Ann BATES, nee GRIFFIN 1784 - 1864

Ann Griffin was an army brat. This unflattering description means that she was born into a military environment, and from her earliest years understood the army culture. She would have been aware of the status and duties of different ranks, and would have been accustomed to moving from one army post to another. No one would know how long the Regiment would be at one post, moves could be sudden, and there could be moves from one country to another. Every army has had its army brats.  Ann’s father Michael was born in Galway, Ireland around 1750, and on 8 August 1762 joined the 42nd Regiment of the British Army, the Royal Highland Regiment. At the tender age of 12 he was already a cordwainer or leather shoe worker but enlisted as a drummer boy, a role that in action was every bit as dangerous as that of a private of the line. He served in all for an incredible sixty years, six of which were before the age of 18.

His service records show the different units he served in and the time he spent in each. Details of his service are shown in the table below: 

Regiment                    Date joined      Date left             Period of service
42nd Regiment          8 Aug 1762      12 Aug 1875     22 years 338 days
2nd Guard &17th       21 Jul 1785      28 Sep 1789     4 years 67 days
NSWCorps&102nd   28 Sep 789      26 Mar 1810     20 years 182 days
NSW Veterans           25 Mar 1810    24 Sep 1823    13 years 184 days

 Unfortunately the records do not tell us of all the places where Michael was stationed, but other information tells us where he was at certain times. The NSW Corps was a unit of the British army raised in England in 1879 for service in the Penal Colony of NSW. It was later known as the ‘Rum Corps’ because many of its officers were involved in the NSW spirit trade and in 1809 it was renamed the 102nd Regiment. There is no record of Michael’s marriage to his wife Mary, whose surname and ancestry are not known, but their first child Ann was baptised on 4 August 1784 at St Nicholas Church, Gloucester. St Nicholas is a 12th Century church located near the river Severn. It is built of limestone and comprises a chancel, north chapel, nave, north aisle and transcript, south aisle with a porch, a west tower and spire, now leaning. The church is no longer in use, but is still consecrated and sometimes hosts special services. Gloucester was built on a Roman Fort and by the Norman conquest in 1066 Gloucester was a royal borough with an important commercial centre and port. Their marriage could have taken place here or in Ireland or elsewhere, but it seems certain that Michael was stationed in England at the time of Ann’s birth.

 The family was still in England when their second child Nathaniel was born five years later. He was baptised in the Holy Trinity Church at Dartford, Kent on 18 May 1788. Dartford was then a market town on the river Darent, 25 kms east of London and close to the Thames River. The Romans built a road from Dover to London which crossed the river at Dartford by ford and the town developed there.  By the time Michael was stationed there, there was a cotton mill and gun powder mill. Dartford had a fire engine and its first public street lamp outside the Parish Church.

Three years later on 27 March 1791 the family departed Portsmouth on the 520 ton Third Fleet ship, the Britannia, arriving in Sydney Cove on 14 October 1791 with 150 male convicts also on board, 21 had died on the journey. The Third Fleet consisted of eleven ships which sailed into Sydney Cove in 1791 with over 2000 convicts and much needed provisions for the settlement. At that time the military barracks were located closer to Sydney Cove and consisted of rough huts and tents, The Wynyard Barracks and Parade Ground were built from 1792 – 1818 and extended from St Philips in the north to Barrack St in the south. It was from here that the NSW Corps marched to Government House to arrest Governor Bligh in 1808, later known as the Rum Rebellion. Ann’s youngest brother, Thomas was born en-route to Australia on 2 April 1791. Ann and Nathaniel were the only soldier children on the 201 day journey on the Britannia, plus an unknown child, ten year old Ann Stoolorn. Two other soldier children were born on board other ships, William Jamieson was born on the Queen and Henry Flemming on the William and Ann. The early dwellings in the colony were made of cabbage tree palm and wattle and daub, boards and twigs plastered with clay.

By the time the Griffin family arrived there were many convicts employed making brick and tiles and more permanent housing was becoming available. Reverend Johnson and his wife Mary had established a school in the first St Philips. Droughts and disease caused many hardships, the lack of fresh vegetables and rampant small pox. Ann’s sister, Lydia was born on the 4 March 1874 but six months later on 1 Sep 1794, her mother Mary died.  Mary’s death was also mentioned in David Collin’s Account of the English Colony in NSW. Michael was out fishing in the lower part of the harbour at the time in order to feed the family. The funeral service was held at St Phillips Church on 2 September 1793 for Mary Griffin, Soldiers wife and she was buried in the Old Sydney Burial Ground. The Old Sydney Burial Ground was Sydney’s first official cemetery. From 1792 to 1820 the principal burial ground for the colony was on the site where the Sydney Town Hall now stands, on the corner of George and Druitt streets. This cemetery is commonly called the Old Sydney Burial Ground, but it was also known as the George Street Burial Ground, the Cathedral Close Cemetery, and (retrospectively) the Town Hall Cemetery.

Ten year old Ann helped her father bring up her two brothers, aged six and three years and baby sister after her mother’s early death, which gave her the skills to manage a household in preparation for her own marriage as a sixteen year old in 1800. Michael was granted 25 acres at Petersham Hill on 14 Mar 1795, but soon sold it. Rent was only 1 shilling a year, commencing after 5 years. Thus keeping the family military connection solid Nathaniel and Thomas also enlisted in the army. Nathaniel appeared as a Drummer on the 1798 pay list of Captain Johnston’s Company in the NSW Corps and Thomas also enlisted in the corps as a Drummer in 1799.   In 1808 they were described as: Nathaniel Griffin, 18 years, height 5ft 4 1/2 ins, long face, dark complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair. Thomas Griffin, 16 years, height 5ft 8in, round face, fair complexion, hazel eyes, light brown hair. Thomas married Sophia GRANDUE at St Philips on 22 Mar 1810, but died the following year. Nathaniel passed away in 1814 and the GRIFFIN family line was not carried on.

Michael was present on Musters until 1796 for NSW Corps, then on the102nd, 73rd Regiment, and Veteran Company pay Lists. On his discharge in 1823 he was described as about seventy three years of age, five feet eight inches in height, with sandy hair, grey eyes, fair complexion, and by trade or occupation a cordwainer. WO 97/1141/115.  Michael appeared on the November 1828 Census as Griffen, M, (sic)  aged 85 CF (Came Free) Britannia 1791, Protestant, Lodger with John McDonald, Pitt Town, reference G1469. On 20 Feb 1833 Michael died at Pitt Town and was buried at St Mathew's Windsor on 11 Sep Michael's age was given as 96 but should have been 83, profession, farmer. The funeral service was performed by the Reverend Joseph Docker. Later a large family tomb was erected and the memorial also lists his younger daughter, Lydia, one of her sons, and her two former convict husband's, John Benn (Gorgon 1791) and John McDonald (Guildford 1812).

From The Bates of Sussex Street © Marie Heilbrunn 2010