Elizabeth Macquarie to Henry Goulburn:
9 January 1835

Dear Sir,

A man in your situation has no right to be surprised at hearing from any person however insignificant. I had the honor to be for many years the chosen friend of Harriet Meredith in her house I have seen your Mother — a very frequent subject of conversation with Miss Meredith was the character of you and your brothers and she always gave you a decided preference for your attention to your Mother — and every amiable quality — and has often said what a blessing is Henry Goulburn to his Mother.

In New South Wales I had access to all your correspondence with my Husband and I never saw a word or sentence which gave the smallest Wound to my feelings, you seemed to me to have acted towards him like an open hearted and kind friend although I do not know that he ever had the honor of being introduced to you. These are the grounds upon which I make my present application to you.

When the 46th Regiment arrived in New South Wales my Husband asked Colonel Molle to recommend an officer to him who would make an active and useful Aid-de-Camp [sic] and he recommended Lieutenant Watts who had served with the Regiment for upwards of seven years. I must here stop my narrative to inform you that my Husband's family had nothing more than the appearance of a military establishment, for whatever was going forward in regard to the government or public works every member of his family had to put a hand to the labouring Oar and certainly no one of them could be compared to Mr Watts for his useful Services.

In the year 1815 Sydney began to show some symptoms of order and improvement and the General then felt a desire to commence with Parramatta which was in a most dilapidated state and the road between those two places was not passable with safety for any kind of carriage. Mr Rouse the superintendant there was a very respectable and correct man — but being indolent the works got on with extreme slowness under his care — upon which the General asked Mr Watts who had some knowledge of architecture to take the entire charge of the works so as to urge on Mr Rouse by his presence and authority — after this he spent almost his whole time at Parramatta he new modelled the Church according to the sketch I enclose you — he built a Military Barrack — and an Hospital — he improved and enlarged the Government House of which I also send you a sketch — but what I particularly wish to attract your notice to is a Tank which affords an ample supply of good Water to the whole of the inhabitants of Parramatta — before the accomplishment of this grand object there was in summer the greatest inconvenience felt by the people and I consider by far the most useful Work which was performed during my Husband's residence there. This object was attained by the formation of a breast work which kept out the tide and at the same time retained the fresh Water of the river by which the Tank is supplied.

Mr Watts attended the Governor in his progress over the Mountains to the interior of the Colony and was most useful upon all occasions I saw him twice run the greatest risk of losing his life in the public service.

I now Dear Sir take the liberty to ask you a question which I must leave to your own breast to answer. Is it just that a man who has done so much should not find some protection and reward? It is true he got his company some months sooner by my Husband's recommendation than he would otherwise have done. I trust the ease only requires to be brought to your notice to meet that consideration which it so amply merits. Should you consider my statement as requiring confirmation I beg leave to refer you to Sir Thomas Brisbane. I flatter myself that on account of former intimacy a Miniture [sic] of Miss Meredith when an infant may be acceptable to you. This is my bribe to His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department and to tell you the truth I would not part even with that trifle of my beloved friend but that I expect ere long to meet her again.

Captain Watts retired from the service some years since, he is a married man with seven children — but from the state of Ireland his means of supporting a family have of late been almost annihilated.

Should you have the kindness to take Captain Watts under your protection I would feel most thankful for an appointment for him in Van Dieman's [sic] Land — or to serve him in any way you may see fit, all I ask is to give him bread which he is most willing to work for.

In conclusion I beg leave to say that I have known Captain Watts intimately for twenty one years and believe him to be a man of most incorruptible integrity and his moral character stands equally high.

If you consider this letter worthy of your notice, I beg you will address your answer to Captain Watts, Campbelltown Argyleshire.

I am Dear Sir
with respect and esteem
your sincere friend
and humble servant

E. H. Macquarie

Provenance
'Elizabeth Macquarie to Henry Goulburn'. Dated 9 January 1835.
Colonial Office Papers: CO 3237/140.
Original held in the Public Record Office, London.

Background
Addressed to the Home Secretary, Henry Goulburn (1784-1856). During the greater part of Macquarie's governorship, Goulburn served as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (1812-1821). From 1828-1830 Goulburn was Chancellor of the Exchequer, and in 1834-1835, at the time of Elizabeth Macquarie's letter, he served as Home Secretary. He served again as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the period 1841-1846.

This letter was written from 'Jarvisfield' on the Isle of Mull, just two months before Elizabeth's death. It is one of the last surviving examples of her correspondence. While it is high in its praise and acknowledgement of the contribution that John Watts had made to her husband's administration of New South Wales what it does not reveal to Goulburn is the additional fact that Watts was in fact married to Elizabeth Macquarie's niece, Jane Campbell (1792-1873) eldest daughter of her sister, Margaret Campbell of Airds (17??-1845).

Additional Notes
An additional annotation is included in the Colonial Office Papers [CO 3237/140]: there is a Minute, dated 22 January, and written on a corner of Mrs Macquarie's letter the comment:

'This letter was brought here by Mr Goulburn's Private Secy who read to me the answer, which had been returned to it: viz: to the effect, that Mr Goulburn cd only refer it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who, he apprehended, had so many similar applications that it wd be difficult to hold out prospect of success.'

A copy of these transcripts is included in: King, Hazel. "Lieutenant John Watts and Macquarie's Improvements to Parramatta: a Note and a Document." Royal Australian Historical Society, Journal [JRAHS] Vol. 59 Pt. 2 June 1973 pp.148-152.

[See also: Macfarlane, Margaret and Macfarlane, Alistair. John Watts: Australia's Forgotten Architect 1814-1819, and South Australia's Postmaster General 18401-1861. Bonnells Bay, Sunbird Publications, 1992].

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