WILLIAM BALLENY'S STORY

Transcription

1 WILLIAM BALLENY'S STORY May I introduce yself to you all, I a Willia Balleny Howden, I have had a very full life, busy, adventurous, periods of great joy and sense of achieveent, and also very sad ties. I was the first of a generation of the faily who cae to the Colony of New South Wales and settled in the town of Port Albert, Gippsland. I hope that this suary of y life will be of interest to y children and their children's children. The cold winters of Scotland are no tie to coe into this world, but January 26th in the year 1816, other decided it was tie. The house was certainly kept war with fires in the iportant roos throughout the house, and I did not have to face the fierce cold that any others less fortunate had to endure. Our faily were able to afford the luxury of a fine hoe as our forebears had built a profitable watchaking and jewellery business in Edinburgh; so before I tell you y story, let e tell you soething of y father and grandfather. Grandfather Jaes started as an apprenticed watchaker in 1764 at the age of 15.He died three years before I was born, so I never found out why he started under the guidance of Alexander Farquharson but after 7 years with hi he transferred to Jaes Cowan to serve out the reainder of his indenture. In Noveber 1771 he copleted his indenture and oved into his own shop and hence started what becae a very successful faily clock aking and jewellery business. They say in real estate that the 3 key issues are position, position and position. Grandfather obviously knew about it when he started his shop as he chose Hunter Square on the corner of High St and South Bridge, one of the busiest parts of Edinburgh. Not satisfied with being an indentured Watchaker he continued study until he presented his essay to the essay asters in 1775 for the highest qualification in watchaking. Grandfather worked diligently so that his reputation as an excellent watchaker grew along with his business that he passed on to y father, Jaes, and y uncle Willia in I have read soe of the advertising and reports in Edinburgh journals including one on Scottish clockakers and all have praised Jaes Howden in Hunter Square in glowing ters such as "-- there was not a better known business in Edinburgh than that of Jaes Howden".

2 The shop in the photo is 3 Hunter Square in 2010, it was probably not uch different in 1800, except for the an with a obile phone in the doorway. Although father finished his watchaking indentures in London before returning to work with grandfather, he did not take over anageent of the shop until five years later, by which tie he had also produced his essay and obtained the sae high watchaking qualification as y grandfather. Uncle Willia also copleted his indentures in London as a jeweller and silversith and had to have soe years of experience in the shop before the two were given joint ownership. The tradition of quality was firly instilled into the two young anagers and no advertising was ever allowed to ake such coent as "oderate prices". "cheap" never entered their head, instead their advertiseents were "--3 Hunter Square beg to announce that their stock of watches, jewellery, silver plate, cutlery etc. --will be found to be extensive and of the best quality." The fir of J and W Howden had outgrown the Hunter Square shop before I was born and they oved alost across the road to 9 South Bridge. This was only a short 5 inute walk fro our hoe in Buccleuch Place, and I reeber walking to the shop with other as a young boy. By the tie that I was 8, Father and Uncle Willia had been anaging the shop together for fifteen years and they decided to split up. Father oved his watchaking business further along South Bridge to No.56 New Buildings, North Bridge St. The new shop was uch larger and the watch aking and watch repair business was "---one of the best establishents in town." Many people who cae to our hoe coented on the quality of the clocks and how clever it was to ake the; I was very proud of y father North Bridge is the 3rd shop down fro the corner of High St (coonly known as the Royal Mile) you will notice the sign on the building on the top right corner.

3 The three shops the faily had were all within a stone throw of the busy corner of High St and where South Bridge changed to North Bridge. I a sure that this contributed to the success of the business. Yes y forebears were not only good watchakers but also good businessen. I left you a while back with y other and the idwife while I spoke to you about y father and grandfather. Well other and father did not waste tie having e christened. Born on January 26th and christened on March 1st, yes, in the sae year. Of course I was Baptised in the Church of Scotland Kirk, St Cuthbert's. A church popular with the freeen at the tie. It was about one ile fro our hoe, a short walk but not entirely level. The church has a history that dates back to 1127 when King David 1 gave the land below Edinburgh castle to St Cuthbert's. The church that I was christened in was build in the early 1800, so was very new for y cereony This is St Cuthbert's as it is today and although there was an upgrading in the late 19th century and again in 1990 it is uch the sae as when Willia Balleny was Christened. It stands in large grounds and in the shadow of the Edinburgh Castle. As I grew I was able to play in the coon that was at the end of our street. Fortunately the city fathers had enough foresight to aintain possession of this land which is now being developed into a fine parkland. I went to school at the church school and hence was well schooled in the Presbyterian theology and the strict way of life. My Mother certainly taught us what was right and wrong and I quickly learned not to step into the wrong area. With 5 children under the age of 10, other certainly was kept busy but I did not appreciate the stress that y siblings and I put on her until I had a faily of y own. Mother died eight days after Janet was born and I suspect that was why Janet was naed after y other. I was then the second oldest at seven, Jaes was nine, Ann five and Andrew three. Life changed suddenly after this and father spent uch ore tie with us than he had previously. We were looked after by two servants who lived with us in the house.

4 When visiting the shop in North Bridge, I got to know the senior watchaker, Mr Brown. he was a nice an and often cae to our hoe. Mr Brown had worked for father for a long tie and when I was 12 years old Father ade hi a partner of the business and changed the nae to Howden and Copany. Another ajor change was the ove to 25 Windsor St, a uch larger house in a fashionable area with wide streets but not close to the large parkland I was used to playing in. It was still close to the church and to fathers business but on the other side of town. Nuber 25 Windsor St is the house with the green door on the left of the photo. It would have been the hoe of WB before he left for Australia. Throughout y school years I was interested in sport but was not very interested in acadeic study. I worked for father in the shop and soeties went to London with hi on buying visits. London opened y eyes to broader possibilities in life and these did not include watchaking. I know that father wanted e to decide on a career but I had y eyes on soething different. The papers were telling about soe of the colonies in the new world and the governent were encouraging people to ove to a nuber of far-away places. Many Scottish people had taken the plunge and I talked about it with y friends, none of who were gae to take the risk, although I knew a couple of people who had. I gathered as uch inforation as I could fro papers, journals, books and talking with anyone who had knowledge about these new places offering exciting opportunities. Finally I decided that Australia was to be y destiny and I drew the faily into discussions on the subject. Of course they brought up all of the reasons why life would be uch

5 easier at hoe where a lucrative business was waiting for e, but a young person of 23 years does not want the easy life if there is a chance of exciteent. Money was not a proble so I started looking for ships sailing to Australia, finally choosing the Abberton, due to sail fro London on 15th April It is a 451 Ton three ast square rigged ship and on this voyage it was due to carry sheep fro the Scottish Moors, general cargo, 25 officers and crew and 36 passengers.

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