THE FAVOURED SON

AUGUST 1835–APRIL 1840

Tom Wills was born on 19 August 1835, on a sheep run on the Molonglo River, 180 miles south-west of Sydney. The first child of Elizabeth and Horatio, Tom lived his first four years on the plains next to the river.

The parents of Tom Wills were descended from convicts. Tom's mother, Elizabeth, was born to Michael Wyre and Jane Wallace, both convicts from Ireland who were transported to the penal colony of New South Wales for seven years. Wyre and Wallace married on 11 April 1815 at St John's Church, Parramatta, 15 miles inland from Sydney. Elizabeth was the middle of their three girls. When Michael Wyre accidentally drowned in 1823, all three girls were admitted to the Female Orphan School, Parramatta. Elizabeth was recorded in the admission register as being six years old and her surname was recorded as McGuire, the name she would keep until she married.

The Female Orphan School was established to civilise the colony of New South Wales. Girls came from all segments of the colony: free settlers, convicts and Aborigines. Looking up from the stone jetty on the Parramatta River, the girls could see a path that led from the river, rising along a hill towards the front entrance of the three-storey school. Outside the school walls were six acres of gardens in which grew flowers, fruit and vegetables for the girls' pleasure and sustenance. Routine and order marked days at the school. Mornings were devoted to reading, writing and needlework and after lunch to domestic instruction. Each morning and night the girls were mustered for Bible readings and prayer, and on Sundays they were taken by boat to St John's Anglican Church for worship.

At the age of twelve or thirteen most girls were apprenticed out, either into homes in the colony or to work as servants within the school. After five years, Elizabeth and her older sister Catherine were discharged from the school on 23 June 1828 and were apprenticed as servants within the school. Five years later, Elizabeth entered Mrs Jane McGillivray's Boarding School for 'a select and limited number of young Ladies, whose morals, comforts and education shall be attended to with fidelity'. Elizabeth's handwriting book from this year has survived:

Elizabeth McGuire, 15 years old January 29th 1833

The art of Writing is one of the most necessary acquirements and greatest blessings that mankind can enjoy Ignorance and impudence are generally twins Careless habits retard our improvement generally Do not rashly that which you may repent Humility, that low sweet root, from which all Heavenly virtues shoot Modesty that unfolding ornament, adorned the maid Graceful manners distinguish the well bred Miss McGuire presents her kind compliments to Miss Thomson and requests the favor of Miss T's interesting company to Tea this evening Indolence saps at the root of virtue and happiness Let no one know your secret sentiments be discreet Mildness is the proper characteristic of woman Those who despise learning are unworthy of it Useful employment produces happiness Endeavour to acquire a graceful address Knowledge cannot be prized too highly Improve the opportunities given you now True Philosophy is only found in Religion Scorn falsehood as the greatest meanness Be cautious how you give pain to those who love you.

Elizabeth left Mrs McGillivray's and on 2 December 1833 married Horatio Wills, editor of the Sydney Gazette, after a courtship of eighteen months. She was, as far as can be reckoned, sixteen years old when she married.

Horatio Wills was born in 1811, the son of a convict. Or more correctly, Horatio was the son of a dead convict – five months before Horatio was born his father, Edward Wills, died in the family home on George Street, Sydney. The obituary in the Sydney Gazette described Edward as a man of respectability and integrity. But it had not always been so.

Edward Wills had committed robbery on the King's Highway in England and was sentenced 'to be Hanged by the neck until he be Dead'. The sentence was commuted to transportation for life to the colony of New South Wales and he arrived at Botany Bay on 26 July 1799, aboard the Hillsborough, with his wife and daughter. Although Edward and Sarah survived the voyage, nearly a hundred convicts did not: typhoid and cruelty saw to that. Edward Wills received a conditional pardon in June 1803 and a full pardon in 1810; soon, he and his wife Sarah were merchants of wealth and standing in Sydney. He died, only thirty-two years old, leaving five children and his wife four months pregnant with Horatio.

Sarah Wills remarried the next year. Her new husband was George Howe, owner, printer and editor of Australia's first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette. George died in 1821, followed two years later by Sarah. Horatio's older siblings, in particular the urbane and wise Thomas, cared for and mentored the young boy.

Horatio was apprenticed to George Howe's son, Robert, who had taken over the running of the Sydney Gazette. When he was little more than fifteen years old, Horatio ran away from work. Robert Howe immediately advertised in the Sydney Gazette to locate him; six months later he was back as an apprentice. Horatio and his older stepbrother quarrelled repeatedly; it soon came to a head when Horatio, threatened with a whipping, brawled with Robert Howe. Horatio was struck over the eye; 'a severe wound'. Some months later, Horatio again fought with Robert Howe and a warrant was issued for Horatio's arrest. Always there for his younger brother, Thomas Wills arranged for William Charles Wentworth to defend Horatio when the impetuous adolescent returned to Sydney. Wentworth was one of the best-known barristers in the colony; however the magistrate was unmoved by Horatio's stories and ordered him to return to the Gazette office as an apprentice with the advice: 'You do not appear to have shown that subordination which an apprentice ought to do.' At sixteen, Horatio's personality was set. He was adventurous, even reckless, and had a temper, and he needed little material comfort to survive in...