Reverend Richard Johnson (1753-1827)

Reverend Richard Johnson, 1787, by G. Terry Engraving P1/Johnson, Rev. Richard

The Reverend Richard Johnson was appointed the first Church of England chaplain to the colony of New South Wales in 1787. He held this appointment until 1800 when he returned to England with his family and Governor John Hunter on HMS Buffalo.

Johnson owed his appointment to friends within the London Eclectic Society: a group of evangelical clery and laymen interested in mission and prison reform. William Wilberforce, John Newton and John and Henry Thornton were among its leaders.

On 3 February, 1788 he conducted the first divine service in Sydney 'under some trees' or 'a great tree' and preached from the text 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me' (Psalm 116:12).

For six years, Johnson carried out all the clerical duties in the colony, conducting services out in the open or in storehouses in Sydney and Parramatta and presided over all the baptisms, marriages and burials in the colony. He worked with dedication amongst the convict population, along with ministering to condemned men at executions. He supported Governor Phillip's policy of befriending the Indigenous population in Sydney by having Abaroo, an Indigenous girl live with his family. 

In November 1788, Richard Johnson wrote to Henry Fricker of Portsmouth, England, a friend of the Johnson family. Henry Fricker was one of a group of Portsmouth and Lymington friends of the Reverend Johnson, and acted as a channel for English news once Johnson and his wife Mary had left on the First Fleet convict transport Golden Grove in 1787.

Amongst personal news, Johnson describes the arrangements for religious observances at Rose Hill, the Governor's reluctance to build a church and the irreligious lives of the convicts. The letter is from a series of correspondence from Richard Johnson to Henry Fricker between May 30, 1787 to August 10, 1797.

The letters were presented to the Mitchell Library in 1917.

• Read more letters from Rev. Richard Johnson

Transcript: Reverend Richard Johnson - letter to Henry Fricker, 9 April 1790

Port Jackson - New South Wales
April 9th, 1790. -
Dear friend,
Tis now a long long time since I have been able to write to or hear from you. - Am happy however to embrace this fresh opportunity of scribbling over a few Lines to you to inform you we are still alive & well, but have had many ups & downs, Changes & Visissitudes of Providence since we left England - & I can only tell you, that sd. we be so fortunate as to set out feet upon English Ground again, I think it wd. not be a little that sd. induce us to venture a second time upon the deep & mighty ocean. I dont speak this by way of murmuring & complaining - I still believe this is God's appointment, & this is a sufficient argument to silence every objection or Complaint. - I will now give you a little information respecting our situation, wch, you will find not the most comfortable in the world. -
Tis now about two Years and three Months since we first arrived at this distant Country - All this while we have been as it were buried alive - never having an opportunity of hearing from our fds. - The Sirius frigate has once since that period been at the Cape of Good Hope, & this means we have had a little information of publick affairs, but this is very small.
It was fortunate for us however that the Sirius has had a Voyage to the Cape, for otherwise we sd. have been very precariously situated. - Our stock of Provisions brought from England, is nearly exhausted, & as to flour - we sd. have been without any for some Months had it not been for the supply we recd. by her from the Cape - This Providence appears still greater as she was very nearly cast away by Dieman's Land as she returned here. - Had this been the Case our situation here must have been deplorable. –

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We have been anxiously looking out for a fleet for a long time, but hitherto none has appeared, & 'tis now generally conjectured that the fleet expected is either lost or taken by some Enemy. - Our hopes now are almost vanished, & every one begins to think our situation not a little alarming. - This is increased by the following Melancholy Providence - The Sirius was intended to be sent off about this time to Canton in China for the purpose of taking up some Vessels & bringing us a supply of Provisions - But previous to her doing this, she together with the Supply Tender, was sent to Norfolk were she was drove ashore upon the Rocks or Reef, & foundered. - Fortunately no lives were lost, & it is hoped the greatest part of the Provisions will be saved. - The Supply returned here on the 5th inst. with this News. - This cast a further Damp upon every Countenance. - A Publick Council was called by the Governor on the same eveng to see what measures had best to be adopted in consequence of the loss of the Sirius, & the present scarcity of Provisions 'till a supply arrived here either from Europe or elsewhere. - In Consequence of this Council the greatest part of publick work is to be dropped. - All Boats belonging to individuals are to made use of for the publick. Officers are to superintend this fishing Business in their turn, amongst whom I am to take an active part; sometimes to go down this Harbour, & sometimes to Botany Bay. - Others are to employed in raising Vegetables, Potatoes &c, &c - & some are to shoot for the publick, & whatever is caught, either Fish, fowles, or Kangaroo is to be served out in lieu of Salt provisions. - Several Hoggs have been already killed, & sold to Government at 1d. per lb , & this likewise served out in the room of salt provisions. - As an individual I am as well off as Most. Have plenty of Vegetables, Potatoes, &c., wch. I feel of essential service, & wch. are chiefly the fruits of my own hard labour. - Had not we something of this to help out , you may judge how we sd. now do upon the Pension of 2 lbs. of Pork - 2½ lbs. of flour - 1 lb. Rice - & a pints of pease per Week. - This is the utmost allowed us, & when served fish &c the Pork stopped, -
The Supply is going to Batavia in the course of a very few days, where she is to take up some Vessels & purchase pro[visions]

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[pro]visions for the settlement. - This supply we hope to receive in about six or seven Months, if it please God no misfortune attends her. - Two Persons are going from hence to England by whom I shall send my Letters. - One of these is the Commissary who will take up more Vessels at the Cape in Case a fleet has not yet touched there. - Such is our state of affairs as a Colony. - As to my family, we are in a thriving way - Mrs. J. has had a second Child. - The first was a Boy, but still Born. - The latter is a Girl, a sweet Babe about five weeks old - Have had baptized already - Had you been here you sd. if you pleased have stood as sponsors. - Have given it the name of Milbah Maria, {Milbah a name amongst the Natives}. - Have a Native Girl under my Care - Have had her now about 11 Months - She was brought in here with three others dreadfully afflicted with the Small Pox. The two men died - Abaroo { the name of the Girl} & a Boy, {Nanbarry} recovered, the latter is with the Surgeon General. - Three more have been brought in by force, one of which died of the above disorder after he had been in the Camp several Months & had become reconciled to the Camp - a second made his escape - & a third O-gul-[..?], or Benelong {for they in general have many names} is still at the Governors & has become very communicative & affable. - Have taken some pains with Abaroo {about 15 Years old} to instruct her in reading, & have no reason to complain of her improvement - she can likewise begin to speak a little English, & is useful in several things about our little Hutt. -
Have taught her the Lord's Prayer &c - & as she comes better to understand me, endeavour to instruct her respecting a supreme Being &c. - Wish to see these poor heathen brought to the Knowlege of X'tianity, & hope in time to see or hear of the dawnings of that time when these shall be given for our Lord's inheritage, & the uttermost parts of the earth for his Possession.- But little apparent fruit yet amongst the Convicts, &c - Oh that they were wise - but, alass! Nothing seems to alarm or [..?] them. - Trust I have been in some degree faithful, & believe that God's word will not return to him void. - I need not tell you I am in great haste - the scribble & the inaccuracies of the above lines testify it - Have much to do before the Supply sails - On Monday I am appointed to go a fishing, so therefore

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it is impossible I sd. satisfy the wishes of all my fds. Must beg you to communicate the Contents of this Letter to my fds. at Lymington, Boldre, Priestlands, & the Isle of White, with our united & cordial Love to every one that enquires after us - And be sure not to forget to remember us to our dear Portsmouth fds. - Our hearts are with you - We often talk of you - pray for you, & wish you prosperity of Body & Soul. - Know not when I shall be able to repay you for past favours - These however I trust I bear in grateful Remembrances & hope sometime to make you some small return, - Dont fail to let me hear from
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you, if in nothing else, here remember I stand Creditor. - I long to hear from you - Much more to see you, but when or whether ever this shall be God only knows - & if we never see each other here again, I trust we shall soon meet in a better world when we shall part no more for ever. - Am with real X'tain esteem & affection
Your truly obliged fd. & well wisher
Richd. Johnson -