| Name | James RUSE |
| Birth | 9 Aug 1759, Lawhitton, Cornwall, England |
| Death | 5 Sep 1837, Campbelltown, NSW1 Age: 78 |
| Burial | St John's cemetery, Campbelltown, NSW- |
| Occupation | Pioneer Farmer |
| Father | Richard RUSE (1730-1800) |
| Mother | Elizabeth CURNE |
| 1 | Elizabeth PERRY (PARRY) |
| Birth | 1769 |
| Death | 27 May 1836, Campbelltown, NSW1 Age: 67 |
| Marriage | 5 Sep 1790, Windsor, NSW |
| Children | Rebecah (1791-1792) |
| James (1793-) | |
| Elizabeth (1794-1875) | |
| Susannah (1796-1872) | |
| Mary (1798-1871) | |
| Ann (1801-) |
| 2 | Susannah NORCOTT |
| Birth | 17451 |
| Marriage | 1779, South Petherwin, England |
| Children | Richard (1781-) |
The Very First Australian Settler
The first member of the first fleet to set foot on Australian soil, carrying Governer Arthur Phillip on his shoulders of course, so he wouldn't get his feet wet. Frequently claimed by James Ruse and never disputed despite ample opportunity for this be.
James Ruse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Ruse (1759–1837) was a Cornish farmer who, at the age of 23, was convicted of breaking and entering and was sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia. He arrived at Sydney Cove on the First Fleet with 18 months of his sentence remaining. Ruse applied to Governor Arthur Phillip (of the colony) for a land grant, stating that he had been bred to farming. Governor Phillip, desperate to make the colony self-sufficient, allocated Ruse an allotment at Rose Hill (Parramatta), where he proved himself industrious and showed that it was possible for a family to survive through farming. Having done this, Ruse received a grant of 30 acres, enabling him eventually to sell 600 bushels of maize. He later exchanged the grant for more fertile land on the Hawkesbury River.[1] In later life, having been almost bankrupted from his farm by flooding, Ruse found work as a seaman and later as a landowner's overseer.
Early life
Ruse was born on a farm in Cornwall England in 1759. In 1782 he was tried at Bodmin Assizes and sentenced to death for "burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Thomas Olive and stealing thereout 2 silver watches, value 5 pounds." He was reprieved and sentenced to transportation for seven years. He was sent on the Scarborough, one of the First Fleet, and arrived in New South Wales on 19 January 1788.
As a pioneering farmer
Governor Arthur Philip allocated Ruse one and a half acres (6,000 m²) of already cleared ground and assisted in clearing a further five acres (20,000 m²). He was to be given two cows and six hens and was to be fed and clothed from the public store for 15 months. In return, if he was successful, he was to be granted 30 acres (120,000 m²).
After 15 months Ruse announced that he and his wife Elizabeth (he married her in 1790) were now self-sufficient in food, and their farm formed the nucleus of a small community of farmers who, while technically still convicts, enjoyed considerable freedom and later had other convicts assigned to work for them. An account of Ruse's methods is given on pp. 80-1 of A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson by Watkin Tench. Ruse expected to reap about eight bushels (290 litres) to the acre. After Ruse's sentence expired in 1792, the title of his land was deeded to him, the first land grant in the colony. In 1793 he sold his land to Dr Harris of the New South Wales Corps. The property is now the Experiment Farm Cottage museum of the National Trust of Australia
In 1794 Ruse moved further out, to the junction of the Hawkesbury River with South Creek, and became a fairly successful farmer. He and Elizabeth raised seven children, two of whom were thought to have been adopted. Later, however, he was wiped out by flooding (always the risk of farming in the Hawkesbury) and had to find work as a seaman. He was heavily in debt and only the hard work of his wife saved him from bankruptcy. From 1828 he was employed as an overseer by a landowner at Minto, south of Sydney. He died at Campbelltown on 5 September 1837.
Ruse's gravestone, parts of which he carved himself, reads:
"Sacred to the memory of James Ruse who departed this life September 5 in the year of Houre Lord 1837. Natef of Cornwell and arrived in this colony by the First Fleet, aged 77. My mother reread thy tenderly With me she took much pain And when I arrived in this colony I sowed the first grains And now with my heavenly father I hope for ever to remain."
A replica of this tombstone stands in the front garden of Barrengarry House, the administration block at James Ruse Agricultural High School. The memory of James Ruse is perpetuated in the naming of key locations in Sydney, including the Agricultural High School, in Carlingford; James Ruse Drive, running from Silverwater to Northmead, near Parramatta; and Ruse, a suburb in southwest Sydney.
In 1980 the noted Cornish folk singer Brenda Wootton, wrote and recorded the song "James Ruse" which uses as the chorus the last four lines of the tombstone inscription.1
http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020360b.htm
Australian Dictionary of Biography
RUSE, JAMES (1760-1837), pioneer and smallholder, was born at Launceston, Cornwall, England. At the Cornwall Assizes in 1782 he was convicted of burglarious breaking and entering; his capital sentence was changed to transportation to Africa for seven years. During the next five years while the government was searching for ways of solving the convict problem Ruse spent much of his time in the hulk Dunkirk at Plymouth. When it was decided to establish a penal settlement in New South Wales he was sent out in the First Fleet in 1787 in the Scarborough. In July 1789 he claimed that his sentence had expired and soon afterwards he asked for a land grant, inspired by the desire to take up farming, an occupation to which he had been bred. Lacking evidence that Ruse was entitled to his freedom, Governor Arthur Phillip did not at once give him a grant, but in November permitted him to occupy an allotment near Parramatta, withholding the title until his capacity as a farmer and his right to freedom had been proved. The governor made this concession partly because he knew Ruse to be industrious and partly because he was anxious to discover how long it would take an emancipist to become self-sufficient.
Although not the first person to cultivate land in the colony on his own behalf, Ruse was the first ex-convict to seek a grant, for other emancipists displayed no inclination to take up agriculture. Undeterred by famine, drought and the depredations of convicts Ruse applied himself diligently to his task, helped by Phillip who provided him with provisions, clothing, seed, implements, livestock, a hut and assistance in clearing a small area of land. He proved not only a hard worker but also, by local standards, an enlightened farmer who made quite effective use of the limited means at his disposal. By February 1791 he was able to support both himself and his wife, Elizabeth Perry, a convict whom he had married on 5 September 1790. In April 1791 he received the title to his land, the first grant issued in New South Wales.
Besides justifying the faith placed in him Ruse had also scotched the belief held by many contemporaries that a smallholder could never maintain himself in New South Wales. This was not his only contribution to the expansion of private farming. He left Parramatta in despair at the quality of the land and in October 1793 sold his farm to Surgeon John Harris for £40. Having spent the proceeds, originally intended to pay his passage to England, he was obliged to seek a fresh grant and in January 1794 he became one of the twenty-two settlers responsible both for opening the Hawkesbury River area and for demonstrating its superiority as an agricultural centre over all other known regions. Why he chose a region hitherto regarded by many as unsuitable for farming is uncertain, but he made it his home for the next few years. At first he appears to have fared quite well and in June 1797 received the title to an additional forty-acre grant (16 ha); nine months later when poverty was acute among smallholders, he sold his original grant for £300, which suggests that it must have been well developed. Before 1800 he had bought an additional twenty acres (8 ha) but he mortgaged them in March 1801.
In 1797 he had been brought to court on charges of running a gambling school on his premises, but since no details of the trial are available, there can be no certainty that he engaged in a pastime enjoyed by many of his fellow settlers. In the next decade he still owned some land at the Hawkesbury, but his name appears on none of the available lists of settlers. In 1806 his wife was recorded as farming fifteen acres (6 ha) at the Hawkesbury and she later signed the petitions extolling William Bligh, but of Ruse himself there was no mention. The only evidence of his presence was an agreement dated May 1801 apprenticing his son James as a mariner in the firm of Kable & Underwood. It has been suggested that he found employment on local vessels himself, for on several occasions the Sydney Gazette listed a James Ruse among the crew members of such ships, but these references were probably to his son.
In 1809 Ruse successfully requested a grant at Bankstown, for the recent Hawkesbury floods had caused him heavy losses. He retained contact with the Hawkesbury throughout the Macquarie period and in 1819 received a 100-acre (40 ha) grant at Riverstone. The muster of that year, however, showed him as owning only 45 acres (18 ha) in the Windsor district of which 20 (8 ha) were cleared and 19½ (7.9 ha) under crop. In addition he owned 3 horses, 2 cows and 7 hogs. Subsequently his fortunes seem to have declined for in 1825 he was recorded as owning a mere ten acres (4 ha) of land, all in the Windsor district, and twelve hogs. Since this small property could scarcely have sustained him, it comes as no surprise to find that by 1828 he was working as an overseer for Captain Brooks at Lower Minto. In 1834 he was living at Macquarie Fields. Two years later he was received into the Roman Catholic Church, though there is no evidence that his wife or seven children followed his example. His death on 5 September 1837 brought to a close the career of one whose importance in New South Wales history has been unduly exaggerated and romanticized. Although his early achievements were noteworthy, he soon faded into the background and led an existence that scarcely distinguished him from many of his associates.
FIRST PLOUGH
The first ploughs were thought to have been developed in Egypt around the 6th millennium BC. They were basic farming instruments, but their development through time represents a significant shift in human evolution. Advancements in the design of the plough allowed farmers to evolve from being merely self sufficient to producing commercially viable crops, and earn a living from the land.
Australia's first settlers struggled to produce a food source independent of the supplies brought to the colony by ships. The government had a pressing need to experiment with the type of crops that could be grown on Australian soil, and asses if the colony could become self-reliant. A small number of ex-convicts were offered parcels of land to see if they could support themselves. They were given meagre supplies, each receiving a spade, shovel, hatchet, tomahawk, and two hoes. Cultivating the soil using a hoe was difficult work, especially in the hot climate. Robert Hughes describes the first years of convict Australia as, "starvation years" because they had no ploughs or draft animals it was, "hack-and-peck hoe cultivation". With the introduction of a plough, a farmer could use an animal to draw it and turn the soil more quickly and easily. The introduction of the plough to the colony was a significant turning point in settlers being able to produce their own food source.
The colonies found one of the chief difficulties in growing food was the lack of men with experience. James Ruse was a convict with a strong farming background and, upon finishing the sentence for his crimes in 1789, was awarded one and a half acres on which to prove himself a farmer. Using his knowledge, he burnt off timber to turn ashes into rich potash, hoed the ground thoroughly, and turned the sod over, so that the grass and weeds composted into soil. His techniques proved successful and within 15 months he was producing enough crops to sustain himself, thus gaining the title of Australia's first successful farmer. Governor Arthur Phillip deeded him thirty acres of land, as a reward for his hard work, making James Ruse the recipient of the first land grant in Australia.
This plough is rustic and handmade, but reflects farming in Australia in the early 1800s. It represents the struggle first settlers went through to cultivate the land and their ingenuity in utilising what little supplies they had available to them. It is a significant piece of Australia's farming history.
Erika Dicker, Curatorial, 2007
References
Oral History from Neville Austin, Descendant of James Ruse, 1988, museum records.
Samuel Wadham, Australian Farming 1788-1965, F. W. Cheshire Publishing Pty ltd, 1967.
Robert Hughes, The fatal shore a history of the transportation of convicts to Australia 1787-1868. Pan Books, London, 1988
Watkin Tench, Complete account of the settlement at Port Jackson New South Wales, London, 1758-1833.
Production notes
James Ruse has been attributed as the maker of the plough in approximately 1811 however this has not been fully substantiated. The plough has however been provenanced to Ruse's Mulgrave Park property which was situated at Bottoms Road, Pitt Town, New South Wales.
History notes
This plough was donated by a descendant of James Ruse to the Powerhouse Museum in 1927. Oral history records that it was handed down through Ruse's family and came from his property in the Mulgrave Place area in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales.
In 1782 James Ruse was convicted of burglarious breaking and entering in England and, while still paying penance for his crime, was sent to Australia with the First Fleet in 1787. His sentence was completed in 1789 and Governor Arthur Phillip granted Ruse one and a half acres of land to prove himself as a farmer. By 1791 he was producing enough crops to sustain his himself and was granted a further 30 acres of land that became known as Experiment Farm. He was a hard working and an enlightened farmer who was reported to have made effective use of the limited means at his disposal. Records show that Ruse sold Experiment Farm in 1793 and moved to the Hawkesbury region to establish Mulgrave Place and open up the region for agricultural activity.
The Experiment Farm site, in the Parramatta district, was acquired by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) in 1961. The plough was on display there from 1990 to 2004.
References:
Watkin Tench, Complete account of the settlement at Port Jackson New South Wales, London, 1758-1833.
Oral History from Neville Austin, Descendant of James Ruse, 1988, museum records.
Read more: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=236809#ixzz0t6DVtIpn
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial
First, Courageous Farmer
By
LUCIE SMITH
By
LUCIE SMITH
FEW of Australia's pioneers had.the foresight to prepare their own tombstones for the enlightenment of posterity. An exception can be found in the churchyard of St. James' Church, Campbelltown. This is a stone which marks the grave of James Ruse (1760-1837), Australia's Father of Agriculture. The quaint wording of the epitaph is presumed to be the work of the man himself-a man with little schooling, but with a sense that he had performed an act worthy of special note by sowing the first grain in the young colony. In case no one else deemed the matter worthy of remembrance, he struggled with chisel on stone to produce this quaint epitaph:
My Mother reread me tenderly
With me she took much pains
And when I arrived in the Colney
I sewd the first grain, and now'
With my Heavenly Father, I hope
Forever to remain.
No doubt the reference to his mother's excellent training was stressed because he had come to the colony as a convict with the First Fleet, and he wished to clear her of any responsibility.
SYDNEY TO-DAY.-A section of Sydney's
central markets on a quiet day. The endless stream of primary produce
that floods
through the markets had its beginnings in the labours of Australia's first farmer, James Ruse, whose work is recorded in this article.
through the markets had its beginnings in the labours of Australia's first farmer, James Ruse, whose work is recorded in this article.
In Britain he had been a land worker and it is possible that his knowledge of the soil and his in-dustrious nature gave him a certain standing in the little community at Sydney Cove, for food supplies were a major issue in those perilous days.
The first crop of wheat in Australia was sown on ' land where, the Botanic. Gardens are situated to-day, and most probably his claim to having sown the first grain refers to this.
James Ruse was among several convicts who claimed' that their terms of transportation had expired soon after their arrival in Australia. Unfortunately for them, the documents necessary to prove their claims were missing, and they were forced to endure their convict existence until official proof could be obtained.
Ruse's record was unblemished and having to stay longer in the "Colony of shame" was a bitter blow, but, as the gall of disappointment wore off, he began to wonder what England would have to offer an ex-convict when he was free to return. The more he thought about it, the less he liked it. He finally decided to ask for land to settle on in Australia.,
NOTHING could have pleased Governor Phillip more than this request. Here was a splendid opportunity to secure valuable information as to what period it would take a man to become self-supporting on a small allotment.
Land was selected for Ruse in the area where the present town of Parramatta stands. One and a half acres of the land had been" cleared and rough-turned; on the remaining four or five acres the heavy timber had been cut.
A hut was built for him and seed supplied, for his first sowings. In addition to this, a ration subsidy was to be supplied until he declared that he was able to maintain himself; when this occurred he had been promised a grant of 30 acres of free land.
Ruse took over his small domain in November, 1789. With his bare hands and a crude hoe he won through to freedom in spite of a period of drought, bush fire threats and a caterpillar plague.
His independence was established in February, ' 1791, when he proudly declared himself able' to live on the produce of his land and relinquished his claim to the ration subsidy.
Governor Phillip- promptly redeemed his promise and ordered that Ruse should be forthwith put in possession of 30 acres of land, including the property he had worked.
This was the first grant of land even allotted in Australia; in addition to his claim to have sown the first seed, James Ruse thus became the first settler.
He called his land "Experiment Farm."
His progress is interestingly described in his own words as recorded by Watkin Tench:
"Having burnt the fallen timber off the ground, I dug in the ashes and hoed it, never doing more than eight or nine rods a day, by which means it is not like the Government Farm-just scratched over, but properly done.
Then I clod-moulded it and dug in the grass and weeds (this, 1 think, almost equal to ploughing). Then I let it lie as long as I could, exposed to the sun and air and just" before I sowed my seed I dug it all up ' afresh."
This is a valuable record made by a man confident of his methods. By his criticism of slap-dash tilling of the soil at the Government Farm, at Rose Hill, he lodged one of the first protests made in Australia against agricultural inefficiency.
Ruse also wrote: 'When 1 have reaped my crop I purpose to hoe it again and harrow it fine and then sow, it with turnip seed, which will mellow it for next year. The straw I mean to bury in pits and to throw in this, it everything which I think will rot and turn to manure."
WHILE Ruse ,was proud of "Experiment Farm," he did not consider it the best land available, and in 1793 he sold out to Surgeon John Harris, who had a small holding adjoining," for 40 sovereigns.
The following year he was given another grant of 30 acres on the Hawkesbury and began again to win his livelihood from the soil. This time he was less successful, 'due to floods, and for a period he-went to sea to earn some ready money.
Eventually he surrendered his river flats-now much sought after by men with capital-in ex-change for 100 acres at Salt Pan Creek, near Bankstown.
It was at this stage that Ruse realised an ambition which he had had in mind ever since he had seen the plough brought out from England by Captain Macarthur. . "
He built himself a forge and began to shape a plough from scrap metal which he had collected over the years/s. After weeks of tireless patience, the job was done. This plough served him well. It is preserved to-day as a treasured exhibit at the Museum of Technology and Applied Science.
Graves of James and Elizabeth Ruse and the Cambelltown Cemetery The historic graves of James and Elizabeth Ruse are located in the north-western corner of the church graveyard. However in 1994 descendants of the family removed the headstones due to the extensive vandalism which was occurring in the cemetery and placed them in the Stables Museum.
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW :1842-1954)
Saturday 6 September 1952
Graves of James and Elizabeth Ruse and the Cambelltown Cemetery The historic graves of James and Elizabeth Ruse are located in the north-western corner of the church graveyard. However in 1994 descendants of the family removed the headstones due to the extensive vandalism which was occurring in the cemetery and placed them in the Stables Museum.