Two letters from Richard Jones, in Sydney, to Messrs. Alexander Birnie & Son, of London, 10 December 1834 and 6 April 1835

MLMSS 10240

fonds

10 December 1834, 6 April 1835

9633334

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

Richard Jones (1786 – 6 November 1852) was an English-born, merchant and pastoralist, and later politician, in New South Wales, Australia. Jones was born at Chirbury in Shropshire to Thomas Bowdler Jones, small landowner and brewer, and Elizabeth Ann (née) Philips. He was a clerk in London before migrating to New South Wales, where he became a merchant and pastoralist. In 1823 he married Mary Louisa Peterson, with whom he had eight children. In 30 January 1829, Jones was an appointed member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, a role he held until 5 January 1843. Having moved to Brisbane (then part of New South Wales), on 1 October 1850 Jones was elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council representing the electoral district of Counties of Gloucester, Macquarie, and Stanley (Brisbane being within the County of Stanley). He held the position until 30 June 1851, when the electorate was split into three separate electorates. He was then elected on 1 September 1851 to the Council as the member for the new electoral district of Stanley Boroughs, which included North Brisbane (the settled areas north of the Brisbane River), South Brisbane, Kangaroo Point and Ipswich. He held that position until his death on 6 November 1852. Jones died on 6 November 1852 at New Farm in the Moreton Bay district, which at the time was still part of New South Wales.

Alexander Birnie (bapt. 19 October 1763 – 15 February 1835) was a Scottish merchant and shipowner. Birnie sent consignments of goods to South America and Britain's Australian colonies. He imported wool, whale oil and other commodities from the colonies in his own and other vessels. His brother, James Birnie (1761–1844), a former sea captain, joined the firm and from about that time the partnership began to engage in sealing and South Sea whaling. James went to Australia in 1812 and established himself in Sydney where he acted as the local agent for Birnie & Co. Birnie & Co had at least ten whaling ships in operation in the 30 years between 1796 and 1826. Alexander died at his home in Great Helen's Street on 15 February 1835.

John Dunmore Lang (25 August 1799 – 8 August 1878) was a Scottish-born Australian Presbyterian minister, writer, politician and activist. Lang arrived in Sydney in May 1823 and was welcomed by the Scottish community as the first Presbyterian minister in Sydney. He was instrumental in having the first Scots church built in 1826. He had a long and at times contentious career, active as, among other things, an educational reformer, immigration promoter, political writer, Member of both the Lower and Upper House, newspaper owner and Presbyterian minister. Lang was a powerful voice for liberal and secular values; he was the first prominent advocate of an independent Australian nation and of Australian republicanism.

References:
Australian Dictionary of Biography: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jones-richard-2280 (Accessed 13 June 2019)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Birnie (Accessed 14 June 2019)
Mitchell Library correspondence file

Two autograph letters from Richard Jones sent to Messrs. Alex Birnie & Son, London, regarding business interests, whaling voyages, remittance of money and deeds, Sydney, 10 December 1834 and 6 April 1835, both on laid paper, folded to form four pages. Both letters contain information relating to business, trading and economic development in colonial Sydney. They also contain references to the Scottish-born Australian Presbyterian minister Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang. The first letter, dated 10 December 1834, shows strong business and trading connections between Jones and Birnie, particularly in whaling interests, and contains a substantial passage relating to Dr Lang. The second of the letters, dated 6 April 1835, – which is marked duplicate, and has a long postscript dated 22 April – again refers to whaling interests, and mentions the safe return of Captain Curry in the whaler Elizabeth, and news of the ship Anne and its success in New Zealand. The name of Dr Lang figures again who is mentioned again by Jones when he writes: 'Dr Lang Informs me he has sent you a remittance of £250 and promises a further sum before long I am sorry to say the Doctor is some how or other backward in cash matters.'

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

Includes typed transcript of both letters supplied by vendor.