Free Settler or Felon
Hunter Valley Inns and Hotels
Queen Victoria Inn ~ East Maitland
The Queen Victoria Inn was built by Samuel Clift in 1837.
Samuel Clift was born in Oldbury, Warwick. In convict indents his occupation is 'wakeman'
He was 26 years of age when he was arrested with another man James Rathbone, age 20. They were tried on 15 July 1817 at Northampton for having forged bank notes in their possession. Both men were sentenced to 14 years transportation. [3] They were admitted to the Retribution hulk on 29th October 1817 and transferred to the convict ship Neptune on 26th November 1817. The Neptune departed England on 20th December 1817 and arrived in Port Jackson on 5th May 1818. The convicts of the Neptune were fortunate at least in that they had for surgeon on the voyage prisoner reformer Thomas Reid.
Initially on arrival Samuel Clift was probably sent to the Bathurst district however in the 1825 muster he was employed as a carpenter at Newcastle.
He married Ann Duff, the daughter of a former soldier, at St Matthew's Church, Windsor in 1824.
Issue :
Elizabeth
William
Joseph
Ann
James
Mary Ann
Samuel
John
Sarah
George
In the 1828 Census Samuel Clift is recorded as a farmer with 60 acres at Wallis Plains, 26 of which were cleared. He ran 160 head of cattle at this time.
He was granted a Certificate of Freedom in 1831 and established a butchering business in Maitland. He acquired more land and commercial businesses around Maitland over the next few years including the Queen Victoria Inn. In the mid 1830's he began to acquire squatting runs - the Mooki River run and Breeza and Weia Weia Creek.
Samuel Clift died in 1862.
John Wisdom
John Wisdom held the publican's licence for the Queen Victoria Inn in 1844[1].Samul Clift
In 1845 and 1846 Samuel Clift held the licence.Thomas Cox
The licence for the Queen Victoria was transferred to Thomas Cox in 1847 however Cox returned to the Bush Inn at Black Creek in 1848 [2]John Borthwick
John Borthwick (son-in-law of Samuel Clift) took over the licence in 1848Later the building became the residence known as Roseneath
Notes and Links
1). The Roseneath Dining Suite made by Zuccani, Sydney c. 1867-18732). The Clifts of Breeza - Manilla Express 16 November 1937
References
[1] Maitland Mercury 20 April 1844[2] Maitland Mercury 24 April 1847
[3] Convict Indents. State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12188; Item: [4/4006]; Microfiche: 639