Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Hugh Torrance

Map 10


Hugh Torrance arrived in New South Wales on the Greenock in 1824. Other passengers on the same voyage included Andrew Lang, parents William and Mary Lang and sister Isabella Lang, Henry W. Radford, Alexander Warren and Eliza Smith.
Joseph Pennington Thomas Gill Jacob Newton Duncan Sinclair Francis Allman William Fisher Hugh Torrence Andrew Dixon John Wighton Vicars Jacob Joseph Thew Friedrich Gerstacker Thomas Bartie Thomas Bartie Early Settler Map 2 George Mosman William Caswell
Williams River Map
He received a grant of 2000 acres of land and was assigned six convicts workers, however departed the colony as a passenger on the Jupiter in June 1824 bound for Tahiti. [1]

On his return he wrote to Governor Brisbane regarding his grant......

Sir,
I arrived in the Colony in the ship Greenock as a free settler about 18 months ago and after the usual application Your Excellency was pleased to order me to receive a Grant of 2000 acres of land.

Immediately after receiving my Grant I found it necessary to leave the Colony for a time. I made a Voyage to the Islands in the South Seas and have just returned with the intention of taking up my permanent residence upon my Grant and making this Country my Home.

Unfortunately for me however, in the first selection of my land, I did as too many others have done, I trusted to others to those who from scant correct local information induced me to put my name on the Map for a spot of land which I had never it appears even seen and which now that I do know it, turns out to be quite unfit for any useful purpose whatever. I am thus unexpectedly placed in a situation of the greatest perplexity and distress. I have just enough of Capital to enable me to take advantage of Your Excellency's Grant in my favour and have made my arrangements for doing so, but either a long delay or the necessity of retaining my grant as it is at present fixed would altogether ruin my little plans for life.

May I therefore pray of Your Excellency to extricate me from this vexatious dilemma and direct that I may be permitted to change my land from the first Branch of the Hunter River to such other spot as may remain open in that quarter of the Country ...Sydney Hotel 17 August 1825 [2]

The grant was acquired by Alexander Brodie Sparke in 1836

Notes and Links

1). Map showing the location of Hugh Torrance's grant

References

[1] State Archives NSW; Ships musters; Series: 1289; Items: 4/4775; Reel: 562; Page: 202

[2] New South Wales Government. Memorials to the Governor, 1810 - 25. Series 899, Fiche 3001-3162. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia