a member of the 11th sent from VDL to Sydney to deal with insubordination from the regiment stationed in Sydney. The first article here alludes to it, however the drama of that primary source is not reflected in these articles. A colonial cover-up perhaps? It is clear that the 99th, responsible for the insubordination, was punished by being sent to NZ. The story of Mr. Allott is particularly interesting - he joined the 11th Regiment before NSW was settled! While no-one serving in the 11th would be likely to have remembered Mr. Allott, they undoubtedly appreciated an old member of the regiment residing in Sydney.

Members of the 11th were serving in several places in VDL, Sydney and Norfolk Island.


Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas)
Friday 2 January 1846
THE 11TH REGIMENT.-The head-quarters and the majority of the men of this Regiment sailed for Sydney this morning in the Tasmania. The detachment marched down to the Wharf about six o'clock, preceded by the fine bands of the Regiment.

Launceston Examiner (Tas)
Saturday 3 January 1846
The Army.--The officer commanding the 65th Regiment of Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Senior, has received orders from Colonel Sir Thomas Willshire, K.C.B., Commandant of this garrison, to select 1 captain, 1 sergeant, 3 corporals, and 42 privates, as a convict guard, to embark at Woolwich, on board the convict-ship Samuel Boddington, on the 26th inst., for Van Diemen's Land. Sergeant Walker and Sergeant Harrison, with three privates of the 11th Foot, proceed with, the above as supernumeraries. The officer selected to proceed in command of the guard is Captain Richard O'Connell, 65th, with Paymaster Alexander Boyd, of the 11th Regiment. Six women proceed with the guard. The remaining part of the 11th Regiment.was attached yesterday to the provisional battalion. 
Military Bands.-The band of the 55th Regiment, at Winchester, has been reduced to 10 men during the last week, pursuant to an order from the Horse Guards. At a recent review at Portsmouth, the 8th Regiment, with their band, consisting of 45 men, besides boys, in passing before General Sir H. Pakenham, attracted his attention. He immediately communicated with the Horse Guards on the subject, when an order was issued to reduce the band to its proper strength of 14 private musicians, 1 sergeant, and 1 drummer, besides a boy to every 100 men. The reduction of the band of the 55th and other regiments of the line immediately followed.-Globe. 
Military Intelligence.--Chatham, September 3.- This morning, Wednesday, at 3 o'clock, a detachment of the 65th Regiment, consisting of 3 sergeants, 9 corporals, and 42 privates, with 2 privates of the 11th Regiment of Foot, marched from this garrison en route for Woolwich, there to embark as a convict guard on board the convict ship Pestonjee Bomanjee, 400 tons burthen, bound with convicts for Van Diemen's Land. Six women and six children proceed with them. The guard is under the command of Captain William Henry Thornton, of the 11th, with Lieutenant Thomas R. M'Coy, of the 65th, and on Wednesday next, the 10th inst., another convict guard will leave the head-quarters of the 65th to proceed en route for the same destination.

Sydney Morning Herald
Friday 9 January 1846
Shipping Intelligence
Arrivals
JANUARY 8.- Tasmania, barque, 503 tons, Captain Black, from Hobart Town the 30th December. Passengers-Lieutenant-Colonel Bloomfield, Captain A. Cockburn, Captain A F. Jenner, Lieutenant O. F. L. Ward, Lieutenant H. M. Bile, Ensign Goode, Ensign Cardiff, Ensign McLean, Adjutant L. A. Boyd, Quarter Master Grant and wife, Dr. Hadley, 300 rank and file of the 11th Regiment, 36 women, 18 boys, and 23 girls. 

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
Wednesday 14 January 1846
The 11th Regiment.-The head quarters, with 300 troops of this regiment, were marched from the Circular Wharf, preceded by their band, to the Military Barracks, on Thursday evening. They are to relieve the 99th, who will, we understand, at once proceed to New Zealand.

Morning Chronicle (Sydney, NSW)
Saturday 17 January 1846
ADVERTISEMENT
Anniversary Dinner
THE DINNER to celebrate the 58th Anniversary of the Colony will take place at the City Theatre, Market-street, on Monday the 26th instant. The Chair will be taken by THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR. By the kind permission of Lieutenant-Colonel Bloomfield, the Band of the 11th Regiment will attend. 

Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday 27 January 1846

An OLD SOLDIER.-Upwards of seventy years ago, Mr. Joshua Allott, crier of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, joined the 11th Regiment in Gibralter, as a recruit, being then about fifteen years of age; he remained in it twenty-eight years, eighteen of which he passed as a sergeant, and was invalided at Chatham Barracks in 1800, when the Regiment was under orders to embark for Jamaica, he being at that time in a state of insensibility from the treatment he had received in a French prison, from which he had just been released. So strong is the old man's military recollections, that since the detachment of the 11th Regiment has arrived in Sydney, when making his way to the Supreme Court House, he walks every day through the Barrack Square, and states freely, "that there never was such a Regiment in New South Wales as the 11th."

NOTE: This interesting man reveals that there were more connections to the 11th than just the men arriving in the colony. Joshua Allott's death was registered in NSW in 1852, aged 93 (i.e. born about 1759: V1852572 110/1852     ALLOTT     JOSHUA     AGE 93 ). Joshua's parents weren't noted in his death registration, though the name appears to hail from Yorkshire. This would mean he joined the 11th Regt about 1775, then in 1800 when staying in England he apparently transferred/enlisted in the NSW Corps arriving in 1801. There are several articles referring to Joshua in the early Sydney Gazette issues, and he was discharged around 1810. The 1828 NSW census shows Joshua living in Kent St, with his wife Mary (aged 43 in 1828, arrived on the Admiral Gambier in 1808). According to the NSW BDM Johua married Mary Champion (or Hampton?) in 1817 at Parramatta, and she died in 1867 ( 896/1867     ALLOTT     MARY     AGE 83 YEARS     DIED SYDNEY ). An article in the SMH in 1846 relates that he retired from the Supreme Court after 21 years service (i.e. serving since 1825). Relating a story on weather, the SMH in 1844 referred to Mr. Allott for his memory of the weather, as the "oldest inhabitant").

Sydney Morning Herald
Friday 30 January 1846

The Fortescue; from Sydney, Arrived at the settlement (Noifolk Island) 4th January, 1846, found lying there the Waterlily, schooner, of Sydney, from Launceston, with a detachment of the 11th Regiment, on the 5th, fresh south-west gale, the vessels obliged to slip their cables and go under the lee of the island. Thursday the 8th the Waterlily sailed for New Zealand, with part of the 59th Regiment ; the same day the Mayda, Captain May, arrived from England with prisoners, she had lost her top-masts and foremast head on the 4th instant. 10th. The Fortescue returned to the settlement anchorage, and recovered her anchor. 11. The Mayda sailed for Hobart Town, with the guard. 28th. The Foitescue at 6 p.m., exchanged colours with the schooner Anita off Broken Bay.