William Surplice

Julia and William Surplice, Courtesy Lorraine Brownlie.

Background

William Henry Surplice was born in 1824 at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, the son of William and Elizabeth Surplice.

An architect in Nottingham, Surplice designed Carrington St John, Carrington and Sneinton St Stephen among other works. He was an architect and surveyor in Geelong before following the rush to Ballarat. Geelong's regency villas Leyton and Rochford were built by the Surplice family company in 1850-52.

According to letters held by the Surplice family William Surplice and his brother Alfred Surplice set up the first Anglican place of worship at Ballarat. William set up a number of business interests including gold mining, store, hotel keeping, surveying and publishing.

Surplice married Julia Ford Hanmer on 08 December 1856 at Ballarat. Julia was the daughter of Ballarat actress Sarah Hanmer . William and Julia's son, Arthur Stanley Lowe Surplice was born on 14 June 1859 at Ballarat (married Emily Jane Grant daughter Of Capt John Grant Bega. Died 10/9/1906, Waverley).

Surplice died on 10 September 1906 at Waverley, New South Wales. Julia Surplice died in 1920 aged 80.

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Surplice brothers had a store on the Flat opposite Golden Point in 1853. Surplice and sons were paid £51.12.6, £377.9.0, £30.6.6, £206.17.0, £217.6.4 and £959.0.6 for Government Camp provisions in relation to the military at Eureka in January 1855. Payment was delayed for over three months.

Listed as gold brokers in the Ballarat township, Surplice and Sons signed a petition of householders of Ballaarat requesting the establishment of a Municipality in 1855.

The Surplice Family in Fiji, c. late 1873, Courtesy Lorraine Brownlie.

The Surplice children are William Alfred Henry, Arthur Stanley Lowe, Frederick Herrick, Hector Leonard Ford and Percy Herbert. Julia Adeline was born and died in Fiji.

William, Julia and their young family left Ballarat for Levuka, Fiji, where William was chief surveyor for the Polynesia company. He became the first member for Suva in the government of Fijian King Cakobau. William played in the very first game of cricket in Fiji, having represented Nottingham in county cricket in the United Kingdom. William and Julia were heavily involved in fundraising for the Anglican church in Levuka.

Post 1854 Experiences

Surplice and Sons sold camp provisions to the Military at Eureka in January 1855. In March 1855 the company was paid a 120 pound rent for the Ballarat Arcade.

William Henry Surplice was recorded on the 1855 Electoral Roll, under the electoral qualification of Freehold. He signed a Petition of householders of Ballaarat requesting the establishment of a Municipality in 1855. Surplice was a surveyor in 1865, and was described as a 'cunning politician of Bungaree shire' by historian Weston Bate.

The Surplice family spent some time in Fiji before moving to Woollahra, New South Wales in the mid-1870s.

In the News

George Pebbles and William Davis, late of Maryborough, in the colony of New South Wales, labourers, stood indicted for that they, on the 8th of July last, at Maryborough aforesaid, between the hours of nine at night and six in the morning, feloniously and burglariously into the dwelling house of one William Henry Surplice did break and enter, with intent the goods and chattels of the said William Henry Surplice, then and there being found, feloniously and burglariously to steal, take, and carry away, and from the said dwelling house, five gallons of rum, of the value of £5; one jar, of the value of 5s.; one tin of herrings, of the value of 10s.; and one pint of claret, of the value of 5s. of the goods and chattels of the said William Henry Surplice, then and there being found feloniously and burglariously did steal, take, and carry away, against the form of the statute, &c.

The prisoners pleaded not guilty, and were defended by Mr. Wrixon.

William Henry Surplice being sworn and examined, stated : I lived at Maryborough, near Wide Bay, on the 8th of July last; on the evening of that day a little after nine o'clock, I went to a neighbour's house a short distance from my own residence, and in about twenty minutes after my attention was attracted by a cry of robbery proceeding from the direction of my own house; I immediately returned, and found that the store window had been forced in, and a jar containing about five gallons of rum, and a tin case of herrings, had been taken away from the store ; on the next morning about ten o'clock, I saw the prisoner Pebbles at my own house; he said that he understood I had charged him with robbing my store on the previous night, and said that he was not the man who did it; I told him I was determined to take out a warrant against him, at which he appeared to be much annoyed; he then asked me for the amount of an account which he said I owed him.

By the Court : The store is a part of my dwelling-house, communicating with it by a covered passage, both are under the same roof.

Laura and William Surplice, and their daughter-in-law, Courtesy Lorraine Brownlie.

Cross-examined by Mr. WRIXON : I know a man named John Dublin ; he was in my service at the time of the robbery ; he is a mulatto or a West Indian; I know the cause of his coming to this colony; I had engaged him in my service only that very day; I know nothing of his previous character ; I believe the robbery was committed after ten o'clock, as the constables had gone round to close the public-houses a short time before; there may be ten public-houses at Maryborough; there is wine at all of them, and claret wine to my own knowledge; it was Dublin's business to keep charge of the premises while I was absent; it was from Dublin that I first heard of the robbery ; Dublin had no business to go to the house of Courtney's; it is not a licensed house; I have seen the prisoners come out of Courtney's; the store windows were secured by battens, nailed inside; they were forced in; if they were removed from the inside the appearance would be just the same as if forced from the outside; with the exception of this charge, I know nothing else against the prisoners; I have known them both about 12 months; Pebbles bore an excellent character; I have given him credit at my store; both the prisoners have been at my house; the store can be seen from the tap-room, Davies was not present when Pebbles spoke to me about the robbery; he appeared to be much annoyed at the accusation.

Re-examined by Mr. CALLAGHAN : The store door was locked, and the key was in my pocket, when I left home that evening, and when I returned the door was still locked, and no appearance of the lock having been forced.

John Dublin, being sworn and examined, states : I am a native of Barbadoes; I was in the service of Mr. Surplice in July last; I remember my master leaving home on, the evening of the day I hired with him; it was a Tuesday; my master went out about ten o'clock that evening after the constables had told my master to shut up; there was no one on the premises but myself when my master went out; I went to Courtney's to get my bed from a man with whom I came that day to Maryborough; both the prisoners were at Courtney's when I went there; I came down with the Commissioner's man; Courtney brought in some rum first, and after that he brought in a bottle of claret; I drank none; I was going to my master's house two or three times, but Courtney called me back; at last I went to my master's place, and I saw a man standing by the store window, in the back yard; I asked was that Mr. Surplice; I got no answer; I called out again, but got no answer ; I drew nearer, and I saw the prisoner Davis, he was standing at the window of the store; I said, what are you doing there? he said, it was no business of mine; I was smoking then, and Davis dragged the pipe out of my mouth, and then hit me with a stick I slipped and fell; I swear Davis was the man who struck me; I then heard a man in the store call out, come and take this; I then got up and went into the house, and sung out robbery ; Mr. Surplice then came up and asked me if I was sure it was Scotch Pebbles; I said I was certain of it; I then saw Scotchy Pebbles come out of the store through the window; I am quite certain it was him, and I am sorry to come against him; I saw in the yard near the window, a jar with rum, it was not there when I went to Courtney's.

Cross examined by Mr. WRIXON : Am a native of Barbadoes; came out as a cook from Barbadoes; came to Sydney first, about fifteen years ago; was not transported to this colony; was in Brisbane about three years ago; never was in an iron-gang in this colony ; went to Courtney's on Tuesday evening, took a couple of glasses there; there is no clock at Courtney's; know it was past ten o'clock when I went to Courtney's; cannot swear that some other persons may not have broken into the store; was perfectly sober that evening; can take forty glasses of rum and not be drunk; have taken forty glasses in one day; the yard at Mr. Surplice's is enclosed by a fence, there is no slip panel or gate; the night of the robbery there was good moonlight; I know Scotchy as well as I know my own brother; I am perfectly sure it was Pebbles I saw coming out of the store window; he had a bad hand at the time; I saw him running out of the yard; I knew both the prisoners a long time ago; it was Davis that brought in the bottle of claret and Courtney brought the rum. Depositions of the witness Dublin were here put in by Mr. Wrixon, with a view to contradict his evidence in Court, but without any material effect.

Samuel Colburn, sworn and examined : Am a constable at Maryborough; was alarmed by a cry of robbery on the night of the 8th of July last; I was in bed at the time of the alarm; I heard a voice in the direction of Courtney's call out come back Dublin; I heard Dublin say lip would not go back; shortly after that I heard Dublin cry out from Mr. Surplice's, robbery, robbery; I then got up and went to Mr. Surplice's, where I saw Dublin and Mr. Surplice; I saw a jar in the yard, it wa a five gallon jar; I saw nothing else except some wood; I examined the window of Mr. Surplice's store; it was broken into; Dublin was quite sober when I saw him that night.

Cross-examined by Mr. WRIXON: I am sure it was past ten when I went to Mr. Surplice's ; a warrant was issuedfor the apprehension of the prisoners on the next day, 9th July, and I apprehended them both; they did not attempt to escape - they stood firm as English oaks.

This closed the case for the Crown.

Mr. WRIXON. for the prisoners, addressed the Jury at considerable length, commenting with much force and ingenuity on the discrepancies in the evidence of the principal witness, John Dublin, and also upon the Brent improbability that the prisoners (who had hitherto borne'irreproachable characters) would sacrifice their liberty and reputation for so paltry a theft as that committed at Mr. Surplice's house on the 8th of July last.

His HONOR having summed up the evidence with great care and attention, and pointed out the discrepancies in the evidence of Dublin, the principal witness for the prosecution, the Jury retired for about half an hour, when they brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoners were discharged.

SURPLICE.—The Friends of the late WILLIAM HENRY SURPLICE, C.E., are invited to attend his Funeral; to leave his late residence, Oxford-street, Bondi Junction, THIS DAY, at 3.15 p.m., for the Church of England Cemetery, Waverley. WOOD and COMPANY, Undertakers.

SURPLICE.—The Friends of Mrs. SURPLICE, also of HARRY, ARTHUR, LEONARD, PERCY, FRED., and FRANK SURPLICE are invited to attend the Funeral of their loved HUSBAND and FATHER, William Henry; to leave his late residence, Oxford-street, Bondi Junction, THIS DAY, at 3.15 p.m., for the Church of England Cemetery, Waverley. WOOD and COMPANY, Undertakers.

SURPLICE. - December 31, 1935, at a private hospital, Frederick Herrick, fifth son of the late W. H. and Julia Ford Surplice, of Waverley, and beloved brother of Percy Herbert and Francis Mark. At rest.

See also

Sarah Hanmer

Further Reading

Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.

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