Augustus Alt
Encyclopedia
Augustus Theodore Harman Alt (1734 – 9 January 1815) was a British soldier
(though possibly born overseas), engineer and surveyor
. His father Jost Heinrich (anglicised to Just Henry) was Hessian and entered the service of the Landgrave in Sweden as writer to Major-General Ernst Hartmann von Diemar. Just Henry moved with von Diemar to London in 1725 as Registrar, then became successively Secretary and Private Secretary, then Counsellor, Minister and, in 1760, Privy-Counsellor until his death in 1768. The title 'Baron' was never awarded by the German Emperor
even though a grant of arms was later awarded his family by the British. More likely it was a family nickname that he and several generations of male descendants chose to use. Hesse-Kassel
(or Hesse-Cassel) was a medium-sized German state that was strategically located between the main part of Prussia and the Prussian provinces of Westphalia in western Germany and now no longer exists. His Scottish mother, Jeannetta Preston, was a daughter of Sir John Preston of Prestonhall, Cupar, Fife. Her maternal line was Elphinstone, the family being attainted Jacobites, something which caused her marriage to Just Henry in 1729 to be kept 'heimliche', or private. Augustus was the third eldest of at least seven children, four boys and three girls, and possibly nine if another reported brother and sister are included.
By 1755 Augustus was Ensign in the 8th or King's Regiment of Foot. In 1757 as Lieutenant he accompanied Sir John Mordaunt's expedition to Rochefort, France. From 1760 during the Seven Years War he served as ADC to General Henry Seymour Conway, and appears to have liaised with Prince Ferdinand. He ended up at the siege of Kassel in 1762, returning with the regiment in 1763, thereafter assisting it to build roads in Scotland until 1764. During late 1777 he helped raise the 72nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Manchester Volunteers) and served with that regiment at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
, being appointed assistant Engineer there by Governor George Eliott
in 1779. In 1781 he joined Colonel James Francis Erskine in trying to raise a battalion of Swiss
Chasseurs for service with the East India Company
. The venture was stopped by the Swiss authorities with Augustus and fellow officers being jailed for several months. In 1785, he was engineer for another thwarted venture with Erskine to assist the Polish adventurer Count Maurice Benyovszky found a settlement in Madagascar
. In 1787, he was appointed Surveyor of Lands for the new Botany Bay colony and sailed on the ship Prince of Wales with the First Fleet
under Commodore Arthur Phillip
(later Governor of the colony). They arrived at Botany Bay in mid-January 1788 and shortly after moved to Port Jackson
, landing on 26 January 1788.
Soon after his arrival in New South Wales
Augustus laid out the settlements of Albion (later Sydney
), Parramatta
and Tongabby (later Toongabbie
), as well as surveying early land-grants and compiling the records of these. Ill health incapacitated him early on and he had asked to be relieved in 1791, although he did not retire from active duty until 1797. He was officially relieved on half-pay in 1802 and succeeded by his deputy, surveyor Charles Grimes
.
At first, in his official capacity as Surveyor-General, he lived in the town of Sydney, then for many years afterwards on a large land grant, 'Hermitage Farm', at Ashfield
about seven miles west (and now an inner western suburb). It is said that he moved to Parramatta c1810, or a little later. He died there on 9th January 1815. He had two children, Lucy and Henry, by convict Ann George but never married her. Ann died in 1814. Lucy died as a teenager in 1806. Henry, aged 17, left the colony at the end of 1815 on the ship Northampton bound for China, but nothing further is known of him. Augustus is buried at the Anglican St. John's graveyard, Parramatta, with a table monument giving full, if slightly incorrect, biographical details set down later by his nephew Matthew Bowles Alt, son of Just Alt, long-time rector at Mixbury, Oxon.
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
(though possibly born overseas), engineer and surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
. His father Jost Heinrich (anglicised to Just Henry) was Hessian and entered the service of the Landgrave in Sweden as writer to Major-General Ernst Hartmann von Diemar. Just Henry moved with von Diemar to London in 1725 as Registrar, then became successively Secretary and Private Secretary, then Counsellor, Minister and, in 1760, Privy-Counsellor until his death in 1768. The title 'Baron' was never awarded by the German Emperor
German Emperor
This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the...
even though a grant of arms was later awarded his family by the British. More likely it was a family nickname that he and several generations of male descendants chose to use. Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
(or Hesse-Cassel) was a medium-sized German state that was strategically located between the main part of Prussia and the Prussian provinces of Westphalia in western Germany and now no longer exists. His Scottish mother, Jeannetta Preston, was a daughter of Sir John Preston of Prestonhall, Cupar, Fife. Her maternal line was Elphinstone, the family being attainted Jacobites, something which caused her marriage to Just Henry in 1729 to be kept 'heimliche', or private. Augustus was the third eldest of at least seven children, four boys and three girls, and possibly nine if another reported brother and sister are included.
By 1755 Augustus was Ensign in the 8th or King's Regiment of Foot. In 1757 as Lieutenant he accompanied Sir John Mordaunt's expedition to Rochefort, France. From 1760 during the Seven Years War he served as ADC to General Henry Seymour Conway, and appears to have liaised with Prince Ferdinand. He ended up at the siege of Kassel in 1762, returning with the regiment in 1763, thereafter assisting it to build roads in Scotland until 1764. During late 1777 he helped raise the 72nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Manchester Volunteers) and served with that regiment at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
, being appointed assistant Engineer there by Governor George Eliott
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield, KB was a British Army officer who took served in three major wars during the eighteenth century. He rose to distinction during the Seven Years War when he fought in Germany and participated in the British attacks on Belle Île and Cuba...
in 1779. In 1781 he joined Colonel James Francis Erskine in trying to raise a battalion of Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Chasseurs for service with the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. The venture was stopped by the Swiss authorities with Augustus and fellow officers being jailed for several months. In 1785, he was engineer for another thwarted venture with Erskine to assist the Polish adventurer Count Maurice Benyovszky found a settlement in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In 1787, he was appointed Surveyor of Lands for the new Botany Bay colony and sailed on the ship Prince of Wales with the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
under Commodore Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
(later Governor of the colony). They arrived at Botany Bay in mid-January 1788 and shortly after moved to Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
, landing on 26 January 1788.
Soon after his arrival in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Augustus laid out the settlements of Albion (later Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
), Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
and Tongabby (later Toongabbie
Toongabbie, New South Wales
Toongabbie is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Toongabbie is located 30 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
), as well as surveying early land-grants and compiling the records of these. Ill health incapacitated him early on and he had asked to be relieved in 1791, although he did not retire from active duty until 1797. He was officially relieved on half-pay in 1802 and succeeded by his deputy, surveyor Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes was an English-born surveyor who did some valuable work in colonial Australia. He served as surveyor-general of New South Wales and discovered the Yarra River in what is now the state of Victoria. He is perhaps best known for being the surveyor who mapped the route of the Hobart...
.
At first, in his official capacity as Surveyor-General, he lived in the town of Sydney, then for many years afterwards on a large land grant, 'Hermitage Farm', at Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
about seven miles west (and now an inner western suburb). It is said that he moved to Parramatta c1810, or a little later. He died there on 9th January 1815. He had two children, Lucy and Henry, by convict Ann George but never married her. Ann died in 1814. Lucy died as a teenager in 1806. Henry, aged 17, left the colony at the end of 1815 on the ship Northampton bound for China, but nothing further is known of him. Augustus is buried at the Anglican St. John's graveyard, Parramatta, with a table monument giving full, if slightly incorrect, biographical details set down later by his nephew Matthew Bowles Alt, son of Just Alt, long-time rector at Mixbury, Oxon.
External links
- Reference and article (cc-by-sa) on Alt, Augustus in the Dictionary of SydneyDictionary of SydneyThe Dictionary of Sydney is a digital humanities project to produce an online, expert-written encyclopedia of all aspects of the history of Sydney. The project is a partnership between the City of Sydney, the University of Sydney, the State Library of New South Wales, the State Records Authority of...