In previous newsletters, I have presented details of the arrangements made by the Macarthur family to bring out Emigrants from England to work on Camden Park Estate [see Volume 1 Nos 1 and 2]. However, as yet I have not described life on the estate in any detail, in particular the lives of Henry and Sampson Norris and their families. As we know, Henry and his family arrived in New South Wales on 8 April 1837 aboard the Brothers, while Sampson and his family arrived aboard the Royal George on 10 March 1839.

In the absence of any surviving first-hand accounts of their lives, it is necessary to examine other contemporary sources in order to develop a picture of conditions during the family's early years at Camden Park. One such source is the Account Books of the Estate which have survived and which now form part of the Macarthur Papers, held in the Mitchell Library in Sydney.

As Alan Atkinson explains in "Master and Servant at Camden Park, 1838" from Push From The Bush No. 6 (May 1980) it was the storekeeper's duty to keep account of wages and to dispense provisions to employees and their families. The storekeeper recorded the daily transactions in a Day Book and transferred these to Journals which contained the personal accounts of all employees. The only Day Book which appears to have survived covers the period up until 20 July 1838 (A4178). The first Journal, or Ledger No 1, covers the period to 30 June 1838 (A4187) while the second, Ledger No 2, finishes on 31 December 1839 (A4188). Further journals have survived but as yet I have not had a chance to study them.

Prior to the founding of Camden village on the edge of the estates in July 1841, the storekeeper played a vital role in supplying the 50 or so employees and their families with their personal needs as well as in the running of the estate. Indeed, in the relative isolation of Camden Park there were few other places to spend money. As a result the account books during this period provide a comprehensive record of the individual daily requirements of each family.

Before looking in detail at the journals, in particular the accounts of Henry and Sampson Norris, it is necessary to put them into the context of the overall arrangements which operated at Camden Park. The following extract comes from the NSW Legislative Council Votes and Proceedings 1838, Minutes of evidence, in which William Macarthur gives evidence before the committee on Immigration (as cited in "Master and Servant at Camden Park, 1838"):

A better plan is to employ [women and children] either by the day, or by the piece, at the various descriptions of light work, of which there is generally abundance upon almost every establishment. According to the quantity of work they perform, they should be paid, and out of their earnings they can maintain themselves. Habits of industry and frugality will thus be either created or preserved. Every healthy child of either 8 or 9 years should be able to earn enough for its maintenance; and children two or three years younger can contribute towards it...At Camden, my two brothers and myself have about thirty women; and it does not often happen that more than five or six will accept of employment at 1s. per diem. They find means in the neighbourhood to engage themselves in washing, needlework or other employments, which are more profitable. The labour proposed to the women is of that description which women are capable of performing, and are accustomed to in England. We have generally ten to twenty children, from five and six years old to sixteen, employed at wages from 3d. to 1s. per diem. Their labour remunerates for the wages paid. These are paid with reference to the value of their work; and frequently, where circumstances admit, it is performed by task, when they not infrequently earn considerably more than the daily wages I have named.

Since 1835, my brothers and myself have supplied ourselves with labourers from Europe to a considerable extent, by importing Emigrants on our own account; and also by hiring them in the Colony. Those imported by us consist principally of agricultural labourers, viz: 16 families from the County of Dorset...and 6 families of vine dressers from Marko-Brunner, on the Rhine in the Duchy of Nassau...The agreement with them (which has been adhered to except that occasionally for their better encouragement they have been allowed to perform work by the piece) was as follows, £15 per annum for 3 years to each man, with a ration consisting of 11 lbs. seconds flour, and 7 lbs fresh beef, or mutton; to the wife, for the first six months only, half the above ration; the milk of a cow to each family; a piece of good ground of not less than a quarter of an acre; permission to keep a pig and poultry, provided they are not suffered to commit any mischief; and a comfortable cottage to each family...Hitherto the only material embarrassment we have experienced in the execution of this agreement, has been in providing for them cottages, of such a description, as shall encourage them to preserve the habits of neatness, and domestic comfort which is remarkable amongst the better sort of English peasantry. We have built them of 9 inch brickwork; and 14 inch "pise" or rammed earth; and framed upon wooden sills brick nogged between the quarterings and weather boarded outside, the whole plastered within, but without ceiling, and with shingled roofs. Each cottage contains generally, a kitchen, two sleeping rooms, a small pantry, and a verandah in front...[The second type, the pise, is relatively inexpensive,] much more comfortable, and if well executed, equally as durable as good brickwork or masonry.

We think that principally from a spirit of emulation, the prisoners perform more work than they did before the emigrants came, and that their moral conduct has decidedly improved. At the same time I am not aware that the moral character of the emigrants has at all deteriorated from being placed on the same establishment with the prisoners. The two classes are not intermingled at their work, and their residences are quite apart. The statements which the emigrants have sent home to their friends in England, has [sic], as far as we know, been very satisfactory, and expressing themselves greatly pleased with their situation and treatment. It is true that some misconduct has occurred on the part of a few; but, by the exercise of firmness and good temper, any irregularities of conduct have been repressed or reformed

With respect to the provision made for the Religious instruction of the people on our estate, at present the Clergyman of the neighbouring Parish officiates one Sunday in every month. On the other Sundays, I am in the habit of reading the Morning Service of the Church of England, two which all the English Emigrants, except two, belong. The whole of the children, English and German (the latter being Roman Catholics), attend a Sunday School in common...We have built a school, capable of containing from 100 to 120 children, which is at present daily attended by more than thirty. The schoolmaster [Joseph Turner] was a prisoner, sent out for taking part in agricultural disturbances...He is now free, and perfect reliance may be reposed in his integrity.

Returning to the journals, Ledger No. 1 indicates that Henry Norris, at least initially, along with the majority of employees, was on a wage of £15 per year, which was credited to his account at the end of each quarter during 1837. In addition to his wage, Henry was credited during 1837 for husking corn and for day work at the rate of 1/- per day. It is possible that this was for work performed by Henry's wife Caroline because the rate paid was that normally applying to women on the estate.

As can be seen from the extract above, as part of their conditions of employment, each employee received basic rations [the equivalent of £14/14/6] and certain clothing free of charge in addition to their basic wage. Accordingly,those items issued free from the store were not charged to the personal accounts and therefore only appear in the Day Book.

As Alan Atkinson points out, task work and day work formed an important part of the estate economy. Apparently it was something which any employee might take advantage of. There were some men on the place whose sole income depended on task work, and on goods delivered to the store. Commencing during October 1837, it appears that Henry began to specialise in woodcutting. During the December 1837 Quarter he was paid a significant amount for the timber he cut, in addition to his normal wage. However, in the first three quarters of 1838, he had apparently come to new arrangements with the Macarthurs since he no longer was paid the standard wage but instead his entire income depended on his output as a sawyer, being paid by the number of feet of timber cut. This was a very profitable arrangement for Henry since over that 9 month period he earnt over £37.

Henry's partner for most of his woodcutting was George Witts, while he also undertook some work with Thomas Macral, each also employees on the Estate with their own personal accounts. From the accounts it is clear that Henry provided wood for the building of the School House and Samuel Arnold's shop. The ledgers indicate that there were also a number of other sawyers on the estate who were also paid according to the timber they cut.

Having seemingly found his niche on the estate as a sawyer, it is then surprising that in the December Quarter of 1838, Henry reverts back to being paid the basic wage, and is not paid for any timber cut after September 1838. However, perhaps it is not so surprising when we remember that Henry Norris died on 7 January 1839. Although we still do not know the cause of Henry's death, it is possible that Henry was forced to give up his work as a sawyer as a result of an affliction that eventually resulted in his death.

As the earlier extract indicated, women and children could also contribute to the running of the estate through task work or day work. While the rates were not very lucrative, such income might nevertheless be important for the families involved. The accounts for Henry Norris show that his two oldest children, Mary Ann and Daniel started working regulary from about June 1838 (although Mary Ann had worked in the Vineyard for 4 days in March) in order to supplement Henry's income. Mary Ann who was 10 years old was paid sometimes 6d per day sometimes 4d, while her 7 year old brother was normally paid 3d per day. Henry's wife, Caroline, was also paid for 12 days work in June at 1/- per day. The level of the children's workload increased significantly after Henry stopped cutting timber.

In 1838, the Storekeeper was Edward Horn; the general overseer was Joseph Goodluck. Apart from supervising most of the work on the estate, he was often sent to Sydney, for the purchase of supplies and to meet new labouring families brought out from England by the Macarthurs. A good deal of money passed through his hands, in payments to shopkeepers and in miscellaneous payments of cash to the men. A look at the accounts for Henry Norris reveals that Henry received about £6 in cash from Mr Goodluck in 1837. During 1838 Henry took his cash, over £14, mainly in the form of cheques issued from the store

The accounts show that, with the change from wage earner to sawyer, Henry became responsible for his own equipment. During 1838 he was debited for various saws, pitsaw files, nails, etc.

In addition to his basic rations, the accounts show that the family's requirements were fairly typical of the family's on the estate: regular withdrawals of meat, sugar, flour, tea, potatoes, and maize for food as well as soap, lamp oil and cotton, and candles. Other items that Henry purchased from the store include an iron pot, frying pan, tea kettle, plates and saucers, cotton and calico, and shoes for each of his children. Curiously, Henry withdrew 8½ lbs of tobacco during November 1838, only six weeks before his death, an item which he had never withdrawn previously.

The final debit to Henry's account is 6/6 being for his funeral expenses. After Henry's death, the family's account is transferred to Caroline. During 1839 the family's income was earnt mainly by Mary Ann and Daniel at per diem rates of 5d or 6d. Additional income came fom the sale of 6 pigs to the estate at 7/- per pig and the sale of Henry's saw files back to the estate which netted 5/-. During 1839, the families total income was £8 which was just enough to break even for the year. Presumably, Caroline was also able to obtain additional income from washing, needlework or similar employments in the neighbourhood.

Sources:

1. Macarthur Papers, [held in Mitchell Library] Manuscript Nos. A4187, A4188
2. Master And Servant at Camden Park, 1838, From the Estate Papers, Push From The Bush No 6. May 1980, by Alan Atkinson
3. Evidence before the committee on immigration (Legislative Council), New South Wales Legislative Council Votes and Proceedings [August] 1838, Minutes of evidence, pp.16-20. [by William Macarthur]