Convict Arches
As we progress through the story of the building of the Ross Bridge (1836), we'll zoom in and out on various aspects of the characters' lives and the bridge itself.
In this monochrome we see the direct work of three men, and perhaps dozens of their fellow convict labourers. The strong piers and breakwaters of the bridge (here is one example from the north face) were designed by the colonial architect of the time, John Lee Archer (1791-1852).
Archer's life began in Kent, born to an engineering family. He commenced his apprenticeship as an architect in London at the age of 18. In December of 1826 adventure beckoned, and he was recommended for the position of Colonial Architect to Van Diemen's Land. He arrived in August of the next year to take up the position and was responsible for the design of most government projects for the next ten years. His most notable achievements were the Tasmanian Parliament House and the Penitentiary Chapel at Port Arthur, designed along the lines of Jeremy Bentham's Model Prison.
In 1838, two years after the great triumph of the Ross Bridge, his position was abolished owing to a decline in colonial revenue. But Archer was a flexible man, and moved to Stanley on the north west coast to take up a position as police magistrate. Here he drew the first ever map of Circular Head. He died aged 61 in 1852 and is buried in the Old Stanley Graveyard.
The is no evidence that Archer spent much time at all in Ross or on the project for the bridge. That supervisory role was left to the military commander in Ross (we'll meet him in the next episode). But the man principally entrusted with Archer's designs and bringing them into fruition was convict stonemason, James Colbeck (1801-1852). I'll get to how Colbeck was assigned to this role soon, but when I tell you that before his arrest he worked on the building of Buckingham Palace, then you know why he was so sought after.
By pure coincidence both Archer and Colbeck died in the same year, but on different sides of the world! [I told you this story would be fascinating.] Yes, the former convict Colbeck would die a free man back in the England of his birth.
Colbeck was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, and became a stonemason. His talent was so pronounced that at the age of just 21 he was given the opportunity of a lifetime to work on Buckingham Palace in London. He worked there from 1822 to 1825. His wife and young son remained in Dewsbury, however, and soon Colbeck decided to leave London and return to Yorkshire. It was to have near fatal consequences.
Work was hard to find, and in order to feed his family he resorted to burglary. Soon after he was caught and in 1828 sentenced to life in prison in Van Diemen's Land (the harshest sentence this side of hanging). We have no idea what happened to his poor wife and family, and it is unlikely he ever saw them again. Arriving in the colony in 1829, Colbeck was assigned various road building tasks on a chain gang, but at least he did get to help build the New Orphan School in Hobart.
In 1831 the old wooden Ross Bridge was falling down. Local grazier William Kermode (we see him immortalised on the stone bridge as well - see the tag) and several leaders petitioned the government to build a new bridge. Colbeck had done some assigned work on Kermode's property, and when it was learned that he had worked on Buckingham Palace, Kermode immediately set out to have permission granted for Colbeck to be the foreman of the new project.
So the placement of every stone you see in the photograph above was the responsibility of James Colbeck, convict. And those stone icons you see here were designed and carved by Daniel Herbert, and his story provides one of the most fascinating tales in the entire history of the colonial convict enterprise.
Both Colbeck and Herbert were emancipated after completing the bridge. In 1841 Colbeck received a free pardon. The last reference to him in Tasmanian history was the 1843 census where he was listed as living in the West Tamar. But by 1850 he had returned to Wakefield in Yorkshire and was remarried. His death is registered on 17 February 1852 and he was buried in St. Matthews burial ground, Dewsbury. [My Yorkshire Flickr friends might like to look him up.]
Convict Arches
As we progress through the story of the building of the Ross Bridge (1836), we'll zoom in and out on various aspects of the characters' lives and the bridge itself.
In this monochrome we see the direct work of three men, and perhaps dozens of their fellow convict labourers. The strong piers and breakwaters of the bridge (here is one example from the north face) were designed by the colonial architect of the time, John Lee Archer (1791-1852).
Archer's life began in Kent, born to an engineering family. He commenced his apprenticeship as an architect in London at the age of 18. In December of 1826 adventure beckoned, and he was recommended for the position of Colonial Architect to Van Diemen's Land. He arrived in August of the next year to take up the position and was responsible for the design of most government projects for the next ten years. His most notable achievements were the Tasmanian Parliament House and the Penitentiary Chapel at Port Arthur, designed along the lines of Jeremy Bentham's Model Prison.
In 1838, two years after the great triumph of the Ross Bridge, his position was abolished owing to a decline in colonial revenue. But Archer was a flexible man, and moved to Stanley on the north west coast to take up a position as police magistrate. Here he drew the first ever map of Circular Head. He died aged 61 in 1852 and is buried in the Old Stanley Graveyard.
The is no evidence that Archer spent much time at all in Ross or on the project for the bridge. That supervisory role was left to the military commander in Ross (we'll meet him in the next episode). But the man principally entrusted with Archer's designs and bringing them into fruition was convict stonemason, James Colbeck (1801-1852). I'll get to how Colbeck was assigned to this role soon, but when I tell you that before his arrest he worked on the building of Buckingham Palace, then you know why he was so sought after.
By pure coincidence both Archer and Colbeck died in the same year, but on different sides of the world! [I told you this story would be fascinating.] Yes, the former convict Colbeck would die a free man back in the England of his birth.
Colbeck was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, and became a stonemason. His talent was so pronounced that at the age of just 21 he was given the opportunity of a lifetime to work on Buckingham Palace in London. He worked there from 1822 to 1825. His wife and young son remained in Dewsbury, however, and soon Colbeck decided to leave London and return to Yorkshire. It was to have near fatal consequences.
Work was hard to find, and in order to feed his family he resorted to burglary. Soon after he was caught and in 1828 sentenced to life in prison in Van Diemen's Land (the harshest sentence this side of hanging). We have no idea what happened to his poor wife and family, and it is unlikely he ever saw them again. Arriving in the colony in 1829, Colbeck was assigned various road building tasks on a chain gang, but at least he did get to help build the New Orphan School in Hobart.
In 1831 the old wooden Ross Bridge was falling down. Local grazier William Kermode (we see him immortalised on the stone bridge as well - see the tag) and several leaders petitioned the government to build a new bridge. Colbeck had done some assigned work on Kermode's property, and when it was learned that he had worked on Buckingham Palace, Kermode immediately set out to have permission granted for Colbeck to be the foreman of the new project.
So the placement of every stone you see in the photograph above was the responsibility of James Colbeck, convict. And those stone icons you see here were designed and carved by Daniel Herbert, and his story provides one of the most fascinating tales in the entire history of the colonial convict enterprise.
Both Colbeck and Herbert were emancipated after completing the bridge. In 1841 Colbeck received a free pardon. The last reference to him in Tasmanian history was the 1843 census where he was listed as living in the West Tamar. But by 1850 he had returned to Wakefield in Yorkshire and was remarried. His death is registered on 17 February 1852 and he was buried in St. Matthews burial ground, Dewsbury. [My Yorkshire Flickr friends might like to look him up.]