William Jarvis (1801-1870)

Hannah Menzie died 15th January 1879 in New Norfolk, her death was reported by her husband Charles Menzie.
The obituary notice for Hannah Menzie reads: "At her residence, High Street New Norfolk, Hannah, the beloved wife of Charles Menzie, aged 72 years. A colonist of 55 years standing, having arrived here in the ship the 'Hope' in 1824 with her brother, the late W. Jarvis................"
Hannah's death notice is the only record of the arrival of William Jarvis in Van Diemen's Land.

The "Hope" was owned by Peter deGraves and his brother-in-law Major McIntosh. They had purchased her to transport immigrants to Van Diemen's Land.
The 1824 trip was her only successful sailing, on her next trip she ran aground and was lost in the Derwent.
Hannah Jarvis (21) married Charles 'Mincey' (21) in St. David's Church of England, Hobart 11th July 1825. Both were free and illiterate.
Charles 'Menzey' and his half-brother, Robert Williams, were witnesses at the marriage by banns of William Jarvis to Sarah 'Piers', 17th October 1825, in St. David's Church, Hobart. William was 24 and Sarah 21. Both were free and illiterate.

Sarah had been born on Norfolk Island, the third child of Samuel and Sarah Pyers, who had been relocated to Van Diemen's Land in 1808 aboard the 'City of Edinburgh'.
William and Sarah had twelve children, all were born at Sorell Creek.

On 7th May 1853 Hannah Jarvis, aged 73, died in New Norfolk of old age and infirmity. Her death was reported by Sarah Menzie, grand-daughter of the deceased. Apparently William and Hannah's mother had also travelled to Van Diemen's Land.

William Jarvis was granted the right to purchase 200 acres at Altamont (Sorell Creek) on the 26th March 1827. He had been occupying this land for some time before the grant was passed. This was the first of an extensive list of land-dealings for William.
After his initial purchase of land at Sorell Creek William slowly made his way along the western side of the Derwent River.
Prior to 1858 his only land purchases east of the Derwent were the 1850 purchase of 'Brandon' and the purchase in 1856 of 'Fairfields'. Both these properties were situated at Tea Tree. 'Brandon' was occupied by William's eldest son, known as William the Younger, another son, Alfred, occupied 'Fairfields'. Louisa Kent and Eliza Gunyon, the wives of William the Younger and Alfred respectively, were related. Their families lived in the Brighton/Kempton area. William Jarvis purchased both these properties shortly before the weddings of these sons.

William purchased Governor Arthur's Marsh Farm in 1854 In 1855 William made his final land purchase when he paid John James Fenton £3,940 for 1,949 acres of land at Macquarie Plains . This land included the 'Woolpack Inn'.

William was licensee of the "Woolpack" in 1847. In 1849/50 Henry Wegyer, son-in-law of William, was the licensee. Thomas, the second of William's sons, was licensee in 1853, and inherited the inn when his father died in 1870.
In the 1850s the area now known as Gretna was commonly known as the Woolpack. Captain Butler Stoney referred to the Reverend Mr. Hesketh as the officiating clergyman of the Woolpack, stating that nothing was there but "a pretty church, Hesketh's cottage, verdant garden, meadowlands, a blacksmith's shop and the inn, built with irregular stones, timbered gables, two square windows, a shingled roof and a low door to the lintel of which the roof descended". The entrance to the inn was adorned with sweetbriars and hawthorn hedges.
William Jarvis died at Macquarie Plains 25th April 1870, sixteen days after his unsigned will was written. His wife and ten surviving children all received substantial bequests. Every eventuality and legal loop-hole was seemingly covered in his long and involved will.
William Jarvis was buried in St. Mary's churchyard at Gretna, his grave overlooks the site of the now demolished 'Woolpack Inn'. Sarah Jarvis died at New Norfolk, 15th July 1892 and is buried in St. Luke's cemetery at Richmond.