Joseph Anderson (Commandant)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Anderson CB
KH
(1 July 1790 – 18 July 1877), soldier and penal administrator, of the 50th Regiment
, was commandant of the second convict settlement at Norfolk Island
, from March 1834 to February 1839.
Anderson was born in Keoldale, Sutherland
, Scotland
and joined the 78th Regiment at the age of fifteen. He saw action in the Napoleonic Wars
– at the Battle of Maida
, Egypt
, the Peninsular War
, and Guadeloupe
. In 1826 he was appointed major in the 50th Regiment, and arrived in Sydney, New South Wales
in 1834.
He was sent by Governor Bourke
to Norfolk Island following the unsuccessful revolt of the convicts during the last days of Morisset and his deputy Fyans. As a result of Anderson's investigation into the revolt, thirteen convicts were executed and sixteen others sentenced to death but had their sentences commuted. Anderson encouraged religious teaching for the convicts, and began a school, teaching the convicts how to read. Many of the convict buildings still standing on the island were built during Anderson's rule, including the Commissariat's building, used today as the Anglican church, and the stone houses along what is known today as Quality Row. Punishments continued to be severe – five men received 1,500 lashes before breakfast on one occasion – and Anderson extracted harsh extremes of labour from the prisoners, punishing anyone who lagged behind and making them work after hours until they dropped. The island was relatively peaceful under Anderson's administration, although the Reverend Thomas Atkins thought him unfitted for the position, and accused him of cruelties, fraud and gross abuses of his position for financial gain.
Following his time at Norfolk Island, Anderson took up land at Mangalore
in the Port Phillip District
(later the colony of Victoria
) of New South Wales. He served another stint in the army in India
, and commanded a brigade in the Gwalior campaign in 1843, during which he was severely wounded, he returned to Australia and settled in South Yarra. From 1852 to 1856 Anderson was a member of the first Victorian Legislative Council
, where he supported the Convicts Prevention Act, which was designed to prevent the influx of convicts from Tasmania into Victoria; and when the measure, having been disallowed by the Imperial authorities, was again adopted by the Council in the ensuing session; and opposed the influx of Chinese gold miners. He died in South Yarra, Melbourne, on 18 July 1877.
In 1837 Major Anderson was created K.H., and subsequently he received the C.B. in 1844
John Barry described Anderson as a "firm disciplinarian, … [and] a courageous soldier, but limited in outlook and with a well-developed acquisitive sense."
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(1 July 1790 – 18 July 1877), soldier and penal administrator, of the 50th Regiment
50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
thumb|right|250px|soldier of 50th Regiment about 1740The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1755 to 1881....
, was commandant of the second convict settlement at Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, from March 1834 to February 1839.
Anderson was born in Keoldale, Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and joined the 78th Regiment at the age of fifteen. He saw action in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
– at the Battle of Maida
Battle of Maida
The Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806 saw a British expeditionary force fight a First French Empire division outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,200 British troops to victory over about 6,000 French soldiers under Jean Reynier, inflicting...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
. In 1826 he was appointed major in the 50th Regiment, and arrived in Sydney, 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...
in 1834.
He was sent by Governor Bourke
Richard Bourke
General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB was Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Australia between 1831 and 1837.-Early life and career:...
to Norfolk Island following the unsuccessful revolt of the convicts during the last days of Morisset and his deputy Fyans. As a result of Anderson's investigation into the revolt, thirteen convicts were executed and sixteen others sentenced to death but had their sentences commuted. Anderson encouraged religious teaching for the convicts, and began a school, teaching the convicts how to read. Many of the convict buildings still standing on the island were built during Anderson's rule, including the Commissariat's building, used today as the Anglican church, and the stone houses along what is known today as Quality Row. Punishments continued to be severe – five men received 1,500 lashes before breakfast on one occasion – and Anderson extracted harsh extremes of labour from the prisoners, punishing anyone who lagged behind and making them work after hours until they dropped. The island was relatively peaceful under Anderson's administration, although the Reverend Thomas Atkins thought him unfitted for the position, and accused him of cruelties, fraud and gross abuses of his position for financial gain.
Following his time at Norfolk Island, Anderson took up land at Mangalore
Mangalore, Victoria
Mangalore is a town in the state of Victoria, Australia.It was serviced by the Mangalore Railway Station, and is currently serviced by the Mangalore Airport. It is 2 hours north of Melbourne. It is accessible by road along the Goulburn Valley Highway and Hume Highway.-References:...
in the Port Phillip District
Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was an historical administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales, existing from September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria....
(later the colony of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
) of New South Wales. He served another stint in the army in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and commanded a brigade in the Gwalior campaign in 1843, during which he was severely wounded, he returned to Australia and settled in South Yarra. From 1852 to 1856 Anderson was a member of the first Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
, where he supported the Convicts Prevention Act, which was designed to prevent the influx of convicts from Tasmania into Victoria; and when the measure, having been disallowed by the Imperial authorities, was again adopted by the Council in the ensuing session; and opposed the influx of Chinese gold miners. He died in South Yarra, Melbourne, on 18 July 1877.
In 1837 Major Anderson was created K.H., and subsequently he received the C.B. in 1844
John Barry described Anderson as a "firm disciplinarian, … [and] a courageous soldier, but limited in outlook and with a well-developed acquisitive sense."