D'Arcy Wentworth 1762-1827 : a second chance

Abstract

This thesis examines the life and times of D'Arcy Wentworth. Born in 1762 in Portadown, Ireland, he attended a local school, trained as a doctor in Tanderagee and moved to England in 1785 to further his medical studies. While in London, Wentworth appeared at the Old Bailey charged with highway robbery. Although acquitted, he saw no future by remaining in England. With the help of his family and friends, he secured a berth on the Neptune In 1790 and sailed for the penal colony of New South Wales. For Wentworth, this land of exiles was to become a land of opportunity, but the road was not easy. He encountered the prejudice, factionalism and petty-mindedness of a small and insular community. At times it seemed as if he would succumb to despondency, or bow to the caprices of his fellow colonists. On a number of occasions he threatened to return home. Yet he remained in the colony and, with quiet determination, set about making good. Wentworth stands out as one of the few officers who served almost continuously from the time of Governor Phillip, through the troubled administrations of Hunter, King and Bligh, to those of Macquarie and Brisbane. During the years from 1790 to 1827 he weathered financial setbacks, personal attacks and political Intrigue. With time he managed to redeem his name, win the respect and admiration of many colonists, and acquire vast estates. He also made a significant contribution to the economic growth and development of the settlement, assisting in its transition from a prison to a self-sufficient and relatively prosperous colony which enjoyed a measure of freedom. In this biographical study I have endeavoured to examine Wentworth’s character and actions in the context of the people and the events that surrounded him in an attempt to explain what he thought and did, and why he was as he was.