April 1846

The ruining of local girls is the main topic of conversation.


Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas)
Friday 3 April 1846

TEMPERANCE AMONG THE MILITARY.-A party of about thirty of the 11th Regiment, who have recently attached themselves to tbo Total Abstinence Society, held a social tea-meeting at their temporary barracks. Old Wharf, on Wednesday evening last, to which Mesors. Jordan, Dickenson, and other friends of temperance, had been previously invited. A portion of the upper story had been partitioned off for the occasion ; and being most tastefully decorated with evergreens, &c. presented a very interesting appearance. A long table was most profusely stocked with excellent plum-cake, pastry, and every available kind of fruit in season, the whole reflecting the highest credit upon Serjeant Denneen and those employed in carrying out the arrangements. Tho convivialities ceased, as a matter of course, at nine o'clock, and all parties separated Highly delighted with the courtesy of their military friends. Communicated.

Launceston Examiner (Tas)

Wednesday 8 April 1846

MILITARY.-On Saturday afternoon ninety rank and file of the 11th regiment, with four officers, besides women and children, embarked on board the Brankenmoor, for Adelaide, which vessel will return with about an equal compliment of the 96th. They were accompanied to the wharf by the band of the 96th regiment and a large concourse of spectators.

Launceston Examiner (Tas) 

Thursday 9 April 1846

DEPARTURES
April 4 - Barque Brankenmoor, 402 tons, William Carr, master, for Adelaide ; Wm. Jackson & Co., agents. Passengers— A. W. Barnett, Robt. Wells, James Eaton, Mr. Waterhouse, Captain Webster, H.M. 11th Regiment, and Mrs. Webster and six children, Dr. Marshall, 11th regiment, Lieutenant Bewer, Ensign Howe, Thomas Almond, William Hale, James Long, Joseph Weller, Win. Abrams, Charles Howe, D. Jones, William Goodie, Joseph Banister, 90 rank and file 11th regiment.

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday 17 April 1846

A CASE of seduction has caused some little excitement in Sydney within the last few days. The victim is the daughter of a respektable tradesman, and the seducer is a Captain COCKBURN, of the 11th Regiment. The fact of a vain, silly girl, listening to the advances of a licentious puppy in a red coat is not of itself, perhaps, a fit subject for comment in a public journal; but there is a circumstance in this case which calls for public reprobation. The Military Barracks have been declared to be, in fact, a kind of Alsatia, in which officers may be guilty of any offences against morality, that may be gratifying to their individual tastes. The unfortunate girl -whose case we are referring to, was known to be in the Barracks from Sunday night until yesterday afternoon, and when Colonel BLOOMFIELD, as Commanding Officer of the 11th Regiment, was applied to, he declared that he could not and would not interfere; that Captain COCKBURN'S quarters were the same as the house of any private gen- tleman, and that he had no authority to inquire what was doing there. It has also transpired, that another girl (also a minor) has been conveyed to the Barracks, and it is generally understood, that the officers take women into their quarters whenever they please ; in fact, the Mili- tary Barrack is a brothel. What Colonel BLOOMFIELD stated may be correct, although we much doubt if it be so. If a private soldier were to take into the Barracks any woman not his wife, we have little doubt that authority to turn her out would be found lo exist somewhere, and it surely will not be contended that the officers have permission to be guilty, within the Barracks; of immoralities which the private soldiers are expressly prevented from committing. If, however, the officers are allowed to act in the manner suggested, we eau but feel deep commiseration for the respectable but unfortunate married officers who are compelled to reside in the Barracks, and who must feel the deepest annoy- ance and degradation at having to reside with their wives and families in such a polluted place, and for their sakes alone we hope the COMMANDER OF THE FORCES will take the subject into his immediate consideration, and do some- thing to remove the stigma under which all who reside in the Barracks at present suffer. Yesterday afternoon, an application was made to Sir MAURICE O'CONNELL, who at once ordered that the wretched girl should be removed from the Barracks, and in the evening her friends obtained possession of her. As for the seducer, he has taken good care to keep out of the way, and it is hoped that he will be removed from Sydney ; if he remains in the colony let every body shun him as they would any other nuisance ; no woman with the slightest pretension to character can recognise him or receive him as a visitor, without tacitly admitting that she does not disapprove of his conduct. For the credit of the gallant regiment which he disgraces by wearing its uniform, let us hope he will have sufficient grace to retire from the service. For the sake of the respectable married officers, let us hope that it will be officially declared that no one has a right to convert the barrack into a brothel, as ha« been done during the present week.

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday 18 April 1846

DEPARTURES.

April 17.-Louisa, brig, Captain Million, for Hobart Town. Passengers-Mr. John How, Mr. Bird, Mr. Jones, Mr. Middleton, Mr. Norman, Mr. J. Thompson, Mr. Hyam Moses, Mrs. Inglis, Master Kelsey, a subaltern and thirteen rank and file of 11th Regiment, forty-one male and one female prisoners.

Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer (NSW)

Saturday 18 April 1846

ON Thursday last the Town was placarded by hand bills, denouncing Capt. Cockburn, of Her Majesty's 11th Regiment of Foot, as a "SCOUNDREL and COWARD." The matter, we understand, originated in the alleged seduction of a young female, respectably connected, who, on Sunday -evening last, was induced to visit the quarters of' the abovenamed swain ; he being, by the way, out of his teens, and far removed- from that romantic period of life in which either sighs or lollypops would be supposed lo have a softening effect.

The lady however, enamoured, opposed the wishes of her friends to return, and after a scene which we are loath to chronicle she was restored vi et armis to her family. Then follows a hostile message from some male relative, to which this modern PARIS refuses to reply, his friend intimating that the rules of the service precluded the possibility of any officer taking part in a duel. We are aware of the recent regulations to which allusion is here  made; we are moreover opposed to that conventional law of honor which has for centuries exercised its destructive influence over society, and in too many instances carried its deadly decision home to the cost of those who have appealed to its arbitration ; but there are cases where, independent of every worldly sacrifice, the call should be responded to. Men who lay the withering hand of the spoiler, upon the hitherto untainted bosom of innocence and happiness, should be content to share the disgrace and desolation- :

The Herald of yesterday alludes in strong terms to the matter, as well as to the fact that the Military Barrack of Sydney is a brothel. Surely our cotemporary has not now for the first time opened his eyes to the fact. "The Military Barracks have been declared to be, in fact, a kind of Alsatia, in which officers may be guilty of any offences against morality, that may be gratifying to their individual tastes. The unfortunate girl whose case we are referring to, was known to be in the Barracks from Sunday night until yesterday afternoon, and when Colonel Bloomfield, as commanding officer of the 11th Regiment, was applied to, he declared that he could not and would not interfere; that Captain Cockburn's quarters were the same as the house of any private gentleman, and that he had no authority to inquire what was doing there. It has also transpired, that another girl (also a minor) has been conveyed to the Barracks, and it is generally understood, that the officers take women into their quarters whenever they please." It is not only understood, but it is positively known throughout the colony, that some of the lowest and most abandoned women of the town have lived for months together with the officers of various regiments in the said Barrack ; while so systematic is the course pursued and acknowledged in some branches of the service that upon the removal of a regiment to the scene of action (as in the case of the 80th) the seraglio is conducted on board with as much soldierlike precision and gravity as is the plate-chest of the Mess-room.

To the assertion that an officer's quarters should be esteemed as his private dwelling' we cannot concede, since the Commander in-Chief has in a recent general order declared "the mess dinner of the officers of a regiment cannot be deemed a private convivial meeting, considering the interest which has been manifested by the public authorities in promoting its comfort and respectability." The same reasons apply to officers quarters. Comfort and respectability has been here equally studied by the authorities, and that these departments of a Barrack are, or ought to be, equally under the surveillance and control of the Commanding Militaire, no reflecting person will deny.

In every department of the service rapid strides have been made within the last few years. The researches of scientific men advanced the art of gunnery to a perfection unknown in other countries ; military manoeuvres have been at the same time tendered more simple yet more effective ; the heroic valour and the almost superhuman energy of our soldiery in different quarters of the world has even augmented the widely scattered reputation of Great Britain's prowess ; but let gross immorality be courted or vice encouraged by those in command, and discipline, the grand safe-guard of our Anny, will speedily give way to licentiousness, ignominy, and defeat.