|
|
Back to Sydney Town
After the sale of their farm it is highly likely that the Hubbards ended up with little or no surplus cash, so William and Mary moved back to Sydney Town where William at
least had more chances of finding work to keep his family going. Now that he was no longer producing food for himself and the colony, a paying job was vital.
The author Michael Flynn states that "between 1816 and 1820 the (Hubbard) family sold their land and moved to Sydney where William was employed as a constable" (1). This was certainly his occupation from September 1821 when he appears on the Colonial Secretary's Index but before that there are intriguing references to William's other pursuits.
The author Michael Flynn states that "between 1816 and 1820 the (Hubbard) family sold their land and moved to Sydney where William was employed as a constable" (1). This was certainly his occupation from September 1821 when he appears on the Colonial Secretary's Index but before that there are intriguing references to William's other pursuits.
Another author, Mollie Gillen states that " in 1816 William Hubbard contributed to the Waterloo Fund" (2). So at least at this time, he had some funds at his disposal.
The Sydney Gazette of Saturday 16 March 1816 records this contribution and it brings forth more intriguing information: amongst the subscribers at Windsor was
William Hubbard, Baker, who contributed nine shillings to the Fund (3).
This is an occupation that had not been noted before - after leaving his farm and moving to Windsor it is an almost natural progression to become a baker as he would have been very familiar with wheat and flour. To have enough spare cash to contribute to the Fund or to have felt it was prudent to contribute means that William was in touch with the realities he and Mary faced.
More surprising is a notice in an earlier edition of the Sydney Gazette, from the issue of 1st September 1810 (4); it lists William Hubbard among 34 other men, including James Ruse, who were soon to sail in the American whaling brig Aurora. It appears the practice or regulation had arisen that any men intending to leave Sydney Town on whaling vessels had to be publicly named so that any creditors could reach them before they sailed. Whaling not only meant an absence from Sydney of several months at a time but was a hazardous occupation from which men might not return, hence the precaution.
This is an occupation that had not been noted before - after leaving his farm and moving to Windsor it is an almost natural progression to become a baker as he would have been very familiar with wheat and flour. To have enough spare cash to contribute to the Fund or to have felt it was prudent to contribute means that William was in touch with the realities he and Mary faced.
More surprising is a notice in an earlier edition of the Sydney Gazette, from the issue of 1st September 1810 (4); it lists William Hubbard among 34 other men, including James Ruse, who were soon to sail in the American whaling brig Aurora. It appears the practice or regulation had arisen that any men intending to leave Sydney Town on whaling vessels had to be publicly named so that any creditors could reach them before they sailed. Whaling not only meant an absence from Sydney of several months at a time but was a hazardous occupation from which men might not return, hence the precaution.
(5)