Letter from Richard Jones to Alexander Birnie regarding the health of his brother Captain James Birnie, 7 July 1829

MLMSS 10267

fonds

7 July 1829

9583911

0.03 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

Richard Jones (1786-1852) arrived in Sydney on the Mary Ann in 1809, and over the following decade established himself as a merchant alongside Alexander Riley. In 1819 Macquarie referred to the fact that they were the only merchants in New South Wales: he complained to London that the order prohibiting convict ships from carrying merchandise made the colony unduly dependent on the goods imported by Jones & Riley.
Jones was also a pioneer in several maritime enterprises and was among the first to commence deep-sea whaling from New South Wales. In the 1820s he become a magistrate and a leading public figure in Sydney as well as branching out as a pastoralist. He was nominated in the Legislative Council of New South Wales from 1829 to 1843.

James Birnie (1762?-1844), merchant and ship-owner, was a sea captain by profession. He was the brother, partner and New South Wales agent of Alexander Birnie of 12 Great St Helen's, the only London merchant and general agent regularly trading to New South Wales in the 1810s. He was an active member of colonial society and was friends with Samuel Marsden, William Broughton, and the Hassalls. In 1825 he was pronounced insane, and his estate was placed under the administration of Thomas Icely and Richard Jones. By 1829, Jones reports a substantial improvement in Birnie's health.
Reference: Library correspondence file and the collection.

A two paged, autographed letter, with fourth page address panel, stamps and red wax seal, on wove paper watermarked “Fellows 1827”. The letter shows the connection between Captain James Birnie to two colonial merchants; Richard Jones in Sydney who was the administrator of his estate, and his brother Alexander Birnie a merchant in London. Jones’s letter to Alexander gives insight into the difficulty of James no longer being able to manage his business affairs and land holdings after being declared insane, and particularly the challenges this presented for his wife Martha, who was left to navigate the difficulty of land grants and claims. Jones briefly mentions one of Alexander Birnie’s whaling ships off the NSW coast, a business they were both involved in, but the main content for the letter is to give an update on James’s health, as well as praising the ongoing efforts of his wife Martha Matilda.

Out of copyright: Author(s) died more than 70 years ago
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales