Birth & Childhood:
1815: Richard's father dies:
1816:Child 1: Ann:
1816: Richard marries:
Elizabeth Fawkner:
1817: Child 2: John Richard:
1819: Appointed Poundkeeper
1820:Child 3: Amelia Sophia
Catching up:
1821: Increases land holdings:
1821: Theft of Richard's Watch:
1821: The Stray Bull:
1822:Child 4: Mary Louisa:
1824:Child 5: William Pascoe:
1826:Child 6: Nathaniel:
1827: Petitioned the Governor:
1829: Black Bush:
1830:Child 7: James:
1832:Richard's Mother dies:
1832:Child 8: Alfred Anguish:
1833: Troubled times:
1835:Child 9: Walter Charles:
1835: More Land:
1837:Daughter Ann marries:
1837: The Stray Horse:
1838: The Disappearing Tutor:
1839: Bankruptcy:
1841:Son John Richard marries:
1841:Amelia Sophia marries:
1848: Census:
1848: Son William marries:
1851: Elizabeth dies:
1851: Younger children marry:
1854: Two Sons widowed
and remarried:
1855: Letter from brother-in-law
John Pascoe Fawkner
1862: Richard's Tragic Death:
Funeral Notices: |
Richard Lucas has been said to have been born at Norfolk Island on the 20th December 1794*
the second son of Thomas Lucas, formerly a Marine on the First Fleet to Sydney Cove in 1788 and
his convict wife Ann Howard.
His parents ultimately settled at the early farming settlement at Norfolk Island just prior to Richard's
birth. He had three Siblings Thomas [the younger] born in 1792 at Sydney Cove and a further three
brothers John [1797] and Nathaniel [1799] born on the Island. The Family lived on a 60 Grant of Land
in a comfortable two storey house until the Island's evacuation in 1808. Richard now twelve, the Family
was re-located to Brown's River in Van Diemen's Land near Hobart where at first they lived in a crude hut.
* Documented proof of information has not been found.
In 1815 Richard's father died testate bequeathing Richard an 100 acre Estate at 'Nash's Farm'
together various stock, i.e. horned cattle, sheep, hogs and some goats.
Richard was by now twenty and was working as a Constable at Hobart Town and had already
formed a relationship with a neighbouring young widow Elizabeth Green [nee Fawkner].
Elizabeth conceived Richard's child around September 1815, less than a month after his father died.
By June the following year a daughter was baptized Ann Lucas on the 6th June 1816.
Five weeks later Richard Lucas and Elizabeth Green [nee Fawkner] were married by Banns
on the 13th August 1816 at Cottage Green, Glenorchy, the residence of Reverend Robert Knopwood
witnessed by Mary McCarty and William Maum.
Notice of the marriage was published in the Hobart Town Gazette: 17th August 1816;
 Click on image to enlarge
Information for Rev. Robert Knopwood
and Witnesses Mary McCarty & William Maum - See Epilogue
Elizabeth Fawkner was born in London in 1795 the daughter of John Fawkner by his wife Hannah [nee Pascoe]
She had an elder brother John. Her father was indicted in London for receiving stolen goods and
transported for Life, arriving at the Colony in 1803 per the 'Calcutta' [2nd voyage] to establish a new settlement
ultimately near the now known 'Hobart Town'. Elizabeth, her brother and mother accompanied the voyage
as free settlers. At the age of fourteen Elizabeth married former convict Tom Green in 1809, he ten years her
senior. Tom was transported on the same ship as Elizabeth and her parents per 'Calcutta' 1803.
Her brother ultimately became renown as the eminent Politician and Founder of Melbourne John Pascoe Fawkner.
The arrival of the Lucas Family saw their young neighbour Elizabeth, within four years, widowed with two
small children within four years, Thomas Green [the younger] born in 1810 and Sarah born 1812 who died at
he age of 16 months. Elizabeth was widowed shortly before.
At the time of Richard's marriage to Elizabeth she was still caring for her son Thomas Green now aged
six years.
John Richard Lucas born on the 6th December 1817
Within two years Richard was appointed Poundkeeper for Brown's River District.
Hobart Gazette Saturday 22nd May 1819;
 Click on image to enlarge
A year later;
Amelia Sophia Lucas born on he 9th April 1820.
At Amelia's birth their daughter eldest child Ann was by then four years old and Elizabeth’s only
surviving child by Tom Green was aged nine.
The Lucas Family;
Richard’s eldest brother Thomas [now 25yrs], barely mentioned in his father's Will had by now
married and had three daughters, the youngest Sarah, only two months old, being born in May that year.
Thomas had interests in a Hotel at Hobart Town and was also involved in the Whaling Industry.
Richard's two younger brothers John [aged 24] and Nathaniel [aged 22yrs] had inherited equal shares
in the main Estate of their father of 180 acres at the place where the Town of Kingston now stands.
At this time they were both still unmarried, living with their mother Ann who was by now sixty-two.
With Nash's Farm bequeathed to him by his father, within the next five years Richard had increased
his Land Holdings with another 100 acres adjacent to another grant of his brother John.
The Testimony as follows dated 25th July, 1821;
 Click image to enlarge
Three months later;
The theft of Richard's gold watch three years before [1818] was resolved,
the culprit John Snell [convict] convicted.
Hobart Gazette: Saturday 6th October 1821;
 Click on image to enlarge
Five months later;
A bull strays from the Yard, Richard advertises for its return with Reward.
Hobart Gazette: 22nd December 1821;
 Click on image to enlarge
Richard’s youngest brother Nathaniel had the 100 acres on the other side of John to the south east.
The District of Strandford lay a few miles north of Kingston where their father’s original Grant lay.
It was in that same month that the above mentioned document was signed, that Elizabeth conceived another child,
the pregnancy came to term with the birth of another daughter the following year followed by other births;
Child 4: Mary Louisa Lucas baptized 14th March 1822,
Child 5: William Pascoe Lucas baptized 27th October 1824
Child 6: Nathaniel Lucas baptized 2nd October 1826.
During the course of these events a new road had been built from the township of Norfolk,
which lay to the north west of these acreage.
The New Hobart – New Norfolk Road was completed in 1819.
It has been noted from a private source that in 1827 Richard petitioned the Governor for
compensation for fencing, which was removed when the Road had been built.
Two years later in 1829, Richard and his family were said to be living at Black Bush.
It is considered that this was the Stradford Property mentioned above.
Child 7: James Lucas born in 1830.
Richard's mother dies;
After his father's death [1815] his mother had continued living in the family home at
Queensborough, [later named Kingston] still caring for her two younger sons John and
Nathaniel who also helped maintain the farm.
Ann had survived her spouse Thomas Lucas by seventeen years.
Ann Lucas was buried on the 10th June, 1832 at the recorded age of 74, at St. David’s
Park Church at Hobart.
She was survived by her four sons; Thomas 41; Richard 38; John 35 [unmarried]; and
Nathaniel 33 [unmarried] and fourteen grandchildren.
Child 8: Alfred Anguish Lucas born in 1832 [said to have been named so because of a difficult childbirth]
At the age of fifteen Richard's eldest son was noted in the Hobart Town Courier on the 29th March 1833,
Indentured to William Copperwheat, a Wheelwright of Hobart, absconded from his Master's residence.
A warrant was issued for the adolescent's arrest. No further details were published.
Child 9: Walter Charles Lucas born in 1835.
Richard was by now forty-one and Elizabeth forty. This would be Elizabeth's last birth.
Richard was known to have three parcels of land during this time.
A parcel of this land was given or sold to Richard’s brother Nathaniel, which
'after suffering fatigue which caused Nathaniel a long, severe and expensive illness,
had in July 1835 transferred 90 acres of land noted previously belonging
to his brother Richard.'
Richard's eldest child Ann was the first of their children to marry.
At the age of nineteen Ann Lucas married William James Coventry at St. Marks Pontville Tasmania on the
14th December 1834.
They settled in the Brighton area north of Hobart where her brother John Richard owned the adjoining acreage.
Hobart Courier
Richard appears to have found a stray horse and advertises for his owner to come forward.
Colonial Times: Tuesday 6th June 1837;
 Click on image to enlarge
Richard was known to be literate, signing at the time of his marriage, however Elizabeth was not offered this skill
during childhood, unlike her renown brother JPF who was educated at the expense of their wealthy maternal
grandfather in England.
Richard appears to have employed a Teacher for the purpose of educating his children who left his employ without
cause in 1838.
Richard placed a notice regarding the incident, published in the Colonial Times: Tuesday 27th February 1838.
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Hobart Courier Fri.
19th July 1839
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Colonial Times Tuesday
26th November 1839
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Family Legend tells that Richard had been guarantor for a neighbour and when defaulted
Richard was held responsible for the Debt. It further relates that Richard went to Debtor's Prison
in Launceston where he was rescued by his brother John. From that time Richard and his family
were said to have lived on John's Property.
At the time of his bankruptcy in 1839 most of Richard's children were still dependant.
While Thomas Green, [child of Elizabeth by Tom] was now aged 26yrs and Ann now twenty-three
was married and John Richard now twenty-two, Amelia nineteen [nothing is known of Mary Louisa],
William [15yrs], Nathaniel [13yrs], James [9yrs], Alfred [7yrs] and their youngest Walter 4yrs.
Richard was by now forty-four & Elizabeth four-three.
At the age of twenty-four John Richard Lucas married 16yr old Sarah Porter at Hobart Town
on the 10th April 1841.
His siblings William Pascoe Lucas [17yrs] and Amelia Sophia Lucas were witnesses.
All parties signed their names and John Richard was recorded as a Publican.
Six months later;
At the age of twenty-two Amelia Sophia Lucas at the age of twenty-two married Thomas Hollis Stace
at St. Mark’s Pontville Tas. on the 20th October 1841.
Seven years later a census was taken in the Colony on the 1st January 1848.
Richard was recorded at North West Bay, the head of the household.
The proprietor of the property was recorded as John Lucas.
The house was made of wood and nine persons [including Richard] were recorded usually on the property,
of which only seven were ‘free’;
Aged 7-14: two males between 7-14, assumed to be Alfred 16yrs and Charles 13yrs;
Aged 14-21: two males, assumed to be Nathaniel 22yrs and James eighteen;
Aged 21-45: one male, perhaps William aged 24yrs but more likely a servant;
Aged 45-60: one male, married, assumed to be Richard
one female, married, assumed to be Elizabeth.
Aged 60 & upwards: one female, married - Relationship Unknown.
Seven were recorded Church of England and one Wesleyan Methodist.
Five were recorded in the category of farmers
Two males in the category of Gardeners, Stockmen and Farm Servants.
Two of the inhabitants were recorded 'not free'.
Five months later their son William Lucas married Sarah McGorey at St. Bethesda Hobart
on the 15th June 1848.
At the beginning of winter on the 24th April 1851 Elizabeth Lucas [formerly Green, nee Fawkner]
died of an abscess on the lung, at the of fifty-six.
She was recorded as a farmer’s wife, the informant was her brother-in-law John Lucas noted of
Brown's River.
Death Notice appears in the Colonial Times, Hobart: Friday 2nd May 1851;
 Click on image to enlarge
Elizabeth was survived by her husband Richard of thirty-five years marriage and by at least seven
of her ten children, also an undetermined number of grandchildren.
Son James marries;
Eight months after his mother's death James Lucas married Matilda Flavilla Henwood
at St. Clements Kingston on the 18th December 1851.
See Epilogue for more details re James and his issue.
Son Walter marries;Walter Lucas married fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Sproule [b.1840]
at North West Bay, Margate on the 29th August 1855.
See Epilogue for more details re Walter and his issue. Son Alfred marries;
Alfred Lucas married Beatrix Reid at St.George’s Hobart on the 24th August 1857.
See Epilogue for more details re Walter and his issue.
William lost his wife Sarah [nee McGorey] in 1853 leaving young children but had re-married
within a year. See Epilogue.
John Richard and had lost his wife Sarah [nee Porter] in a flood in 1854 leaving him with five
young children. Richard re-married the in 1856. See Epilogue.
In 1855 Richard received a letter from his brother-in-law John Pascoe Fawkner, by then a
Statesman of the City of Melbourne, he and his wife childless, asking if Richard would consent to
one of his young daughter’s to come to Melbourne for companionship for his wife.
Richard of course had no young daughter’s to offer, as all were by this time married.
However an identical letter was sent to Richard's eldest son John Richard Lucas, widowed only 12 months
before had three young daughters. John Richard sent his daughter Ann who lived with the Fawkners
for many years.
Seven years later at the age of sixty-seven, Richard died in a Tragic accident involving his horse and cart,
on the 22nd January 1862. His obituary in the Hobart newspaper The Mercury: 24th January 1862;
 Click on image to enlarge
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Death Notice
The Mercury, Hobart:
Friday 24th January 1862.
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Funeral Notice
The Mercury, Hobart:
Friday 24th January, 1862
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Lucas Family