Henry Reeves
Henry Reeves was born during 1808, in Cork. The son of an Irishman.
As a teenager, he had emigrated to South Africa, with his parents.
During December of 1829, Henry, then aged 22 years old, was engaged by the Clarksons brothers, when they came ashore in Cape Town on their voyage with a group of Methodist farmers, from Hull. A number of agriculturalists and artisans had opted not to continue on to the Swan River Colony and Henry was engaged in their steed.
Henry then travelled to the new Swan River Colony on the Tranby. He would have been kept very busy with all of the stock on board the ship.
As a teenager, he had emigrated to South Africa, with his parents.
During December of 1829, Henry, then aged 22 years old, was engaged by the Clarksons brothers, when they came ashore in Cape Town on their voyage with a group of Methodist farmers, from Hull. A number of agriculturalists and artisans had opted not to continue on to the Swan River Colony and Henry was engaged in their steed.
Henry then travelled to the new Swan River Colony on the Tranby. He would have been kept very busy with all of the stock on board the ship.
After Arrival at Fremantle
The Tranby rounded Rottnest Island and arrived in Cockburn Sound on the 3rd of February 1830. The settlement was very small and concentrated on Garden Island and along the beach at Fremantle.
The wide range of Livestock, the Goods and Chattels, stores and provisions from England, and the Cape, were then brought ashore onto the beach. It was two weeks before all of the goods on Tranby had been transferred to the shore.
The wide range of Livestock, the Goods and Chattels, stores and provisions from England, and the Cape, were then brought ashore onto the beach. It was two weeks before all of the goods on Tranby had been transferred to the shore.
Henry Reeves had been engaged as a 'farmer', with the Clarkson brothers (Michael & James Smith Clarkson working in partnership). They had been granted some land on the Peninsula (now part of the suburb of Maylands) while other land was opened up in the Colony. Henry's indenture would have been for at least three years. His work would have begun as the ship arrived in port and continued as the Tranby folk moved all the goods, livestock and chattels up the Swan River, to the Peninsula Farm, by May 1830.
The Western Australian Census of 1832 lists Henry Reeves, aged 26 years, and working for the Clarksons as a Labourer. He was still single at that time.
Henry was working off his indenture on the farm.
The Western Australian Census of 1832 lists Henry Reeves, aged 26 years, and working for the Clarksons as a Labourer. He was still single at that time.
Henry was working off his indenture on the farm.
In July 1834, Michael Clarkson re-hired his former servant Henry Reeves and two men more in August. The labour was required and there were many un-employed men but, like many land owners in the Colony, Michael had little cash to pay them. The Government set out to help the Landowners by issuing the men with the equivalent of 900 grams of meat, and 450 grams of bread, per man, per day on the understanding that the employers would repay the rations, in kind, after the harvest was over.
In 1835, Henry was then listed as a servant in the employ of Mr. Marshall McDermott (born during 1791, Ireland) in the Upper Swan. Henry was still believed to be single. Marshall McDermott and his wife had arrived in Perth during June 1831, on a ship Marshall had chartered: the Sterling. They had two children since arriving. It is believed the McDermott's were living on a property known as 'Ashby' at Middle Swan.
Henry Reeves was accidently drowned at the Upper Swan, after attending a funeral, only four years after arrival on the Tranby, on the 7th October 1835. His place of burial is unknown.
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