John FREDERICK BRABYN
John Frederick
BRABYN (c. 1794-1806), also known as Boy
BRABYN, the son of John Brabyn and Mary Brabyn née ALLYN, was born at Possibly
at Flanders in Belgium circa 1794 (He was though to have been born on the field
of battle.). He died at At Sea in 1806 (Ivan Gaggin provided the information
about his death, but without corroborating evidence.).
Personal
History:
According to family stories, John
Frederick Brabyn was born on a battlefield in Flanders when his father was
serving on the Continent between 1786 and 1789.
The next mention of him occurs in the pay
list for H.M.'s armed survey vessel "Lady Nelson". He began duty on
24th August 1801 as a "Boy, 1st Class", and was discharged on 28th
October 1801 and paid
2 pounds 2/8.
The signature beside the pay receipt is Jn. Frederick Brabyn.1
He as again on the "Lady
Nelson" in 1802 when it entered Port Phillip, and he went ashore with some
of the men to meet the blacks. All went well until "Boy Brabyn"
noticed some other natives hiding with spears poised. He alerted the others and
they were able to escape without injury.2
That is all that is known of John
Frederick Brabyn, though Olive Mills writes that "Boy Brabyn, when
returning to England, was supposed by his family to have been captured by the
Spaniards and to have spent the rest of his life toiling in the silver mines of
Peru".
Reference
Material:
1. Biographical
details researched by John Brian Marsden, 8 July 1993.
- data compiled from:
- a series of newspaper articles from
" The Windsor and
Richmond Gazette ", Australia,
13 July to 24 August, 1928.
- possibly was born near the field of
battle in Flanders, while
his father, (later Capt.) John Brabyn,
( p463 ), was serving
with the Duke of York in Europe.
- travelled to Australia with his
parents, arriving at Port
Jackson on 11th February 1796.
- lived on Norfolk Island while his
father was posted there.
- lived in Parramatta, N.S.W.
- joined the H.M.S. Lady Nelson, as a
" boy, 1st class ", in
1801.
2. Abstracted from "Log
Books of Lady Nelson."by Ida Lee (1915), "Early History of
Victoria" by F P Labilliere (1878
"Wednesday, February 17th.
Fresh light airs inclinable to calm throughout this 24 hours. The boat (as
mentioned in latter part of yesterday's log) proceeded to the shore and was as
before received in a friendly manner by the natives, all of whom were seated in
a circle on a beautiful spot of grass near a high point of land. Mr Bowen and
all the crew consisting of 5 men and the boy, Mr Brabyn, went up with their
dinners in their hands and sat down in the midst of them (18 in number) and
began to eat showing the natives how to eat bread, etc., and gave them anything
they chose to ask for. Mr Bowen gave them all the things I had sent as well as
several of his own things - stripping himself almost naked to comply with their
wishes, and his example was followed by the whole of the boat's crew. As there
was two fine-looking boys amongst them I sent Mr Brabyn on shore purposely to
see and gain their confidence by his attention to their youngsters, both of
whom he dressed in his shirts, handkerchiefs, trowsers, etc."
"All matters continued in this state while our people had anything to give
and all we got was a spears, a basket and a mogo and even these they again took
from the seamen that had them in keeping, this however the officer took no
offence at being determined if at all possible to keep on friendly terms with
them. It was in vain that the officer and crew tryed by signs too significant
not to be understood to gain intelligence where water was to be found or on
what beaches shells were most plentiful, to all such enquiries they turned a
deaf ear and only seemed intent on getting what our people had even to the last
shirt; by this time our people had nearly finished their dinners and Isaac Moss
having the boat in charge got up and was walking slowly down to her. At this
time the Boy Brabyn happened to turn his head towards the wood and saw a man in
the very act of throwing a spear at Moss as well as a large body (not before
seen) behind a large fallen tree with their spears all in readiness for
throwing. The boy immediately cried out to Mr Bowen who was at that very time
in the act of serving out bread to all the party he was sitting among that he
would be speared, but before the words were out of his mouth, a spear of a most
dangerous kind, was thrown at and did not escape Moss by a yard and in an
instant the whole of the treacherous body that Mr Bowen and 4 of our people
were sitting in the midst of opened out to the right and left and at once left
them all open to the party in ambush who immediately were on their feet and
began to throw spears; still such was the forbearance of the officer that only
one piece was fired over their beads but this was found only to create a small
panic, and our party were obliged to teach them by fatal experience the effect
of our walking sticks."
"The first fire made them run and one received two balls between his
shoulders, still some of them made a stop to heave; the second fire they all
set off with astonishing speed and most likely one received a mortal wound.
Before another piece was fired Mr Bowen laid hold of one of their number and
held on till three of our people came up and also grappled him, strange to tell
he made such violent struggles as to get away from them all nor did the
contents of the officer's piece bring him up although one ball passed through
his arm and the other in the side - he was traced a good distance by his blood
- the remaining pieces were by this time fired and our party gave chase to them
all."
"On board I kept a strict look-out with the glass and we lay only a little
more than a quarter of a mile off the point where they were seated on. I
plainly saw the natives running through the wood which was by no means thick -
one fellow in particular had been dressed in one of my white shirts and the
officer had tyed the wrists of it with string, which hindered his getting it
off - him we plainly saw from the vessel pass the roots of black trees with
such speed as more to resemble a large white bird flying than a man. To increase
their panic as they passed along I gave them a discharge of our guns loaded
with round and grape but am almost certain that they did them no damage; by
this time our people returned from the chase, having found on the way back a
number of spears, dresses and baskets, etc. Made the boat signal and they came
off."
"Thus did this treachery and unprovoked attack meet with its just
punishment and at the same time taught us a useful lesson to be more cautious
in future. With respect to the size of these natives they are much the same as
at Sydney, their understanding better though, for they easily made out our
signs when it answered their purposes or inclination. When it did not they
could be dull enough. They were all clothed in opossum skins and in each basket
a certain quantity of gum was found. Not the least sign of a canoe has been
seen. I conclude they live entirely inland, and if we may judge from the number
of their fires and other marks this part of the country is not thin of
inhabitants. Their spears are of various kinds and all of them more dangerous
than any I have yet seen. The workmanship of their dresses, their lines and
baskets are far from despicable, their mogo or stone axes are such as common at
Sydney."
"In the afternoon the boat went to Swan Isles and caught three live swans
of a large size, and in the morning the launch went with Mr Power and a party
well armed to sound for a channel round which the vessel might sail in order to
survey the port. Usefully employed on board. Lat. 38º 20' S."
Prepared by Bob Dalrymple, PO Box 122, Dapto, NSW Australia 2350
eMail: bob@relativelyyours.com