Biography
William Marks was born circa 1803 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom and died 19 March 1861 Binda, New South Wales, Australia of riding accident. He married Ann Lamb (1816-1894) 24 February 1838 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
We do not know the identity of William's parents.
William has no known siblings.
William always claimed to originate from Bristol. He has conflicting birth information of from 1798 through to 1803 in both Bristol and Sussex, England, United Kingdom. The birth location for William is quite a mystery and many of us do not believe his assertion that he was born in Bristol. He worked as a Pig Dealer in 1824 in Chichester, Sussex, England, United Kingdom.
William stole goods on the night of 24 April 1824, at Boxgrove, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom from "Sea Beach Farm". He was then involved in a court case about Court of Quarter Sessions, Horsham, Sussex on 13 May 1824 in Horsham, Sussex, England, United Kingdom. William was charged as follows: That William Marks, late of the parish of Boxgrove in the County of Sussex, in company with three other persons, on the 24th day of April 1824, did steal 200 lb (Two Hundred Pounds) weight of wool valued at £10 (Ten Pounds), One Sack of the value 2s (Two shillings), One Wool Poke of the value 2s (Two Shillings), and Three Bushels of Turnip Seeds of the value 10s (Ten Shillings). The goods and chattels of the Right Hound William Huskisson.
It appears, from the evidence presented in Court, that William Marks, Richard Rasson, William Till and James Barber went late at night in two horse-drawn drays to a property known as Sea Beach Farm at Boxgrove. Here they entered a store shed and stole the above mentioned property. They were later apprehended. It appears that Marks and Till pleaded not guilty to this charge, but James Barber made a voluntary confession in the court and pleaded guilty. It appears that Barber was originally tried, but the charges were later dropped in return for his evidence against the others. It is not known if Rasson was charged. Both Marks and Till were sentenced to imprisonment and transportation.
Thus William and Till were tried Horsham SSX Quarter sessions 13 Jul 1824 and sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing a quantity of wool, a quantity of turnip seed, a wool poke and a sack from a granary at Sea Beach Farm. This was William Mark's third conviction. Marks and Till both went to the colony of New South Wales on the ship Asia. William Till died in the colony in 1830.
The third voyage of the Ship Asia to the colonuy of New South Wales left from Portsmouth on 6 Jan 1825 and arrived at Sydney on 29 Apr 1825. William was forwarded to Evan for distribution on 6 May 1825 and assigned to the settler John Murphy by the Bench of Magistrates in Penrith on 31 May 1825. Later he was assigned as a convict to the [missing]. On 21 Apr 1827 he is listed on a supplies list in the accounting records for the Rev. Thomas Hassall.
He worked as a Groom & Labourer in 1828 in Denbligh, Cobbitty, New South Wales. On 6 July 1829 at Denbligh, William wrote a letter to the Rev. Thomas Hassall with blanks to fill in, requesting Rev. Hassall enable William to get a ticket of Leave. William states that he is happy to spend the next two years with Rev. Hassall. However, he notes that as he is due his certificate of freedom in two years it may not be worth the effort. It seems that William never got a Ticket of Leave.
On 1 Sep 1831, at the end of his seven year sentence, he received his Certificate of Freedom. He did not return to England. At the age of 28 William was 5ft 3in, pale & pitted complexion, light brown hair, blue eyes. He was working as an Overseer of Mulgowrie Property of Rev. Thomas Hassal in 1831 in Mulgowrie, New South Wales. Part of his job included driving herds of cattle from Mulgowrie to Sydney. He was employed as a Labourer on 1 Sep 1831 in New South Wales, Australia.
In 1833 he moved to Salem Vale', from Mulgowrie, New South Wales. He was working as a stockman from 1835 to 1836 in New South Wales.
After 1836, Mulgowrie, New South Wales. William Hassal writes: "Our stockman at Mulgowrie was a man called Marks, a well known and comical character. I remember some years before, about 1836, he bought a mob of cattle to be sold in Sydney. The great comet was plainly to be seen then and whilst my father was talking to him on business matters and admiring the comet Marks said to him, "Why sir, you will be disprised to hear that when I was on the Lachlan a short time ago, I can assure your that the comet was not a bit bigger there than here - although I was so much nearer to it." He had little idea of the distance of the comet from the earth, or that the Lachlan was about the same height above the sea as where we were standing.
We arrived at the station in the evening and found at the homestead a strong substantial stone house. Marks had persuaded my father to let him build this on account of the bushrangers, Witton, Reynolds and party who threatened to shoot him and several neighbours in that part of the country. He had port-holes left in different places and taught his wife to load and fire the gun, but the gang I believe, never paid him a visit.
...
Next day we rode into Goulburn, part of the way with marks, who rode a very fast racer, named Conservative, with which he had won many races in the Goulburn district. We passed the Betherwetherloo, a creek whose name took my fancy, and reached Mr Shelley's that evening, ..."
In 1838 he is listed with an occupation of Farmer on the birth certificate of his third child, Elizabeth.
William married Ann Lamb (1816-1894) on 24 Feb 1838 in Goulburn District, New South Wales at the police station. They had sepearated by 1858.
He worked as an Overseer from 1836 to 1840 in Salem Vale, Mulgowrie, New South Wales. Responsible for the construction of the old stone homestead near Mulgowrie Creek. This building is now only a ruin.
On 19 Feb 1840, Yass, New South Wales. 8 A pasture licence was granted by the colonial secretary for depasture of stock for land at Mulgowrie for a fee of £14 (fourteen pounds.) This property he called "Markdale", as he did with a later property he purchased.
1840's Depression
In the years 1839-1840 the Bank of Australia collapsed and the Rev. Hassall had to sell his property at Mulgowrie to cover the calls on his shares. Marks ceased to be in his employ.
He was employed between 1840 and 1858 in Mulgowrie, Georgiana County, New South Wales workoing in the boiling down works and kept pigs. They slaughtered wild hourses and then boiled down the carcases for the tallow content. The hides were also sold, and the residue used to feed pigs. William then sold the pigs for profit. (The colony of NSW was in the grips of it's first real depression. Boling down horses was one a the things people did just to survuive.) He was able to purchase sheep at 6p (six pence) and sell the products (tallow and hides etc.) for 6s (six shillings).
He appeared on the New South Wales census in 1841 in Salem Vale, Mulgowrie, New South Wales. He worked as a Farmer in 1844 in New South Wales. He worked as a Settler in 1846 in New South Wales.
William was christened on 29 Feb 1848 in New South Wales. This is surprising and has lead many to suspect that William was previously a Jew as Marks is often related to Jews. However we have have been unable to find any additional information here.
His chestnut pony, "Dentist" won at "Funny Hill" in 1850, Binda, New South Wales. It won 20 soverigns, the Binda Purse.
In 1854, there is a witness with William on the marriage certificate of his first daughter, Mary Ann, who's name is Sussan Marks. This is the only ever mention of Susan Marks. Who was she? Was it an error. Was William living with a Susan, now that Ann had left to live with Francis Cambpell?
He purchased the property Sletes Gully from Richard Moses as part of the deceased Elias Moses's estate in 1858 for £350/0/0. He renamed the property Markdale and owned it until his death in 1861. The property is in Bigga, Georgiana County, New South Wales. It was previously known as Sletes Gully after a convict named Slete who had lived there after fleeing the colony.
This property is the original selection of John Herne, but it appears Herne got into difficulties during the depression of the 1840's and the selection was taken over by Samuel Benjamin and Elias Moses who were merchants in Goulburn. The property was 640 acres (one square mile). While the boundaries have altered over the years this property is still called Markdale. Look into how he came across this wealth. Only ten years before he was destitute. Was it to do with the discovery of gold? He also purchased other, unspecified, properties in the crooked corner and burwood areas.
He was working as a Farmer and Grazier at "Markdale" in 1861 in Bigga, Georgiana County, New South Wales on his own death certificate. William died in riding Accident on 21 Apr 1861, Goulburn, New South Wales, though there is speculation he was murdered. There seems to be some confusion about his death date and burial date. I think that the events occurred in this order.
- Death - 19 March 1861
- Followed by an coronial inquiry which I have yet to find. I think that there still must be suspicion that he was murdered and that the murderer may have been Richard Marks.
- Burial - 21 April 1861
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Grave
William's death was registered on 23 Mar 1861 in the Goulburn District, New South Wales. He has conflicting death information of 19 Apr 1861 in Binda, Georgiana County, New South Wales. Again, he has conflicting death information of at Markdale, 19 Mar 1862 and Binda, Georgiana County, New South Wales. According to the Probate list, he dies one year later. I presume it is a transcription error.
William's grave in St Saviour's Anglican Cemetery Goulburn which reads (prob in part) William MARKS (19 Mar 1861) who was killed by a fall from his horse.
He had an estate probated 5399 on 30 Jun 1862 in New South Wales. This day upon petition Administration of all and singular the goods, chatels, credits and effects of William Marks deceased was granted to Ann Marks the widow of the deceased estate. Intestate died 19th March 1862. Goods sworn at £400 letters of administration dates the same day as granted.
Obituaries
MARKS, William Goulburn Herald Wed 20.3.1861
- FATAL ACCIDENT Yesterday, about eleven am, Mr William Marks, of Markdale, Georgiana, was returning home from Binda, where he had been on business accompanied by his son. In the course of conversation he expressed an opinion that the horse he was riding could race, and that he could beat the horse that had walked over for one of the prizes at the Laggan races the day before. He then gave his horse the whip and started him into a gallop. The animal, a very head strong one, became almost unmanageable, and ran Mr Marks up against a tree. He was struck full on the forehead and immediately fell. His son came up directly and raised the body, but life had fled So violent was the collision that the tree where struck by the deceased's head, looked as if a blow had been inflicted by a large stone or a hammer. Mr Marks was about 65 years of age, and was perhaps the oldest resident in the neighbourhood, where he had lived between thirty and forty years.
After he Died
On the 22nd of February 1980 the unnamed streets in Bigga were named Marks, Hailston, Hearn, Blackman and Tranter. User:Yewenyi
Children
References
_Certificate_Of_Freedom_1803.png "William Marks (1803-1861) Certificate Of Freedom 1803.png (97 KB)")
_Death_Certificate.jpg "William Marks (1803-1861) Death Certificate.jpg (102 KB)")
_Probate_Entry.png "William Marks (1803-1861) Probate Entry.png (30 KB)")
Footnotes (including sources)
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