Preserving the Past “Gosh” “I never expected that” “I will never sell it. It’s going to my son/ daughter /grandchild.”

 

Viewers of Antiques Roadshow viewers will have noticed family responses after most appraisals. After the  “Gosh” and “I never expected that” the inquirer often looks around at their offspring and siblings and says “I will never sell it. It’s going to my son/ daughter /grandchild.” Often they don’t even know the history or age of the item and the appraisal team fills them in.

Recently I saw an antique piece related to our Allan family history. We knew the story behind it, had a timeline and it’s been owned by a long line of family members. To date it has been passed down several times and each owner reflects part of Australia’s rich history.

 

Originally the desk was found to be in Inverell

I tracked it down with some help from Myrton (Bill) Allan’s wife, Margaret from Inverell to the North Coast and it just so happened some other relatives lived close enough by to want to take a peak. After making contact we were invited to see this special relic.

Two 3x great granddaughters of David and a 3x great grand niece of Sophia’s together with 3x great grandson and 4x great granddaughter gathered together over 200 years after the Allan’s arrived in Australia to see the piece and exchange Allan memories.

Consists of two parts with desk, two small and two large drawers

The desk has brass trims, features, handles and refurbished desktop.

The top opens to reveal compartments

 

The piece concerned belonged to David Allan who first came to Australia with his wife Sophia  and family, as Deputy Commissary General in 1809. Its age is circa 1800 making it early 19^th Century George III (Georgian).  It was in fact a sea chest used during his voyage to the colony in 1809 possibly made from mahogany or elm with brass trims.It's the size of a chest of drawers.

It may well have accompanied him from his home in Edinburgh to a Commissary posting in Heligoland before that.  

Close inspection reveals it as an army issue combination desk and sea trunk. It’s in two parts with handles for carrying and moving around. The bottom portion has useful under storage drawers  for clothing. There are two smaller drawers and a two larger ones. The top section  folds out to be a desk. It has compartments for stationary items and in fact still houses some items owned by later owners. It’s desktop  been refurbished with green felt.

The Sydney Gazette  19/6/1913 announces the arrival of the new Deputy Commissary General.

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 19 Jun 1813:

"His Royal Highness The Prince Regent, in the Name and on Behalf of His Majesty, having been graciously pleased to appoint David Allan, Esq. to be Deputy Commissary General to the Forces in the Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, placing the whole of the Commissariat Department, Civil and Military, in the said Territory and its Dependencies, under his entire Direction and Control; the Deputy Commissary-General Allan having recently arrived in the Colony from England on board the Fortune Transport, His Excellency the Governor directs, that he shall assume the Charge of the Commissariat Department of this Territory, on Friday next, the 25th Instant; and that all Orders issued by him to the inferior Departments, shall from henceforth be obeyed and respected accordingly. The present Accounts of the Commissariat Department are to be made up to the 24th of the present Month inclusive, and delivered in to the Commissary General's Office by the respective Accountants without Delay. The Officers, Storekeepers, and other Persons at present on the Establishment of the Commissariat Department of this Territory, will continue in their several different Charges, and in the Execution of their respective Duties, until further Orders, considering themselves however, under the immediate Command of the Commissary General."

David Allan was the New South Wales Deputy Commissary General from 1808 to 1819. He returned to England with his family on the “Surrey” where he prepared to travel to Barbados. He did not travel there due to the death of his wife Sophia in 1821 but later via Edinburgh returned to Sydney on the “Prince Regent” in 1829  with a second wife Elizabeth nee Rennie and son Maxwell where he remained until his death in 1852.

It is believed therefore to have not only traveled to Australia once but twice. Despite its age and use  this beautiful heirloom is in remarkable condition considering its having been subjected to months of rough and tumble in ship’s cabins. It is  compact enough to not look out of place in a modern Australian home where it is currently housed  on the north coast of NSW. In fact, it forms part of a family history corner where it is displayed with family artifacts of former owners and houses memorabilia and photos relating to Percy Allan and his WWI sons.

The succession of ownership  has been from:

 David Allan (died 1852)

Maxwell Allan (died 1879) - Principle Under Secretary of the Colonial Secretary's Dept

Percy Allan (died 1930), Chief Engineer for Public Works in New South Wales, who designed and built the Pyrmont and Glebe Island Bridges, plus oversaw 583 more.

Herbert Trangmar Allan (died 1967) who after serving in the army in World War I and working in mines in New Guinea with his brother Keith died childless and the desk  returned to Inverell with his brother Keith’s family.

Keith Trangmar Allan (d 1964)  farmer and grazier

Myrton (Bill )Allan  (d 2013)Grazier in Inverell

David Allan present owner

 

There’s a clear succession plan  for this desk. Like the Antiques Roadshow it is earmarked for son, James Allan sometime in the distant future.

If it had eyes and ears it would be able to tell us of David’s letters back to England  and business negotiated during the port stopovers and travel to the colony plus the wheeling and dealings of the Commissary in Sydney town. His job was to supply the young colony with the stores and basic necessities pivotal to the growth of the economy in the Macquarie era.  Eventually Macquarie thought Allan “indulged in considerable private and clandestine commercial speculations.” Allan was replaced and returned to England. He was ultimately cleared and placed on half pay for life.

In its current location it lives in a corner of 3x great grandson David Allan’s home as a “mini museum piece”  tastefully surrounded by travel artifacts from New Guinea where the great great grandson Allan brothers Keith and Herbert lived for time between the wars. Keith’s medals are also displayed nearby. The desk itself houses surveying memorabilia of Percy Allan’s and photos of his three sons taken before they proceeded to serve in World War I.

Some of the memorabilia

The desk was featured in the front cover of the Australian Woman’s Weekly in 1965. 

The desk featured in The Australian Women's Weekly 27/10/1965

It’s a treasured family item.  It was an amazing get together that warm spring afternoon in Yamba of several generations of Sophia and David Allan’s descendants and  related family. We honoured the famous family, swapped family tree information and vowed to continue the family research.

And I don’t half think it’s ignited just a little bit more interest in the history of David and Sophia amongst the next generation.

Below is the complete list  (and links) of  Blog stories relevant to  the Allan family to date.

Six degrees of Separation - It’s a small world for David Allan and Sophia Johnston

Sophia Johnston 1777-1821 Pioneer of Sydney and mother of 12

Guess Who's Coming to Supper ? A Snapshot of Sydney Society in the 1810s through the eyes of David and Sophia Allan 

Eustace Alfred Allan 1892-1917 Killed in Action

Myrton Trangmar Allan 1892 -1916 KIA and brother Keith Trangmar Allan 1896-1964

Honorary Colonel Herbert Trangmar Allan MC OBE (M)

To find more about Sophia's Scottish roots Search Johnston Family History on the blog.

Guess Who’s Coming to Supper? A Snapshot of Sydney Society in the 1810s through the eyes of David and Sophia Allan

David Allan is listed on this page of the guest list written in Elizabeth Macquarie's own hand

 

In January 1819 plans were made for a ball and supper to be held on 19 January to commemorate the 75th birthday of Queen Charlotte.

The Governor‘s wife Elizabeth Macquarie prepared a guestlist which appears in “In Her Own Words” The writings of Elizabeth Macquarie by Robin Walsh. He also included of facsimile of the document written in Elizabeth’s own hand.

The guest list transcribed by Robin Walsh "In Her Own Words"

 

The disparity between the document numbers and  Lachlan Macquarie’s diary entry below  reporting on the event means we can see the document was most likely a  working document to staff at Government House with names being added as new arrivals to the economy that to the colony  and other refinements to the invitees occurred.

Lachlan  Macquarie describes the event in his diary on Monday, 18 January.

 

After celebrations involving gun salutes and a levee reception in honour of the Queen during the afternoon several of the Town's Ladies and Gentlemen attended the Ball and Supper.

The dashing Deputy Commissary General, David Allan and his wife Sophia were invited to the Ball and Supper as was his son, Andrew Allan a member of the Commissary staff, and eligible bachelor in Sydney town. David was known to wear epaulets and a feather in his hat. He and his wife arrived by in their own carriage on this pleasant summer evening.

Several other Commissary staff were in attendance: Mr George Hull, Mr and Mrs William and Anne Cordeaux, Mr John and Susan Palmer and Mr William and Elizabeth Broughton. The Cordeauxs had been in the colony since the time of settlement.

Among the other attendees were the five land grantees who were given land in the Illawarra. Besides David, Sophia and Andrew Allan, there was Richard Brooks and Christiana his wife and one of his daughters, Lieutenant Colonel George Johnston Snr with wife and daughter Maria.  Richard Jenkins and his wife Jemima made up the fifth.

When perusing the list it’s a who’s who of Sydney place names. People whose mark remains in a suburb name , locality, road or geographical point of interest remains to remind us of their contribution to the growth of NSW.

Some 15 of the invitees were newly arrived in Old Sydney town and had only been colony a matter of 3 to 6 weeks. These included  several ships’ Captains and Doctors. It appears the invitees came from the growing town  and surrounds such as Sydney, Parramatta, Liverpool and Windsor with women numbering approximately 67 to the 104 men.  Many free settlers,  landholders and graziers were represented.  Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson the famous explorers, were also invited as was the road builder William Cox and several members of his family.

Others who attended had occupations such as surveyors, lawyers, judges, doctors etc. There were members of several army regiment‘s the most common being the 24th 48 and the 84^th.

There were of course clergymen, surgeons and public officials among the guests. The ever-entrepreneurial pastoralists Mr John MacArthur, wife Elizabeth and several of his family were also invited. There were also some very young ladies (daughters of invitees )who made up the numbers perhaps as dancing partners. These eligible women as young as 13 would potentially  become wives of the many eligible bachelors and widowers in the few years to come such was the shortage of women in Sydney.

It is noted that a couple of guests were emancipists who had become successful and excellent citizens. Perhaps not everyone wanted to accept a convict into Sydney society.  It may have been interesting to be a fly on the wall.

There was plenty to talk about especially as  the “Globe” anchored in Sydney only nine days previously. It’s not known if the new Deputy Commissary General, Frederick Drennan replacement for David Alan was in attendance. Ship arrivals brought news of home,  new supplies and more convicts and plenty of gossip.

Several of Sophia‘s friends were there. They were the wives of many of the men playing important parts in the burgeoning  and vibrant Sydney town and surrounds

Many women Sophia Allan had met in recent years accompanied their husbands in various ships that arrived in the Harbour.  Most had numerous children as Sophia had herself and perhaps the children were friends.  With a shortage of women and the problems of being a widow in Sydney many men and women had multiple marriages. These soirees would have been much awaited opportunities for courting.  Some of the wives were newlywed and had only arrived a couple of years prior. There were several Scottish officials and settlers making up their social circle.

Sophia would certainly have been familiar with the Commissary  wives, The Governor’s wife Elizabeth Macquarie , Elizabeth MacArthur and the Bayleys. Little would she know that soon her son Andrew would marry Nicholas and Sarah Bayley’s daughter Augustus and that other guests Hannibal and Anna ( nee King)  MacArthur would later be her granddaughter Ellen’s  parents in law.

View of Government House, Sydney Cove, c. 1807, shortly after King's departure from the colony (watercolour drawing by John Eyre, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, SV/31).

Possibly this was a bittersweet occasion as the arrival a few days earlier of the Drennans as a replacement of David’s would see their departure six months later.

Did Sophia know she would be travelling back to England on the “Surrey” later that year with some of the other guests: Lieutenant Metge,  Lieutenant Bunney and Ensign King. David and Sophia put up their Woolloomooloo furniture for sale a couple of weeks  after the Supper and began preparing for their departure.

Its not known what the menu was for this special supper but it’s likely to  have been a dinner of roast beef, potatoes, bread and punch with much merriment and dancing afterwards.

Ironically, the celebratory supper was held with no knowledge that the Queen had passed away on November 17, 1818 in London at the age of 74. Of course news of the beloved Queen did not reach the colony until 29 May 1819 when the ship “Mary” arrived in Sydney from Calcutta via Hobart

I’m sure this event on a lovely January summers night at Government House in Sydney was a standout for David and Sophia Allan and their son Andrew. Surrounded by their Sydney friends and colleagues on the glorious Sydney Harbour: what more could you ask for?