Edward Treasure – From Prisoner to Pioneer
Edward Treasure – Born Somerset England 1825 – Died Kojonup WA 1886
‘Transported beyond the seas for ten years’ was the Court decision in 1848 that changed Edward Treasures’ life of crime in England, to a life of opportunity in Australia.
Edward was born in Stoke Lane Somerset, England to Levi Treasure (1771-1861) and Elizabeth (Betty) Trusler (1787-1877) on 3rd March 1825. Edward was tenth born child to Levi and Betty in a family of thirteen children.
Edward was a Collier and his donkeys delivered coal. It was the donkey hoof prints and Edward’s boot prints used in evidence that found him guilty of larceny when charged with stealing turnips and swedes from a neighbouring plot in 1841. His enterprising character had the gaol guard testifying that Edward offered him a sovereign to ‘do away with his tracks’. Edward also offered the guard a pair of trousers to swap boots. When the guard declined, it is recorded that Edward said he would ‘cut his throat’. Evidence in his final conviction was a button found at the scene and matched the buttons on Edward’s gaiters as there was one missing – he was found guilty as charged.
With the English prisons overflowing, Edward served two years aboard the floating prison ship ‘Stirling Castle’ in Portsmouth Harbour. Life on board was extremely harsh with cramped conditions, poor food and many succumbed to disease. Only the tough survived this type of confinement. Well behaved prisoners were taken ashore in working parties and Edward may have survived this harsh environment by working ashore.
It was the convict ship ‘Minden’ that would transport him to the Swan River Colony in 1851. Edward arrived after an 85 day journey and was granted ticket-of-leave. He decided to look around this new land and took on a job as a shepherd in the York district.
Edward met some natives from down south who were visiting York and they spoke of ‘good land, plenty grass, fresh water, plenty kangaroo at Martinup’. Edward accompanied them on the 200km journey south and inspected the land and liked what he saw. Returning to Perth, via coach from Kojonup, he applied to the Land Department and in 1860 Edward prospered in this new role as a free settler with ownership of ‘Martinup’, located on the Gnowangerup-Broomehill Road.
The homestead was built on the property by an ex-convict builder over a three year period with locally sourced materials. Fifty acres of land was cleared, ploughed and cropping done by hand. Post and rail fences were built and eight ex-convict labourers employed. Edward secured 1000 sheep from Kojonup and had them shepherded as there was no wire fencing.
Whilst visiting Kojonup to purchase sheep, Edward was introduced to Richard (1812-1871) and Honorah Norrish (1811-1900) and would later meet their daughter Anna Maria. Richard was Sargeant in charge of 96th Regiment and responsible for law and order in the town and dealing with the aboriginal welfare and convict labour in establishing Kojonup. It was common for the convicts to conceal their criminal history and Edward achieved this. Richard was also a farmer and this liaison would result in Edward 38 years marrying his daughter Anna Maria Norrish 17 years (1846-1902).
Edward Treasure married Anna Maria Norrish of Kojonup in 17th February 1863 and they had eleven children to the marriage between 1865 and 1881.
Their first child, John James 1865-1947, Anora Elizabeth1866-1926, Matilda 1868-1962, George Elworthy 1870-1887, Henrietta born 1872-1872, Edward Casmira born 1873-1922, Mildred born 1875-1941, Richard born 1877-1958, Thomas Levi born 1879-1943, twin boys Henry William and William Henry born 1881 and died the same year.
Anna Maria had one more child Anna Cecilia 1882-1962 to her second husband William House.
Edward increased his grazing area with more sheep and another 3000 acres leasehold. He later purchased a further two farming properties.
By 1870 Edward had a pastoral lease on 40,000 acres and 4000 sheep. He purchased properties in Albany, including a commercial building in York Street that is now heritage listed.
Edward had become a very prosperous farmer by this time and sent his eldest son to Christian Brothers College in Adelaide, South Australia.
In 1876 Edward purchased land in Kojonup ‘Little Ongerup’ and this property is still farmed today by Edwards descendants. He acquired the first liquor licence for the town of Kojonup; Semblance of Old England Hotel – now The Commercial Hotel. He also purchased properties in Ongerup and the Blackwood area with his sons working the farming properties.
Kojonup lost a true pioneer in 1886 when Edward Treasure died aged 61 years. The coroner found the cause of death to be ‘excessive drinking’. Notwithstanding this unseeming end, Edward Treasure was a respected community member, pioneering farmer and contributor to the development of education facilities and services. He is buried in the Kojonup cemetery.
At the time of Edward’s death, Anna Maria was left with seven children aged under 14 years and later in 1886 she married Policeman William House with whom she had one daughter. This marriage takes place in the Bunbury district and for a time it appears she lived at Noralup (present day Nornalup) but eventually returns to Kojonup. Anna Maria dies in 1902 and her obituary notes that she was highly respected and had been under medical treatment for the previous two years after having been thrown from a carriage. Her death certificate states she died of breast cancer and exhaustion. She died after fighting a fire and collapsed with exhaustion.
Edward’s family were rewarded in 2012 when ‘Martinup’ was heritage listed. It is noted as being one of a few places in the Great Southern developed to a profitable and thriving venture by an expiree owner (ex-convict) and constructed with ticket-of-leave labour.
‘Martinup’ remained in the Treasure’s family, on and off, for more than 120 years.
In England, history remembers Edward for the crime he committed. In Australia, he is remembered as one of the earliest successful settlers to pioneer farming in the Kojonup and Broomehill districts.
Written by Vicki Savage, Great, great grand-daughter to Edward Treasure
Some information taken from journal written by Leo Treasure; grandson of Edward written in 1965
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