Welsh Journals

THE MAKEIGS OF CARDIGAN Parkypratt and Sydney, New South Wales I refer readers to an article in the issue of Ceredigion 1973 which dealt with Thomas Makeig (1772-1838) and his wife Mary Levi (1775-1851) and their considerable family of sixteen in number. Research did not end with the conclusion of the fourth article published by Ceredigion, for No. 5 dealt with Thomas Makeig IPs grandson John who moved on to Bristol, and his son George Andrewes Makeig (b. 1809) who emigrated to Van Dieman's Land and founded the family to which the writer belongs. No. 6 also dealt with early 19th century Bristol and John's son Frederick (b. 1811), first apprenticed to a bookseller, Williams Pontsford Penny later opening his own bookshop in Crew- kerne. Another son John was drowned at sea in 1847 and left to his brother Frederick a plot of land in Texas. That article followed the fortunes of Frederick in Texas and his descendants. At Scotland Farm, Llandygwydd, Cards., Thomas and Mary's third son was yet another Thomas, baptised on the 26 August 1800. His childhood is an unknown quantity, though possibly he too received his education at the hands of the Rev. David Davis at Castell Hywel, near Llandysul, as did his father before him. As readers of the article in Ceredigion dated 1973 may remember, more details of the life of this third son were brought to light by further research as being in Sydney, N.S.W., in 1829 in the position of Asst. Superintendent of H. M. Prison Hulk Phoenix.' The first brief details emerged in the course of research by a Professor at Monash University, Victoria, Australia, while writing a biography of Lt. General Sir George Arthur, one time Governor of Bombay and of Van Dieman's Land. What follows is material from the Archives Authority of N.S.W., which gives a fascinating insight into the way of life of a Prison Hulk Captain, or Superintendent, whose living quarters were on board the Hulk itself. He had married in 1832 a child was born on board the hulk in 1833, and, pitifully, died there only nineteen months later. The material includes a series of letters from Captain Thomas to the High Sheriff, a report on the decayed state of the vessel, details of prisoners on board, and, finally, the necessary sale by auction of the Phoenix.' Copy of the letter dated 18.2. 1977 received from the Archives Authority of New South Wales (for the sake of space I have omitted all MS reference numbers and I or irrelevancies.)