James Squire
James Squire | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Kingston upon Thames, England |
| Died | 16 May 1822 (aged 67) |
| Occupation(s) | Brewer, farmer, tavern owner, town constable |
| Known for | Pioneering hops cultivation and beer brewing in Australia; operating The Malting Shovel tavern |
James Squire, sometimes referred to as James Squires, (baptised 18 December 1754 – 16 May 1822) was a convict transported to Australia on the First Fleet. He is recognized for pioneering the successful growth of hops in Australia in the early 1800s. Officially starting beer production in Australia by 1790, Squire established the nation’s inaugural commercial brewery utilizing barley and hops in 1798, although John Boston had launched a brewery producing a type of corn beer two years prior.
Convicted of theft in 1785, Squire was sent to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Over his lifetime, he operated multiple prosperous ventures including farming, the well-known tavern The Malting Shovel, a bakery, butcher shop, and a credit union. Additionally, he held the role of town constable in Sydney’s Eastern Farms area. His rise in social status was remarkable; his funeral in 1822 was reportedly the largest ever held within the colony.
Birth
James Squire was baptised on 18 December 1754 in Kingston upon Thames. He was born to Timothy Squires and Mary Wells, who were Romanichal Romanies wed in West Molesey, Surrey, in 1752. Their families were connected to the significant Canning affair that divided England during the year of Squire’s birth.
Early crimes
In 1774, Squire was apprehended for highway robbery after escaping from a looted residence, thereby avoiding a more serious charge of theft. He received a sentence of seven years’ transportation to America but opted for military service instead and returned to Kingston as a free man within four years. Subsequently, he managed a hotel in Kingston known to be frequented by highwaymen and smugglers.
His next offence involved stealing poultry and other items from John Stacey’s yard. On 11 April 1785, he was sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia aboard the First Fleet.
Wife, mistresses and children
In 1776, Squire married Martha Quinton; together they had three children: John (1778), Sarah (1780), and James (1783), all born in Kingston upon Thames. Following his transportation to Australia, Martha and their children remained in England since it was uncommon for families to accompany convicts overseas.
While separated from his wife and children, Squire formed a relationship with Mary Spencer, who had been transported for theft in 1787. She gave birth to their son Francis on Norfolk Island in 1790. Unable to provide for him, Squire enlisted Francis into the British Army at just fifteen months old; Francis later served with the New South Wales Corps and passed away in Melbourne in 1851.
Beginning in 1791, Squire cohabited with Elizabeth Mason, a convict servant, fathering seven children: Priscilla (1792), Martha (1794), Sarah (1795), James (1797), Timothy (1799), Elizabeth (1800), and Mary Ann (1804).
Later on, Squire engaged in a long-term affair with his housekeeper Lucy Harding (also known as Lucy Vaughan-Harding), relocating to her home on Castlereagh Street, Sydney, by 1816.
First Fleet
In 1787, James was released from Southwark gaol to embark for the British penal colony in Australia. The transportation order was signed by Evan Nepean on 10 March 1787. Initially assigned to the Friendship, he was transferred to the Charlotte following a rearrangement of passengers. The First Fleet reached Botany Bay on 18 January 1788; however, due to unsuitable conditions there, Governor Phillip relocated the settlement to Port Jackson by 26 January seeking a superior harbour and location for establishing the new administration.
In Sydney
On 5 March 1789, Squire provided testimony against convicts accused of stealing cabbages. Subsequently, he faced charges for taking 'medicines'—specifically one pound of pepper and horehound herb—from the hospital supplies where he was employed; these items belonged to surgeon John White. Squire explained that the horehound was intended for his pregnant partner but disclosed during the Bigge inquiry that he had started brewing beer shortly after arriving, selling it at 4d per quart. He also brewed beer for Lieutenant Francis Grose and William Paterson, which may have contributed to his relatively mild punishment: "one hundred and fifty lashes now, and the remainder when able to bear it" (14 November 1789).
On 19 August 1791, both Squire and another individual were fined £5 each for unknowingly purchasing supplies designated for a private soldier.
Land acquisition
Between 1790 and 1792, James Squire completed his sentence and became a free man. Upon gaining freedom, he was granted land at Eastern Farms (Kissing Point) on 22 July 1795.[1] Observing that other emancipated convicts had not claimed adjacent plots, Squire personally accompanied them to the Colonial Secretary's office to secure their grants before buying these properties himself for one shilling each.
By the year 1800, Squire had developed his farming enterprise to include ten sheep, 18 pigs, and 35 goats. He cultivated wheat on part of his land and prepared areas for planting maize and barley. Two years later, his estate had expanded to , with cleared land and grain crops. His household consisted of Elizabeth Mason, six children, four free men, and two government servants, operating as a largely self-sufficient unit.[2]
On 3 January 1813, Aboriginal intermediary Bennelong was interred on Squire’s property; James had installed a memorial plaque in his honor.
On 3 May 1817, Squire placed an advertisement in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser offering his estate for sale. This likely coincided with his relocation to Sydney alongside his partner Lucy Harding. Records indicate he continued as licensee of the estate until at least 1822.
Hops cultivation and brewing
During the 1820 Bigge inquiry into New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, James stated he had been brewing beer for three decades using hops sourced from the Daedalus.[3] This confirms Squire as Australia's pioneer brewer utilizing hops since around 1790.
In response to concerns over rum smuggling by British troops in 1802, Governor King encouraged official beer production. To support this initiative, English hops and brewing equipment were routinely transported on convict ships at government expense; notably, HMS Porpoise delivered hops intended for recipients such as Government Gardens, brewer John Boston (a possible competitor), and James Squire.
Although there is no direct evidence that hop cultivation resulted from this shipment (which arrived in Sydney on 6 November 1800), by 1806 Squire had successfully grown Australia's first hops after three growing seasons.
On 11 March 1806, Squire presented two hop vines from his property to Government House. Governor King commended their quality and rewarded him with a cow from the government herd.[4] By this time, Squire’s estate covered roughly , extending from present-day Gladesville Bridge to Ryde Rail Bridge and northward beyond Victoria Road, Sydney.
Squire likely enhanced his hop-growing expertise through an extensive series published in the Sydney Gazette titled Hop Plantation. Culture of Hops in Great Britain (January–June 1805).
Following the Rum Rebellion in 1808, Squire diversified into baking—running a bakery on Kent Street—as well as supplying meat to the colony, farming, and informal banking. Renowned for equitable lending and generosity toward less fortunate neighbors, he earned the nickname 'Patriarch of Kissing Point.' Colonial artist Joseph Lycett observed that despite his charitable nature limiting his wealth accumulation, Squire was "universally respected" and deeply esteemed by those who benefited from his kindness.
Despite his convict past, Squire served as a resident district constable,[5] largely due to repeated trespassing and theft incidents on his land. The Sydney Gazette includes numerous notices submitted by him alerting the public about thefts—for instance, a stolen boat reported on 3 July 1803.
The Malting Shovel
James established The Malting Shovel Tavern along the banks of the Parramatta River within the Eastern Farm area of Kissing Point. This location was deliberately chosen for its position between Sydney and Parramatta, aiming to serve travelers journeying on vessels navigating this busy waterway.
Documentation from the State Records Authority of New South Wales reveals that on 19 September 1798, James, together with associates including Simeon Lord, secured a license to vend spirituous liquors at The Malting Shovel for an annual fee of £5. Simeon Lord provided surety for the license renewal in September 1799. Additional renewals are recorded on the following dates:
- 26 February 1809;
- 16 March 1811;
- 8 April 1815;
- 15 February 1816;
- 19 February 1820;
- 24 February 1821; and
- 22 March 1822.
Death of James Squire
James Squire passed away on 16 May 1822. The Sydney Gazette acknowledged his pivotal role as a pioneering settler and brewer, emphasizing his achievement as the first person to successfully cultivate hops in the colony and produce high-quality beer known as Squire's Beer. He earned the title Patriarch of Kissing Point, having resided there for twenty-six years.
His funeral was noted as the largest held in the colony up to that point. Interment took place at Devonshire Street Cemetery, with both remains and headstone later relocated to Botany Cemetery due to the construction of Central station. Although now weathered, the headstone reportedly bore this inscription:
"In Sacred Respect to the Loving Remains of Mr. Jas. Squire, late of Kissing Point who departed this Life 16 May 1822 at the age of 67 years. He arrived in the colony in the First Fleet and by Integrity and Industry acquired and maintained an unsullied reputation. Under his care the HOP PLANT was first Cultivated in this Settlement and the first BREWERY erected which Progressively matured to Perfection. As a Father, Friend and Christian he Lived Respected and Died Lamented."
Legacy
James Squire’s will was finalized on 6 April 1822. Following his death, his son James took over operations of the brewery from 1823, maintaining production at approximately 100,000 gallons annually until his own death in 1826.
In 1824, Squire’s daughter Mary Ann wed Thomas Charles Farnell of Kissing Point. Their son, James Squire Farnell, born in 1825, went on to serve as New South Wales’ eighth premier in 1877. Thomas Farnell briefly revived the brewery in 1828 but ceased operations in 1834 due to declining health.
In tribute to Australia’s first commercial brewer, Lion Nathan renamed its acquired Hahn Brewery as the Malt Shovel Brewery in 1999 and introduced a range of James Squire beers.