Taylor & Ashdown Family Genealogy
- Richard Skuthorp (13 Aug 1791 - 2 Jun 1880)

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Extract from 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road Book 3' - The Early Days of the Ezzy Family

A Story of an Early Pioneer Family, Researched and written by present-day members of the Family, themselves.

These pages are dedicated to the memory of my cousin the late Grace Douglass

The following article was compiled by Grace Douglass & researched with Laurel Legge and published in 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' 1985 (ISBN 0 9589831 0 0 and ISBN 0 9589831 3 5) and is subject to copyright. Written permission is held from the late author Grace Douglass for the writer to publish contents via the Internet. However, although this book is in the public domain, it still remains copyrighted material and may not be copied for any reason without permission. I do not have the right to give permission to others to reprint the book. I was only given permission to put it on line. All copyrights stay with Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and whoever they appointed, for control of the book. Under no circumstances may it be reprinted for profit.
Extractions of parts of the information for personal use with references to the book as the source is encouraged.

It should be noted that since the book was published over twenty years ago, that a lot of the material in the books have been superseeded by later research, some of which can be seen at my Rootsweb database at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy

Richard SKUTHORP(1791c - 1880) on pages 70 to 75

Richard was a convict who came on the "General Hewitt" in 1814 and his name was spelt in various ways before it finally became "Skuthorp", and even then, like the name "Ezzy" there was one line of the Family that used the "Skuthorpe" spelling to cause further confusion.

Richard married three times in the Colony and from details given at the time of these marriages we have gathered some personal information about Mr. Skuthorp, although some of it is a little conflicting. He would appear to have been born at Cambridge, England about the year 1791 and to have been the son of William Skuthorp and his wife Frances. At the time of his second marriage he declares that his Father had been a Farmer and that his Mother's maiden name was 'Carlisle'. At the time of his third marriage he declares that his father had been a miller and that his Mother's maiden name was 'Carlow'. However, it would have been possible for his Father to have had the two occupations and the two maiden names could have been due to the Clerk or the Minister on one occassion mistaking the pronunciation or spelling of the name.

On arrival in the Colony, Richard appears to have been assigned as a Government Sevant to George Howell at Parramatta and it was possibly here that he met and later married his first wife Ellen. This marriage would appear to have not been Legal, as Ellen had a husband in the Colony who was very much alive in 1818 when she married Richard, and whe was also the Mother of three children. As to whether or not Richard was aware of her background at the time of his marriage is not known, as she would appear to have used her maiden name. Of course it is quite possible that she was not married to the man with whom she came to the Colony, Ormsby Irwin, although she did travel as his wife, and she appears in all Legal Records of her early years of residence in the Colony as his wife.

In the 1828 Census, Ellen stated that she had come to the Colony 'free' on the "Boyd" in 1809, however if you look at the Shipping Indent for the "Boyd" you will find no possible explanation for an 'Honor Connor', the name under which Ellen married Richard, arriving in the Colony on that vessel. It took some time to find that Ellen had arrived in the Colony as the wife of a convict Ormsby Irwin who had been transported on the "Boyd", that she had arrived as Eleanor Irwin and that a son had been born to her during the voyage who was subsequently baptised in the Colony or arrival as William Irwin at St.Phillip's Sydney. Gradually the pieces fitted together and the reason became clearer as to possibly 'why' Eleanor Irwin had changed her name and was very much in need of a 'husband' to take care of the needs of herself and her third child, Mary Ann Broady (or Brodie).

We do not know what crime Ormsby had committed, but the Indent for the "Boyd" shows three men all sentenced the same day in the County of Cork, Ireland, in Apr 1806, however it is not clear whether they were sentenced for taking part in the same crime. The three men were Ormsby Irwinn (sic), Jeremiah Callaghan and Pat Dugan or Carduggan. All were sentenced to transporation for Life. Although there is a record of Orsmby being pardoned in 1821, there is no further mention of the other two men in this connection.

The first mention of Eleanor is the record of the baptism of her son William on 27/8/1809, 13 days after the arrival of the "Boyd" in the Colony. William had been born on the 6th of August. A second child, Catherine, was later born to the couple in August 1812 and duly baptised at St. Phillip's Sydney.

Whatever the reason for Ormsby Irwin being transported for Life to the Colony, the couple were obviously not without funds as by August 1811, exactly two years after their arrival in the Colony they were the owners of two houses, one at Number 18 Pitt Street and another at 24 Kent Street. As to whether or not they had lived in the house in Pitt Street is not known, but when it was advertised for sale in August 1811 it was described thus --
"...a good brick=built house and shop with Bake-house, oven, fine garden, excellent well, and charming situation, being No.18 Pitt Street, universally admired and known as the late residence of Mr. Benjamin Coleman. Terms of accommodation in the mode of payment will be listened to with attention by Ormsby Irwin, the present owner, 24 Kent-street."

Ormsby evidently sold the house as it was later advertised for sale again in 1812 by order of the Provost Marshall and it was then owned by a Mr. Wescot. It was again described in the same glowing terms.

Less than two years after the birth of their second child, in June 1814, Ormsby and Eleanor were both sent to jail for the manslaughter of a member of the N.S.W. Corps., a Sgt. Robert Morrow. Reading the evidence given at the trial relating to how the deceased had met his death, it would seem that Eleanor, more than Ormsby was more to blame for what had transpired. Eleanor may have arrived in the Colony as a 'free' person, however she had spent two years inside Parramatta prison before she became the wife of Richard Skuthorp.

On the 28th May 1814 the Sydney Gazette carried the following news item --
"On Wednesday last by direction of William Lewin Esq., Coroner, an Inquest was convened in Sydney on the body of Sgt. Robert Murray (sic) of the 73rd Regiment who had met with his death in an affray that took place at a house in York-street on Thursday the 17th inst., from the hurts in which the deceased lingered till the Wednesday following -- After a long and minute investigation of the case a verdict of Wilful Murder was returned against Ormsby and Mary (sic) Irwin who were accordingly committed to the County Prison to await their trial at the next Court of Criminal Jurisdiction."

Although the Gazette in this report refers to the deceased as being 'Robert Murray' and also calls Eleanor 'Mary Irwin' the coverage of the Trial, itself, refers to the deceased as 'Robert Morrow' and also calls the prisoner 'Eleanor Irwin'. The account of the Trial appeared in the Sydney Gazette on the 25th June, 1814.

From the facts recounted at the Trial it would appear that Sgt. Morrow had died from the result of the injuries that he had received in a drunken tavern brawl on the 19th of May in a public house in York-street. It would appear that on the evening in question Ormsby and Eleanor had gone to the tavern which belonged to a Mr. Casey and where drinking in an outer room when Sgt. Morrow had come in accompanied by an Honor Fahie (with whom he cohabited) and several non-commissioned officers of his acquaintance and going into an inner parlour had invited the Irwins to join them. After the party had been drinking together for several hours a quarrel had arisen between Eleanor Irwin and the Sergeant's friend, Honor Fahie, and they acted against each other in a most violent way. The Sergeant had arisen and gone to the assistance of his lady-friend and Ormsby misunderstanding his intentions, thought that he was about to strike his wife, Eleanor. Ormsby had struck the Sergeant a blow on the face and soon both he and his wife were attacking the Sergeant in a most violent manner. Honor Fahie had gone for assistance and a Corporal Conner had endeavoured to separate the parties but without success. The brawl had lasted for about twenty minutes and when it ended the Sergeant had complained of his injuries and pronounced himself a dying man. He had been removed to his barrack where he had continued in extreme agony and the following day was removed to the regimental hospital.

John Foster Esq., Surgeon of the 46th Regiment, who had attended Sgt. Morrow from the evening of his injury to the time of his death, gave evidence to the Court, describing the nature of the injury that the deceased had received, and said that he had no doubt that his death proceeded from external violence and that it was the cause of his death. It was also given in evidence that to the latest moment of Sgt. Morrow's existence he attributed his premature end to the ill treatment he had received from the prisoners at the bar, jointly and expressed a desire that his death should be revenged.

After a deliberation that lasted nearly two hours the Court decided that Ormsby and Eleanor were not guilty of murder. They had not gone to the tavern with the expressed intention of murdering the Sergeant, they were, however, convicted of manslaughter. The judge admmonished them both severely on their respective conducts and said that he had no choice but to send them each to prison as an example to others of what they might expect if they acted in a similar fashion at any time. The judge completed his address by saying to the two prisoners -- "The Court doth adjuge that you Ormsby Irwin for this offence, be sent to his Majesty's Settlement of Newcastle, and there be kept to hard labour for the space of two years; and that you Eleanor Irwin, be continued in his Majesty's Gaol at Parramatta for the like term of two years".

On the 1st July, the house and premises at No. 24 Kent-street the property of Ormsby Irwin were advertised for sale in the Sydney Gazette, the owners now being accomodated elsewhere.

On file at the Archives Office of N.S.W. is a letter which was forwarded from the Commandant of the Newcastle Gaol to the Governor in Sydney, advising him that on the 5th May 1816 a school had been formed for the poor children of that Settlement who were under his direction and that there were now seventeen children at the said school. Two of the pupils whom he named in the letter where William Irwin aged 7 and Catherine Irwin aged 4, so Ormsby had taken his children with him.

The Parrmatta returns for the 1814 Muster show Eleanor Irving (sic) from the "Boyd" in gaol, there is no mention of her husband, nor of her having any children, although it can be seen that they were all very much alive. On the 22nd August, 1815 Eleanor gave birth to another daughter, whom she named Mary. The child was baptised at St. John's Church at Parramatta on the 29th October 1815 and the entry in the Register reads --"Mary Broady or Irwin, daughter of William Broady and Eleanor Hurwin (sic)." The 1814 Muster does not show a William Broady or Broadie at the Parramatta Gaol, however it does list a 'William Brandy' from the "Fortune 2" as being at Parramatta and a member of the Gaol Gang.

On the 16th July 1816 the Authorities in Sydney were notified that Ormsby Irwin was being returned to Sydney Town from the Settlement at Newcastle having served his term of two years imprisonment. On the 2nd September of the same year Ormsby petitioned Governorn Macquarie to have his two children vitualised from the Public Stores. The Memorial which he executed makes no mention of his convict background nor the fact that he had also been imprisoned on a Colonial Charge as well, it declares -- "That the Petitioner arrived on the ship "Boyd" in August 1809 is now an Overseer in the Town Gang has two helpless children who through unforseen misfortune and the (word missing) conduct of their other parent are now dragging on a miserable existance having no earthly means of support but a part of petitioner's rations". Poor Eleanor! Not only had she lost her two elder children, but she was now being accused by her husband of wanton conduct, a charge of which she was possibly not guilty. It is a well established fact that the female prisoners in these early gaols were at the 'disposal' of the male inmates and gaolers alike. She possibly had no say in the fact that she now had a child to support. Before we continue with the story of Eleanor and her small daughter there is a little more to recount on her husband and other two children.

On the 17/5/1817 the Sydney Gazette carried an account of how the Governor which to applaud and adequately reward the meritorious conduct of a Sgt. McCarthy of the 46th Regiment for apprehening and taking two prisoners, William Pack and Robert Leo into custody. It was also stated that Ormsby Irwin, an overseer of Government Gangs had also shared in the arrest and was therefore to share in the good Governor's liberality and commendation. On 26th July 1817 Colonel Sorrel of the N.S.W. Corps gave orders that Ormsby Irwin was to be appointed Gunner and Signalman. On the 7th August 1821 Ormsby Irwin received his pardon. There is no further record of Ormsby or his two children. No marriage or burial. No listing in the 1828 Census. No record of them leaving the Colony. At the present time we do not know if they changed their name, as Eleanor Irwin did or else went to another part of the Colony.

Eleanor Irwin was due for release from prison in June 1816, and she must have met up with Richard Skuthorp soon afterwards, as their son, Richard jnr. was born at Richmond on the 20th October 1817 and baptised shortly afterwards at St. Peter's Richmond. Perhaps Eleanor, too, was now in the employ of George Howell and that was how they first met. From information given at the time of Eleanor's death, we know that her Father's name was Connor and her Mother's maiden name was Cooper. After the baptism of her daughter Mary Ann Broady (the name Ann was not mentioned in the baptism but she was always known as Mary Ann), the name 'Eleanor Irwin' is not seen again. Eleanor reverts to her maiden name, and in addition for some reason adopts the name of 'Honor'. When Richard jnr. was baptised it was said that he was the son of Richard and Honor Skuthorp, and when Eleanor married Richard a year later she married as Honor Connor. 'Eleanor Irwin' was no more and we must hence refer to her as 'Ellen' as that is how she was known from the time of her marriage to Richard Skuthorp.

Richard Skulthorp (sic) was married to Honor Connor at St. Peter's Richmond on the 13th October, 1818.

Richard's movements at this time are somewhat difficult to trace, as based on the information contained in various Baptismal, Marriage and Burial Registers, his place of residence would appear to change quite often from Richmond to Parramatta. The baptism of his eldest child, Richard jnr., and his own subsequent marriage, both took place at St. Peter's Richmond. Their next child, Thomas, born about 1829, appears to have not been baptised. Ellen born in 1823, was baptised but it was not at St. Peter's, and we have not as yet established where the ceremony took place. Frances was born 26/7/1826, but remained unbaptised for almost four years.

Richard and Ellen buried their eldest daughter, Ellen, at St.Peter's on 22/4/1828 aged five years. In December of the same year their third daughter was born, and she was also named Ellen. This infant died in June 1829 and was also buried at St. Peter's, having been baptised there only two weeks previously. Frances, for some apparent reason was not baptised with her younger sister.

On 15/6/1830 the couples third son, John, was born at Parramatta and he and his older sister Frances were baptised at St.John's Parramatta on 11/7/1830. Richard's occupation was given as 'Overseer' and his residence was said to be Parramatta. Frances was baptised 'Fanny' and this is how she is also listed in the 1828 Census. This Census was taken during the final month or months of the year 1828 and at that time Richard was said to be a farmer at North Richmond, so the Family have obviously returned to Parramatta shortly after their daughter Ellen was buried at St.Peter's in June 1829, and before John's birth the following year.

Their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, was born on 10/1/1833, however she was almost two-and-a-half years of age before she was baptised on 24/6/1835. This ceremony took place in the Parish of St.James in Sydney and on the same day her half-sister, Mary Ann Long had her son, John Long, baptised also. Although Elizabeth was baptised in Sydney, it was stated in the Register that her Father was a farmer at North Richmond.

We do know that Richard Skuthorp was the District Constable at North Richmond before John Ezzey, the latter took up the position in July 1828 and it was stated at that time that Richard Skuthorp would be standing down on the 30th June 1828. Also Samuel Boughton when speaking of Mary Ann (Long) in later life said that she had come to Richmond with her parents in the early 1820's and had resided at Upper Richmond, or what was later to be known as Yarramundi, when her Father had been placed in charge of Howell's Flour Mills.

In the 1828 Census the Family are listed as 'Sculthorpe'. Richard is said to have been a farmer at North Richmond and their ages are both said to be 35, although at the time of their mariage Ellen was supposed to be considerably older than Richard. He had a total of 385 acres, 285 of which were cleared and 130 under cultivation. He had 3 horses, 78 cattle and 5 sheep. He had in his employ Denis Hyland who had arrived on the "Minerva" in 1819, and William Sawyer, a convict with a Ticket of Leave (no ship stated in Census).

Richard and Ellen and their Family became respected members of the community. After serving her term in the Parramatta Gaol, Ellen's name never appeared in print, other than at the time of the baptism or burial of her children, so she evidently became a model wife and mother. Ellen died quite a few years before Richard, however, even she outlived two more of her children, her sons Thomas and John.

John Skuthorp died first, at the age of 19 years and was buried at St. Peter's Richmond in November 1848. The entry in the Burial Register reads -- "died January 1848 (supposedly)". According to the writings of Samuel Boughton, John Skuthorp drowned at Cowbail on the Gilgal where he and his brother Thomas had just formed a Station. It is assumed by some present-day members of the Skuthorp Family that this is a reference to Gil Gil Creek which flows North of Moree and East of Garah where the early Family are known to have had properties. Whether or not this assumption is correct has not been investigated at the present time, however, whether Gilgal is a reference to a place in the North of the State, or another locality close-by the Hawkesbury, it would seem to us quite unlikely that the body of thd deceased could have remained unburied for a period of some nine or ten months. Nor would it have been practical at that time, in view of the distances to be covered, to return a body at a later date for a 'reburial' at St.Peter's Churchyard. We are of the opinion that this 'claim' requires far more investigation.

Thomas died next on the 16/5/1856, from the effects of Typhoid Fever and he joined his wife in St.Peter's Churchyard. His wife, Mary Ann (nee Cribb) had died in 1854 and the couple left behind six orphan children.

Ellen Skuthorp passed away 14/1/1857 and according to the Burial Register she was 65 years of age and had been born in Ireland. Ellen, too joined other members of the Family in the Vault in St.Peter's Churchyard, although her name does not appear to have been inscribed thereon.

In 1858 Richard married a widow, Sarah Douglass at Windsor Presbyterian Church. Sarah had been born in Richmond and was forty-two at the time of the marriage and she was the daughter of John Sherwood and Ann Lane. Sarah was the widow of James Douglass whom she had married in 1836. At the time of her marriage to Richard she was the Mother of about eight surviving children ranging in age from about six years to twenty-two years. Sarah became ill soon after their marriage and passed away on the 28th November, 1860, aged 46. There was no children born to this marriage.

Richard Skuthorp married for a third time, and this wife was also a widow with a large Family. One the 10/9/1861 Richard married Louisa McGuire, aged 50, who had been born in the Colony. Louisa was the daughter of Daniel McKay and Judy Quinlans. She was the widow of George McGuire whom she had married in 1832. At the time of her marriage to Richard she was the Mother of about ten children. There were no children born to this marriage.

Richard passed away on the 2nd June 1880 aged 90 years, at his home called "Lemon Forest", and was buried with other members of his Family in his Vault in the Churchyard. Louisa Skuthorp outlived her husband by several years and passed away 13/10/1885. She was not buried in the Skuthorp Family Vault, but sleeps alone some distance away. (Skuthorp Vault - Row 4. Gr. 76/78. Sec. A) (Louisa Skuthorp - Row 14. Gr. 50/51. Sec. A).

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