"Captain Thunderbolt - horse breaker to bushranger"
First edition published 2002
Second edition published 2007 by David Brouwer
Published by CB Alexander Foundation, Tocal College, Paterson, NSW, 2002. ISBN 0 7313 0558 2, 106 pp, photos, maps and index.
(Review by Barry Sinclair Oct 2009)
In this second edition David has corrected many of the mistakes I had shown in the letter below, which I had sent to him after the printing of his first edition. In doing this however he did not give me the courtesy of acknowledging the contribution I made to his corrections. If he had contacted me when he was writing this edition, I would have been able to point out to him several more errors, that more recent research has shown up, which he has made in this his second edition.
In writing this second edition David has again failed to make this book the definitive book on Thunderbolt with continued inacuracies in nearly every chapter of the book. In some ways this is an excellent book with some striking photos however the continued errors make it a questionable purchase for anyone doing historial research into the life of Thunderbolt.
In Chapter 1 he failed to check that the real parents of Frederick Ward had been found. According to his daughter Marina Emily's birth certificate BDM Reg No 7193/1861, her mother, Mary Ann, was 27 and her father, Fred, was 28 at that time, making his birth year 1833. As a "sister" was born 6 weeks earlier, Sophia, his normally accepted mother could not be his mother. These facts make much of his writings in this first chapter to be incorrect. The Garbutt boys, therefore, are Fred Ward's half brothers not his nephews and George and William were his uncles not his brothers.
The beginning of Fred Ward's "life of crime" was caused by the action of Charles Reynolds and the managment of Tocal Station, in sending his uncle George into Maitland to a cattle sale knowing that the Hunter River was in flood, causing the devestating death of George.
As a reaction to the mistreatment of George by Tocal, the family started stealing horses from Tocal Station in order to raise funds for George's family, in reparation for the actions of the managment. This led to Fred's arrest and his gaoling. He also claims that John Garbutt was arrested on a train to Sydney, however there is no record of his arrest or of his being charged at the court hearing of James Garbutt and Frederick Ward.
On page 21 first paragraph Brouwer states "It was likely she (Mrs. Garbutt) was his sister" whereas in fact it has been proved she was his mother. On page 57 second paragraph he refers to John Coghlan where his name was "James Coghlan"
The last paragraph on page 59 is incorrect according to the official inquest records Inquest
on "Thunderbolt" 26 th May, 1870. On page 60 he goes on to use Dr Spasshatt's report as justification for his findings. A Dr's autopsy report must be written immediately after the autopsy itself and was
submitted to the inquest on the 26th May, so that there is no mistakes in the report. However if he looked closely at the copy of Dr Spasshatt's report that is available it
is signed 29th May and is not the report presented at the inquest on the 26th May that was written and dated on that day.
Mr Buchanan's report after the inquest does not record the name of the body, as it was not able to be proven on the day of the inquest.
The original report by Dr. Spasshatt, given at the inquest, has been destroyed or lost by the establishment, and the falsified report written on the Sunday and carefully
dated as Sunday, 29th May by Dr Spasshatt, as evidence of his forced alterations, is the one sent to Sydney as the report presented at the inquest.
In Appendix 6, he records Ward family records, which are the family of Fred's grandparents not his mother's family, and even they are incorrect. He shows Michael's wife as Sophia Jane Brensley while it is actually Sophia Jane Crolston their last child was Harriet born in April 1833 who died in 1835 and does not appear in most records, including this report. Fred's parents are Sarah Ann Ward and John Haswell, a convict from the next property. These records are all in Ancestry.com but again Brouwer has failed to do proper historical research.
On page 70 he shows a photo of a road sign showing "Thunderbolts Way" and states "Thunderbolt is celebrated by the name of the road from Gloucester to Uralla. In fact the road from Gloucester through Uralla goes on to Goondiwindi and is called "Thunderbolts Way" all the way, showing yet again the failure to do proper research.
On the back cover, second paragraph, Brouwer states "In 1856 he stole a mob of horses from this famous Hunter property". This statement, according to police records readily available, is false as his court hearing at this time convicted him of being in possesion of stolen horses. A far lesser crime showing David Brouwers carelessnes in much of his research. At no time has he acknowledged the complicity by the managment of Tocal in causing the death of George Ward and therefore the beginning of the crimes committed by the Ward family and also the cause of the beginning of the career of Thunderbolt
First edition Reviewed by Barry Sinclair and John Farrell, 2002.
This review first published in the Armidale and District Historical Society Journal and Proceedings, No. 47, 2004, pp. 175-176."
"David Brouwer, 'Captain Thunderbolt - horse breaker to bushranger'.
Published by CB Alexander Foundation, Tocal College, Paterson, NSW, 2002. ISBN 0 7313 0558 2, 106 pp, photos, maps and index.
A bushranger called “Thunderbolt” and formally identified as Frederick Ward died of gunshot wounds at Kentucky Creek south of Uralla on 25 May 1870. According to the official records he was shot by Constable Alex Walker, while trying to escape lawful arrest. Whether the dead man was Fred Ward or his Uncle Harry is a matter of ongoing debate. There is even doubt, however, that Frederick Wordsworth Ward was the last born of the ten children of a transported convict, Michael Hanley Ward, and his free immigrant wife, Sophia Jane, both of whom arrived in the infant colony of New South Wales in 1815, but the son of their daughter Sarah. Although much of the Wards’ lives are recorded in public documents, there is no record of Fred’s birth near Windsor in May 1835 or 1836. In 1853 when Fred was about twenty, he and his Uncle George worked at Tocal Station, Patterson, near Maitland. For a few years Fred was out working alone throughout the northern regions, in his preferred job as a horse-breaker, but he was back at Tocal in 1856, when his Uncle William (Harry) and his half brothers John and James Garbutt were involved in stealing horses from Tocal station. Having been asked to help take the stolen horses to Windsor, Fred was caught in possession. He was sentenced to prison on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. He was sentemced again in 1861 for being late for muster. When he escaped in 1863 he became a bushranger. Like many bushrangers, he had an honorary title, and became known as Captain Thunderbolt. His six and a half year long career as a bushranger was the longest of any bushranger in Australian history.
There has been a renewed interest in outlaws, especially by school students using internet sites for their research. Much of the existing material about Thunderbolt needs to be treated with caution. Previous books about him are not fully satisfactory, so the publication of this new one is both timely and desirable. David Brouwer works at Tocal College, on the site of the station where Fred Ward had worked. Brouwer had access to material not previously published. This new book is a basically well-researched account of the life of this notorious bushranger. Starting with his own contacts at Tocal and with the help of a research assistant at the Paterson Courthouse Museum, Brouwer gained valuable information which was not recorded in other books about Thunderbolt. This book has nine chapters which trace Fred Ward’s life from the arrival of his grandparents in the colony and his birth, to his imprisonment at Cockatoo Island, his escape from there, his career as a bushranger and his final fling in May 1870. The text is supported by good sketch maps and a series of excellent photographs, many of which had not previously been published. There are eight interesting appendices, a list of references and a very good index.
This is an excellent book but there are still some notable inaccuracies, sadly. When Brouwer was doing his research in Uralla he was given a ten-year-old copy of Arnold Goode’s summary of Thunderbolt’s life, instead of a corrected version which Arnold had recently written. The mistakes in the old version are repeated in Brouwer’s book. In particular, he has overlooked a now known fact which, arguably, contributed to the beginning of Thunderbolt’s criminal career. In 1854 Fred Ward’s Uncle George was drowned while droving Tocal Station cattle to a sale in Maitland. This, I believe, caused intense resentment in the Ward family and led them to steal horses from Tocal.
On the whole, although this book has been well researched, some inaccurate material was taken from other books about Thunderbolt. For instance, in chapter 5 “Mary Ann, the bushranger’s ‘boy’” – where much of the material is taken from Bob Cummins’ book – there are several inaccuracies. Brouwer correctly states that Mary Ann’s father is James Bugg, but wrongly claims her mother is “Charlotte”, and that James Bugg and Charlotte “had two children, Mary Ann and John.” Brouwer also wrongly states that “James and Charlotte had four more children.” A more accurate check of New South Wales birth records shows that the mother of Mary Ann (Thunderbolt’s wife) and her brother, John Bugg, is not Charlotte, but “Elizabeth, an Aboriginal woman”. Elizabeth had another child Eliza just before they were forced to separate by the ACC. After Elizabeth returned to the tribe she was replaced by Charlotte Derby (a part-Aboriginal woman, who was born in 1815 in Sydney). She is the mother of James Bugg’s next five children. There is no death certificate for Elizabeth, but a check of Charlotte’s death certificate clearly states she had five children, not four as Brouwer claims. Sometimes Brouwer has too much reliance on the research of other writers. Although James Bugg had no marriage with Elizabeth, he married Charlotte in the then St Stephen’s Presbyterian Parish of Port Macquarie, on 21 September 1848, – by which time most of the children had been born and she was already calling herself Charlotte Bugg.
Brouwer is the first Thunderbolt biographer to include Fred Ward’s family tree, but it is not accurate. Unfortunately, when Brouwer was in Uralla researching his book he did not make use of Barry Sinclair’s extensive research of the Ward family history. This deficiency is evident in Appendix 7 on page 87 where Brouwer lists five children of Fred and Mary Ann – Marina, James, Jane, John and Frederick. This is not correct – there were only four children: Marina Emily, Elizabeth Ann, Mary Ann and Frederick Wordsworth. The James, Jane and John were the children of a different Ward family. Brouwer was misled by the an internet site which gave the wrong information about the descendants of Fred’s granfather, Michael Ward.
Brouwer has acknowledged his book’s inaccuracies which Barry Sinclair identified. If changes are made in future editions of the book, it will become the most accurate of the many books about the life of Thunderbolt and will dispel many of the inaccuracies which have been repeated from the older books. It is crucial that researchers always check material and not accept it as “gospel” just because the material has appeared in a previous book.
Copies of Brouwer’s book and other ongoing research information can be obtained from the Uralla Visitors’ Information Centre.
Dear David,
I have just received a copy of your book Captain Thunderbolt. I would like to congratulate you on the quality of the production and the general content. It has in the main
been very well researched, however some of your sources are able to be questioned with the greater advantages we have these days with the resources available on the
the internet.
As was mentioned on the phone I believe I have found several discrepancies which hopefully you will be able to correct in future editions. I will list them page by page where I find them & where possible I will give you the available reference which gives the proof of my findings.
Page 3 Map has several discrepancies as it shows Uralla south East of Armidale while in fact it is South West. It shows it as being on the Walcha Rd while it is in fact on the Armidale -Tamworth Rd. Thunderbolt’s Rock & Kentucky Creek are shown as being north of Uralla where as they are both south of Uralla.
Page 8 Thunderbolt attended one year of school at Wilberforce. There is no record of his attending school at Maitland. He was later educated by Mary Ann, who taugh him to read & write. She also taught him a love of music & poetry.
Page 21 Sarah Ann Garbutt was Fred's sister (however I have recently - Nov 2007- proved that, in fact she was his mother). You will find by my attached list of dates that, in many cases Fred's activities moved to the area that Sarah Ann lived however by that time (1839) she had been remarried to William Shepherd & moved on. For many years the farm was still called the "Garbutt's Farm'.
2nd paragraph. There is no record of any children being born to Mary Ann & Edmund Baker. By 1860, when Fred was released from Cockatoo Island, Mary Ann had already left for the Stroud area, her husband having already disappeared from her life. (Reason unknown as there is no record of his death anywhere in NSW.) Even though Fred was allocated for muster to the Mudgee police, he left for Stroud to be with Mary Ann, where he married her in 1860, returning to Mudgee on a regular basis for muster.
Page 22 Fred was charged with stealing the horse even though there was no time given to him to prove his right to have the horse which he had legitimately borrowed from his work place in the Stroud area. Mary Ann swam with Ward & Britten to the Balmain area where she hid them in a disused boiler for several days until their escape died down - not on Cockatoo Island.
Page 34 Mary Ann & John Bugg's mother is recorded on the-BDM records nos V 1834 - 1494 23A & V 1835 - 1495 23A (the nos being similar as they were baptised on the same day) as Elizabeth (Aboriginal Women ) children baptised in the Church of England parish of the Australian Agricultural Company, Dungog; Eldon; Stroud- Uffington. (indicating the power of the company at that time). The couple meanwhile were forced to separate soon after the- birth of their third child Eliza by the AAC - (It was not in their interest to have senior staff cohabitation with an Aboriginal girl & the ministers would not marry them). Evidently James was held in such high regard by the company that the two older children were sent to the C of E, school in Sydney. It is thought their education was possibly financed by the Anglican bishop of Sydney following pressure from the AAC. James took up an alliance with Charlotte Derby, a part Aboriginal woman born in 1815 (probably in Sydney - I have not found her place of birth yet). They had 5 children William BDM V 1841 1200 49, James V 1843 1201 49, Jane V 1845 1202- 49 and Elizabeth V 1847 1203 49 and Thomas V 1850 904 53 born in 1850, all clearly shown as being the children of James Bugg & Charlotte and christened in the Presbyterian Church at Port Macquarie. James & Charlotte were married in the Presbyterian church at Port Macquarie, on 21 Sept 1848 however I would suggest that, by the reference 49 at the end of each record for their children, they were not baptised until 1849. They were probably born in the Stoud/Gloucester area but had moved to Port Macquarie by the time the last child was born. The BDM record is a baptismal record not a birth record as, they were baptised together the nos are continuous, Charlotte was married under the name Bugg, the name she had been using for several years as his common law wife Ref no VI 848607. The christening of these children in the Presbyterian Church rather than the C of E, as were Mary Ann and John, is a further indication of a different mother to these children.
In 1848 Fred would have been only fifteen when he met Mary Ann at Cooyal, Mudgee where her husband was working (she was then only 14) not at Stroud ( If indeed Fred worked at Stroud Mary Ann would have already left the area by then.) Being of a similar age they probably got fairly friendly between 1848 & 1856 when Fred was sentenced .
3rd paragraph Mary Ann remained in Balmain allowing a reasonable time before leaving her employment ( in those days leaving without notice could cause the person considerable difficulties - notice was compulsory) before following Ward & Britten. They had gone to Uralla where they held up a farm at Gostwyck, then onto Thunderbolts Rock were Fred Ward was shot in the left knee during a holdup. The two parted company with Fred Britten returning to the Murrumbidgee area. Fred Ward is reported as being active in the Maitland area, also possibly to visit his parents & to meet up with Mary Ann. It was there he robbed the Rutherford toll gate & came upon the name Thunderbolt. (Family stories told that there was a bolt of lightning & thunder at the time the robbery occurred, thus the origin of the name “'Thunderbolt” not the highly imaginative ones suggested by most authors.)
Page 40 Children of Fred & Mary Ann are Marina Emily Ann b. Oct 26 1861, Elizabeth Ann (you show as Jane) b Sept 2 1864 (from her daughter's marriage certificate), Mary Ann b 1866 & Frederick Wordsworth Ward b 1867 (mother died Nov 1867). His and Marina were the only recorded baptism of the family. Fred jnr's baptism was carried out in the Wesleyan Methodist Tamworth. There are no records for Fred snr's birth date except in Marina's birth certificate.
Note Late 1864 Daughter Elizabeth Ann born - little activity is shown during this time while Mary Anne was pregnant.
Note 1866 Daughter Mary Ann was born - a period of low activity while Mary Ann was again pregnant.
Page 51 Boonoo Boonoo (not Goonoo Goonoo near Tamworth ) where the German band was held up on the old highway between Tenterfield & Warwick (see middle of page 52 where you also give these details)
Page 55 Fred's mother Sarah and her partner Edward Edwards had moved to 'Warialpa Station" near Ebor & his Uncle George’s wife was living at Ollera between Guyra & Inverell. (Many of George's family are buried in the Ollera Cemetery.)
(This explains the increased activity of Thunderbolt in the Northern New England area)
Will Monckton joined Fred in Jan 1868 not 1867.
Page 68 There are Thunderbolt Caves in Lansdowne (on my cousins property), Gloucester, Uralla, Guyra, Torrington (by far the most spectacular one commanding a 360 degree view of the area for miles in all directions), and two north of Tenterfield on the old highway to Warwick in Boonoo Boonoo National Park - one commanding a view of the Warwick road to the west & the other a view of the Casino road to the east.
Page 89 Many of the supposed crimes of Thunderbolt listed, were in fact committed by other people. For a complete record of "Thunderbolt notes" (several boxes) see the Newling Centre in Armidale where Stephan Williams has donated all his notes. By far the most comprehensive set of notes available and by far the most accurate, however in his book he also has come to some wrong conclusions which can now be proved thanks to the wonders of the Internet
Prepared by Barry Sinclair
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2005 Barry Sinclair