Research (james Squire)

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

macr

Well-Known Member
Joined
14/3/05
Messages
265
Reaction score
0
I have not posted on this forum in quite a while , but thought I would post some information on my research project on James Squire and brewing during the convict period of Australia.
Firstly James Squire. I have created a Wikipedia page on James Squire recently. Yes you may say that there is already a page created by Lion Nathan, but I think I go just a tad further, even countering some of the information put forward on their page. I hope one or two of you, may enjoy reading 6 months (at least) of research which I have put in. If you have any information that can help me build on the information, I have already presented, then I would be grateful if you could pass that information on to me.
As part of my research, I came across a great article called "Hop Plantation. Culture of Hops in Great Britain." in the Sydney Gazette, dated January 20, 1805 and continues over 3 issues of the gazette (Jan 20, Feb 3 and Feb 10). I have transcribed it and here it is for you history buffs perusal.
 
good work! a top read as well.
Don't suppose your research unearthed any of his original recipes?
 
good work! a top read as well.
Don't suppose your research unearthed any of his original recipes?
Thanx for the compliment. As for recipes, I wish! I keep day dreaming, that I come across a forgotten diary at a garage sale :eek:! I still have a few things to chase up to add to the page, but the two major things missing are recipes and a picture of James. With him being as popular as he was, when he passed away, I would of thought someone had painted him! For all I know of all the pictures from that period, that do not have any names or details, one of them could possibly be James.
 
Yes, top work Macr :super: thoroughly enjoyed that read :)

cheers Ross
 
Thanx Ross. Gerard_M has PM'ed me with some information on plaques around Ryde and possibly a photo of ruins that is held by the Ryde Historic Society. I knew of them, but not of the picture they may have. More research for me to do, which is great.
 
Top article macr, thanks for sharing it! I was never sure if the actual James Squire was as important as the beer bottles made out. It certainly seems like he deserves his place in history. Nice work.
 
There's a beer historian who works out of the University of New England (is that Armidale?) that knows more about Squire than Chuck and all of Squires offspring combined. Can't recall his name, met him a few times, but call MSB, ask for Chuck and he'll point you in the right direction.
 
Top article macr, thanks for sharing it! I was never sure if the actual James Squire was as important as the beer bottles made out. It certainly seems like he deserves his place in history. Nice work.
There is another person that is sometimes acknowledged as Australia's first brewer and that was John Boston. But an article that I read recently (by David Hughes) believes he brewed, but not with hops or barley, but with Indian corn properly malted, and bittered with the leaves and stalks of the love-apple, (Lycopersicum, a species of Solanum), or, as it was more commonly called in the settlement, the Cape Gooseberry.
 
There's a beer historian who works out of the University of New England (is that Armidale?) that knows more about Squire than Chuck and all of Squires offspring combined. Can't recall his name, met him a few times, but call MSB, ask for Chuck and he'll point you in the right direction.
Thanx for the lead. Might have to give them a call.
 
Indian corn properly malted, and bittered with the leaves and stalks of the love-apple, (Lycopersicum, a species of Solanum), or, as it was more commonly called in the settlement, the Cape Gooseberry.

Lycopersicum is basically a tomato and were referred to as love apples in times past.

cape Gooseberry however are a Physalis and whilst still a solanum are quite a bit different.(info HERE).

Sorry to be pedantic in a horticultural way, but I'm trying to get my head around what those beers would have been like with either of those plants stems and leaves as bittering agents.

Dave
 
Lycopersicum is basically a tomato and were referred to as love apples in times past.
cape Gooseberry however are a Physalis and whilst still a solanum are quite a bit different.(info HERE).
Sorry to be pedantic in a horticultural way, but I'm trying to get my head around what those beers would have been like with either of those plants stems and leaves as bittering agents.
No problems about being pedantic, I have no idea, when it comes to botany, I just took for face value what was written, which I posted in verbatim.
 
The guy I think Randall was referring to is Dr Brett Stubs, I was lucky enough to be on the "Malting and Brewing" short corse at Ballarat with him.

The amount Brett knows about Australian brewing history is stunning.

He maintains a website The Australian Good Beer Directory, for small breweries that is well worth a visit.


MHB
 
Both links a great read macr....thanks very much. Good work.
Cheers
Steve
 
great little read, cant wait to check out all the links within your doc too.
keep us posted of any updates.
 
Just to let you all know, I have added a wee bit more information, but had a bit of a rewrite. I found some information about him trying to sell his estate. I do have other information, like selling hops and thefts from his wharf, a convict absconding and him being a judge of Barley for other purchasers. I am just trying to work out how to fit them in to the article. I still have a list of research in Sydney to do as well, but all in good time I guess. Thanks to all for the words of encouragement and thanks to Mark for Brett's e-mail address. I am in the process of tapping out an e-mail now, so hopefully I should get some more information and direction from Brett.
 
As a testament to the rise of position in society (from shame to fame), his death in 1822 was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony.

Suss he was never painted seeing as he came to such prominence.

Maybe he was easle shy.

cheers
johnno
 
G'day macr,

Just read your wiki page. It was a very good read. I have quoted and highlighted below what I think may be an typographical error. It doesn't quite make sense that he could be enrolled in the army if he was deceased. I suspect it was actually Mary who passed away on that date.

Mary gave birth to a son, who was named Francis (Born and baptised on August 1, 1790 at Norfolk Island[8]). He died September 20 1851 in Melbourne, Victoria). Unable to care for Francis, James enrolled him in the British Army at just 15 months of age. Francis was enlisted into the NSW Corps as a drummer, starting on the payroll on his 7th birthday.

-Bonj
 
G'day macr,

Just read your wiki page. It was a very good read. I have quoted and highlighted below what I think may be an typographical error. It doesn't quite make sense that he could be enrolled in the army if he was deceased. I suspect it was actually Mary who passed away on that date.

-Bonj

QUOTEMary gave birth to a son, who was named Francis (Born and baptised on August 1, 1790 at Norfolk Island[8]). He died September 20 1851 in Melbourne, Victoria).
With 61 odd years between birth and death I reckon he had time to be in the enrolled in the army :)
 
I think I'm brain dead today. That's the second thread I've made a fool of myself in.

/me slaps self
 
Back
Top