The mammoth job of cataloguing all of Les
Brown’s papers and photographs has brought forth some very interesting items. A
lone, fairly poor quality photograph of a line drawing of a ship with three
masts and thirteen gun placements could have been filed away with no further
thought – except for an intriguing note written upside down on the paper. The
note says “Kingston Norfolk Island Cooking-pot Uprising July 1846”. A stamp dated
1993 shows that the photo has come from the Launceston Reference Library collection.
What was this drawing all about?
Janelle Blucher made contact with the
Launceston Reference Library and found out that the drawing is on the back of
an ink and watercolour image of the action of what we refer to today as the
‘cooking pot riot’. That image is reproduced in our museum as it is the only
image that details the action of the riot. However what has never been known is
the name of the artist, who it appears has used the reverse side of the paper to
draw the ship onto. The Launceston Reference Library told Janelle that they
began life as the Launceston Mechanics’ Institute in the 1860s and the drawing
has been in their collection for as long as they can remember, but
unfortunately they have no details on the artist.
Our Norfolk Island Cemetery tells the story
of the riot through the headstone of Stephen Smith, the cook which reads that
he was “…barbarously murdered by a body of prisoners whilst in the execution of
his duties at the settlement cookhouse, leaving a wife and three children to lament
his loss”. Murderers Mound lying outside the cemetery fence is of course the
most vivid reminder of the event as the mass grave for twelve men executed for
their part in the mutiny. Another five men were later hung whose bodies were
buried elsewhere.
The riot was caused by the removal of the
convicts billys and kettles, made by prisoner ‘mechanics’ and used by the
convicts to cook their meals. The reaction of the prisoners on finding the pots
confiscated was instantaneous. A group of prisoners stormed the barracks store
to retrieve their cooking gear and in the ensuing chaos, three soldiers and
Stephen Smith were killed. The mutiny lasted only twenty minutes until order
was restored by soldiers with levelled muskets and fixed bayonets.
The mutiny was led by convict William
Westwood, a bushranger known as ‘Jackey-Jackey’. Just before his hanging he made
the following statement: " Sir the strong ties of
earth will soon be wrenched and the burning fever of this life will soon be
quenched and my grave will be heavens resting place for me William Westwood.
Sir out of the Bitter cup of misery I have drunk from my sixteenth year 10 long
years, and the sweetest draught is that which takes away the misery of living
death - it is the friend that deceives no man, all will then be quiet, no
tyrant will disturb my repose I hope -Wm. Westwood.".
Was the person who
drew the picture of the riot there at the time, witnessing the murder and chaos
and misery of the men as they were hung? Was this ship sitting out to sea at or
was it from his imagination? Les Brown, no doubt, would have known the answer
or would have had a pretty good idea at least. His papers and photographs
continue to intrigue and we give on-going thanks to Paul Bowe for donating his
collection of books, papers and photographs to the museum.
