Watkin Tench

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Watkin Tench

Watkin Tench (born October 6, 1758 in Chester , County Cheshire in Great Britain , † May 7, 1833 in the former Devonport , County Devon , ibid) was a British officer and writer. He was the first author to publish a book on the Australian Convict Colony .

Early years

Watkin Tench was the son of Fisher Tench, a dance instructor, and Margaret (Margaritta), née Tarleton. Watkin Tench took up military training at a young age, which he completed on January 25, 1776 as a second lieutenant .

American War of Independence

In the American Revolutionary War he served as a second lieutenant in the marine infantry on the coasts of North America on the HMS Nonsuch and then as a lieutenant on the HMS Mermaid . When the mermaid ran aground on the coast, he was a prisoner of war in Maryland for three months . From October 1778 to March 1779 he served on the Unicorn . In September 1782 he was promoted to captain-lieutenant . From May 1786 he was decommissioned and received half pay .

Convict Colony Australia

On May 17, 1787 Watkin Tench, who had signed up for three years, was on board the Charlotte . It was a First Fleet ship that cast off with 756 prisoners. Tench traveled with another 212 soldiers from the Royal Marines to the newly established convict colony in Australia . The four marine companies were commanded by Major Robert Ross , the most senior officer.

The Charlotte reached Botany Bay on January 20, 1788 . Major Ross was a person with a difficult character. Tench found out about this as early as March 1788, when he and four other officers were placed under arrest. As presiding judge, Ross had made a decision that his five assessors disagreed with. The arrest was quickly lifted, however.

Tench befriended Lieutenant William Dawes . Both had similar ideas about dealing with the Aborigines and the convicts.

Tench explored the west and southwest of the colonial settlements. He discovered the Nepean River and came close to what would later become Hawkesbury . On these trips he noted water courses and assessed the quality of the soil. Not only did he write down aspects of his travels, but he also studied Aboriginal customs and took notes on farming.

In December 1791, Tench began his return journey to Great Britain with other Royal Marines on board the HMS Gorgon . Major Ross and Lieutenant William Dawes also traveled back on this ship.

He brought out two publications about his observations and experiences with convicts and Aborigines. His first work, A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay , was published not only in English, but also in German, Dutch and French. His second work, entitled A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson , was also published in German and Swedish.

England

Upon his return, Watkin Tench married Anna Maria Sargant, the daughter of a surgeon. They had no children together, but adopted four children from Tench's sister.

In his military career he was promoted to honorary major after his return. After the revolution in France he served in the First Coalition War under Admiral Rodney Bligh on the Alexander . The Alexander got into a battle with three French warships in November 1794, and he was taken prisoner. During his time as a prisoner he observed the effects of the French Revolution. He wrote letters about this, which he published in London in 1796 under the title Letters Written in France, to a Friend, after six months of imprisonment in Quimper in Great Britain .

The remainder of the war he served in the Channel Fleet on the Polyphemus and Princess Royal . His appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel took place in 1798. From March 1802 he managed military depots until he was dismissed as Major General on January 1, 1816 with half pay. Three years later he was reactivated as Commander of the Plymouth Division . He finished his military service on July 18, 1821 with the rank of Lieutenant-General .

plant

  • A narrative of the expeditions to Botany Bay, with an account of New South Wales, its productions, inhabitants, etc., to which is subjoined a list of the civil and military establishments at Port Jackson. London, 1789. G. Nicol and J. Sewell. London 1793 (German edition: History of Port Jackson in New Holland, from 1788 to 1792).
  • A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, New South Wales. Including an Accurate Description of the Situation of the Colony, of the Natives, and of its Natural Productions . London 1793.
  • Letters Written in France, to a Friend in London. Between the Month of November 1794 and the Month of May 1795 , London 1796.

Ratings

His writings are considered to be remarkably closely observant and are characterized by deep humanity.

In the writings about his stay in Australia he described in detail the natural environment around Port Jackson , the effects and difficulties in building up the local agriculture and the first encounters between Europeans and Aborigines.

Honors

Tench Island , discovered in 1790 by Henry Lidgbird Ball on a trip with HMS Supply from Sydney to Batavia , was named after it.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d L. F. Fitzhardinge: Watkin Tench (1758-1833) on adb.edu.au. Retrieved April 3, 2016
  2. ^ Watkin Tench , on gutenberg.net.au. Retrieved April 3, 2016
  3. ↑ Darrell T. Tryon, Shigeru Tsuchida: Comparative Austronesian dictionary: an introduction to Austronesian studies Volume 1, Part 1, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 3-11-012729-6
personal data
SURNAME Tench, Watkin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British officer and author
DATE OF BIRTH October 6, 1758
PLACE OF BIRTH Chester , Cheshire , UK
DATE OF DEATH May 7, 1833
Place of death Devonport , Devon County