Daniel Bernard Matthews ²¹¹

  Research Notes:

Brian Kelly notes:
DANIEL BERNARD MATTHEWS

Compiled by Max Matthews - January 1997 - last edited July 2014

Born 17 May 1842 at Sutton Forest NSW, fifth of ten children to Benjamin Matthews and Mary Ann (nee Clarke), this one-time bushranger and reputedly rough living man ruled his family with an iron hand and not much love. He left behind stories and rumours of his life and love exploits, and even some mystery surrounding his burial.

The Early Matthews Family

Daniel's father Benjamin arrived in the Colony of NSW, as a convict on 23 January 1822 on the ship Mary II. His offence was uttering a forged note. He was granted a Ticket of Leave on 8 November 1830. Daniel's mother Mary Ann (nee Clarke) was the daughter of Daniel Clarke and Hannah Stanley (a former convict), who were married in St. Matthew's Windsor on 2 May 1814. Benjamin and Mary Ann were married at Sutton Forest on 11 June 1832 with the consent of His Excellency the Governor. Daniel Bernard was the fifth of their nine children.

At the time of the 1841 census Benjamin Matthews (spelt Mathews) and family lived at Sutton Forest and had two male and two female children. They lived in a wood house (which was stated to be unfinished) and Benjamin's employment came under the heading of "Gardeners, Stockmen and Persons employed in Agriculture". They were Church of England religion. Between 1846 and 1848 it is known that the family had moved and then lived at Shelly's Flats, and subsequently at Kingsdale (Goulburn area). Benjamin died on 30 August 1852 at Goulburn Hospital, just one day before the birth of his son Robert. Benjamin's widow Mary Ann re-married to Donald McDonald on 2 February 1853 in Goulburn, and had one further child to him, Alexander McDonald. The three youngest Matthews children were raised as McDonald, and are incorrectly reported on her Death Certificate (she died 5 May 1904) as children of her second marriage. The older children, including Daniel who was only 10, were apparently forced to leave home and make their own way in life. Perhaps this explains why Daniel later fell into the company of some disreputable characters.

The Bushranging Days

According to some earlier notes on Daniel, he was reportedly mentioned in Charles McAlister's book "Old Pioneering Days in the Sunny South" as having stolen a racehorse from the Hillas station at Bannaby near Taralga, using the alias "Flash Dan". However, having searched this book from cover to cover, I can attest that there is no reference to anyone named Matthews at all. McAlister does report such a robbery of Hillas's by a Flash Dan, but adds that he "cannot recall his name just now".

Research of newspapers of the time has shown that another man, Daniel Bell, used the name Flash Dan, and was arrested in 1850 at in the Burrogorang Mountains for horse stealing. One of the stolen horses was
from the Hillas station at Bannaby. It was most likely this robbery that McAlister was referring to, and as Daniel Matthews was only 8 years old at the time he could not have been involved.

In 1863 yet another man, Daniel Charters, used the alias of Flash Dan and was associated with bushrangers Gardiner and Gilbert, but with no mention of horse stealing from the Hillas station.

Despite the conjecture about whether or not Daniel Matthews may have used the alias of Flash Dan, or whether or not he was associated with the alleged horse stealing, what we do know is that on 18 November 1863, Daniel was to participate in an event that would change his life forever. In company with bushrangers Lynham, Crookwell and Seary, Daniel participated in the robbery of William Sidwell's "Governor's Arms" Inn at Towrang, just north of Goulburn. Over a period of about eight hours, the group "stuck-up", robbed and threatened patrons and staff at both Sidwell's and Wood's inns. That night after the group left, Seary returned to the Governor's Arms alone, and was overpowered and arrested, but the others had escaped into the bush. (A full account of this event is detailed in the report of their court appearance on 2 May 1864, and reported in the Goulburn Herald & Chronicle of 4 May 1864).

The Prison Years

On 5 December 1863, Daniel Matthews was apprehended at Taralga by sub-inspector Zouch, and placed in custody. He subsequently appeared in Court at Goulburn and was remanded in custody. A description of Daniel in the Goulburn gaol records reads:

Gaol Annual No. 253 Standing No. 3223 Name Danl. Matthews Arrival (in colony) N.C. (Native of the Colony) Year of Birth 1841 Height 5' 9" Make slight Complexion dark Colour of Hair brown Colour of Eyes (undecipherable - overwritten) General Remarks Mole on rgt. Shoulder blade - long scar from a scratch on left breast, pockmark by the side of it - cut on forehead over(?) rgt. eye.

Last column is unheaded, but appears to indicate ability to read/write. Daniel's entry states "No" Daniel and the other three accused faced the Goulburn Circuit Court on 2 May 1864 (see court report for full details). Daniel was sentenced to 15 years hard labour. Five days later on 7 May 1864, according to the records of Goulburn gaol, he was "forwarded to Cockatoo". That would be Cockatoo Island in Sydney, which at the time was used as a gaol.

As part of his punishment, Daniel was to undergo "hard labour on the roads, or the public works of the colony", and in September 1865 he was transferred to Port Macquarie gaol. This gaol was apparently a minimum security facility, built to house prisoners while they were used as labour on public works. On 26 October 1865, between 4am and 5am, Daniel and five other prisoners escaped from their prison dormitory by levering up the floorboards, and crawling out under the room, and thence through a small hole in the wall. After almost two weeks on the run, hungry and exhausted, he was captured on 8 November and returned to prison. These escapees appeared before a visiting magistrate on 18 November and were sentenced to additional imprisonment ranging from 28 days to three years. The following month Daniel and five other inmates were returned to Darlinghurst gaol.

The Return of Prisoners held in Darlinghurst gaol, dated 30 April 1866, lists Daniel with the following details:

Name Daniel Matthews Age 23 Nationality N.S.Wales When Sentenced 2 May 1864 Where and by Whom Goulburn Ct. Court, Mr Justice Milford Offence Robbery being armed Trade or Calling Farmer Physical Condition Large frame, but bad chest and unfit for hard labor Education Learning to spell, read and write. Very attentive in school. Conduct, Character, General remarks: 15 years roads: Once punished: Sent to Port Macquarie Sept 1865. Was there committed for trial for escaping. Returned here Dec last with others: Orderly and industrious since he came here.

The same type of gaol report for 30 June 1866 reads similarly to the above. Another Darlinghurst return dated 31 December 1866 shows him with surname spelt Mathews, and his "Education" comment states "read and write".

Daniel was released from Darlinghurst gaol on 17 September 1871. This event is listed in the Darlinghurst gaol record, and confirmed by the NSW,Police Gazette of 27 September 1871, which lists Daniel Matthews as one of the prisoners "discharged free, since last publication". The comment next to Daniel's record states "Sentence remitted" (i.e. reduced). After almost nine years of incarceration Daniel was free to return to the Abercrombie hills, and now had some basic education.


The Families

Daniel became involved with twin sisters Mary and Susannah Buckman (born 20 February 1849 to Gideon Buckman and Margaret nee Gardner/Gardiner), who lived in the Abercrombie River district. Mary already had a baby child called William Murdoch (born 21/1/1871 - father John Murdoch who later married Isabella McKinnon). Daniel married Mary Buckman on 4 June 1873 at Fullerton.

Perhaps the twins looked alike, or more likely because of a love or desire for both, but in any case, by early 1874 both his wife Mary and her sister Susannah were pregnant to Daniel. The sisters' baby girls were born three weeks apart and were both named Mary. Over the next 14 years further children were born to Daniel by both sisters, and it seems that for many years Daniel provided for two homes and families. In later life (after Daniel's death) Susannah married William Grundy on 18 February 1901 but had no children to him.

The homes were rough humpy-type buildings, made from whatever was available in the bush. They were located in the vicinity of the Little River, a tributary of the Abercrombie River. It is doubtful that Daniel ever owned any land, but squatted on it - this fact remains to be proved.

He lived off and provided for his large families from the land - trapping and fishing and earning wages from whatever odd jobs he may have been able to pick up.

Children of Daniel Bernard Matthews:

to Mary (nee Buckman): to Susannah Buckman:

Mary Jane Margaret b. 25/9/1874 Mary Jane b. 16/10/1874 Daniel b. 28/1/1876 Susanna b. 1/8/1876 John Thomas Alexander b. 9/8/1877 Catherine (Kate) b. 14/12/1878 Alice Maria b. 18/8/1879 James b. 29/9/1880 Hannah Edith b. 23/3/1881 Margaret (Magge) b. 10/6/1883 Rose Ellen b. 9/1/1883 Robert b. c1884 (died aged 13) Robert b. 19/7/1885 John b. c1888 Arthur Joseph James (Henry) b. 22/1/1888 Sylvester (Sid) b. c1890 Francis Henry Augustus b. 22/1/1888

The Closing Years

His grandchildren relate stories told of Daniel as a crabby patriarch, to be feared and avoided whenever possible. He was apparently difficult to live with and treated his spouses harshly. As an older man and not being in good health, Daniel decided that he should dig his own grave, which he proceeded to do under a large tree at the back of his home. The grave remained in full view for a number of years prior to his eventual death on 8 January 1897 at age 54.

On his death, the family (whether it was his wife or children or both) decided that he should be given a decent burial. The body was conveyed by two people carrying it over some very dense hilly country from the Little River to approximately the Yorkborough/Curraweela area - a distance of some thirty miles. From there it was conveyed a further 12 miles on a horse-drawn vehicle to Stonequarry Cemetery near Taralga.

On 9 January 1897 the Taralga Coroner Mr N. H. Whiting dispensed with an Inquest, with the reason given as being unnecessary. Daniel's body was duly interred on 10 January 1897. As there was no Minister of Religion present it is difficult to say in what part of the cemetery he was buried.

On his Death Certificate it states that Joseph Fleming (his son-in-law) and William H Bradbury (who lived at Curraweela) were witnesses to his burial. As both of these gentlemen were of Christian principles and belonged to the Church of England and Presbyterian religions it is possible that they read the burial service and conveyed his body to the ground. The undertaker was Mr George Ross of Taralga.

Disclaimer: The above information has been gained from official records, publications on bushrangers, newspapers and family folklore. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed, and no malice or hurt to any person, living or dead, is intended.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Newspaper Story. ²¹¹

• information. ²¹¹

• connection. ²¹¹

Daniel had a relationship with Susannah (T) Buckman, daughter of Gideon Buckman and Margaret Gardner, on 4 Jun 1872 in Fullerton, NSW Australia.²¹¹ (Susannah (T) Buckman was born on 20 Feb 1849 in Yorkborough, via Taralga, near Goulburn, NSW Australia and died on 20 May 1913 in Yorkborough, via Taralga, near Goulburn, NSW Australia ²¹¹.)

Daniel next married Mary (T) Buckman, daughter of Gideon Buckman and Margaret Gardner, on 4 Jun 1872 in Fullerton, NSW Australia. (Mary (T) Buckman was born on 20 Feb 1849 in Yorkborough, via Taralga, near Goulburn, NSW Australia ²¹¹ and died on 2 Jun 1903 in Taralga, near Goulburn, NSW Australia.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• note. ²¹¹