Ralph Hush

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Ralph Hush
The lonely Hush burial ground on Eastfield, Ralph Hush's farm in Braidwood
Born	1783 Londonderry, Ireland
Died	June 2, 1860 Durran Durra, Braidwood, NSW, Australia
Occupation	Convict and then farmer for the Commonwealth of Australia
Spouse	Margaret Robinson

Ralph Hush (1783, Londonderry, Ireland - 2 June 1820, Durran Durra, Braidwood, NSW, Australia) was a convict sent from Northumberland, England, UK to Australia in 1820. He was also one of the first convicts ever to receive a pardon from a life sentence after less than 5 years.

1 Early Life
2 Transportation
3 Life in Australia
4 Family
5 Life in Braidwood
6 References

[edit] Early Life

Born to parents Ralph and Sarah Hush on a Londonderry farm in around 1783, Ralph was an only child. He quickly moved to Etal, Northumberland to search for work there. He eventually secured a job as a humble farmer.

[edit] Transportation

Ralph was imprisoned for stealing sheep, tried and convicted on 14 August 1819 in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, where he was sentenced to life transportation to Australia. Ralph Hush's ship, The Neptune I disembarked from Downs, England in late 1819 or early 1820 (most lilely 23rd March 1820) with a long journey ahead of them. The ship's master was William McKissock and the surgeon was Jas Mitchell.

The Neptune I arrived in Sydney Harbour on 17 July 1820 with 156 convicts on board after 114 days of cramped and deameaning hell.

[edit] Life in Australia

Ralph Hush was immediately taken to work at a farm and muster at Wingecarribee, NSW. The owner and founder of this area and all it's property was famous explorer, John Oxley. Ralph Hush was taken under the wing of Oxley and worked for 4 solid years on the muster. Life must have been hard on the farms, working everyday in the hot highlands sun after so many years in the cold of England. Until, finally, some good news.

[edit] Family

On 25th April, 1808 in Norham, Northumberland, England, UK, Ralph Hush married 24 year-old Margaret Robinson, his life-long and faithful wife. The marriage was to last 52 years, until the death of Ralph in 1860. With Margaret, Ralph had 4 children in Etal, Northumberland:

Ralph Hush Jr. (1808-1876)
Phillis Hush (1809-1876)
Joseph Hush (1811-1850)
Sarah Hush (1818-1847?)

In 1823, Margaret wrote to the Governor of New South Wales asking to join her husband in Australia as a free settler. Below is a transcript of her letter sent in 1823:

To His Excellency General Darling Governor in Chief of the Colony of New South Wales and its Dependencies. The Humble Petition of Margaret Hush. Respectfully herewith: That your Excellency's Humble Petitioner arrived in the Colony in May 1824. Free with four children, to join her husband, Ralph Hush, a prisoner for life by the Neptune in 1820. That your Excellency's Humble Petitioner's husband is now and has been since his arrival in July 1820, the assigned Government servant of John Oxley Esq., who has treated him and Petitioner exceedingly well. That your Excellency's Humble Petitioner has lately perceived thro' the medium of the Public Prints that your Excellency is disposed to serve every deserving married man, is therefore emboldened to hope that your Excellency will be humanely pleased to allow of Petitioner's husband being transferred to her, with the view of his being the more enabled to render Petitioner and her four children that support which they ought to expect. That Mr Oxley is desirous to serve your Petitioner and her husband in consequence of her husband's good conduct since his arrival now six years and is willing to transfer him to Petitioner as hereunder certified should it meet your Excellency's wishes. Petitioner therefore most earnestly and most respectfully prays that your Excellency will be humanely pleased to acquiese to Petitioner's request for which mark of your Excellency benignity Petitioner and family will ever gratefully pray. Signed Margaret Hush

Margaret emigrated to Australia in 1823 on the ship "Brothers", arriving on the 7th May 1824 with her 4 children. Whilst Ralph was still under the control of the penal system, Margaret found a place to live and bring up the children. Evidence shows that the family reacted well to the relocation.

Ralph Hush was pardoned from his life sentence soon after his family joined him and became one of the first convicts to ever escape a life sentence after a term of only 4 years.

[edit] Life in Braidwood

In 1831, Ralph Hush was granted land in Mongarlowe, Braidwood, NSW and moved his family there by 1839. He helped to establish a long and colourful history of Hush's there. For the rest of his life, Ralph was a humble farmer on various properties around the general Mongarlowe area, on farms such as Eastfield, Marlowe, Charleyong and St. Omer. His son, Ralph Hush Jr., eventually bought several of these farms and owned many inns, in and around the towns of Braidwood and Berrima. For a while in later life, Ralph Hush Jr., was a magistrate in Picton, New South Wales. Ralph Hush died on the property of Durran Durra, Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia on the 2nd June 1860, at the age of 77. He was buried on Eastfield, and remains there to this day.