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?