Philip Gidley King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philip Gidley King
|
|
|---|---|
Philip Gidley King
|
|
| 3rd Governor of New South Wales | |
| In office 1800–1806 |
|
| Preceded by | John Hunter |
| Succeeded by | William Bligh |
| 1st [[Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island]] | |
| In office 6 March 1788 – 24 March 1790 |
|
| Succeeded by | Robert Ross |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 April 1758 Launceston, Cornwall, England. |
| Died | 3 September 1808 3 September 1808 |
| Spouse | Anna Josepha Coombe |
| Children | 6; including Phillip |
| Occupation | Sailor |
Philip Gidley King (born April 23, 1758 – died September 3, 1808) was a sailor in the British Navy. He later became the third Governor of New South Wales, a colony in Australia.
Contents
Philip Gidley King was born in Launceston, Cornwall, England. His father sold cloth.
He joined the navy when he was just 12 years old, in 1770. He started as a captain's helper on the ship HMS Swallow. He sailed in the Caribbean and later fought in the American Revolutionary War.
King became a midshipman and then a lieutenant. He worked with Captain Arthur Phillip on HMS Ariadne. In 1783, he went to India with Phillip on the ship HMS Europe. Phillip was very impressed with King's skills.
Because of his good work, Phillip made King a lieutenant on HMS Sirius. This was when Phillip led the First Fleet to Australia in 1787. Their goal was to start a new penal colony there.
Starting a Colony on Norfolk Island
Just three weeks after the First Fleet reached Sydney, Governor Phillip gave King an important job. He sent King to Norfolk Island to set up a small penal colony. The idea was to use the island's timber and flax for the British Navy.
King arrived on Norfolk Island on March 3, 1788. It was a difficult place to land, as there was no safe harbor. King's group included 23 people, with 15 convicts. For the next two years, they worked hard. They cleared land to grow crops and raise animals like cattle.
King was made the first Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island. In March 1790, Phillip sent King back to England. King's mission was to tell the British government about the challenges facing the new settlements in Australia.
King stayed in London for about four months. He married Anna Josepha Coombe on March 11, 1791. Four days later, they sailed for Australia. After reporting to Governor Phillip in Sydney, they returned to Norfolk Island in November. Their son, Phillip Parker King, was born there.
Returning to Norfolk Island
While King was away, Lieutenant-Governor Robert Ross had been in charge of Norfolk Island. Governor Phillip had moved Ross to the island because they had trouble working together in Sydney. When King came back, the convicts, settlers, and soldiers were very unhappy with Ross's leadership.
King quickly made new rules to improve life for the settlers. Many of these settlers had been marines or convicts. By 1794, the island was producing all the wheat it needed. It even had so many pigs that it could send food to Sydney.
The flax on the island was too tough to make into cloth easily. Two Maoris from New Zealand were brought to Norfolk to teach people how to work with flax. However, these two men did not know about flax, because in New Zealand, it was work done by women. In November 1793, King left the island for ten days to take the men back home. He did not have permission to leave and got into trouble from Lieutenant-Governor Francis Grose.
King also had disagreements with many of the soldiers. They felt he was too strict with them compared to the convicts. King arrested 20 soldiers and accused them of mutiny (rebelling). He sent them to Sydney. However, Grose released the soldiers and told the soldiers on Norfolk that they were in charge, not King. These orders were later changed by the Duke of Portland.
King became ill with gout. In October 1796, Governor John Hunter allowed him to return to England for medical treatment.
Time in England
With proper medical care, King's health soon improved. He started looking for new work. Governor Phillip wanted the government to send King back to New South Wales as the new governor.
After many delays, King finally set sail for Australia on a new ship. This ship was partly designed by Sir Joseph Banks. Unfortunately, the ship was not safe and could not sail well in rough seas. King was forced to return to England. After more delays, he eventually sailed on the ship Speedy. He arrived in Sydney on November 26, 1799.
Governor of New South Wales
Governor Hunter remained in charge until he could arrange to sail back to England in September 1800. King, as the new governor, immediately began making changes. He wanted to control the large amounts of alcohol being brought to Australia by the military and sold for profit. For example, two surgeons on the Speedy had brought over 19,800 liters of alcohol to sell. King tried to stop merchants from Calcutta and the US from sending alcohol. He even started a brewery to make beer, hoping it would be a less harmful drink than rum.
King arranged for the government to bring in supplies for sale at fair prices. This helped reduce the power of some military officers who were making large profits. He also set rules for prices, wages, working hours, and even how bakers and butchers operated. He controlled interest rates, weights, measures, and currency.
He reduced the number of convict servants that military officers could have. He also put more convicts to work on farms and building projects like roads, guard houses, and granaries. The new colony soon began to grow all of its own food. King also worked to increase the food supply by bringing in sheep and cattle.
King also started to employ convicts who had finished their prison sentences, known as emancipists. He opened a school for female orphans, started a newspaper called the Sydney Gazette, and even had people vaccinated for smallpox.
King often had disagreements with the military group, the New South Wales Corps. As soldiers, they did not like taking orders from a naval officer. They felt their main job was to protect New South Wales, not to be responsible for the convicts. They wanted the colony to be run strictly like a prison. They also did not like freed convicts being given rights or land. King's changes also affected their profits from selling goods.
King's orders were often ignored. In 1801, he sent an officer named John Macarthur back to England. Macarthur was accused of refusing orders. Instead of facing a trial, Macarthur convinced the British government that he was innocent and that King was to blame. Macarthur left the army and returned to Australia in July 1805 as a hero. He was told he could have 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of the best land. King asked for leave, and his resignation was accepted.
Later Life and Death
King had to stay in Australia until August 1806, waiting for a new governor to arrive. His health became very poor, and he was not well enough to sail until February 1807. He finally reached England in November 1807. Philip Gidley King died on September 3, 1808, and was buried in London.
