Descendants of George Williams 1760 - 1838 [Merchant & Compositor/Printer, Sydney Gazette] & Mary Hughes Williams

 "A Petition of George Williams, printer of George Street Sydney, in the territory of NSW, was also presented and read; setting forth, That the petitioner served His Majesty's Government at the Cape of Good Hope in the capacity of printer, until that place was given up to the Dutch by the Treaty of Amiens, when the petitioner returned to England, and in the year 1813, made application to the Right Honourable Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State for him and family to have permission to go to NSW as free settlers with the usual indulgences of a grant of land and rations which were granted to the petitioner in the month of December 1813, and he received an Order to go there in the Broxbornebury Transport Ship; and that upon his arrival in the year 1814, he applied for a grant, but it was only in the latter end of the year 1816 that orders were given to measure the same, and all implements of agriculture were refused by his Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, the Governor from the stores, though the Petitioner offered to pay for them; and that the petitioner has subsequently been deprived of the said land and every indulgence; and that in consequence of His Excellency Lachlan Macquarie Esquire of the said Territory, having flogged and imprisoned three free men for getting over a wall which was broken down, without any hearing before a magistrate, but by his Excellency's own private order to the chief constable or gaoler, the Petitioner signed a Petition addressed to the House, complaining of that as well as other grievances which he considered perfectly necessary, not only for the information of the House and His Majesty's Government. but for the prevention of a similar attack on the liberty of other free persons in that settlement; in doing which the Petitioner only acted upon the right that every free born Englishman enjoys in presenting to the House, grievances, which occur in any settlement under the auspices of His Majesty's Crown and Government; and the petitioner further shews, that he attended according to the General Order of his Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Governor, a general muster of the inhabitants of the said Territory on the 23rd October 1816, when his Excellency Lachlan Macquarie Esq, Esquire, the Governor, used to the Petitioner the following opprobrious language: "You are a seditious and rebellious scoundrel, and ought to be sent out of the country; I have taken the land from you" and in consequence of signing the petition aforesaid, the Petitioner, together with other persons whose names were signed thereto, has been deprived of the land, cattle and other indulgences, which were his inducement to Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, the Governor to come to the colony; and the petitioner further shows that he was employed by Mr George Howe, government printer, and the only master printer of that colony, at a regular, weekly salary of two pounds sterling per week, which was paid by Mr Howe, as a private individual, and not on account of government, but on Monday the 24th February 1817, the Petitioner was informed by the aforesaid Mr George Howe that he the Petitioner must quit his employ in a fortnight; and that the said Mr George Howe had received a letter from his Excellency to the effect: Mr George Howe then produced a letter in the Governor's own handwriting and read it aloud to the Petitioner and two or three other persons in his parlour to the following effect"

Letter requesting dismissal of George Williams included.

"And the Petitioner further shews That the Petitioner was appointed by the Honourable Mr Justice Bent, judge of the Supreme Court in that Territory, cryer of the said court, which office the Petitioner has faithfully and diligently discharges; and that on the arrival of the Honourable Baron Field, judge of the supreme court, in the room of the said Mr Justice Bent he stated to the said judge his appointment of cryer, of that honourable court and his readiness to act as such; when the Petitioner was informed by the Honourable Baron Field, judge of the supreme court, "that he finds it not advisable to continue the Petitioner cryer of the said court." And the Petitioner believes that he was dismissed from such office in consequence of his having signed the said petition to the House and from the undue influence which the said Mr Baron Field is under, and the fear of disobliging His Excellency the Governor; And the Petitioner further shews That most settlers and tradesmen in that colony are so much in awe of the said Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, The Governor and of the ill consequences that would fall upon them that they are fearful of employing in any way a person obnoxious to him; And the Petitioner most humbly craves the protection of the House and that he may not be harassed and drove out of his honest employment by his Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, the Governor, upon no other reason that his petitioning the house; for otherwise, the Petitioner cannot get that subsistence for himself and family, which every honest man would determine to do"

Reference: House of Commons Parliamentary Papers

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All Rights Reserved
 Annie and Wal Lotocki
 2003