Letters from Norfolk Island From 1st February 1887 to 10th September 1889, Vice-Admiral Henry Fairfax was commander of the Australian Station. As such he made frequent visits to Norfolk Island, a British Colony administered by New South Wales at the time. Henry became very friendly with Isaac Robinson and correspondence passed between them after he returned from Australia. Some of the letters from Isaac are among Sir Edmunds documents and they give some idea of life on this remote Pacific island in the 1890s. I have located nine letters written by Isaac Robinson to Henry Fairfax between 1891-7. There are also two letters written by Hannah’s father Johnny while Henry Fairfax was still in Australia. Johnny (right) was the grandson of Matthew Quintal, one of the leaders of the Bounty mutineers. There is also a letter written by Stephen Christian, great grandson of Fletcher Christian, who was Chief Magistrate of the island at the time. The Bounty was returning from Tahiti when mutiny broke out. The mutineers landed on Pitcairn Island with some Tahitians, including women who became what we may term partners to the British men and so ‘they went forth and multiplied!’ Eventually, Pitcairn became too small for the growing population and in 1856 many of the descendants of the mutineers were relocated to Norfolk Island where about one third of the present population are mutineers’ descendants as the surnames testify; Christian, Adams, Quintal, McCoy etc. and would be of mixed race. Apparently, Matthew Quintal received 20 lashes on the Bounty for some misdemeanour so readily joined Fletcher Christian in the revolt against Captain Bligh. Isaac Robinson died and was buried at sea on a voyage to England in 1912 aged 87. Hannah died in 1914 on Norfolk Island. Frank Storr. Charlecote Extras No. 6
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Isaac
Robinson, depicted on the Norfolk Island stamp shown, was born in June
1825 in Tasmania, son of Yorkshire man John Robinson. He became an agent
for the Australian shipping line Burns, Philp and Co which took him
to Norfolk Island. On 12th June 1865 he married Hannah Quintal,
fourth daughter of John and Dinah Quintal. Isaac had obviously had an
affair with Kezia, an elder sister of Hannah for Kezia gave birth to
their daughter, Sarah on 20th December of that year. Isaac
and Hannah had eleven children, the youngest being christened Harriet
Fairfax in honour of Harriet, Henry Fairfax’s wife. Isaac became involved
in the affairs of the island and was the registrar and as he writes
in his letters ‘general factotum.’ He also became the first and only
US Consul to Norfolk Island. Whaling was a major occupation on the Island
and American whalers were frequent visitors during the season. The Americans
introduced some of their culture, especially foodstuffs and were generally
popular. In 1897 Robinson introduced the American celebration of Thanksgiving,
incorporating it into the Anglican Harvest Festival. Thanksgiving is
celebrated on the island to this day one of very few countries outside
the USA to do so.