Matthew James Everingham

Matthew James Everingham (1769–1817) was a convict who was transported to Australia aboard the Scarborough as part of the First Fleet. He was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England in 1769. His parents were probably Earl William Robert Everingham (b. ~1743 Yarmouth UK) and Lady Alice (b. ~1747 Yarmouth UK). Prior to his conviction he was employed as a servant by William Clermont, Esq, an attorney of the Middle Temple.

Conviction

On 7 July, 1784, at the age of 14 or 15, Matthew Everingham was tried and convicted in the Old Bailey for stealing the books 'Compton's Practice' and 'Burns' Justice', worth 10 shillings. He was sent to Newgate Prison for a short time, imprisoned in a hulk for three years and then being transported to Australia with the First Fleet aboard the Scarborough, which left England on 13 May, 1787 and arrived at Port Jackson on 26 January, 1788.

Exploration

In 1795 Everingham became one of the first Europeans to set foot on Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains, along with William Reid and John Ramsey. He wrote:

It is ironic and somewhat amusing, given the nature of Matthew’s crime, that in his letter to Samuel Shepherd giving an account of his attempt to cross the mountains, he wrote the following :

“If it would not be too much trouble, I should esteem it a most particular favour if you would send me few books for my instruction and amusement when I have an hour of relaxation from business. Here it is impossible to get them, or I would purchase them let them cost what they would”.

Matthew Everingham concludes his letter with a note that he intended to attempt the crossing again taking a more southward route where ‘it is a fine open country to what we travelled before and contains plenty of kangaroo, which will save our provisions greatly. I long to see the country on the other side of the mountains they appear such formidable barriers of nature’. Whether he satisfied this longing or not we will possibly never know.

Matthew, a Godly man, had written to Samuel Shepherd in England in 1796 that for “the many comforts we enjoy here, much more than we deserve and the melancholy account we had here of the affairs of Europe (if true) we have great reason to thank the almighty”.

Matthew moved to the Hawkesbury in 1803. In the Everinghams’ rough pioneer hut below the mountains, nine children were raised on corn, damper bread, and the fear of God. A pious evangelism set son George to become one of the first Australian-born preachers. Floods bankrupted the Everingham farm and in 1804 his homestead and outbuildings were burned by Aborigines. He and his wife and servant were speared, but not fatally.

By 1814 Matthew had ten children. In 1816, he acquired 180 acres at Richmond Hill and only the newborn egalitarian spirit that set Australia apart from class-conscious Mother England, would permit the next step in Matthew’s life: At age 47 he was appointed district constable.

On Christmas Day 1817, he and another policeman were sent to seize a rum-smuggling ship on the river. Matthew was on board guarding the abandoned ship. And there begins a family argument unsettled to this day. Did he fall overboard and drown because he had taken a nip of the cargo or was he hit on the head by the rum smugglers? He drowned in the Hawkesbury on 25 December 1817, age 48 years while on duty. His grave is located at Wilberforce Cemetery and was restored by the local historical society in 1983.

Family

Everingham married Elizabeth Rhymes, a convict brought to Australia on the Neptune of the Second Fleet, in Parramatta on 13 March, 1791, and together they had 11 children:

  1. Mary (23 December, 1791–24 January, 1792)
  2. Sarah Elizabeth (9 June, 1793–29 March, 1874)
  3. Matthew James (10 May, 1795–22 November, 1884)
  4. William (6 August, 1797–6 September, 1859)
  5. George (9 December, 1799–15 April, 1881)
  6. Ann (7 November, 1802–19 March, 1849)
  7. Elizabeth (10 June, 1805–24 June, 1822)
  8. John Rymes (October, 1806–?)
  9. James (25 December, 1809–25 July, 1895)
  10. Maria (6 August, 1811–24 February, 1835)
  11. John (20 July, 1814–29 May, 1875)

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