b'45293A LAND TRANSACTION IN WILBERFORCE,NEW SOUTH WALES - 1824A conveyance of 20 Acres of Land in the District of Wilberforce under a writ of Fieri Facias [ a writ of execution after judgment obtained in a legal action for debt or damages] by which Robert COOPER (merchant of Sydney) acquires the land from John LYONS in settlement of a debt calculated at 80 pounds in Spanish Dollars at five shillings each. The details of the land are described and a small hand-drawn map provides further information. The document is preparedfor and signed by John Thomas CAMPBELL, Provost Marshall, and witnessed by James Foster.Wilberforce is one of the original settlements established as a township by Lachlan Macquarie, colonial governor of New South Wales 1810-21, and accordingly is locally known as a Macquarie Town, a title given to townships established by Governor Macquarie on 6 December 1810 in and around Sydney. It was named after William Wilberforce (17591833) who was a British politician, philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.John Thomas Campbell (1770 - 1830) arrived in Sydney in 1809, and on 1 January 1810 Macquarie appointed Campbell his secretary; Ellis Bent considered him very fit for the situation, which is very troublesome. His salary was 282 10s., paid by the British government, to which Macquarie added 82 10s. from the colonial revenue as soon as authorized to do so in 1816. For eleven years he was Macquaries chief assistant in the administration of the colony, his intimate friend and loyal supporter. Among other things Campbell strongly supported the governor in 1816 against Jeffery Hart Bent and in his prosecution of Captain Drake for ill treatment of prisoners in the Chapman in 1817.Campbell took a leading part in the founding of the Bank of New South Wales in 1816-17. As the first president of its board of directors he gave thorough attention daily to every detail of its organization and operations until it was well established. Although Macquarie, in his eagerness to present the banks prospects in the best light, may have exaggerated294the presidents earlier experience as a banker, Campbell was obviously enthusiastic and competent.$200300 294The scheme to settle these men in the Australian colonies was AUTOGRAPHED LETTER FROM ALEXANDER MCLEAY,a failure. Particular blame can be laid at the feet of Governor COLONIAL SECRETARY, JUNE 1829 Darling, especially as his brothers-in-law were the officers in A letter signed by Alex Mcleay headed Colonial Secretaryscharge of both the Royal Veteran Companies and the Royal Staff Office, Sydney 26th June, 1829 addressed to Private John Hunt,Corps, and he kept them busy with civil duties. Other officers late of the Royal Staff Corps. The rare letter confirms the offerwere likewise tempted by the large salaries of civil positions, of an Allotment of Ground in the Town of Windsorbut youand virtually ignored their military responsibilities. Thus, the will understand that this order will be null and void if you are notscheme was unsuccessful on various levels, most importantly actually residing on the Land alluded to, at the end of Six Monthsbecause the officers did not fulfill their duties, and failed to from the present date. A transfer, dated Sept.1830 has beenprovide leadership to the rank and file who, in turn, performed written, in a different hand, on the reverse. disastrously in their various roles. After discharge, most soldiers Illustrating a very interesting and little known situation: Afterfailed to take up their land grants, or forfeited them through non-the Peninsular War and Waterloo, Britain was at the zenith ofresidence.its power. It was the strongest military power in the world. For$500750the first time, Britains power was military, rather than naval and the British Army at the end of the Napoleonic Wars was larger than it had ever been before. Following the British victory at the battle of Waterloo and the subsequent reduction of the army, the British Government had to turn its mind to the extraordinary number of surplus soldiers in Britain.The British Government had planned that when the Royal Veteran Companies were formed in 1825 for service in New South Wales they were to be encouraged to settle there. Sure enough, the Royal Veteran Companies were disbanded in 1829, and grants of land in varying sizes were given to the men in different parts of New South Wales and Van Diemens Land. There were also some members of the Royal Staff Corps (as in this case) in both these colonies who were disbanded at the same time, and under the same conditions.'