Wentworth
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:31 pm
Was William Charles Wentworth our first native-born poet? Born on a ship off Norfolk Island in 1793, William was the son of D'Arcy Wentworth and a convict mother Catherine Crowley.
Most of us learned of William Charles Wentworth as one of the trio - Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth who conquered the Blue Mountains in 1813.
In 1822, W.C. Wentworth wrote a poem "Australasia" for which he won a prize. It is on the net but too long to copy. This made me wonder, is he our first recorded native-born poet?
Now, here comes the interesting personal link. D'Arcy Wentworth and Catherine Crowley (parents of WC Wentworth) arrived aboard the Neptune in 1790 with the second fleet. Wentworth had been acquitted of highway robbery - not once but four times and came to the colony to avoid facing the music. Also aboard was my ancestor, John Rogers, convicted of highway robbery......and on the same ship was an ancestor of our very own Ron Boughton of ABPA poetry fame!
The connection deepens. John Rogers was given a land grant of 30 acres at Paramatta after competing his sentence....I wonder what 30 acres at Paramatta would be worth today? The land of John Rogers and probably other lesser beings, was taken from him, consolidated and sold to none other than that rogue D'Arcy Wentworth! The Wentworths took my family fortune! Time for a land claim I reckon.
In 1814, Job Wilson, the son-in-law of John Rogers, was one of 30 convicts that built the road over the Blue Mountains.
It is 200 years this year that the road was built.
I couldn't have made all that up if I had tried!
Heather
Most of us learned of William Charles Wentworth as one of the trio - Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth who conquered the Blue Mountains in 1813.
In 1822, W.C. Wentworth wrote a poem "Australasia" for which he won a prize. It is on the net but too long to copy. This made me wonder, is he our first recorded native-born poet?
Now, here comes the interesting personal link. D'Arcy Wentworth and Catherine Crowley (parents of WC Wentworth) arrived aboard the Neptune in 1790 with the second fleet. Wentworth had been acquitted of highway robbery - not once but four times and came to the colony to avoid facing the music. Also aboard was my ancestor, John Rogers, convicted of highway robbery......and on the same ship was an ancestor of our very own Ron Boughton of ABPA poetry fame!
The connection deepens. John Rogers was given a land grant of 30 acres at Paramatta after competing his sentence....I wonder what 30 acres at Paramatta would be worth today? The land of John Rogers and probably other lesser beings, was taken from him, consolidated and sold to none other than that rogue D'Arcy Wentworth! The Wentworths took my family fortune! Time for a land claim I reckon.
In 1814, Job Wilson, the son-in-law of John Rogers, was one of 30 convicts that built the road over the Blue Mountains.
It is 200 years this year that the road was built.
I couldn't have made all that up if I had tried!
Heather