Birth: Queens Co. Ireland 1788 Arrival: Medway to VDL in 1822 Occupation: Soldier; merchant Land Grant: 2000 acres. Knock Finn and Millers Forests Marriage: Ann Watson 1817 Death: Calcutta 1836
Arrival in the Colony
Vicars Jacob was attached to the 3rd Regiment Bengal Native Infantry when he first arrived in Australia.
He arrived in Hobart with his wife Ann and their children Vicars and Australia on the Medway in 1822 with the intention of entering the mercantile industry.
An article in the Sydney Gazette in 1823 gives the reason for his decision to settle in Australia: 'Vickers Frederick Jacob, son of Vickers Jacob died on 9th instant. He was the third child of the Jacobs to die within four years. All had died from fever due to teething. The loss of the two former children was ascribed to the influence of the Indian climate. Mr. Jacob had retired from the service of the East Indian Company and settled in New South Wales under the hope of being here spared a similar trial but this last infliction has shewn the deceitfulness of such hopes and the inefficiency of human precautions.'
In May 1823 he was permitted at his own request to resign from the service of the 3rd regiment, to come into effect on 11 July 1822.
He established a mercantile business in George Street Sydney and was granted land on the Hunter River he named Knock Finn and Millers Forest.
Location of his grants can be seen top left on the map.
Newcastle
By December 1823
Vicars Jacob was attempting to have his land cleared. His name also appears alongside 192 other men who were granted allotments of land in Newcastle in 1824. His allotment adjoined that of James Reid.
He was involved in a dispute with the military at Newcastle in this year when Magistrate Captain Henry Gillman entered Jacob's property without permission and was sued by Jacob for misuse of a search warrant. [1]
Assigned Convict Servants
Vicars Jacob also had difficulties with his convict servants. In correspondence to the Sydney Gazette in 1824 he vented his frustration....
Extract....In the month of December last, in consideration
of a grant of land received from Government, I
took upon myself the maintenance of twenty convicts, whom I sent to the farm ; it so happened,
that the greater proportion of them had just arrived from Ireland, for, in their own words,
'doing nothing,' an art of which they appear
perfect masters. About the 1st of April I visited
them, cherishing all the moderate characteristic
expectations of a Settler, of seeing ' 80 acres
of the finest maize in the Colony,' my land
being the very best any where to be found ; but
fancy, Mr. Editor, my disappointment at not
finding one stalk. I had, however, the satisfaction
to perceive that the Irishmen had not injured my
timber, they having left the blue gum's and iron
barks in statu quo antes.
Their huts appeared desolate, until I hailed ' Dennis' On his appearing, I enquired his present occupation ? ' Frying
a rasher and a couple of eggs to keep the hunger
out of my stomach.' 'And where's Larry ?' ' He's holding the frying-pan while I'm wid
your Honor.' ' And where's Paddy ? ' - ' He's
gone to Mr. M'Leod's smith to mend the gridiron
which he broke on the dog's back, for looking at
him doing a bit of a stake off one of the kangaroos
the boys hunted this morning.' And where's
Tim, and Jem ? - .'They are gone with the
dogs after another kangaroo.' ' And where's
Roger?' - ' He's gone to the stock-yard for milk
to cool the tay.' 'And where's Morgan?' 'He's gone wid him to carry it ;'and similar
throughout was the result of my enquiries
The Sydney Gazette reported in February 1824 that his daughter, Miss A.H. Jacob was to return to England on the Ocean.
Vicars Jacob departed Sydney on the Princess Charlotte in February 1825 [2]. He became an indigo planter at Jessore.
Bushrangers
Assigned convict servant Patrick Riley absconded from Jacob's estate in July 1825 after being sentenced to 50 lashes for losing sheep. Riley was soon joined by other convicts from the Estate as well as two more from the nearby estates of Dr. Moran and John McDonnell. They formed a bushranging gang that became known as 'Mr. Jacob's Irish Brigade. This gang terrorised settlers in the lower Hunter for months. In response to these bushrangers, the first Horse Patrols, forerunners of the Mount Police, were established in the Hunter region.
Death
Vicars Jacob died of fever died in Calcutta in 1836 shortly before embarking for Hobart. His wife continued the journey with their four children and died soon after arriving in Hobart.