Michael John Davies (abt.1790-1873) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Michael John Davies aka Michael ben Ya' akov

Born about 9 Jul 1790 in London, England

Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]

[sibling(s) unknown]

Husband of Hannah (Benjamin) Davies — married 18 Dec 1810 in Great Synagogue, London, England

Descendants

Father of John Davies M.H.A., Edward Davis, Frances H (Davies) Wright and George Louis Asher Davies

Died 27 Dec 1873 at about age 83 in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia

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Profile last modified 16 May 2024 | Created 23 Feb 2014

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Biography

Michael Davies was a convict after the Third Fleet.

Michael John Davies

Michael ben Ya' akov

Michael John Davies, Colonial Times, Tasmania, 8 March 1831

Michael John Davies was a Jewish managing clerk for a London Attorney's office. On 15 July 1830 he was sentenced at the Maidstone, Kent, Quarter Sessions for posing as an Attorney and obtaining goods by false pretences. He received a sentence of 7 years transportation to Australia, departing from Sheerness on the transport "Florentia" on 15 August 1830 and arriving 15 December 1830 in Sydney, New South Wales.

The Convict Transport "Florentia"

He was assigned at first to the Australian Agricultural Company,^[1] and then as a convict servant to Dr Smith where he got into some trouble over goods that were bought in the doctor's name.^[2] In 1832 he was sent to Port Macquarie on the mid coast of New South Wales; it was here at Port Macquarie that his wife and children joined him as free settlers about this time.

It was common practice for convicts to be assigned to wives that had arrived free and Michael soon went into business for himself. By February 1833 two sons had both been sentenced to transportation for 7 years: John in December 1830 for fraud, and Edward in April 1832 for larceny.

Early in 1838 Michael had received his certificate of freedom and started to buy land in Port Macquarie and Newcastle. At Currabella, Liverpool Plains, he held a publican licence. In June 1838 he applied for a publican's licence for the "Royal Admiral" in Sydney but this was rejected. In August 1839 he again applied for a publican's licence for the "Family Hotel" in George Street Sydney and this was granted, later moving to Pitt Street and called the "Horse and Jockey".

The Sydney Monitor and Commercial Advertiser, 15 March 1839

Michael then moved to Newcastle where he established a retail store and was the Newcastle correspondent of the Sydney weekly "Commercial Journal". He was to write on 31 October 1840 extolling the gentlemanly conduct of a bushranger in the Newcastle area, and one week later his son Edward was to become one in the very same area.

Transcription of the Commercial Journal, 31 October 1840

Michael bought the steamer "Victoria" on a promissory note for £15 and when his note was dishonored the owner repossessed his boat on 26 November 1840; both men issued insults to each other with Michael assaulting a Mr Edward Adams.^[3] Michael faced court the first week of December 1840 and was fined £4 with 8 shillings 6d costs and was very nearly jailed for contempt of court.

Michael had applied for a female assigned convict and this was refused, and he was barred from receiving any by a Magistrate, "Reverend C P N Wilson" on the grounds of morality, public decency and propriety. He made a complaint against a rival supplier for convict stores but gained nothing from this. When his son Edward was apprehended for murder and bushranging there was suspicion that Michael and another man called Henry Denny^[4] were fences for stolen goods of Edward and his accomplices. Nothing was substantiated but Henry Denny was known to shelter this gang.

After his son Edward was sentenced to hang, as the date of execution approached Michael wrote a letter appealing for the sentence to be commuted; this letter was published in various newspapers,^[5] and signed 'M D'. After Edward was hanged, Michael left New South Wales for Melbourne, Victoria where he was a clothier for Michael Cashmore of Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.

In 1845 Michael moved to Hobart, Tasmania where on 18 October 1845 he was granted a publican's licence for the "Union Hotel" in Campbell Street, Hobart Town, and in February 1846 this was transferred to Charles Fenton.

Warrant Issued for Arrest, 10 February 1847

He then went back to Melbourne, Victoria and became the publican of the Shakespeare Hotel in Collins Street Melbourne, and on the 10 February 1847 a warrant was issued for his arrest, as he tried to leave the colony for Hobart, Tasmania while owing £38 10 shillings to Mr E M L Smith, collector to the Melbourne Argus Newspaper. After his return to Hobart he became the chief Constable of Police for the Wellington District.^[6]

In 1853 Michael had moved back to Sydney New South Wales and owned a shop selling china crockery and glassware,^[7] in Pitt Street Sydney. Throughout the 1850s and 1860s Michael was variously described as a crockery dealer and publican and in June 1862 he advertised himself as an agent for settling debts between debtors and creditors.

Advertisment in the The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 1862

Facing the insolvency court many times himself^[8] right up to his death, this time he has described himself as an adviser and mediator and denying being an Attorney.

Trial for Assault, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 September 1862

On 30 August 1862 he was tried for assaulting a youth who presented a bill from one of his own creditors showing how he mediates, and was fined 20 shillings with 6 shillings 6d costs.

On 15 April 1863, Michael's wife Hannah died, and in November 1867 he announced the publication of "Devotions for Children and Private Jewish Families"^[9]

On 16 September 1871, Michael John Davies started the newspaper weekly "The Australian" and installed his son George Louis Asher Davies as Editor.

The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 September 1871

Michael John Davies died on 27 December 1873 at the stated age of 86. He was Convict, Publican, Newspaper Correspondent, Policeman, Retailer and Newspaper Owner.

Sources

↑ Michael's former masters, the "Australian Agricultural Company" owned a station at Liverpool Plains called Warrah Station and this was robbed by his son Edward and was one of his first acts of Bushranging.
↑ He was later ordered to repay the suppliers in February 1838 after Dr Smith's death. Newspaper Report, The Sydney Monitor, 23 February 1838.
↑ [Assault and court appearance. Newspaper Report The Sydney Herald, 8 December 1840.
↑ Henry Denny was later to be sentenced to 15 years Goal on Norfolk Island for cattle stealing. Newpaper Report Reference to Harboring, The Sydney Herald, 22 October 1841.
↑ Letter published in Newspapers Australasian Chronicle. 25 February 1841
↑ Chief Constable of Police Newspaper Report Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, 19 February 1848.
↑ Amusing story of a baboon in a china shop. Newspaper Report The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 March 1857.
↑ Not that he could not or would not pay his creditors, he just seemed to delay and hang onto his money as long as possible.
↑ Michael John Davies, Author, Devotions for Children and Private Jewish Families

Michael John Davies (abt. 1790 - 1873)

Biography

Sources