Catalogue
Catalogue
Object Type
Name/Title
Letter from the New South Wales Colonial Secretary's Office to James Busby, May 29, 1839
Primary Maker
Date
1839
1783-1963
Physical Description
1p on 1 leaf ; 329mm x 203mm
Language
English
Collection
Level of Current Record
Child
Is Part Of
Public Access Text
[Keywords: Correspondence, Materials, Provisions, Colonisation]
Subject Notes
Sir Edward Deas Thomson (1800-1879) was a public servant and parliamentarian, born June 1, 1800 in Edinburgh. In 1828, Thomson was transferred from his role as Registrar of the Orphan Chambers in Demerara, West Indies, to clerk to the Executive and Legislative Councils in New South Wales. During his posting, Thomson became an influential member of the Convict Assignment Board and instigated the regulations introduced in 1835 for the assignment of male convicts. In 1833, he married Governor Sir Richard Bourke's daughter, Anne Maria, a matrimony which has been scrutinized, because of his subsequent appointment to Colonial Secretary in place of Alexander McLeay. Despite these claims of nepotism, Thomson held office from 1837-1856.
[Further reading: M. E. Osborne, 'Thomson, Sir Edward Deas (1800-1879)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/thomson-sir-edward-deas-2732/text3855, published first in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 11 April 2018.]
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Last Update
07 Jul 2023
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