Who was William Munnings Arnold?
What is the evidence of Arnold's connection to Captain Starlight?
What was Starlight's relationship to William Munnings Arnold?
Further Reading
What is the evidence of Arnold's connection to Captain Starlight?
What was Starlight's relationship to William Munnings Arnold?
Further Reading
Who was William Munnings Arnold?
In 1868, when Frank Pearson was facing the death penalty, William Munnings Arnold was the Speaker for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
William Munnings Arnold was the son of Church of England Minister Rev. Richard Aldous Arnold and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth Arnold, née Thomas. He was born on 26 October 1819 in Ellough, Suffolk, England. When Arnold migrated to New South Wales in 1839, his life in the colony got off to a rocky start. He had invested in livestock but the drought left him in deep financial strife. Through gold-buying ventures he got back on his feet and had another attempt at the pastoral industry in Paterson. The second time he met with much more success, developing a large and profitable property he called ‘Stradbroke’, where he lived until his death by drowning in 1875.
In 1844 Arnold married Ellen Augusta Smith, the daughter of Rev. J. J. Smith, M.A. The pair had nine children: six daughters and three sons. One of their sons, Richard Aldous, would follow his father into a political career.
In the 1856 election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Arnold was elected to the seat of Durham. It was the beginning of a successful career in politics; he retained the seat until 1859, when he was elected as the member for Paterson: a seat that he held until his death. In 1860 Arnold became the Secretary for Public Works in John Robertson’s Ministry, a post he held for several years. He briefly held the position of Secretary for Lands during the fourth Cowper ministry before becoming Speaker in 1865. From 1868 until 1874 he was also part of the senate of the University of Sydney.
William Munnings Arnold was renowned for his radical views concerning electoral reform. His policies included universal manhood suffrage and the distribution of electorates based on population – all of which were adopted in the Electoral Law Amendment Act of 1858.
Arnold was a powerful orator with a caustic wit. He was said to be aloof with strangers but possessed of a dignity which commanded respect. As a politician, Arnold was unimpeachable; an outstanding debater, an intelligent and well-educated gentleman and a charismatic and fierce opponent, he was known for his impartiality and prudence as Speaker.
Read more about Arnold in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
In 1868, when Frank Pearson was facing the death penalty, William Munnings Arnold was the Speaker for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
William Munnings Arnold was the son of Church of England Minister Rev. Richard Aldous Arnold and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth Arnold, née Thomas. He was born on 26 October 1819 in Ellough, Suffolk, England. When Arnold migrated to New South Wales in 1839, his life in the colony got off to a rocky start. He had invested in livestock but the drought left him in deep financial strife. Through gold-buying ventures he got back on his feet and had another attempt at the pastoral industry in Paterson. The second time he met with much more success, developing a large and profitable property he called ‘Stradbroke’, where he lived until his death by drowning in 1875.
In 1844 Arnold married Ellen Augusta Smith, the daughter of Rev. J. J. Smith, M.A. The pair had nine children: six daughters and three sons. One of their sons, Richard Aldous, would follow his father into a political career.
In the 1856 election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Arnold was elected to the seat of Durham. It was the beginning of a successful career in politics; he retained the seat until 1859, when he was elected as the member for Paterson: a seat that he held until his death. In 1860 Arnold became the Secretary for Public Works in John Robertson’s Ministry, a post he held for several years. He briefly held the position of Secretary for Lands during the fourth Cowper ministry before becoming Speaker in 1865. From 1868 until 1874 he was also part of the senate of the University of Sydney.
William Munnings Arnold was renowned for his radical views concerning electoral reform. His policies included universal manhood suffrage and the distribution of electorates based on population – all of which were adopted in the Electoral Law Amendment Act of 1858.
Arnold was a powerful orator with a caustic wit. He was said to be aloof with strangers but possessed of a dignity which commanded respect. As a politician, Arnold was unimpeachable; an outstanding debater, an intelligent and well-educated gentleman and a charismatic and fierce opponent, he was known for his impartiality and prudence as Speaker.
Read more about Arnold in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
What is the evidence of Arnold's connection to Captain Starlight?
Frank Pearson was sentenced to hang for murdering a policeman. That he should have escaped the death penalty for this offence was unheard of and a matter of some controversy. The commutation is unlikely to have been obtained unless there was some pressure from a person of influence. The judge at Pearson's trial made mention of his 'good' family. The fact that Pearson was so well educated is also evidence that he was brought up in some privilege. The 'good' family was never publicly named but there is some evidence that William Munnings Arnold, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, influenced the Governor to commute Pearson's death sentence to life imprisonment. There is also a possibility of a a family connection. Let's look at the evidence.
Frank Pearson was sentenced to hang for murdering a policeman. That he should have escaped the death penalty for this offence was unheard of and a matter of some controversy. The commutation is unlikely to have been obtained unless there was some pressure from a person of influence. The judge at Pearson's trial made mention of his 'good' family. The fact that Pearson was so well educated is also evidence that he was brought up in some privilege. The 'good' family was never publicly named but there is some evidence that William Munnings Arnold, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, influenced the Governor to commute Pearson's death sentence to life imprisonment. There is also a possibility of a a family connection. Let's look at the evidence.
- After his 1868 arrest, Pearson was in a pitiful state. When he was taken to the Police Station at Bourke, the district doctor recognised him as 'Arnold', a former prisoner at Cockatoo Island. This was reported in the Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser on 26 January 1869. According to the doctor, 'Arnold' had previously been under sentence at Cockatoo Island for highway robbery. He reported that Pearson/Arnold 'alleges that he grew desperate in vicious courses because his relatives made no effort to have his Cockatoo sentence commuted.' Dr Peers was the district doctor at the time and he had indeed been a visiting medical officer at Cockatoo Island from around 1853 until sometime in the first half of 1859.
- The prisoner Pearson confirmed himself that he was formerly under sentence at Cockatoo Island under the name of Arnold [Illustrated Sydney News 18 Feb 1869]
- During Pearson's incarceration at Darlinghurst Gaol he did many drawings and paintings. Upon his release he gave an album of his works to the Sisters of Charity, in gratitude for their kindness to him. This album is still held in the Sisters of Charity Archives at Pott's Point. The art works are all signed with a single initial: 'A'
- On 26 May the Executive Council of NSW met at Government House in Sydney. On the agenda was the question of Frank Pearson’s death sentence. The Governor presented a report on Pearson’s case by Mr Justice Faucett. the
Executive Council voted to let the sentence stand; Pearson was to hang on 15
June. This was later postponed to 22 June. On 19 June 1869, the Colonial Secretary Mr John Robertson was
visiting Brindley Park in Merriwa: the home of James
Brindley Bettington, resident magistrate. The Speaker William Munnings Arnold
was a fellow guest at Brindley, and their discussion prompted the
Colonial Secretary to send this urgent telegram to the Governor:
Mr Arnold the speaker is here, and
would be glad if your Ex would visit his residence at Paterson. He could meet
you at Maitland. Please telegraph reply to me. Paterson is only 8 miles from
Maitland, the ride being through the finest land in the Colony. My letter will
[be] forwarded to your Excellency at Brindley.
Two days later, the Executive Council met again and voted to commute Pearson's death sentence to life imprisonment. The telegram was then filed with the documents relating to Frank Pearson in the Attorney General's records on the Commutation of Death Sentences. This telegram is held in the NSW State Archives: NSW State Archives: Attorney General and Justice; NRS 333; Special bundles; Commutation of death sentences, 1856-75 [5/7702], Reel 2227
What was Starlight's relationship to William Munnings Arnold?
At this stage, it is impossible to say. I have a theory but I must stress that it is purely speculation.
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser reported on 12 June 1869 that 'Rumour has it that he is a brother of a gentlemen at .present holding a high political post in this colony'. Pearson, however, was not Arnold's brother. Arnold's parents were Richard Aldous and Charlotte Elizabeth Arnold. William was born in 1819, and his mother died in 1832. Pearson was born about 5 years later, possibly in about 1837. Richard Aldous Arnold did not remarry, so he could not have legitimately fathered a child of Pearson's age. Of course he may have fathered a child illegitimately, but being a respectable Church of England minister it seems unlikely.
Could Pearson have been a cousin or a nephew of William Munnings Arnold? It is possible, but my searches of the family tree so far have failed to uncover a male of the relevant age whose fate has been unaccounted for. Again, he may have been an unacknowledged son - possibly illegitimate - of any of the extended family.
As I stated earlier, it seems highly unlikely that Richard Aldous Arnold might have fathered an illegitimate child. But what of his son, William Munnings Arnold? He was about 17 years older than 'Pearson': old enough to be his father. But given his upbringing and the respected status that he held throughout life, is it likely?
My research has shown that although Arnold had a respectable upbringing and became a highly esteemed member of the community, he may have been something of a wayward youth. In his younger days he seems to have been a rash and passionate man - a prickly character, prone to imprudent behaviour and with a tendency to rub people up the wrong way. Here are some snippets I've found that show that it might not have been out of character for Arnold to have fathered 'Frank Pearson'.
Now, I can't help but wonder how a 16 year old boy gets himself in the position to be 'assaulted' by a couple of prostitutes. Where was he hanging out? What sort of company was he keeping? Remember that this was 1836 - probably the year before 'Pearson' was born. If Arnold was living a dissolute lifestyle during this time, he may well have fathered a child. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any birth records that I can identify as being the man in question.
2. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, after Arnold's schooling was finished 'he studied law but soon became dissatisfied, abandoned it as a career and decided to emigrate to Canada. His father intervened and sent him on a tour of Scotland and the northern counties to learn farming.' There is some suggestion that during his early adulthood Arnold was unsettled and clearly his father thought it necessary to send him away.
3. Arnold migrated to Australia in 1839 (when 'Pearson' would have been around 2 years old). His letters to his family suggest strongly that his emigration was undertaken reluctantly. He wrote of his homesickness and longing and of his deep sadness at the separation from his sisters:
How often and how affectionately I remember you, and all my dear sisters, who by a cruel chance are now so far separated from me, I am sure you may imagine most heartily do I long to leave this horrid country and visit my own sisters. But I fear that time, however delightful, is very very far distant. [Extract from Arnold, W. M. (1839-1875). William Munnings Arnold correspondence, 1839-1875, along with a draft speech and poems. Held at SLNSW.] It was not unusual for families to send their wayward sons to the colonies in the hope that they would mend their ways.
4. During his early days in Paterson, NSW, Arnold had a number of run-ins with the police. He seemed to have made himself very unpopular in the district. Some of the altercations are listed below:
At this stage, it is impossible to say. I have a theory but I must stress that it is purely speculation.
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser reported on 12 June 1869 that 'Rumour has it that he is a brother of a gentlemen at .present holding a high political post in this colony'. Pearson, however, was not Arnold's brother. Arnold's parents were Richard Aldous and Charlotte Elizabeth Arnold. William was born in 1819, and his mother died in 1832. Pearson was born about 5 years later, possibly in about 1837. Richard Aldous Arnold did not remarry, so he could not have legitimately fathered a child of Pearson's age. Of course he may have fathered a child illegitimately, but being a respectable Church of England minister it seems unlikely.
Could Pearson have been a cousin or a nephew of William Munnings Arnold? It is possible, but my searches of the family tree so far have failed to uncover a male of the relevant age whose fate has been unaccounted for. Again, he may have been an unacknowledged son - possibly illegitimate - of any of the extended family.
As I stated earlier, it seems highly unlikely that Richard Aldous Arnold might have fathered an illegitimate child. But what of his son, William Munnings Arnold? He was about 17 years older than 'Pearson': old enough to be his father. But given his upbringing and the respected status that he held throughout life, is it likely?
My research has shown that although Arnold had a respectable upbringing and became a highly esteemed member of the community, he may have been something of a wayward youth. In his younger days he seems to have been a rash and passionate man - a prickly character, prone to imprudent behaviour and with a tendency to rub people up the wrong way. Here are some snippets I've found that show that it might not have been out of character for Arnold to have fathered 'Frank Pearson'.
- The Ipswich Journal of 23 July 1836 reported:
Now, I can't help but wonder how a 16 year old boy gets himself in the position to be 'assaulted' by a couple of prostitutes. Where was he hanging out? What sort of company was he keeping? Remember that this was 1836 - probably the year before 'Pearson' was born. If Arnold was living a dissolute lifestyle during this time, he may well have fathered a child. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any birth records that I can identify as being the man in question.
2. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, after Arnold's schooling was finished 'he studied law but soon became dissatisfied, abandoned it as a career and decided to emigrate to Canada. His father intervened and sent him on a tour of Scotland and the northern counties to learn farming.' There is some suggestion that during his early adulthood Arnold was unsettled and clearly his father thought it necessary to send him away.
3. Arnold migrated to Australia in 1839 (when 'Pearson' would have been around 2 years old). His letters to his family suggest strongly that his emigration was undertaken reluctantly. He wrote of his homesickness and longing and of his deep sadness at the separation from his sisters:
How often and how affectionately I remember you, and all my dear sisters, who by a cruel chance are now so far separated from me, I am sure you may imagine most heartily do I long to leave this horrid country and visit my own sisters. But I fear that time, however delightful, is very very far distant. [Extract from Arnold, W. M. (1839-1875). William Munnings Arnold correspondence, 1839-1875, along with a draft speech and poems. Held at SLNSW.] It was not unusual for families to send their wayward sons to the colonies in the hope that they would mend their ways.
4. During his early days in Paterson, NSW, Arnold had a number of run-ins with the police. He seemed to have made himself very unpopular in the district. Some of the altercations are listed below:
- In September 1841 Arnold took the Clerk of the Bench and the Chief Constable to Court. He alleged that the previous week, on 9 September, he had been summoned to court to give evidence in a case of felony which had been committed on his premises. He accused the Chief Constable of assaulting him. The Chief Constable called him ‘a damned scoundrel, an impudent blackguard, a damned vagabond, and also used many other terms equally opprobrious and indecent.’ [Sydney Herald, 22 Sept 1841, p.2] The incident seemed to have been triggered by a 'private pique', ‘some impertinent message’ about the lease that the Chief Constable had sent Arnold, his landlord, and to which Arnold had failed to respond. The assault charge was dismissed and the Magistrate, to Arnold's disgust, only fined the Chief Constable one shilling for swearing in Court
- The following year, after enduring – in Arnold’s eyes – ‘unnumbered acts of petty spite’ [The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 Sept 1842, p.3] at the hands of the local constabulary and magistrate, he was before the courts again. This time he was bound to pay £1000 to keep the peace with the Clerk of the Bench for being suspected of posting in the township a placard that was ‘offensive to his feelings’ and calculated to tempt the Clerk to commit a breach of the peace. The placard, apparently, had something to do with a married lady.
- 1844: Major Johnstone (the Magistrate) had Arnold arrested for the possession of stolen goods; he was handcuffed and taken into custody, refused bail, and held for three weeks. He was found not guilty and released, and sought redress for the damage to his comfort and reputation. He took the Magistrate to Court, charging Johnstone with assault and false imprisonment and arguing that the Magistrate had misused his power in order to satisfy a personal grudge. Johnstone's defence lawyer argued that Arnold: ‘was one of those kind of persons who would continually be in hot water with whatever Bench he had the misfortune to be near ; it was already in evidence that he had been twice bound to the peace; and on one occasion, at all events, respecting some placard about a married lady; and considering the great grandeur with which he had been introduced to them by his learned friend, as the son of the great and learned Dr. Arnold, Head Master of Rugby School-though it appeared that he was almost instantly obliged to acknowledge that he was mistaken; taking into consideration, however, the grand flourish of trumpets with which he had been introduced, he did not think that bail in £600, and two sureties in £250 each, which had been magnified by Mr. Scott into £1000 bail, was at all enormous. It might be, however, that Mr Arnold had very high notions of himself-that he belonged, perhaps, to use a rather coarse, but very expressive appellation which had found its way into this district, to the cocktail aristocracy; but whether he was one of the cocktail aristocracy or a genuine aristocrat, it was evident that he was not one of those kind of persons who was of the most quiet disposition…’ [Sydney Morning Herald, 25 March 1844, p.2]. Obviously it was in the defence's interest to paint Arnold in as negative a light as possible, but it is interesting to note a reference to Arnold's tendency to self-aggrandisement: a tendency shared with Pearson.
- The Magistrate Mr Johnstone was found to have acted improperly and fined £150. The verdict was subsequently set aside and the damages were never awarded to Mr Arnold. Arnold complained and petitioned the Legislative Council for payment. 270 citizens of Paterson signed a petition supporting Major Johnstone against Arnold’s action, demonstrating that he was deeply unpopular and arguably supporting some of the defence's claims. [The Australian, 11 Sept 1844, p.3]
- In 1865 when Arnold was nominated for Speaker, Mr MacPherson of the Legislative Assembly spoke passionately against him, casting serious aspersions against his character. He
called Mr Arnold a thief, a common informer, a ‘blackleg’ and a cheat at cards. [Empire 2 Nov 1865, p.3,4] MacPherson was overruled, however, and Mr Arnold elected
Speaker – an office he fulfilled admirably for many years.
FURTHER READING
Newspaper articles:
Convictions. (1836, July 23). Ipswich Journal
Paterson: Police Office proceedings. (1841, Sept 22). The Sydney Herald, p.2
To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. (1842, Sept 2).Sydney Morning Herald, p.3
Arnold v Johnstone (1844, March 25). The Sydney Morning Herald, p.2
Grievance (1844, Aug 22). The Sydney Morning Herald, p.2
William Mannings Arnold. (1844, Sept 11). The Australian, p.3
Mr W.M. Arnold’s case. (1844, Aug 24). The Australian, p.3
In the Legislative Assembly, yesterday. (1865, Nov 2). Empire, p.5
Books:
Boyle, Harry & Paterson Historical Society (1993). William Munnings Arnold 1819-1875. Paterson Historical Society, [Paterson, N.S.W.]
Archival items:
Arnold, W. M. (1839-1875). William Munnings Arnold correspondence, 1839-1875, along with a draft speech and poems. Held at SLNSW.
Online:
King, C. J. (1969). Arnold, William Munnings (1819–1875). Retrieved Oct 12, 2014 from Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/arnold-william-munnings-2902/text4167
Newspaper articles:
Convictions. (1836, July 23). Ipswich Journal
Paterson: Police Office proceedings. (1841, Sept 22). The Sydney Herald, p.2
To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. (1842, Sept 2).Sydney Morning Herald, p.3
Arnold v Johnstone (1844, March 25). The Sydney Morning Herald, p.2
Grievance (1844, Aug 22). The Sydney Morning Herald, p.2
William Mannings Arnold. (1844, Sept 11). The Australian, p.3
Mr W.M. Arnold’s case. (1844, Aug 24). The Australian, p.3
In the Legislative Assembly, yesterday. (1865, Nov 2). Empire, p.5
Books:
Boyle, Harry & Paterson Historical Society (1993). William Munnings Arnold 1819-1875. Paterson Historical Society, [Paterson, N.S.W.]
Archival items:
Arnold, W. M. (1839-1875). William Munnings Arnold correspondence, 1839-1875, along with a draft speech and poems. Held at SLNSW.
Online:
King, C. J. (1969). Arnold, William Munnings (1819–1875). Retrieved Oct 12, 2014 from Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/arnold-william-munnings-2902/text4167
