The Victorian Trooper #2 - Becoming A Lawman.

The colony of Victoria in Australia was undergoing a period of rapid expansion in the mid to late 1850's, owing to the gold rush that had first taken hold in the Ballarat Gold Fields. Prospectors and fortune hunters, eager to capitalize on the potential riches to be found, poured into the colony from all over the world.

Among these arrivals, the young Mayes family alighted onto the Melbourne docks, no doubt exhausted from their long sea voyage from the United States. One can imagine they were eager to take advantage of the economic boom resulting from the gold. For the first six months in Victoria, Joseph Ladd put his agricultural skills to use, working as a gardener under a Mr. Ferguson. Details about this period of time are scarce but settling into a new colony - a new city that was vibrant and alive as Melbourne was would no doubt have been exciting. 

Melbourne panorama c. 1854 - artist Robert Russell.

The expansion of the colony also saw an attendant rise in criminal activity, ranging from horse stealing, coach hold ups, petty crime and murder. Following the establishment of a police force in 1853 the colony embarked on an aggressive recruiting drive to cement a law and order presence to counter the crime wave of the early 1850's. From anecdotal accounts passed down through family conversations, Joseph Ladd Mayes was a man of integrity and had a strong sense of morals and ethics. It is particularly evident throughout the latter half of his life in the various documents my father has uncovered in his own research. In any case, Joseph Ladd Mayes answered this call and on the 20th of December 1858, 6 months after arriving in Australia, he was sworn into the Victorian Police mounted constable - no. 1477.

(JL Mayes in police uniform - date unknown).

The Police Department certificate records this swearing in at 'the depot' - probably the police depot in the Richmond suburb of Melbourne. His initial salary was indexed at 9/6 per diem not including allowances. He supplied a 'Sir L.... Palmer as a referee.

(Copies of JL Mayes' Victoria Police application certificate and physical examination. Click on each to open 

a larger version.)

We can ascertain that Joseph Ladd spent at least 6 months at the Richmond depot where he would have received training as a mounted constable. The training itself was reportedly, grueling, with cadets required to complete regular drills, maintain their horses, saddlery, uniforms and firearms. The accommodations at the Richmond depot were basic, consisting of canvas tents that saw up to 8 cadets sleeping side by side in cramped quarters. Joseph Ladd's police record, which forms a part of our family collection, contains very little from this early period, save for a single entry in October, 1859 when he was cautioned for not having his police cap when turning out for gold escort duty. 

(Mounted Police 1852 - S. T. Gill (1818-1880) Lithograph by Macartney & Galbraith; State Library Victoria Australia).

In giving evidence to the Royal Commission into the Victorian Police Force much later in 1882,  Joseph Ladd Mayes made the statement that he believed the proper training of a mounted constable should take not less than six months during which time his services should be employed in the metropolitan area. Given this it is reasonable to assume that Joseph Mayes did spend a probationary period working in Melbourne. 

It was to the gold fields of Ballarat however, that the Victorian Police Force were focusing their resources - given that it was the epicenter of the gold rush at that time and where, no doubt, a nexus of crime was located as well. Reports of highway robberies, thefts from stores and tents were coming in regularly. Horse stealing had ramped up to almost epidemic proportions and even murders weren't uncommon. The need for a motivated police presence at the gold fields was considered urgent.

Having completed his training and probation, Joseph Ladd, Marrian and their infant son Charles gathered up their belongings once more and were dispatched to Ballarat. It would be here, however, that the young Mayes family were experience significant hardship and untold tragedy.

Next: Early Trials & Bitter Triumphs.

DFA.

Boot, Shoes & Seeds - The Life Of Peter Field.

The history of Australia in the 50 year period leading up to Federation in 1901 is one characterized by exploration, rapid transition and economic development. Emerging from its fraught period as a penal colony, after its occupation by the British, Australia entered an era of entrepreneurialism whereby the convict population - having served their period of incarceration - were now free to rebuild their lives and, perhaps, take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the nascent industrialization that was taking place. Similarly, a wave of British immigration keen to take advantage of those same opportunities, saw many free settlers arrive on Australian shores with hopes of a better life in the far away colony. 

One of these free settlers, is the subject of a compelling book by retired Adelaide consultant Dr John Field. 

Boots, Shoes and Seeds is a meticulously researched history of the life of Peter Field, a Queensland entrepreneur and businessman who lived and thrived in the latter part of the 19th century and whose legacy still informs much of how business is conducted - even today.

Boots, Shoes and Seeds (image credit: Dr. John Field).

From the liner notes;

Orphaned at 15 months and consigned to an English workhouse: this was Peter Field’s bleak start in life. But he made the most of his opportunities, and with a sense of adventure, set out for Australia. 

There, with energy, hard work and entrepreneurial skill, Peter built up a prosperous boot manufacturing business in Toowoomba with retail stores throughout southern Queensland. 

He survived insolvency in the 1890s depression and contributed generously to the local community and the Church of England.

In retirement, Peter and his wife, Sarah, established one of the most popular guesthouses in Toowoomba, which ran successfully for 30 years.

Peter’s story, told by his great-grandson, is richly enhanced with over 100 photographs, maps and figures.

Boots, Shoes and Seeds is a thoroughly researched document and the attention to detail is impressive. Dr. Field, in putting together a lasting tribute to his great grandfather, has composed an engaging and, at times, inspiring portrait of a man who came from the most crushing of circumstances in Victorian England, but who persevered and prevailed at a time when many of his contemporaries struggled. 

19th century Toowoomba is recreated in detail and it is easy to place oneself in this emerging regional city at a time that would otherwise be lost to history. It is worth noting that Toowoomba's reputation as a welcoming City - particularly to immigrants - had its roots in this very period when people like Peter Field ventured there from far away England and it is an observation I kept coming back to in my reading of the book. 

Boots, Shoes and Seeds is an important account of Australian and Queensland history and one that historians should add as an essential addition to their collection. It is also a loving tribute by an ancestor that will assume a special place in one particular family's history.

Dr. John Field (image supplied by the author).

Dr John Field was, for more than 45 years, a consultant statistician and data analyst, firstly with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and then in his own business.  He worked in many diverse areas including tropical agriculture, the environment, medicine and health, insurance, electricity distribution, viticulture and wine-making.

For the last decade John has been involved in family history research and since retiring in 2014 has been researching the life of his great-grandfather, Peter Field.

He lives in Adelaide with his wife, Rosie.  They have three adult children.

Purchase Boots, Shoes and Seeds here. 

Contact Dr. John Field here. 

DFA. 

The Recipient - Coming May 1st 2016.

Pre-Order Now From The Book Depository.