This is an inspired engraving of Rowland Hassall (far right), seen working as a blacksmith at Matavai with fellow missionary Peter Hodges, watched by the young king Otoo. Curious natives watch through the window as the sparks fly.
Illustration from:
From Island to Island in the South Seas, London Missionary Society.
Rowland Hassall was baptised on 15th April 1769 at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, the son of James Hassall and his wife, Elizabeth (Whitmore). His date of birth was 31st March probably that same year but it is currently debated as being 31-Mar-1768 or 31-Mar-1769. He had three brothers and one sister who survived to adulthood. He was named after Rowland Hill, who preached at the chapel the family attended in Coventry.
Rowland became an Indian silk weaver like his father, employed in the ribbon trade which grew up in Coventry at the end of the 17th century. He used to travel around collecting orders and as recently as 1928 his sample box was still in the possession of the family.
Rowland married fellow silk weaver Elizabeth Hancox at Holy Trinity Church, Coventry on 15 July 1793. The witnesses were Thomas Hancox, probably the bride’s brother, and James Hoggins. Rowland signed the certificate, but Elizabeth signed with her mark, thus indicating that she could not write at this time. However, letters in Elizabeth Hassall’s handwriting dated some years later show her pious concerns. These are now in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
Rowland and Elizabeth Hassall were both devout people. In Rowland’s case, this was because, as described in family letters, he had “almost died of cholera and came close to being mistakenly nailed into his coffin! He tells the story of how he had revived, sat up in his coffin and vowed to serve God in some way in thanks for his rescue”.
Another version of the story of Rowland Hassall’s near-death experience was provided by his grand-daughter, Mrs C.A. Campbell, of Dandenong, Victoria:
“When he was 17 years of age, our grandfather had a serious illness. There was an epidemic of black measles, of which his brother died, and he himself lay as dead for three days, and was measured for his coffin. He knew all that was taking place and tried to speak, but could not. They placed him in the coffin and were just about to close down the lid when he opened his eyes. It was this circumstance that decided him to devote his life to the service of God.”
London Missionary Society
Rowland and Elizabeth were “called under one sermon” by Rev George Burder, a leading preacher of the Congregational church, and under his influence became active members of the West Orchard Congregation. Burder had no regular training for the ministry, so he felt that anyone could become a preacher and could be suitable as a missionary.
Burder also initiated Sunday schools at Coventry in 1785, a movement which no doubt vastly impressed Rowland Hassall, who was recruited to start the Sunday school there. Many years later, Rowland’s house in Parramatta was used by his son Thomas for the first Sunday School in Australia.
Rowland began to do some lay preaching in Coventry using the now famous Village Sermons written by Burder for use by field preachers whose religious training and theology was limited.
Burder was a prominent member of the London Missionary Society and did much to encourage the society to establish foreign missions and it is believed that the first money “ever contributed to the LMS was raised at a meeting held in the vestry of West Orchard Chapel”. Burder recommended that Rowland should be accepted by the Society to become an artisan missionary in Tahiti and described him as a “stout young man” with a “rather bold” disposition who could read and write tolerably well but was “rather illiterate than otherwise”. Burder was to continue his contact with Rowland and other missionaries by correspondence after they had moved to the Pacific and later to Australia, and was significant as mentor and advisor.
Tahiti 1796 – on the Duff
The Hassall family – Rowland, Elizabeth, two-year-old Thomas and baby Samuel Otoo sailed for Tahiti aboard the Duff in 1796. A second son had been born on 13 May 1796 before they left England and he was given the name of Samuel Otoo in honour of the Tahitian king, but this name proved to be an embarrassment as it offended Tahitian custom. It is worth noting that the king’s name was actually Tu, but the Tahitians put 0 in front of proper names and consequently the British wrote the name as Otoo -just as they incorrectly wrote Tahiti as Otaheite.
Their journey of 13,280 miles (21,367 km) without sighting land apart from one brief stop in Rio is described in the previous chapter, as is their year-long stay in Tahiti. But it is worth noting that the trip was useful in studying theology, geography and attempting to learn the Tahitian language. It also appears to have helped Rowland’s writing ability as he ended up being quite literate.
The Hassalls were fortunate that one of their fellow missionaries was a colleague, Rev James Fleet Cover, although it must have been sad when Cover’s 12 year old child died just before the ship left England. They were also forging strong friendships with other missionaries, friendships which were to last all their lives, especially as their children grew and intermarried – notably William Shelley and Francis Oakes.
Sydney 1798
On their arrival in Sydney in the Nautilus on 14 May 1798, Rowland, Elizabeth and the three boys (Jonathan was born in Tahiti), lived on Rev Samuel Marsden’s farm at North Brush, Dundas. They owned three goats, Elizabeth believing the milk would be good for her boys.
Rowland wrote on 22 April 1800:
“At my first arrival in this colony, by the request of the Rev Mr Marsden, I went to live at his farm, in the North Brush, where both Mr and Mrs M. behaved very kind to me and mine, in paying friendly visits and giving his timely advice: and not only so, but they gave us liberty to gather any vegetables the farm produced for our own use gratis. In this farmhouse I used to read a sermon every Lord’s Day for the benefit of my family and all others that thought well to attend morning and afternoon. After a few weeks was elapsed, His Excellency Governor Hunter gave me 100 acres of land, in the district of Dundas, and two men to work it.”
That 100 acres adjoined Marsden’s farm, as did 100 acres given to Francis Oakes. Rowland’s property – called Kerby Corner when it was granted in 1799 – is now the site of the highly regarded Pennant Hills Golf Club, which holds regular professional tournaments.
The Hassalls moved from Marsden’s property to a house belonging to George Barrington, former convict born in Ireland who became a notorious pickpocket and thief about whom many tales and legends were told and who was described as a “prince of rogues”. In Sydney, though, Barrington was a reformed character and after he had served his sentence he had been appointed Chief Constable and became a respectable landowner.
The Hassalls rented Barrington’s farm at the northern boundary of the settlement and there Rowland Hassall was robbed and (according to the Historical Records of NSW “… himself beaten and used very ill by some ruffians; but had his loss nearly made up to himself by a collection made among the officers and others of the colony”.
This act of generosity is not reflected in a version of the attack left by Rev. James S. Hassall, Rowland’s grandson, in his book, ‘In Old Australia’, which also makes no mention of the third son they had at the time:
“All went well for sometime when one night two of his assigned servants rushed in demanding his money. Rowland had £600 in a deed box which they took and, as he grabbed a sword-from the wall to fight them, Mrs Hassall was gashed on the arm and he was knocked insensible to the ground and the men made off with everything. Mrs Hassall then took the baby, leaving the little son with the injured father and staggered the seven miles to Sydney to get help. Poor Rowland lay between life and death for six weeks and then had to make a fresh start with no money.”
The London Missionary Society’s report made the following comment: “It is important to observe, that the Missionaries appear to have been in more dangerous circumstances when they had fled to this Colony, than their brethren were in who remained in Otaheiti.