William Balmain
Encyclopedia
William Balmain was a British naval surgeon
who sailed as an assistant surgeon with the First Fleet
to establish the first European settlement in Australia
, and later became its principal surgeon.
, Perthshire
, Scotland
, to Alexander Balmain (b. 1714), tenant farmer, and his second wife, Jane Henderson. Little is known of his early life but in 1779 he was enrolled as a medical student at Edinburgh University. Next year he entered the Royal Navy to train as a Surgeon's Mate.
From November 1784 he served on Nautilus during a survey of the Das Voltas region of South West Africa
(Namibia
) which the British government was considering as a possible destination for the convicts then overcrowding British prisons and hulks.
On 21 October 1786 Balmain applied to join the group of officers to establish the new colony in New South Wales
and was appointed third assistant surgeon to the principal surgeon, John White
. Eleven ships, including six transports, carried 772 convicts, officers, marines, crews, and some wives and children, travelled more than 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) to reach the unknown shore. Before the fleet sailed, Balmain correctly diagnosed a prevalent convict illness at Portsmouth. He sailed as surgeon on the convict ship Alexander
. On the voyage he delivered the Fleet's first child.
, the surgeons had the difficult task of attending to the sick in tents while supervising the construction of emergency timber hospital huts.
By August 1788 tensions between Balmain and the principal surgeon, John White, became so great that they fought a duel with pistols in which Balmain received a small flesh wound in the right thigh. Ralph Clark commented "it would not have rested there had the governor not taken the matter in hand and convinced the two sons of Aescalipius that it was much better to draw blood with the point of their lance from the arm of their patients than to do it with pistol balls from each other."
The early settlement suffered from severe lack of food that Balmain recorded that a convict had died from 'want of sustenance' in December 1788.
When White was absent from the settlement, Balmain found himself in charge of the makeshift hospital, stocked with only rudimentary supplies, and assisted by untrained convict personnel.
The arrival of the Second Fleet
in mid-1790 threw up new challenges for Balmain and the other surgeons. The treatment of the convicts had been so harsh that they were confronted with large numbers of sick and dying people, and the death rate rose alarmingly over a two month period.
In September 1790 Governor Arthur Phillip
was speared in the shoulder by hostile natives at the place he named Manly
, Balmain skillfully removed the broken spear which was protruding through the shoulder and dressed the wound. Henry Waterhouse
described the operation: "We got up within two hours to Sydney Cove, when the surgeons were immediately sent for and Mr Balmain attended with his instruments. On his examining the wound, the governor desired him candidly to tell him how many hours he had to settle his affairs ... but Mr Balmain made us all happy by confidently assuring the governor he did not apprehend any fatal consequences from the wound. The spear was then extracted." Phillip expressed his appreciation by appointing him to the post of Surgeon to the Norfolk Island
Colony.
On the same ship was a young convict girl Margaret Dawson
. She had been a servant in London and sentenced to seven years' transportation in February 1786 for stealing from her employer. At fifteen years of age, she was one of the youngest convicts on the First Fleet, sailing on the Lady Penrhyn. How well Balmain had known her in Sydney is not known, but they formed a de facto relationship which resulted in the birth of a daughter, Ann, on Norfolk Island in May 1794.
On 22 Oct 1793 Balmain was one of the signatories of the proceedings of the first Settlers Meeting held on the island.
In January 1794 the commandant of Norfolk Island, Philip Gidley King
appointed Balmain as a Civil Magistrate to Norfolk Island. In this role he signed a proclamation fixing the prices for labour and goods, and declaring that monies gained by duties levied on the sale of spirits were to be spent on the establishment of schools.
Through his clemency and sensitivity as a magistrate he helped to quell a riot between soldiers and convicts following a brawl outside the playhouse in November 1794.
When John White returned to England on leave, Balmain was recalled to Sydney as acting Principal Surgeon. He and his family left Norfolk Island in August 1795. Much of the stock they left behind was destroyed in a gale the next month.
In his role as magistrate he had the challenging task of maintaining an uneasy peace between the often arrogant soldiers of the New South Wales Corps
and the settlers, both free and emancipist (ex-convicts). This resulted in the affair of John Baughan
, a settler who had tried to set up a flour mill. In February 1796, soldiers and officers destroyed Baughan's house and threatened his life and, when Balmain promised protection to Baughan and urged him to give evidence against the soldiers, the Corps expressed indignation at what they regarded as his "shamefully malevolent interference in the affairs of the Corps. The affair became a test of strength between the colony's civil authority, represented by Balmain, and the military, represented by Captain John Macarthur
. In the end, the matter was dropped (following Balmain's withdrawal of his challenge to a duel), and Balmain received a small salary increase. The New South Wales Corps remained a thorn in the side of Governors and the civil authorities for the next 15 years.
Although two other magistrates were appointed, their ill-health meant that Balmain shouldered most of the responsibility, as well as his medical duties. This began to affect his own health, and in July 1800 he requested to return to England. As Hunter was finding his services indispensable, the request was refused.
Among other civic duties, Balmain was a member of the Orphan House Committee in September 1800, set up to supervise orphanages in Sydney and Parramatta
. He was Captain of the Sydney Loyal Association, a volunteer company formed to counteract the threat of convict insurgence. He also established and completed a citizens' subscription to build a new Sydney gaol, making a personal contribution of £214.13.0 to the fund.
But there was another, more mercenary side to Balmain, leading Governor King's wife to refer to his “duplicity”. He was one of a number of prominent citizens, including his former adversary John Macarthur, who formed a consortium to privately charter a ship for trade with India
. In January 1800 the vessel arrived from Calcutta laden with sugar, tea, cloth and rum. Governor Hunter permitted the vessel to land, although the British government had issued clear instructions to stop the trading the military.
Shortly after Governor King took office in September 1800, he appointed Balmain to the post of Naval Officer to the colony, which included the office of Registrar of Export and Imports which could be used to advantage in covert trading activities. Balmain may have been holding this position unofficially under Hunter, hence Macarthur's interest in including him in the consortium.
When Governor King ordered all trading in spirits to cease, Balmain was left with 1400 gallons of rum which he was unable to sell. King allowed him to sell it privately, at substantial profit, as it had been purchased before King's arrival. This gave Balmain some financial security, but ended the consortium's lucrative venture.
Over the years Balmain received a number of grants of land which, together with land purchased and leased, provided him with over 1500 acres (6 km²). Of this 550 acre (2 km²), known as Gilchrist Place was located on the peninsula which is now the suburbs of Balmain
and Rozelle
.
Balmain also received a small private income from 1799 to 1801 as Sydney agent for a London based company in connection with a trading ship, receiving a small percentage of the firm's profits.
On the personal level, Balmain and Dawson continued to cohabit. Ann's death in September 1797 was a tragedy, but was offset by the births of Jane in March 1797 and John William in August 1800. Jane was sent back to England in October 1800, in the care of the returning Governor Hunter.
Due to his continued declining health, Balmain again requested leave and this was agreed to by Governor King, on condition that he return on completion of his leave. On 26 August 1801 Balmain, Margaret Dawson, and John William sailed from Sydney on board the whaler Albion.
, describing the growth of New South Wales, and submitting a paper presenting his views on the customs and laws of the colony. Another paper, entitled “Government of New South Wales” is also thought to be his work. Nothing came of these contributions, but they show Balmain as a thoughtful critic of the colony's institutions.
Balmain had left D'Arcy Wentworth
, whom he had first met on Norfolk Island, in charge of his affairs in the colony, including selling his remaining rum stocks, taking over his private agency, and acting as attorney on his investments.
In August 1802 Balmain visited his mother in Scotland.
In December 1802 his leave was terminated and he was instructed to return to Sydney, but objected on the grounds of unsettled private affairs and family engagements. He sought to retire from the service but his request was refused. By August 1803 the instruction to return to Sydney was withdrawn, and he was appointed as Surgeon to the Forces at the military hospital at Dunmow
, Essex. (Thomas Jamison
, a former colleague of Balmain's on the First Fleet and on Norfolk Island, replaced him as Principal Surgeon of New South Wales.)
It is unlikely that Balamin took up his new position in Essex as by November 1803 he was dying from liver disease. On 17 November Balmain died at Bloomsbury
in London, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the churchyard of St Giles, Middlesex, on 25 November. His old foe and trading partner John Macarthur attended the funeral, as did Henry Ball, commander of the First Fleet vessel HMS Supply. A daughter was born on the same day at Liverpool, to which Margaret and the two children had been sent earlier that year, but it is unlikely that she survived childhood.
In his will Balmain provided a yearly sum of £50 for “my dear friend Margaret Dawson, otherwise Henderson … whose tenderness to me, while in ill health, claims my warmest gratitude.” He also provided an annuity for his mother, and the balance of his estate was to be held in trust for his natural children by Margaret.
It is likely that the name 'Henderson' - Balmain's mother's maiden name - was adopted by Margaret and the children to avoid any social disgrace in class conscious England as a result of Margaret's former convict status and Balmain's position as a respected medical officer and administrator.
Balmain and Thomas Jamison (see Jamisontown, New South Wales) were the only First Fleet surgeons to have physical localities named after them. As a surgeon Balmain worked tirelessly under conditions of extreme hardship and deprivation. As an administrator he showed courage and fairness, though not always sound judgement in the face of opposition, and his trading ventures tarnished his reputation. As a family man, he was devoted to his partner and children, and provided well for them.
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
who sailed as an assistant surgeon 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 ...
to establish the first European settlement in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and later became its principal surgeon.
Early life and career
Balmain was born at Balhepburn in the Parish of RhyndRhynd
Rhynd is a hamlet in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is located south-east of Perth, on the south side of the River Tay.The parish church was built in 1842, and replaced an earlier church at Easter Rhynd, to the south-east, where the churchyard can still be seen...
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, 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...
, to Alexander Balmain (b. 1714), tenant farmer, and his second wife, Jane Henderson. Little is known of his early life but in 1779 he was enrolled as a medical student at Edinburgh University. Next year he entered the Royal Navy to train as a Surgeon's Mate.
From November 1784 he served on Nautilus during a survey of the Das Voltas region of South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
(Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
) which the British government was considering as a possible destination for the convicts then overcrowding British prisons and hulks.
On 21 October 1786 Balmain applied to join the group of officers to establish the new colony 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...
and was appointed third assistant surgeon to the principal surgeon, John White
John White (surgeon)
John White was an English surgeon and botanical collector.White was born in Sussex and entered the Royal Navy on 26 June 1778 as third surgeon's mate. He was promoted surgeon in 1780, and was the principal surgeon during the voyage of the First Fleet to Australia...
. Eleven ships, including six transports, carried 772 convicts, officers, marines, crews, and some wives and children, travelled more than 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) to reach the unknown shore. Before the fleet sailed, Balmain correctly diagnosed a prevalent convict illness at Portsmouth. He sailed as surgeon on the convict ship Alexander
Alexander (ship)
The Alexander was a First Fleet transport of 452 tons, barque-built with quarterdeck, built at Hull in 1783. She was the largest transport ship in the First Fleet. Before leaving England, fever broke out on board, and sixteen men died. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, carrying 195 male convicts....
. On the voyage he delivered the Fleet's first child.
Assistant Surgeon in New South Wales
On arrival at Port JacksonPort 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...
, the surgeons had the difficult task of attending to the sick in tents while supervising the construction of emergency timber hospital huts.
By August 1788 tensions between Balmain and the principal surgeon, John White, became so great that they fought a duel with pistols in which Balmain received a small flesh wound in the right thigh. Ralph Clark commented "it would not have rested there had the governor not taken the matter in hand and convinced the two sons of Aescalipius that it was much better to draw blood with the point of their lance from the arm of their patients than to do it with pistol balls from each other."
The early settlement suffered from severe lack of food that Balmain recorded that a convict had died from 'want of sustenance' in December 1788.
When White was absent from the settlement, Balmain found himself in charge of the makeshift hospital, stocked with only rudimentary supplies, and assisted by untrained convict personnel.
The arrival of the Second Fleet
Second Fleet (Australia)
The Second Fleet is the name of the second fleet of ships sent with settlers, convicts and supplies to colony at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, Australia. The fleet comprised six ships: one Royal Navy escort, four convict ships, and a supply ship....
in mid-1790 threw up new challenges for Balmain and the other surgeons. The treatment of the convicts had been so harsh that they were confronted with large numbers of sick and dying people, and the death rate rose alarmingly over a two month period.
In September 1790 Governor 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...
was speared in the shoulder by hostile natives at the place he named Manly
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
, Balmain skillfully removed the broken spear which was protruding through the shoulder and dressed the wound. Henry Waterhouse
Henry Waterhouse
Henry Waterhouse was a British officer of the Royal Navy who is strongly associated with the early European settlement of Australia....
described the operation: "We got up within two hours to Sydney Cove, when the surgeons were immediately sent for and Mr Balmain attended with his instruments. On his examining the wound, the governor desired him candidly to tell him how many hours he had to settle his affairs ... but Mr Balmain made us all happy by confidently assuring the governor he did not apprehend any fatal consequences from the wound. The spear was then extracted." Phillip expressed his appreciation by appointing him to the post of Surgeon to the 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...
Colony.
On Norfolk Island
Balmain arrived at Norfolk Island in November 1791.On the same ship was a young convict girl Margaret Dawson
Margaret Dawson
Margaret Dawson was a convict on the First Fleet sent from Britain to New South Wales in 1787. She had a long-term relationship with the surgeon, William Balmain, and was one of Australia's 'founding mothers' whose descendants still live in Australia and Britain.She came from Liverpool and in...
. She had been a servant in London and sentenced to seven years' transportation in February 1786 for stealing from her employer. At fifteen years of age, she was one of the youngest convicts on the First Fleet, sailing on the Lady Penrhyn. How well Balmain had known her in Sydney is not known, but they formed a de facto relationship which resulted in the birth of a daughter, Ann, on Norfolk Island in May 1794.
On 22 Oct 1793 Balmain was one of the signatories of the proceedings of the first Settlers Meeting held on the island.
In January 1794 the commandant of Norfolk Island, Philip Gidley King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
appointed Balmain as a Civil Magistrate to Norfolk Island. In this role he signed a proclamation fixing the prices for labour and goods, and declaring that monies gained by duties levied on the sale of spirits were to be spent on the establishment of schools.
Through his clemency and sensitivity as a magistrate he helped to quell a riot between soldiers and convicts following a brawl outside the playhouse in November 1794.
When John White returned to England on leave, Balmain was recalled to Sydney as acting Principal Surgeon. He and his family left Norfolk Island in August 1795. Much of the stock they left behind was destroyed in a gale the next month.
Later years in Sydney
In May 1797, following White's resignation, Balmain was appointed Principal Surgeon of the Colony. By this time there were 1600 settlers and several thousand convicts, but Balmain had only one assistant surgeon and found the task of caring for the health of the entire population arduous and frustrating. He petitioned the new Governor, John Hunter for assistance and an increase in salary but was rewarded only by appointment as Civil Magistrate in New South Wales. One of his first tasks was sit on the court of enquiry in May 1797 into the treatment of convicts on the Britannia. He made some suggestions on the better medical treatment on board the transports, but these were not adopted. Governor Hunter described him as "an active and spirited magistrate".In his role as magistrate he had the challenging task of maintaining an uneasy peace between the often arrogant soldiers of the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
and the settlers, both free and emancipist (ex-convicts). This resulted in the affair of John Baughan
John Baughan
John Baughan was a carpenter who was convicted at Oxford, England, in 1783 as Baffen , and sentenced to be transported for 7 years for stealing 5 blankets...
, a settler who had tried to set up a flour mill. In February 1796, soldiers and officers destroyed Baughan's house and threatened his life and, when Balmain promised protection to Baughan and urged him to give evidence against the soldiers, the Corps expressed indignation at what they regarded as his "shamefully malevolent interference in the affairs of the Corps. The affair became a test of strength between the colony's civil authority, represented by Balmain, and the military, represented by Captain John Macarthur
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
. In the end, the matter was dropped (following Balmain's withdrawal of his challenge to a duel), and Balmain received a small salary increase. The New South Wales Corps remained a thorn in the side of Governors and the civil authorities for the next 15 years.
Although two other magistrates were appointed, their ill-health meant that Balmain shouldered most of the responsibility, as well as his medical duties. This began to affect his own health, and in July 1800 he requested to return to England. As Hunter was finding his services indispensable, the request was refused.
Among other civic duties, Balmain was a member of the Orphan House Committee in September 1800, set up to supervise orphanages in Sydney and 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...
. He was Captain of the Sydney Loyal Association, a volunteer company formed to counteract the threat of convict insurgence. He also established and completed a citizens' subscription to build a new Sydney gaol, making a personal contribution of £214.13.0 to the fund.
But there was another, more mercenary side to Balmain, leading Governor King's wife to refer to his “duplicity”. He was one of a number of prominent citizens, including his former adversary John Macarthur, who formed a consortium to privately charter a ship for trade with 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...
. In January 1800 the vessel arrived from Calcutta laden with sugar, tea, cloth and rum. Governor Hunter permitted the vessel to land, although the British government had issued clear instructions to stop the trading the military.
Shortly after Governor King took office in September 1800, he appointed Balmain to the post of Naval Officer to the colony, which included the office of Registrar of Export and Imports which could be used to advantage in covert trading activities. Balmain may have been holding this position unofficially under Hunter, hence Macarthur's interest in including him in the consortium.
When Governor King ordered all trading in spirits to cease, Balmain was left with 1400 gallons of rum which he was unable to sell. King allowed him to sell it privately, at substantial profit, as it had been purchased before King's arrival. This gave Balmain some financial security, but ended the consortium's lucrative venture.
Over the years Balmain received a number of grants of land which, together with land purchased and leased, provided him with over 1500 acres (6 km²). Of this 550 acre (2 km²), known as Gilchrist Place was located on the peninsula which is now the suburbs of Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
and Rozelle
Rozelle, New South Wales
Rozelle is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 4 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
.
Balmain also received a small private income from 1799 to 1801 as Sydney agent for a London based company in connection with a trading ship, receiving a small percentage of the firm's profits.
On the personal level, Balmain and Dawson continued to cohabit. Ann's death in September 1797 was a tragedy, but was offset by the births of Jane in March 1797 and John William in August 1800. Jane was sent back to England in October 1800, in the care of the returning Governor Hunter.
Due to his continued declining health, Balmain again requested leave and this was agreed to by Governor King, on condition that he return on completion of his leave. On 26 August 1801 Balmain, Margaret Dawson, and John William sailed from Sydney on board the whaler Albion.
Return to England and death
Balmain and family arrived in London on 25 March 1802. He soon met with Sir Joseph BanksJoseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
, describing the growth of New South Wales, and submitting a paper presenting his views on the customs and laws of the colony. Another paper, entitled “Government of New South Wales” is also thought to be his work. Nothing came of these contributions, but they show Balmain as a thoughtful critic of the colony's institutions.
Balmain had left D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to then-new colony of Sydney.- Emigration to Australia :...
, whom he had first met on Norfolk Island, in charge of his affairs in the colony, including selling his remaining rum stocks, taking over his private agency, and acting as attorney on his investments.
In August 1802 Balmain visited his mother in Scotland.
In December 1802 his leave was terminated and he was instructed to return to Sydney, but objected on the grounds of unsettled private affairs and family engagements. He sought to retire from the service but his request was refused. By August 1803 the instruction to return to Sydney was withdrawn, and he was appointed as Surgeon to the Forces at the military hospital at Dunmow
Great Dunmow
Great Dunmow is an ancient market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England in which the great Shannon Gray, also known as Hazzah Potter, lives...
, Essex. (Thomas Jamison
Thomas Jamison
Thomas Jamison was a prominent surgeon, government official, mercantile trader and land owner of Sydney, Australia. Jamison was also a member of the First Fleet expedition of 11 ships which founded the Australian colony of New South Wales in 1788...
, a former colleague of Balmain's on the First Fleet and on Norfolk Island, replaced him as Principal Surgeon of New South Wales.)
It is unlikely that Balamin took up his new position in Essex as by November 1803 he was dying from liver disease. On 17 November Balmain died at Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
in London, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the churchyard of St Giles, Middlesex, on 25 November. His old foe and trading partner John Macarthur attended the funeral, as did Henry Ball, commander of the First Fleet vessel HMS Supply. A daughter was born on the same day at Liverpool, to which Margaret and the two children had been sent earlier that year, but it is unlikely that she survived childhood.
In his will Balmain provided a yearly sum of £50 for “my dear friend Margaret Dawson, otherwise Henderson … whose tenderness to me, while in ill health, claims my warmest gratitude.” He also provided an annuity for his mother, and the balance of his estate was to be held in trust for his natural children by Margaret.
It is likely that the name 'Henderson' - Balmain's mother's maiden name - was adopted by Margaret and the children to avoid any social disgrace in class conscious England as a result of Margaret's former convict status and Balmain's position as a respected medical officer and administrator.
Balmain and Thomas Jamison (see Jamisontown, New South Wales) were the only First Fleet surgeons to have physical localities named after them. As a surgeon Balmain worked tirelessly under conditions of extreme hardship and deprivation. As an administrator he showed courage and fairness, though not always sound judgement in the face of opposition, and his trading ventures tarnished his reputation. As a family man, he was devoted to his partner and children, and provided well for them.
Further reading
- Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia, Sydney, Library of Australian History, 1989.
- Reynolds, Peter L. and Flottmann, Paul V., (1976) Half A Thousand Acres: Balmain - a history of the land grant, Sydney, The Balmain Association, 1976.
- Reynolds, Peter L., William Balmain and John Gilchrist: family and property, Sydney, Leichhardt Historical Journal, 2003.