ANDREW THOMPSON (1773 TO 1810)
CONVICT, ENTREPRENEUR, ADMINISTRATOR, CONSTABLE, FARMER, SHIP BUILDER, BREWER, PUBLICAN, INVENTOR, SMUGGLER, FLOOD HERO, BRIDGE BUILDER, SALT MANUFACTURER, MAGISTRATE & PHILANTHROPIST
A quote from J. Abbott’s book – THE GOVERNOR’S MAN gives a glimpse into Andrew Thompson’s mind and accent:
“The corporal walked along beside me till we came to Andrew Thompson's house—not the fine two-storied one he built during the government of General Macquarie (at McGraths Hill called Red House) but the little cottage above the river which was the first dwelling-place of this remarkable man, after he had begun to carve out his fortune (Bell Post Square now Thompson Square).
Andrew Thompson greeted us and said.
‘Ye'll be John Carnford, I'm thinkin'? I've hearl of ye, ma mon, an' I bid ye welcome, wen jist give the mare—a likely animal she is—a drink of water an' a bite of hay, and then ye'll tak' a bite wi' me y'sel'. I mis- doubt ye'll have a fine appetite after y'r ride from Parramatta, where no doubt ye slept last nicht.’
His accent was North Country, but not very broad, and I found something likable in his honest, shrewd face. I was always on good terms with Andrew Thompson, and count it an honour to have known him.”
In February 1810, in the colony of New South Wales, Australia two Scotsmen met for the first time and were to set in motion the egalitarian principles upon which a whole new society and culture would be formed. They only knew each other ten months.
One of those men was Lachlan Macquarie, newly appointed Governor to the fledgling colony. He came in worrying times. The previous governor (Captain Bligh of “Mutiny on the Bounty” renown) had been overthrown in a military coup and Macquarie had been sent to restore order. He and his wife, Elizabeth were friends of William Wilberforce and were sympathetic to Wilberforce’s cause. Governor Macquarie saw the convicts as slaves, who were deserving of being given the opportunity to seek and gain redemption for their convictions through honest work which would benefit the colony as well as themselves.
The other Scotsman was Andrew Thompson, who was not only an emancipist (a freed convict) but one of the wealthiest men in the colony. Thompson was born in 1773 in Yetholm to John Thompson and Agnes Hillson (for whom Agnes Banks is named). He was the youngest of six or seven children.
In 1791 Thompson was convicted of stealing £10 worth of cloth and was sentenced to 14 years transportation. He sailed with over 400 other convicts on the vessel ‘Pitt’ arriving in Sydney in February 1792 aged 19.
By 1810, through diligence and entrepreneurial zeal; Thompson had already won the favour and confidence of two Governors; King and Bligh. Thompson had been a policeman and then Chief Constable of Windsor, was a successful farmer; holding many farms either by land grant or purchase, owned a brewery and a pub, as well as Scotland Island where he manufactured salt. He also owned four boats and traded the ‘Hawkesbury’ to Sydney and New Zealand and owned a tannery, brewery and a store in Windsor. He built ocean going vessels carrying up to 100 tons at Windsor.
Thompson was also something of a hero, having saved the lives of some 109 settlers during the Hawkesbury floods of 1806 and 1809. It was due to being immersed in the flood waters for three days and nights that he contracted an illness of the lungs, which saw his health deteriorate over his final years.
Of his personal life little is known. He loved his dog Bumper and literature. If he had a partner or children in Australia, it is unrecorded. It seems he tried to reconcile himself with his Scottish family but to no avail even with his will.
Within two weeks of arriving; Macquarie unexpectedly appointed Thompson a Magistrate. To Macquarie, Thompson was the perfect example of the freed convict and was deserving of being conferred Justice of the Peace and Chief Magistrate of Windsor.
Andrew died of his illness of the lungs on the 22nd of October 1810 in his Red House Farm, Windsor; which was his primary residence. He was attended by Mr. Redfern, who was Macquarie's choice for Chief Surgeon of the Colony (also an emancipist) and was the first person to be buried in what is now the grounds of St. Matthews Church; now famous for ex-convict Francis Greenway’s St Mathews Church, built years later.
Macquarie wrote a long epitaph for Andrew which was beautifully carved into his grave marker. He was about 37 years old when he died and his achievements in the colony in just 18 years were amazing. It reads:
“SACRED to the memory of ANDREW THOMPSON ESQUIRE Justice of the Peace and chief Magistrate of the District of the Hawkesbury, a Native of Scotland, Who at the age of 17 Years; was sent to this Country where from the time of his arrival he distinguished himself by the most persevering industry and diligent attention to the commands of his Superiors. By these means he raised himself to a state of respectability and affluence which enabled him to indulge the generosity of his nature in assisting his Fellow Creatures in distress more particularly in the Calamitous Floods of the river Hawkesbury in the Years 1806 ,and 1809 where at the immediate risque of his life and perminant injury, of his health he exerted himself each time (unremittingly) during three successive Days and Nights in saving the lives and Properties of numbers who but for him must have Perished. In- consequence of Mr. Thompson's good Conduct, governor Macquarie appointed him a Justice of the Peace. This act, which restored him to that rank in Society which he had lost, made so deep an impression on his grateful Heart as to induce him to bequeath to the governor one-fourth of his Fortune. This most useful and valuable Man closed his Earthly career on the 22nd Day of October 1810, at His House at Windsor of which he was the principal Founder in the 37th Year of , his age, with (in) the Hope of Eternal Life. '
From respect and esteem for the Memory of the deceased, this Monument is erected by LACHLAN MACQUARIE, GOVERNOR of New South Wales.”
Andrew Thompson went from a convict, the lowest rank in society, to being one of the wealthiest and influential of men in the Colony. Andrew left half his fortune to Macquarie, who used much of it in building amenities for the people of the Colony. Andrew's own family refused the part of his fortune which he had left to them. His funeral was attended by Macquarie and many prominent people as well as a very large contingent of settlers from Windsor and the surrounding district.
Windsor had saved the Colony by its production of food and Andrew had played a key role in this activity by his diligent approach to creating and running model farms.
In January 1811 Gov. Macquarie and his Lady engaged in a tour of inspection of the Hawkesbury. When they came to Windsor (which was then known as Green Hills) they made a special visit to Andrew's grave to honour the memory of their good and true friend. Macquarie then visited the township and when he reached the town square he made the following important announcements - that Green Hills would now be known as Windsor and that the square, known as Bell Post Square would be called Thompson Square, in honour of Andrew Thompson, the Father and Founder of Windsor.
There are only two physical reminders of Andrew left in Australia - his grave with its inscription and Thompson Square, the oldest town square created in this country and still intact. As a man and symbol Andrew Thompson was both loved and respected and loathed and hated in the colony.
As the Yetholm Family History Society Scotland site says “famous in Australia, infamous in Yetholm.”
CONVICT, ENTREPRENEUR, ADMINISTRATOR, CONSTABLE, FARMER, SHIP BUILDER, BREWER, PUBLICAN, INVENTOR, SMUGGLER, FLOOD HERO, BRIDGE BUILDER, SALT MANUFACTURER, MAGISTRATE & PHILANTHROPIST
A quote from J. Abbott’s book – THE GOVERNOR’S MAN gives a glimpse into Andrew Thompson’s mind and accent:
“The corporal walked along beside me till we came to Andrew Thompson's house—not the fine two-storied one he built during the government of General Macquarie (at McGraths Hill called Red House) but the little cottage above the river which was the first dwelling-place of this remarkable man, after he had begun to carve out his fortune (Bell Post Square now Thompson Square).
Andrew Thompson greeted us and said.
‘Ye'll be John Carnford, I'm thinkin'? I've hearl of ye, ma mon, an' I bid ye welcome, wen jist give the mare—a likely animal she is—a drink of water an' a bite of hay, and then ye'll tak' a bite wi' me y'sel'. I mis- doubt ye'll have a fine appetite after y'r ride from Parramatta, where no doubt ye slept last nicht.’
His accent was North Country, but not very broad, and I found something likable in his honest, shrewd face. I was always on good terms with Andrew Thompson, and count it an honour to have known him.”
In February 1810, in the colony of New South Wales, Australia two Scotsmen met for the first time and were to set in motion the egalitarian principles upon which a whole new society and culture would be formed. They only knew each other ten months.
One of those men was Lachlan Macquarie, newly appointed Governor to the fledgling colony. He came in worrying times. The previous governor (Captain Bligh of “Mutiny on the Bounty” renown) had been overthrown in a military coup and Macquarie had been sent to restore order. He and his wife, Elizabeth were friends of William Wilberforce and were sympathetic to Wilberforce’s cause. Governor Macquarie saw the convicts as slaves, who were deserving of being given the opportunity to seek and gain redemption for their convictions through honest work which would benefit the colony as well as themselves.
The other Scotsman was Andrew Thompson, who was not only an emancipist (a freed convict) but one of the wealthiest men in the colony. Thompson was born in 1773 in Yetholm to John Thompson and Agnes Hillson (for whom Agnes Banks is named). He was the youngest of six or seven children.
In 1791 Thompson was convicted of stealing £10 worth of cloth and was sentenced to 14 years transportation. He sailed with over 400 other convicts on the vessel ‘Pitt’ arriving in Sydney in February 1792 aged 19.
By 1810, through diligence and entrepreneurial zeal; Thompson had already won the favour and confidence of two Governors; King and Bligh. Thompson had been a policeman and then Chief Constable of Windsor, was a successful farmer; holding many farms either by land grant or purchase, owned a brewery and a pub, as well as Scotland Island where he manufactured salt. He also owned four boats and traded the ‘Hawkesbury’ to Sydney and New Zealand and owned a tannery, brewery and a store in Windsor. He built ocean going vessels carrying up to 100 tons at Windsor.
Thompson was also something of a hero, having saved the lives of some 109 settlers during the Hawkesbury floods of 1806 and 1809. It was due to being immersed in the flood waters for three days and nights that he contracted an illness of the lungs, which saw his health deteriorate over his final years.
Of his personal life little is known. He loved his dog Bumper and literature. If he had a partner or children in Australia, it is unrecorded. It seems he tried to reconcile himself with his Scottish family but to no avail even with his will.
Within two weeks of arriving; Macquarie unexpectedly appointed Thompson a Magistrate. To Macquarie, Thompson was the perfect example of the freed convict and was deserving of being conferred Justice of the Peace and Chief Magistrate of Windsor.
Andrew died of his illness of the lungs on the 22nd of October 1810 in his Red House Farm, Windsor; which was his primary residence. He was attended by Mr. Redfern, who was Macquarie's choice for Chief Surgeon of the Colony (also an emancipist) and was the first person to be buried in what is now the grounds of St. Matthews Church; now famous for ex-convict Francis Greenway’s St Mathews Church, built years later.
Macquarie wrote a long epitaph for Andrew which was beautifully carved into his grave marker. He was about 37 years old when he died and his achievements in the colony in just 18 years were amazing. It reads:
“SACRED to the memory of ANDREW THOMPSON ESQUIRE Justice of the Peace and chief Magistrate of the District of the Hawkesbury, a Native of Scotland, Who at the age of 17 Years; was sent to this Country where from the time of his arrival he distinguished himself by the most persevering industry and diligent attention to the commands of his Superiors. By these means he raised himself to a state of respectability and affluence which enabled him to indulge the generosity of his nature in assisting his Fellow Creatures in distress more particularly in the Calamitous Floods of the river Hawkesbury in the Years 1806 ,and 1809 where at the immediate risque of his life and perminant injury, of his health he exerted himself each time (unremittingly) during three successive Days and Nights in saving the lives and Properties of numbers who but for him must have Perished. In- consequence of Mr. Thompson's good Conduct, governor Macquarie appointed him a Justice of the Peace. This act, which restored him to that rank in Society which he had lost, made so deep an impression on his grateful Heart as to induce him to bequeath to the governor one-fourth of his Fortune. This most useful and valuable Man closed his Earthly career on the 22nd Day of October 1810, at His House at Windsor of which he was the principal Founder in the 37th Year of , his age, with (in) the Hope of Eternal Life. '
From respect and esteem for the Memory of the deceased, this Monument is erected by LACHLAN MACQUARIE, GOVERNOR of New South Wales.”
Andrew Thompson went from a convict, the lowest rank in society, to being one of the wealthiest and influential of men in the Colony. Andrew left half his fortune to Macquarie, who used much of it in building amenities for the people of the Colony. Andrew's own family refused the part of his fortune which he had left to them. His funeral was attended by Macquarie and many prominent people as well as a very large contingent of settlers from Windsor and the surrounding district.
Windsor had saved the Colony by its production of food and Andrew had played a key role in this activity by his diligent approach to creating and running model farms.
In January 1811 Gov. Macquarie and his Lady engaged in a tour of inspection of the Hawkesbury. When they came to Windsor (which was then known as Green Hills) they made a special visit to Andrew's grave to honour the memory of their good and true friend. Macquarie then visited the township and when he reached the town square he made the following important announcements - that Green Hills would now be known as Windsor and that the square, known as Bell Post Square would be called Thompson Square, in honour of Andrew Thompson, the Father and Founder of Windsor.
There are only two physical reminders of Andrew left in Australia - his grave with its inscription and Thompson Square, the oldest town square created in this country and still intact. As a man and symbol Andrew Thompson was both loved and respected and loathed and hated in the colony.
As the Yetholm Family History Society Scotland site says “famous in Australia, infamous in Yetholm.”