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Series consists of letters of appointment and resignation

Correspondence from C. Darwin to William Henty dated 29 February 1868. Scrap of paper with postscript referring to table of colts and fillies of race mare and part of envelope from C. Darwin, Bromley, Kent [U.K.]

Series consists of personal correspondence between family and friends

Correspondence with Sir John Franklin dated 1839 and 1841 regarding - Friends of the Church of England (4 April 1839); draft letter from Henty petitioning for the discharge of Edward Bonner from service as "boy" on H.M.S. Favorite (Capt. Dunlop) so that he and his brother, Henty's clerk, might provide means to bring out their poor mother and brothers and sisters from England and Sir John's reply that discharge was "contrary to the practice of the service", also reference to Launceston Horticultural Society (6 July 1841).

Diary of kept by William Henty on his voyage to Van Diemans Land in the period 26 August 1836 to 6 January 1837.
William Henty's journal of his voyage on the "Fairlie" to V.D.L. accompanied by his wife, Matilda, their baby boy (referred to only as "Baby" or "Babet") and their servants Mr and Mrs Hutson. Other passengers included the new Lt.Governor of V.D.L. Sir John Franklin and his lady and their party, making 32 adults at table in the cabin (plus servants and others in the steerage, a total of 216 souls apart from the crew). To make room at the table some of the ladies dined with the children who were served their meals earlier.
Henty commented that "Sir John and his lady try to put everyone at their ease and require no state" Archdeacon Mayres, also on board, regularly read evening prayers and "reads beautifully". Once they were in calmer and warmer waters Sir John's piano was brought on deck and with Miss Kracoft [Cracroft] as "chief musician" 7 or 8 couples danced country dances, quadrilles, etc., allowing the games of leap frog, French and English etc to decline. The traditional King Neptune revelries on crossing the line were forbidden by the Captain and the occasion was marked simply by launching a lighted tar barrel. The Henty's were, however, mainly occupied with their young baby who was sickly. Henty washed and dressed the baby himself when his wife was seasick, although their servants were attentive. The baby was fed on arrowroot and water three times a day plus rusks and a little gravy from the children's dinner and then was put to sleep during the day in the arms of Hutson or his wife or on the hen coop. He was teething, had a bowel complaint and developed a cough and swollen and sore hands and feet, thought to be due to the wet state of their cabin. Henty hoped a spell ashore at the Cape would cure him but his journal entries cease after nearing The Cape on 31 October until Monday 12 December 1836 when he records the death of their baby son on the previous Friday. Hutson had laid him out and made a little black coffin. There were several deaths, too, among the steerage passengers and when an Irishwoman died leaving a baby the Archdeacon promised the father a job on landing and offered to have the child taken care of but he refused to part with it. Before they reached The Cape, however, Henty described shipboard life, noting the tremendous noise of the ship's work, especially scraping the decks in the early hours of the morning, the food provided which he considered very nice - plenty of fresh meat with puddings, bread and biscuits, passing ships - one "having a blue streak painted round her denoting the death of the captain or owner, flying fish, shark, Portuguese "men of war" and other sea creatures.

William Henty's draft letter dated 1 November 1862, resigning as M.L.C. and from office as Colonial Secretary preparatory to "quitting the Colony for a season" and reply from Sir Thomas Gore Browne (1807-1887), Governor of Tasmania.

Correspondence from William Henty to nephew Henry dated 9 June 1843. Pleased with Henry's letter to his father, Henry and his brother's studies improving, plants, boomerang, family, compliments to Mr and Mrs Hawkes.

Correspondence from William Henty to wife Matilda and daughter Mary dated between August and October 1862.
Letters to his wife, Matilda, and daughter,Mary, on holiday with relatives at Tomago N.S.W., written in the form of a journal describing his last days in office and preparations for leaving the Colony. When Parliament was dissolved after the defeat over the "Ad valorem duty bill", having carried the State Aid Religion Bill, William Henty was able to resign and made his farewell speech on 17 October 1862. He described his preparations for departure: he cataloged his books for sale, sorted and burnt papers, packed up a side saddle for Mary, suggested sending Mary's old school and story books for Ann's children at Tomago, his servant Dinah was to go to Mrs Dobson, his dog Fanny was given to Joseph Archer - with Mrs Archer's permission - but "poor little Fanny looked very forlorn at me when the man took her away cuddled in his arms . . . she lately has come into the Council regularly with me and everybody took notice of her", Banjo the cat to the butcher, who promised to take good care of him, the mare sold for £30 and the carriage for £50 and he gave his picture of the cricketers to Lewis Dobson. Henty was suffering from a bad foot and Dr. Crowther "applied caustic" but might have to take off the toenail using chloroform. Dr. Crowther was operating on Mrs Buckland's eyes for cataract. There are references also to relatives and friends and social life. Henty dined at Government House with Governor and Mrs Gore Brown and the guests played at bouts rimes making verses out of questions and nouns. He also referred to Mrs Gore Brown's "theatricals", her slighting Miss Rose and then dining at "old Gregsons". The Messiah had been played at the Theatre for the Packers. Henty also dined at Archdeacon Davies' to meet Mrs Kermode and old Mrs Archer etc. Willy Garrett said "the girls" were getting on well with the scholars and "the young Cockburns" were going to board there. Bobby Maning had run away to Captain Fenton's and Willy Knight was trying for a Tasmanian Scholarship, but was thought to be "much behind the others". Mrs Crouch
had sent her promised book "The Young Ladies' Instructor". The Barnards had returned on the "Heather Belle". It snowed in Hobart several times that winter and a gale blew down the end of the stable. Henty hoped that young Mary was finding the weather in N.S.W. more agreeable and was pleased to hear she had seen the comet - Mr Abbott had also seen it.
Letter 19 dated 12 Aug. - 3 Sept.. Letter 20 dated 5 Sept.- 23 Sept. Letter 21 dated 23 Sept. to Mary.Letter 22 dated 9 Oct. - 18 Oct. (incomplete)

Two page document written by William Henty entitled "Hints & helps on conversation for a social (table) party in Brighton," dated Brighton, Christmas 1874

Formal letters of admission of William Henty of the Strand, Middlesex, and Brighton, Sussex, as attorney, commissioner for affidavits, solicitor, notary public in London, Sussex etc., U.K. (1829-36); Commissioner of Supreme Court of Victoria to take and receive in Van Diemans Land verification of memorials & deeds relating to property in Victoria (1852); Colonial Secretary Tasmania (25 April 1857); summons to attend the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania (1859).

Bundle of cuttings, notices etc., collected by William Henty and mounted on papers, including: shipping advertisements - "Fairlie" to include Sir John Franklin, Governer with his lady and suite (1836), Worthing [U.K.] regatta (1831), exhibition of whale skeleton London (ND.), Guildford Royal Grammar School prospectus (NO.), opening of Mechanics Institute Hobart (1842), "Chambers Information for the People No. 14 'Emigration to V.D.L.' ", South Australian colonisation, Launceston Horticultural Society notices W. Henty secretary (1838-9), miscellaneous cuttings on horticulture, sheep management, immigration, female immigration (1836), insurance.

One booklet written by William Henty entitled "On improvements in cottage husbandry " published by Henry Dowling jun. Launceston, 1849

One poem written by William Henty entitled "On the wreck of the Isabella" dated Launceston 1837

Press criticisms & obituary notice

Consists of publications written by William Henty, press criticisms and obituary notice and a bundle of miscellaneous press cuttings

Classics exercise book of William Henty when "near 12 years old", including notes in neat copybook handwriting on Roman history, Latin exercises, and Greek alphabet, declensions and exercises. At back printed tables of weights, measures etc. dated Sept. 1820.

Collection consists of personal and business correspondence, diary of voyage to Van Diemans Land, school exercise book, publications and press clippings