The State of Trade in Van Diemen’s Land 1833, George Frederick Read to John Ingle

 

If you had asked me what I knew or imagined about van Diemen’s Land before it was re-named Tasmania in 1856, I would have said penal colony and not very nice frontier society with genocidal tendencies . But when I start to read the letter transcribed below and written from Hobart in 1833 I find myself being told about fashions in hats and tastes in wine.

The addressee John Ingle (1781-1872) was one of the first British free settlers in van Diemen’s Land, arriving in 1804. In 1815 the Governor of New South Wales  described him as a “low, Vulgar Man who has Accumulated a Considerable Property by Carrying on Trade at the Derwent [River]”. Having made his fortune, Ingle returned to England for good in 1818 aboard his own ship the Spring but retained property and trading interests which were managed locally by George Frederick Read (1788-1860) who had arrived in 1818 after an adventurous earlier life – he went to sea at the age of eleven - and remained in Tasmania. From 1827 to 1849 he was managing director of the Bank of van Diemen's Land. He is the author of this letter which forms part of a known correspondence part of which has been published in a small edition (see References) with letters from Read to Ingle dated between 1829 and 1852; this letter is not included.

What astonsihes me is that trade could be carried on successfully between England and van Diemen's Land despite the fact that, before the arrival of ocean-going steamships,  letters like this one - and the only means of communicating - took six months to arrive. 

Click to enlarge

Transcription

Addressed to John Ingle Esqr  1 Lower Durnford Street   Stone House   Devonshier

Datelined: Hobart Town 28^th May 1833 

Brought ashore at Penzance indicated by boxed INDIA LETTER PENZANCE [at this time, an India Letter was anything coming from the East …], dated postmark 22 NO 1833 [yes, November …]. Postal charges calculated three times with two crossed out, the third illegible to me.

To John Ingle Esq

My Dear Sir

I enclose you the second of a treasury bill No 3503 for three hundred pounds, am much surprised not not having herd from you by the many vessels latterly arrived, we have sold the hats for 20/- each [twenty shillings equals £1] 6 month credit a very bad price but it was of no use keeping them for many reasons first there was a great many white among them and white hats are at no time much in demand here then the shapes are not liked and last that there are a great quantity of hats in the market, the wine I am sorry to say is likely to remain long on hands having only been able to sell  as yet three pipes it is to sweet quite a different wine from what I wrote Malaga sherry , however the market is at present so glutted that I hardly know what to write for or what would sell so many new merchants so much competition that I am quite frightnend from speculating we have been obliged to commence repairing the wall of the Ship  Inn [in Hobart]. I am fearful the back of the stable will come down the side of the house too is very much shock and will have to be secured. Mrs Lord has given up the house she lives in and I have not as yet been able to get a tenant but do not expect that it will remain long empty, pray let me not frighten you by the long list of grievance as all your tenants (with the exception of Mott who is out) have paid their rents. Clark has built an excellent house on the place were the old butcher shop stood which wretched shed has been pulled down. I have rented them (thew 2 Clarks) the two premises namely the old butchers shop and bird in hand [the Bird in Hand Inn] for 21 years and in case of fire they are bound to lay out seven hundred pounds in rebuilding  this is considered an excellent bargain for you, as I could not undertake to erect such a building as they have already put up for seven hundred pounds, the Banks an both prospering so that with the exception of deduction for repairs your income is perfectly secure. I shall make up my act [account] current o the 30^th June and forward it with any balance due to you , as I expect there will be a vessel leaving shortly after.

I remain   My Dear Sir   Yours Very Faithfully    George Fredk Read

 

References

Jack Richards Tasmanian Letters 1824-1852 (Christchuch New Zealand 1955) – I have a copy

K.A. Green, contributor to the Australian Dictionary of Biography (1967), John Ingle (1781-1872)

H.C.C. Langdon, contributor to the Australian Dictionary of Biography (1967), George Frederick Read (1788-1860)

Wikipedia: Ingle Hall