Keywords: lachlan macquarie lachlanmacquarie governor archives state records nsw staterecordsnsw newsouthwales 26 december, 1810 26december1810 document writing text photo border texture monochrome Last month's highlight: Macquarie's instructions to James Meehan for the laying out of the Five Townships of Windsor, Richmond, Pitt town, Wilberforce and Castlereagh dated 26 December 1810. Notice Macquarie's attention to detail in the instructions: he sets a regular width for the streets and the assignment of land to be used for the Church, School, Gaol and Guard house. He even gives directions as to the type of dwelling houses which may be built. » Lachlan Macquarie Gallery FULL TRANSCRIPT Instructions given to James Meehan for the laying out of the Five Townships Secretary’s Office Sydney 26th December 1810 Sir His Excellency the Governor deeming it expedient/in order to guard against any misunderstanding on your part/to commit the Instructions which He has already given you verbally on the subjects of the New Townships now about to be finally, laid out and for the further purpose of your explaining the same to all persons concerned, so that at any future period, no doubt as to His Excellency’s intentions may be started, has instructed me to convey His directions to you to proceed immediately, to Windsor, where you are to apply for, and receive from Mr Cox the Chief Magistrate, the Several Returns of the Settlers Names who are desirous of forming their future Residences within the said New Townships So soon as you have received those Returns, you are with the least possible delay, to commence the business of laying out in a clear and distinct manner the Several Town- Ships of Windsor, Richmond, Pitt town, Wilberforce and Castlereagh in which duty you are to require the assistance of Mr Evans, the Deputy Surveyor. These Townships are to be established on the High Grounds already surveyed and allotted for those purposes by His Excellency, the Governor on the several Commons within the respective Districts to which these Townships are to be attached As a General guide to you in the execution of this very important business you 56 You are principally, to observe and follow the subsequent Rules and Orders in the marking out the several Townships and allotments for the Settlers who mean to reside therein 1st You are mark out the several Townships by regular lines accurately defined, and the streets to be laid out are to be 66 feet wide – those streets running lengthways thro’ the Town are to be parallel to, and 8 chains distant from each other – these streets are also to be intersected by others crossing them at right angles, which streets are to be the same width with the others, but are to be laid out 12 chains apart from each other, and are also to be in parallel directions 2 In the Center of each Town or Township you are to assign a Square Space of Ground containing 396 feet on each side for the purpose of erecting a Church, a School House, a Gaol and Guard House in and you are to set apart 2 acres of Ground on the rear of the central square for a Burial ground, with an expection in this particular with regard to Windsor and Richmond, instructions for which will be noticed herein. 3 The Townships are to be laid out in regular Allotments for the future Inhabitants in the Following proportions. Viz. Allotment For settlers holding Farms less than 30 1½ Acres For 57 Allotment For settlers holding Farms of 30 and less than 50 Acres 2 acres Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] of 50 and less than 100 Do [Ditto] 3 Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] of 100 acres and upwards 4 Do [Ditto] 4 But as there is not a sufficiency of unappropriated Land in the Township of Windsor to make the allotments equally great as the foregoing whilst that which is disposable becomes of course the more valuable, you are to make the distribution of it accordingly to the following scale namely Allotment For Settlers holding Farms less than 30 acres ¾ acre Do [Ditto] Do of 30 and less than 50 Acres 1 Do Do [Ditto] Do of 50 and less than 100 do 1½ Do Do [ Ditto] Do of 100 acres and Upwards 2 Do The main streets or those which run lengthways in Windsor are to be parallel and 5 Chains asunder, and the Streets at right angles with them or running cross- ways are to be 12 Chains apart and throughout paral- lel to each other the Width of the Streets to be 66 feet as in the other Townships Fifty acres of Ground are to be reserved for small Town allotments for the accom- modation of Tradesmen which Ground is to commence from Rickaby’s, Mr Marsden’s and Thomas’s farms and to extend thence to the Farms on the South Creek The allotments to be reserved for the settlers who have Farms on the Banks of the River are to commence at the termination of the 50 Acres reserved for the Tradespeople Every Person holding a Farm on the Bank of the River which is liable to the Floods, is to have an allotment assigned him, whether his Land is 58 is held by Grant or Lease from the Government or by Purchase or Lease from the original Grantee It is however to be clearly understood in this place that such allotments are never to be sold or alienated independent of the Farms for the security of which they are now first to be granted, nor is any Person whatever who holds Land on the River to get an allotment in a District Township but that wherein his Farm is situated to which he is to be exclusively attached and limited. 5 You are also to number the Farms on the banks of the Hawkesbury and Nepean which are subject to the floods in the same order they are placed on the Chart Viz No 1, 2, 3 and so on for their entire number and corresponding numbers for the Town allotment are to be given to the settlers, paying due attention to the proportions already prescribed When this duty is performed you are to make out a complete register off all the allotments thus assigned in order that it may be referred to in any Cases of dispute which may in future arise respecting them. 6 The dwelling houses to be erected in the several Town- ships by the settlers are to be either made of Brick or weather boarded, to have Brick chimneys and to roofed with shingles each house is to contain not less than two apartments, with a glazed window in each room and the side walls are not to less than 9 feet high A Plan of such dwelling houses with suitable offices will be left with each District Constable to which every Settler in the erection of his house and office must conform as already 59 already prescribed in His Excellency’s address to the settlers under the Head of General and Government Orders dated the 15th instant and you are to take pains to making this injunction perfectly understood 7 You are also to locate a Glebe of 400 acres of Land for the present and future use Chaplains resident at Windsor the situation to be a convenient and eligible one within that Township or in the town- ship of Richmond, but you are by all means to avoid marking it out in any situation whereby it might prove injurious or inconvenient for the Farms on the Banks of the River, either by its shutting up or excluding their free communication between their Farms so sealed and the Town Common assigned for the grazing of their cattle. Neither is the Glebe to extend nearer than one mile to the Towns of Windsor or Richmond. 8 The Burial Grounds for the Townships of Windsor and Richmond, and the Grounds whereon it is intended to erect the Churches and School houses are to be con- sidered as exceptions to the rules laid down in the 2nd Paragraph of these Instructions, and are to be marked out for them as the Governor has already directed 9 In any cases not provided for in these present in- structions, you are to be guided by the verbal directions which you have already received from His Excellency, the Governor, and you are by all means to impress These His Excellency’s Instructions on every person who 60 who may feel an interest therein I am Sir Your Ob H ble Servt [Obedient Humble Servant] Signed Jno Thos Campbell Secy [John Thomas Campbell Secretary] James Meehan Actg Pl Surveyor [Acting Principal] Sydney Last month's highlight: Macquarie's instructions to James Meehan for the laying out of the Five Townships of Windsor, Richmond, Pitt town, Wilberforce and Castlereagh dated 26 December 1810. Notice Macquarie's attention to detail in the instructions: he sets a regular width for the streets and the assignment of land to be used for the Church, School, Gaol and Guard house. He even gives directions as to the type of dwelling houses which may be built. » Lachlan Macquarie Gallery FULL TRANSCRIPT Instructions given to James Meehan for the laying out of the Five Townships Secretary’s Office Sydney 26th December 1810 Sir His Excellency the Governor deeming it expedient/in order to guard against any misunderstanding on your part/to commit the Instructions which He has already given you verbally on the subjects of the New Townships now about to be finally, laid out and for the further purpose of your explaining the same to all persons concerned, so that at any future period, no doubt as to His Excellency’s intentions may be started, has instructed me to convey His directions to you to proceed immediately, to Windsor, where you are to apply for, and receive from Mr Cox the Chief Magistrate, the Several Returns of the Settlers Names who are desirous of forming their future Residences within the said New Townships So soon as you have received those Returns, you are with the least possible delay, to commence the business of laying out in a clear and distinct manner the Several Town- Ships of Windsor, Richmond, Pitt town, Wilberforce and Castlereagh in which duty you are to require the assistance of Mr Evans, the Deputy Surveyor. These Townships are to be established on the High Grounds already surveyed and allotted for those purposes by His Excellency, the Governor on the several Commons within the respective Districts to which these Townships are to be attached As a General guide to you in the execution of this very important business you 56 You are principally, to observe and follow the subsequent Rules and Orders in the marking out the several Townships and allotments for the Settlers who mean to reside therein 1st You are mark out the several Townships by regular lines accurately defined, and the streets to be laid out are to be 66 feet wide – those streets running lengthways thro’ the Town are to be parallel to, and 8 chains distant from each other – these streets are also to be intersected by others crossing them at right angles, which streets are to be the same width with the others, but are to be laid out 12 chains apart from each other, and are also to be in parallel directions 2 In the Center of each Town or Township you are to assign a Square Space of Ground containing 396 feet on each side for the purpose of erecting a Church, a School House, a Gaol and Guard House in and you are to set apart 2 acres of Ground on the rear of the central square for a Burial ground, with an expection in this particular with regard to Windsor and Richmond, instructions for which will be noticed herein. 3 The Townships are to be laid out in regular Allotments for the future Inhabitants in the Following proportions. Viz. Allotment For settlers holding Farms less than 30 1½ Acres For 57 Allotment For settlers holding Farms of 30 and less than 50 Acres 2 acres Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] of 50 and less than 100 Do [Ditto] 3 Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] Do [Ditto] of 100 acres and upwards 4 Do [Ditto] 4 But as there is not a sufficiency of unappropriated Land in the Township of Windsor to make the allotments equally great as the foregoing whilst that which is disposable becomes of course the more valuable, you are to make the distribution of it accordingly to the following scale namely Allotment For Settlers holding Farms less than 30 acres ¾ acre Do [Ditto] Do of 30 and less than 50 Acres 1 Do Do [Ditto] Do of 50 and less than 100 do 1½ Do Do [ Ditto] Do of 100 acres and Upwards 2 Do The main streets or those which run lengthways in Windsor are to be parallel and 5 Chains asunder, and the Streets at right angles with them or running cross- ways are to be 12 Chains apart and throughout paral- lel to each other the Width of the Streets to be 66 feet as in the other Townships Fifty acres of Ground are to be reserved for small Town allotments for the accom- modation of Tradesmen which Ground is to commence from Rickaby’s, Mr Marsden’s and Thomas’s farms and to extend thence to the Farms on the South Creek The allotments to be reserved for the settlers who have Farms on the Banks of the River are to commence at the termination of the 50 Acres reserved for the Tradespeople Every Person holding a Farm on the Bank of the River which is liable to the Floods, is to have an allotment assigned him, whether his Land is 58 is held by Grant or Lease from the Government or by Purchase or Lease from the original Grantee It is however to be clearly understood in this place that such allotments are never to be sold or alienated independent of the Farms for the security of which they are now first to be granted, nor is any Person whatever who holds Land on the River to get an allotment in a District Township but that wherein his Farm is situated to which he is to be exclusively attached and limited. 5 You are also to number the Farms on the banks of the Hawkesbury and Nepean which are subject to the floods in the same order they are placed on the Chart Viz No 1, 2, 3 and so on for their entire number and corresponding numbers for the Town allotment are to be given to the settlers, paying due attention to the proportions already prescribed When this duty is performed you are to make out a complete register off all the allotments thus assigned in order that it may be referred to in any Cases of dispute which may in future arise respecting them. 6 The dwelling houses to be erected in the several Town- ships by the settlers are to be either made of Brick or weather boarded, to have Brick chimneys and to roofed with shingles each house is to contain not less than two apartments, with a glazed window in each room and the side walls are not to less than 9 feet high A Plan of such dwelling houses with suitable offices will be left with each District Constable to which every Settler in the erection of his house and office must conform as already 59 already prescribed in His Excellency’s address to the settlers under the Head of General and Government Orders dated the 15th instant and you are to take pains to making this injunction perfectly understood 7 You are also to locate a Glebe of 400 acres of Land for the present and future use Chaplains resident at Windsor the situation to be a convenient and eligible one within that Township or in the town- ship of Richmond, but you are by all means to avoid marking it out in any situation whereby it might prove injurious or inconvenient for the Farms on the Banks of the River, either by its shutting up or excluding their free communication between their Farms so sealed and the Town Common assigned for the grazing of their cattle. Neither is the Glebe to extend nearer than one mile to the Towns of Windsor or Richmond. 8 The Burial Grounds for the Townships of Windsor and Richmond, and the Grounds whereon it is intended to erect the Churches and School houses are to be con- sidered as exceptions to the rules laid down in the 2nd Paragraph of these Instructions, and are to be marked out for them as the Governor has already directed 9 In any cases not provided for in these present in- structions, you are to be guided by the verbal directions which you have already received from His Excellency, the Governor, and you are by all means to impress These His Excellency’s Instructions on every person who 60 who may feel an interest therein I am Sir Your Ob H ble Servt [Obedient Humble Servant] Signed Jno Thos Campbell Secy [John Thomas Campbell Secretary] James Meehan Actg Pl Surveyor [Acting Principal] Sydney |