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The Ladies of Menzies is our new series profiling remarkable Menzies women and their captivating stories. While conducting our genealogical research and gathering Menzies family histories from around the world, we’ve discovered some extraordinary women and we want to share their special stories with you. 

Mildred Rose Harrison   1781-1817

This is a story of the fortunes and misfortunes of genealogy. 

The first Ladies of Menzies’ profile is of Mildred Rose Harrison, born in 1781 in Louth, Lincolnshire, England to Frank and Mary Harrison. 

In 1801 at the age of 20, Mildred appeared on the 16 Sep 1801 at the Old Bailey in London.  She was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 5 Sep 1801 of; two aprons valued at 1 shilling, a child’s frock valued at 6 pence, and a child’s petticoat valued at 6 pence. A total value of 2 shillings. These items were said to be the property of one James Blackwell.

The accuser, James Blackwell, sworn, stated that ‘on the 5th of this month the prisoner came to my house and asked if two corporals lived there; I gave her for answer, no, there were not; she then went into the next house to enquire, and about five minutes after, my wife missed the things out of the parlour; I learned that she lived three doors from me; I went there to look for her, she was not in her room; I came down stairs, and as I was coming down I saw her conceal the property in question behind the water-tub; I then suffered her to pass me and go upstairs; I went into the yard and saw the property; I then went upstairs to her and asked her what things she had taken from my house; she said she had not taken any thing; I then said, what did you conceal behind the water tub; and then she begged I would not hurt her'.

As the prisoner, Mildred stated in her defence ‘I found them by the watertub, and I put them there again’.  A Jury before Mr. Common Sergeant found Mildred GUILTY.  She was sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.  So, for 2 English Shillings – lives where changed forever!

This English Court outcome is an excellent example of the mindset of the ruling class society in Georgian England at this time in history, with very poor regard for the whole of the English population.  George III was the ruling monarch in England in 1801, which explains much.  (He was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 Oct 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 Jan 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1820). There was indeed a very dark side to ‘Georgian’ elegance.

Mildred was gaoled at the Middlesex Gaol, and left England in late 1802 aboard the S.S. ‘Glatton’.  These voyages are described by author Robert Hughes ‘The Fatal Shore’, the epic account of the English invading Australia. It is different, but yet not unlike, all English colonisation histories across the world.  He commences by quoting – Dante, Inferno, XV, 82-87.

Mildred arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in early 1803, a mere 5 years after George III and the British Government sent a fleet to colonize Australia in 1787! Captain Cook had only landed on the east coast of Australia in 1770.  Even Cook recorded that the land was already inhabited by indigenous peoples.  Providence prevailed, and Mildred was issued with an Absolute Pardon in 1804.

Enter Stage Left – a young Charles Alexander Frederick Neil Menzies!

Charles was born at Bal Freike, Perthshire, Scotland.  He was the son of Captain Charles Menzies of the 71st Regiment, and Sarah Walker.  He had been educated at Stirling, and his family bought him a commission on the 17 Feb 1798 as a second lieutenant in the Marines. He was aged 15.  Following his commission, he saw plenty of action having been posted to duties that involved blockading French ports, and chasing the French and Spanish fleets around the Mediterranean Sea.  He was attached to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s squadron off Boulogne, on France’s Atlantic coast, and was repeatedly involved in attacking shore batteries and engaged in skirmishes with French boats.

In Dec 1803 Menzies sailed to Australia on board HMS ‘Calcutta’, which was transporting some convicts to New South Wales, and then others to form a new settlement in Tasmania, Australia (then known as Van Diemen's land).  Menzies was aboard the ship in Port Jackson, Sydney on 5 Mar 1804 when a rebellion involving a band of convicts broke out in the area of Castle Hill. This incident would later be called the Castle Hill Rebellion and the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill. Menzies with a detachment of 150 marines landed from the ship to help quell the rebellion. He was promoted to Lieutenant shortly thereafter.

Governor Phillip Gidley King, faced with a need to prevent future outbreaks of this nature, hanged the nine leaders of the 300 rebels involved and ordered the establishment of a new settlement to “segregate the worst of the Irish sent here for Sedition from the other convicts”. This was after King in 1800 decided for the same reason to establish the prison town at Castle Hill to isolate the "political" exiles away from the main settlements at Farm Cove, Rose Hill (Parramatta) and Green Hills (Windsor).  On 14 Mar 1804, nine days after the rebellion, Menzies wrote to the Governor offering his services as the settlement's commandant.  King accepted Menzies offer and gazetted him Commandant of the settlement on 18 Mar 1804.

Shortly after arriving in Sydney, young Menzies began a common law relationship with Mildred Rose Harrison. Their son, Charles Harrison Menzies, was born on 28 Feb 1805 in Sydney. Mildred was not among the people listed as going to Newcastle with Menzies.  The expedition left Sydney on 28 Mar in the 'Lady Nelson', 'Francis' and 'Resource', Menzies being accompanied by Dr James Mileham (surgeon), Isaac Knight (superintendent of convicts), John Tucker (store-keeper), Ferdinand Bauer (artist), George Caley (botanist), eleven military guards and thirty-four convicts. The party arrived on 30 March and Menzies named the settlement Kingstown, but King's own choice, Newcastle, prevailed.  Menzies' instructions were to use the convicts in 'getting as many coals as possible', cutting cedar, clearing ground for cultivation and 'to enforce a due observance of religion and good order'.

In May Menzies discovered a convict plot to assassinate him and his small force, but he was able to arrest the conspirators and severely punish the ringleaders. During his term as commandant he had huts constructed for the military guard and the convicts, built a large stone wharf, established a coal beacon to assist navigation into the harbour, organized the cutting of cedar and the obtaining of salt from salt-pans at Collier's Point and reached satisfactory rates of production of coal. As King said 'Lieutenant Menzies … fixed that Settlement and brought it to a forward degree of perfection'.

In Jul 1804 King sent Charles Cressy, a subaltern of the New South Wales Corps, to strengthen the military detachment at Newcastle and afford some relief to Menzies, but trouble soon arose between Colonel William Paterson and Menzies on the question of military jurisdiction over the members of the corps stationed in Newcastle. Paterson argued that Cressy at no point came under Menzies' jurisdiction and could accept no orders from him. Ultimately Cressy challenged Menzies to a duel; Menzies ignored the challenge and arrested Cressy on a number of charges. After a court martial Cressy was cashiered. The case was referred to the judge-advocate-general, Sir Charles Morgan, who thought Cressy should, in view of his youth and inexperience, merely be reprimanded, for Menzies had 'conducted his command with a great want of temper' and had brought three charges, which he could not substantiate, merely to aggravate the case.  The episode sheds light on the status of the corps at this time and on King's apparent disinclination to deal strongly with it, for he had refused to intervene in the matter.

In Mar 1805 Menzies submitted his resignation to King to 'return to England to my duty in the Royal Marines'. Commandant Menzies, now in charge of Newcastle, returns to Sydney on 3 May 1805.

Young baby Charles Harrison Menzie’ Australian birth and baptismal records confirm that Charles A. F. N. Menzies was his father and Mildred Rose Harrison was his mother. Young Charles was baptised on 23 Jun 1805 at St. Phillips Church of England, Sydney, New South Wales, the day before his father left to return to England on the "Investigator".  Menzies left Australia and returned to active service in England – he would never see his eldest son again.

Young Charles Harrison Menzie arrived in Hobart, Tasmania with his mother Mildred and Lt. James Johnson, aboard the 'Estamina' on the 10 Apr 1806.   Lt. James Johnson was a good friend of Commandant Menzies.  They all lived in a house in Harrington Street, Hobart, and it was here that Maria Johnson, daughter of Mildred Rose and James Johnson was born. Little Maria was burnt to death on 17 Aug 1809. Her step-brother, Charles Harrison Menzie had nearly suffered the same fate in 1807 when his "apparel took fire".  Lt. James Johnson returned to England on 6 Nov 1809. He renewed his friendship with Commandant Menzies and was a frequent visitor to his home.

On 6 Nov 1809 at St. David's Church, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Mildred Rose married William Williams, a convict who had arrived with David Collins in 1803.  William Williams had been sentenced in London to transportation for seven years for stealing and breaking and entering the house of Lord Henry Mulgrave and stealing clothing from the trunk – he was sentenced to death, later commuted to transportation for life.

William and Mildred had 3 children who survived infancy, Robert born 1810, Isabella born 1812 and Mary born 1815.  Mildred Rose Harrison Williams died 3 Sep 1817, Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, because of being “dreadfully burnt by a spark catching her clothes on lifting an iron pot off the stove …” - an agonising eleven days previously. A very painful death indeed.  Her daughter, Isabella Williams drowned when an overladen ferry overturned at Black Snake in 1818.  William Williams and his children Robert and Mary together with step-son Charles Harrison Menzie moved to Sorell Creek in 1820. The children of William Williams were sent to Stone's private school, however Charles received no formal education.

On the 13 Jun 1823 Charles Harerison Menzie, and his heirs and assigns were granted 60 acres of land on the Sorrell River, New Norfolk, Tasmania by the Colonial Secretary, Sir Thomas Brisbane. The land was bounded on the north side by the Sorrell River. However, the grant ‘excluded any timber growing, or hereafter grown on the land, which may be deemed fit for Naval purposes’. Some other conditions also applied to the Grant of Land.

Charles married Hannah Jarvis on 11 Jul 1825 at St David's Church of England, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.  At the time of their marriage both were free but were illiterate. They had 13 children in 21 years.  During the 1830's Charles and Hannah Menzie moved to New Norfolk Town, where Charles owned a butcher shop.

In 1866 there is a crime report published for New Norfolk municipality of one Charles H Menzie having a listed quantity of clothes stolen, which are readily identifiable; "1 pair of trousers (Oxford mixture, (pepper & salt coloured lining). 1 pair of light coloured trousers with brown stripe, 1 worsted comforter (brown and red), 1 light red silk handkerchief, and 1 shirt collar, the property of Charles H Menzie, who can identify them".  His wife Hannah predeceased him in 1879. Charles passed away on 2 Sep 1895 at 156 Melville Street, Hobart, Tasmania, at the impressive age of 90 years.

The following is Charles Harrison Menzies' obituary which appeared in the Hobart Mercury the week after his death:  "On Monday last Mr. Charles Harrison Menzie died at his daughter’s residence,156 Melville Street, in his 91st year. The deceased was a very old colonist. He was born in Sydney in 1805 and was the son of a Lieutenant in the British Army. He arrived in Tasmania with his mother, widow, when only a year old. The mother and child took up their abode at Sorell Creek, living on a farm. Mrs Menzie married again, her second husband being familiarly known as "Coachie Williams" and then went to live at New Norfolk, where they kept a farm.

The next event in the history of the family was that the deceased's mother was burnt to death in a fire. The subject of this notice grew up, and went into the butchering line, and kept a butcher's shop at New Norfolk for over 60 years, being much esteemed and respected throughout his career.  A few years ago he sold the whole of his property in that district, and came to Hobart to reside with his daughter, having acquired a considerable competency. His wife was a Miss Jarvis, who came from England with the Graves family.

Charles and Hannah had seven sons and six daughters, the youngest of whom is Mr. R. Menzie, butcher, Liverpool-Street, Hobart, who is 49 years of age, and the father of 17 children..."  Charles Harrison Menzie was buried at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery and Crematorium, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204820542/charles-harrison-menzies

So what became of the young man Charles Alexander Frederick Neil Menzies?

Menzies played a notable part in the wars against Napoleon and was promoted captain in the Royal Marine Artillery in Apr 1813.   He married Maria Wilhelmina, daughter of Dr Robert Bryant, physician to the Duke of Gloucester and had six children, four sons and two daughters.  He commanded the Royal Marine Artillery from 1838 to 1844, progressing from major and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1837 to General in 1857.  He was appointed aide-de-camp to the Queen in 1852 and created K.H. in 1831 and K.C.B. in 1856. He died at East Hill House, Hastings, Sussex, England on 22 Aug 1866 and was buried at the Royal Garrison Churchyard, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England.

MINGUS Inc. is still trying to determine if there are any living males descended from this marriage.

Despite all this meritorious service, his principal importance in Australia was as the founder of the first permanent settlement at Newcastle, and to have left a large descendant family legacy by the Menzie family in Tasmania and wider Australia by his relationship with Mildred Rose Harrison.  A champion ‘Lady of Menzies’.

There are approximately 450 descendants of Mildred Rose Harrison and the young man who was to become General Sir Charles Alexander Frederick Neil Menzies, K.C.B. within Tasmania and the other states of Australia.

QUITE A LEGACY !!!

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