Reilly Family History

Charles Rossmore Norcott

Name: Charles Rossmore Robert Norcott
Born: 1810, Hampshire, England
Parents: father General Sir Amos Norcott & Eliza
Partner: Rachel Burrows
Children: Mary Lucille Burrows
Emigrated: 12 March, 1830 on the Warrior
Died: March 7, 1838, Ireland
Buried: St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork


Charles Rossmore Robert Norcott (also sometimes spelled Northcott) is the son of General Sir Amos Norcott and Eliza, and is the father of Mary Lucille Burrows. Charles was born about 1810 in Ireland (ref 1).

Charles Northcott arrived at the Swan River Colony at age 20 on the ship Warrior on 12 March, 1830, not long after the first settlement of the Swan River Colony was established in 1829. In the diary of another of the passengers, he was described as "a very merry humorsome companion". Another reference has Charles also arriving on the Warrior in 1830, but leaving later the same year on the Wanstead in march 1830 under the name Thomas Norton. Further evidence of Charles in Western Australia would indicate that this is incorrect.

In the years prior to his arrival, the first Europeans had taken up residence on Rottnest Island. The island was considered to be of interest as a place with potential for salt harvesting, farming and fishing. In December 1830, the island was surveyed and a plan for the township to be known as Kingstown was proposed, containing 177 lots of 1/3 of an acre and other lots of 10 acres to be offered to the public. Charles was allocated one of these 10 acres lots of land, where he planned to establish a fishing venture in January 1831. These lots were contained within the area now known as Thomson Bay and extended around to what became Bickley Bay on the site where Kingstown Barracks stands today.

In the 1832 WA census, Charles lists his occupation as 'Gentleman'.

When Charles' fishing venture failed, he sought a Government appointment and was posted to Guildford as Assistant Superintendent of Native Tribes in 1834. In 1835 he accompanied Stirling and Roe on their exploration trips. He was also promoted to Superintendent of Mounted Police.

In his role as Superintendent of Native Tribes, he was involved in an altercation with Aborigines in the Pinjarra region. The following is a graphic description by an unidentified eyewitness, of an event involving Mr Norcott, taken from the Perth Gazette at the time.

" ... The instant the police were observed approaching about 200 yards distance, the natives, to the number of about 70, started on their feet, the men seized their numerous and recently made spears, and showed a formidable front; but finding their visitors still approached, they seemed to feel unable to stand a charge and sullenly retreated, gradually quickening their pace until the word ‘forward’ from the leader of the gallant little party brought the horsemen in about half a minute dashing into the midst of them, the same moment having discovered the well known features of some of the most atrocious offenders of the obnoxious tribe. One of these, celebrated for his audacity and outrage, was the first to be recognized, at the distance of 5 or 6 yards from Mr Norcott, who knew him well, and immediately called out “these are the fellows we want, for here’s the old rascal Noonarr”; on which this savage turned around and cried, with peculiar ferocity and emphasis, “Yes, Noonarr, me”, and was in the act of hurling his spear at Norcott in token of requital for the recognition, when the latter shot him dead. ..." (ref 2)

A reference in the Australian Encyclopedia to Norcott:

‘a boy of 5 years named Hall’ disappeared into ‘wild bush near Fremantle’ on 11th December 1834. Two Aborigines, Migo and Mollydobbin, offered to help and after a 10-hour search covering more than 20 miles they found the boy alive. This account notes that the police officer, Norcott, was so impressed by the trackers ‘perseverance’ and ‘delight at finding the lad’, that he commended them in his report. (ref 3)

There is a reference to the drawing skills of Charles from page 342 of The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.

At that time a gentleman named Norcott, a son of Sir Amos Norcott was staying with me: he was an excellent hand at making sketches, a book was on the table which he opened, and on the fly leaf he drew a sketch of the black running after a pig which had a spear sticking in it. On showing this to the black he almost fell down with fright and admitted at once that he had killed the pigs, and begged me to shut the book up, calling it the name for the evil spirit who, he considered, must have drawn the sketch. For some time afterwards, when blacks were chared with offences of this sort and denied it, I used to threaten to look at the janga book; if guilty they would admit it at once, if not, they would say ... "

While in Western Australia, Charles had formed a liaison with Rachel Burrows who was in service to Lady Stirling. Charles left for Ireland on May 28, 1836 on the ship Sally Ann, planning to return to W.A with stock but died at his father’s home, "Marybro Park", on March 7th, 1838. Unfortunately he died with no knowledge of the birth of his and Rachel’s daughter, Mary Lucille Burrows (ref 4). Or is this true? There was some money left for Mary Burrows from his estate, which you may infer meant that he knew of her birth.

Charles is buried in St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork with his father, who died yearlier that same year. There is a white marble slab on the South internal wall of the Cathedral. After a write up about his father (See details in Amos Norcott), the memorial reads:

"... In the same grave lie the remains of Charles Rossmore Bridgeman Norcott, Third son of Sir Amos and Eliza, his wife, who died at Maryboro House on the 7th day of March 1838, aged 27 years."

Legacy

There is a street in the Perth suburb of Leeming named after Charles Norcott, following his service in the area as a policeman and later Superintendent. However, due to an error, it was incorrectly retyped as Noreatt, so it is known as Noreatt Place. (ref 5)

There is also an area of Western Australia named after him - Norcott Plains. The naming of the site is described in this extract from the The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal from Saturday, August 6, 1836, p741.

"At half a mile SEbyE from the river, came to an open plain of grass and scrub, one mile in diameter, of sandy character, and without, a tree. A low range of sand hills, not over burdened with vegetation, divides this plain from the river, and a wooded range, elevated about 109 feet above it, bounds the western side. In compliment to our companion the Superintendent of Mounted Police, it was called "Norcott Plain."

References

  1. A colony detailed : the first census of Western Australia, 1832 / edited and annotated by Ian Berryman. Published: Perth : Creative Research, 1979.
  2. R. H. Bland, A Few Particulars Concerning the Aborigines of Western Australia in the Early History of that Colony. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 16, 1887 (1887), pp. 340-343
  3. Chisholm, Alec (ed-in-chief), The Australian Encyclopedia, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1958.
  4. The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians pre-1829 - 1888, compiled by Rica Erickson, published in 1988 by University of Western Australia Press.
  5. Melville City History Document, http://www.melvillecity.com.au/arts-events/copy_of_museums/local-history-reference-collection/city-of-melville-suburbs-and-street-history.pdf
  6. http://www.explorationswa.com.au/Errata/Updated_Expanded_Bio_Notes.php