Major Joseph Childs (1787–1870) was a British
Royal Marines officer and penal administrator; he was commandant of the second
convict settlement
A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer t ...
at
Norfolk Island, from 7 February 1844 to August 1846.
Early life and military career
Joseph Childs was born at
Roche, Cornwall
Roche (, "roach"; kw, Tregarrek, meaning ''homestead of the rock'') is a civil parish and village in mid-Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village gets its name from the high Roche Rock, a quartz-schorl outcrop east of the village. Roche is the No ...
in 1787.
[
Childs was commissioned as a Second-Lieutenant in the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marines on 21 April 1809 and served aboard H.M.S. ''Gibraltar'' during the Napoleonic wars.] During the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
against the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Childs served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Marines commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams. In 1813 he participated in landings on Craney Island and Kent Island
Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is sep ...
during the Chesapeake Bay campaign.[
Joseph Childs married Anne Trickey on 20 September 1819 at ]Stoke Damerel
Stoke, also referred to by its earlier name of Stoke Damerel, is a parish, that was once part of the historical Devonport, England; this was prior to 1914. In 1914, Devonport and Plymouth amalgamated with Stonehouse: the new town took the nam ...
, Devon. The couple had several children.
Childs attained the ranks of Lieutenant in 1827, Adjutant in 1836 and Captain in 1837.[ He served in Syria in 1840.
]
Commandant of Norfolk Island
In 1843 the Colonial Secretary in England, Lord Stanley
Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...
, decided to replace Alexander Maconochie as Commandant of the penal settlement on Norfolk Island. It had been determined that Maconochie’s progressive methods of penal administration had proved to be unsuitable and what was required "was a course of even more severe discipline". Captain Joseph Childs of the Royal Marines, a man reputed to be a strict disciplinarian, was chosen by Stanley to fill the role. Childs was promoted to Brevet-Major and appointed Superintendent and Commandant of Norfolk Island. The new appointee had no experience of living in a penal colony and was soon to learn that "men trained only to the discipline of the gaol-yard were a totally different proposition from a corps of marines".
Major Childs sailed from England aboard the ''Maitland'', together with a detachment of the 58th Regiment and 195 prisoners being transported directly from England to Norfolk Island.[The Army]
''The Austral-Asiatic Review, Tasmanian and Australian Advertiser'' (Hobart Town), 16 February 1844, page 3. The vessel docked at Sydney in January 1844 where Childs met with Governor Gipps
Sir George Gipps (23 December 1790 – 28 February 1847) was the Governor of the British colony of New South Wales for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship oversaw a tumultuous period where the rights to land were bitterly conte ...
and received his instructions. While Major Childs was in Sydney a newspaper editorial summarised what was expected of him under his new command: "That officer is called upon to enforce scrupulous order and minute discipline, to put down all overt outrages upon morals, and yet to temper military rigour with that amount of mercy which it may be possible to exercise". The ''Maitland'' arrived at Norfolk Island on 7 February 1844 where Childs was greeted by the man he was replacing. After the hand-over of duties Maconochie left for Hobart Town aboard the ''Maitland''.[ The administrative responsibility for the penal settlement on Norfolk Island was then in the process of being transferred from New South Wales to the government of ]Van Diemen’s Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...
. The process was completed by September 1844, after which Childs reported to Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land.
A comment in the ''Colonial Times'' newspaper of Hobart Town reveals the widespread belief that the administration of Joseph Childs would bring about a distinct change in the treatment of the convicts on Norfolk Island. On the news of the departure of a group of convicts to the island in late April 1844, the newspaper observed: "The colony has been relieved of a considerable number of the most incorrigible of the prisoners… where we learn the 'worst than death system' has re-commenced in all its glory". The convicts held on Norfolk Island at this time were made up of doubly-convicted colonial prisoners and those who had been sentenced to transportation for 15 years or life in the United Kingdom. Amongst the colonial prisoners (known as 'old hands') were many inveterate law-breakers who had engaged in activities such as bushranging, cattle-thieving, robberies, burglary and piracy.[Chapter of Old Times: Murderous Outbreak of Convicts on Norfolk Island]
written by 'Flying Fish', ''Launceston Examiner'', 12 June 1888, page 3. These were the 'flash-men' of the settlement who displayed extreme contempt for authority and scorned the punishments that were meted out. The elite amongst this set of hardened criminals was a group known as 'the Ring' who dominated the other prisoners and were contemptuous of the guards and overseers who supervised them day-to-day.
A visiting magistrate reported that while Childs was "a most amiable benevolent gentleman and honorable officer" what was needed to avoid anarchy and insubordination was "an officer of experience in, or capacity for, government, judgement, energy, decision and firmness".
In August 1845 Samuel Barrow arrived on Norfolk Island as a Stipendiary Magistrate. Barrow was a barrister of the Middle Temple in London, aged in his late twenties. In a letter to Lord Stanley one of the clergymen on the island, Rev. Beagley Naylor, described Barrow as "a bumptious brutal fellow whose arbitrary assertions of authority... caused great resentment among the free officials". Naylor also repeated the belief that discontent among the convicts could in large measure be ascribed to Barrow's "harsh punishments and brutal methods of his convict police".
In September 1845 it was reported that "things are in a very unsatisfactory state – in fact verging to mutiny" at the Norfolk Island penal settlement. The account concluded: "It is confidently asserted that Major Childs cannot be permitted to retain much longer his present appointment". By the end of 1845 "mutinous disturbances" were reportedly occurring on the island.[Norfolk Island]
''Sydney Morning Herald'', 26 October 1846, page 2.
The rations for prisoners had "always been notoriously bad at Norfolk Island", essentially consisting of salt beef and maize meal. However, the men had for many years been allowed the indulgence of growing sweet potatoes on plots of land reserved for their use. On 1 January 1846 a public order was posted proclaiming that henceforth all the garden plots were to be taken away from the prisoners. The men refused to work unless there was extra rations to compensate for the loss of the sweet potatoes. Major Childs tried to placate them with promises of additional rations of peas and flour, though the loss of their garden beds remained a source of resentment for the prisoners.[
On the morning of 1 July 1846 a serious outbreak occurred (later known as the ‘ cooking pot riot’) after the prisoners' cooking vessels were confiscated during the previous evening, in an effort to more closely control the distribution of rations. A group of prisoners, resentful of the action, broke into the store-room and retrieved the articles. A core group of agitated convicts, about sixty in number, then sought out those they held responsible, resulting in a riot and the murders of three convict-constables and an overseer. The mutiny was quickly suppressed by force of arms and the rioters put in chains.][
Within ten days of the insurrection the brig ''Governor Phillip'' arrived at Norfolk Island from Van Diemen’s Land, having departed before news of the mutinous outbreak reached the colony. Amongst the official despatches was one informing Major Childs that his replacement, John Price, formerly Police Magistrate at Hobart Town, was to shortly arrive at the island. The ''Lady Franklin'' sailed from Hobart Town with John Price and his family on board, departing before the ''Governor Phillip'' arrived back with the news from Norfolk Island.][Hazzard, page 204.] Major Childs departed from Norfolk Island on 19 August 1846 aboard the Government schooner ''Marys'', arriving in Sydney twelve days later. He left Sydney for London on 14 January 1847 aboard the ''Trafalgar''.
Thirteen convicts were convicted of murder and aiding and abetting murder and hanged by Childs' successor, John Price, who considered Childs responsible for the state of affairs that led to the revolt.[Hazzard, page 205.][Norfolk Island]
''The Australian'' (Sydney), 14 November 1846, page 3.[Chapter of Old Times No. 3]
written by 'Flying Fish', ''Launceston Examiner'', 7 July 1888, page 3. A Scottish journal article at the time blamed the situation on Childs' "utter imbecility".
On 5 May 1847 in the House of Commons in England, Joseph Hume
Joseph Hume FRS (22 January 1777 – 20 February 1855) was a Scottish surgeon and Radical MP.Ronald K. Huch, Paul R. Ziegler 1985 Joseph Hume, the People's M.P.: DIANE Publishing.
Early life
He was born the son of a shipmaster James Hume ...
successfully moved "an Address for copies of the official report of the outbreak at Norfolk Island in July 1846, and of proceedings thereon; Criminal Returns of Norfolk Island from February 1844, when the late Superintendent Major Childs assumed the command".
Later life
After returning to England Joseph Childs continued to serve in the Royal Marines. At the time of the 1851 Census Joseph Childs and his wife Anne were living in the parish of Stoke Damerel
Stoke, also referred to by its earlier name of Stoke Damerel, is a parish, that was once part of the historical Devonport, England; this was prior to 1914. In 1914, Devonport and Plymouth amalgamated with Stonehouse: the new town took the nam ...
, Devonport in county Devonshire. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1852. In July 1855 Childs was promoted to Colonel-Commandant of the Plymouth Division.[
On 31 March 1857 Joseph Childs retired with the honorary rank of Major-General.][ At the 1861 Census he was living in Launceston, Cornwall, recorded as a widower and a lodger in the household of Sarah Smith, aged 75 years.][Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861; Class: RG 9; Piece: 1520; Folio: 33; Page: 4; GSU roll: 542825.] At the time of his death Childs was recorded as a Major-General of the Royal Marines Light Infantry "on the Retired List". Joseph Childs died on 2 January 1870 at Liskeard
Liskeard ( ; kw, Lyskerrys) is a small ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, South West England. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) eas ...
, Cornwall, aged 83 years.['Wills, 1870', Index of Wills and Administrations, Principal Probate Registry, Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England, page 392.]
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
* Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 1.
* Hazzard, Margaret, ''Punishment Short of Death: a history of the penal settlement at Norfolk Island'', Melbourne, Hyland, 1984. ()
* Hughes, Robert, ''The Fatal Shore'', London, Pan, 1988. ()
* Paul Harris Nicolas, ''Historical Record of the Royal Marine Forces, Volume 2'', 1805–1842. London, Boone, 1845 - via Google Books
* ''The Navy List corrected to the end of Dec 1814'', Great Britain, Admiralty - via Google Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Childs, Joseph
1870 deaths
Royal Marines officers
British military personnel of the War of 1812
Norfolk Island penal colony administrators
Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
British military personnel of the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841)
1787 births