taken from Australian Dictionary of Biography by Hugh D. Ross ...
Hugh Cokeley Ross (1795-1869), lawyer, came of an Episcopalian family of Aberdeen, Scotland. He received his primary education at Morden Academy, Morden, Surrey, England, and later qualified as barrister, solicitor and conveyancer at the Courts of Westminster. He reached Hobart Town in the Regalia in December 1822, was admitted to the Lieutenant-Governor's Court on 1 April 1823, and next day to the Supreme Court of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for New South Wales. In June he entered into partnership with George Cartwright, and together they acted as solicitors to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land on its formation in August. In October 1824 he applied for a land grant and, on the strength of his capital of £7500, received 1000 acres (405 ha) at Bothwell, on which to graze livestock received in payment for legal services.
When (Sir) Alfred Stephen, solicitor-general and crown solicitor, took leave of absence in 1832-33, Ross acted at first in both positions and later as crown solicitor only. He continued his private practice, until given onerous duties with the commission inquiring into the titles of land, the remuneration for which was always in arrears and poor compensation for that of his private practice. On the dismissal of Henry Emmett, Ross became clerk of the peace, confirmation of the appointment being strongly recommended by Lieutenant-Governor (Sir) George Arthur, who expressed himself very satisfied with his past services to the government. Later Ross was given the additional duties of conducting jury cases at the Quarter Sessions, until such cases were discontinued. At the suggestion of Stephen, then attorney-general, he was appointed crown solicitor at a salary of £500. Until the arrival of Herbert Jones as solicitor-general, Ross acted competently in his positions but his inability to work harmoniously with Jones brought complaints of his attitude and efficiency.
Ross was in financial difficulties in 1840. His family was increasing, his salary fell by £100 and his large residence in Hobart was sold for £1000 less than its value in the depressed colonial economy. Ross found it necessary to borrow from Crown debts which it was his responsibility to sue for, but not collect. Hoping to find more remunerative work in Port Phillip, he asked for leave, and when refused, absented himself. Not until six days after his departure was the extent of his defalcations realized. Warrants immediately sent to other colonial ports determined Ross on taking a ship for Singapore. He went from there to Batavia, and in May 1841 appeared in Western Australia, whence after some difficulty with an extradition warrant he was brought back to Hobart in custody, to the regret of the colonists who sympathized with Ross's difficulties and those of his wife and family. He was committed for trial on 8 March 1842, charged with embezzlement of £2021 belonging to the Crown. Edward Macdowell, formerly attorney-general until he too had disagreed with the solicitor-general, shattered the prosecution's case on a legal point and won a verdict of not guilty. Ross then free, sailed with one son for Sydney and New Zealand, where he set up as a lawyer in Lambton Quay, Wellington, that year. In February 1844, after a legal dispute, he mortally wounded a fellow lawyer, W. V. Brewer, in a duel. Ross served as a lieutenant in the militia during the disturbances in the North Island in 1846. In the early 1850s he retired from his legal practice and settled at Cokeley, on the Rangitikei River, where his wife died in September 1853. He died on 27 August 1869, aged 73.
Ross was twice married. Left with four small children on the death of his wife Sarah Cantrill White in 1825 aged 26, he married Anna Maria, daughter of James Boteler Wood, in 1829, and by her had four sons, three of whom survived
Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser,
17 June 1825 DIED - On Monday last, in Macquarie street, Sarah, the wife of Hugh Ross, Esq., Solicitor - We cannot avoid adding a sincere expression of our deep regret on this most unexpected and hapless event. The amiable deceased was in the bloom of life, the mother of four lovely infants, (the youngest only nine days old) and her premature departure to a better world bereaves those infants of the fondest mother, while it desolates the bosom of her affectionate husband, and deprives our enlightened female circle of a uniformly conspicuous ornament
By 1835, when he had purchased what was then a very large block of land where the Priory stands today, he was acting as Crown Solicitor for the colony and had been married again. His second wife, Anna Maria would eventually bear him a further 4 sons. His newly acquired land had a frontage on Davey St and extended down to the Sandy Bay Rivulet. The area was about 1.5 hectares. The man who he bought the land from - a Commander in the Royal Navy, Charles Colville Frankland, had built a small cottage on it. Ross set about changing it to "an elegant and spacious residence" of one storey and consisting of at least six rooms.
Sadly, by 1840, Ross found himself in financial difficulties and by December that year had been forced to advertise the property for sale. The reason given for the sale was that Ross's professional engagements required his constant residence in town. However, worse was to come for Ross. Because of the existing financial climate in the colony at the time, the house was sold for considerably less than expected and thus, a month later The Hobart Town Courier newspaper carried the following story: "A great sensation has been occasioned by the absconding of Mr Hugh Ross, the Crown Solicitor with, it is said, a considerable sum of the public money"
He was eventually caught, returned to the colony to face trial and was ultimately acquitted on a technicality. In the late 1850's the Priory was bought by a city chemist, Henry Hinsby, who added the 2nd floor. In 1864, he completed its construction by adding the attic bedrooms. The present owners have confirmed that the first floor verandah on the southern side of the building is still, - in the words of the press advertisement of more than a century and a half ago – "commanding a most delightful view of the harbour and Sandy Bay.
PISTOLS AT DAWN
Mr William Vitruvius Brewer Esq a Barrister-at-Law, died of wounds received during a pistol duel with Mr Hugh Ross Esq another Wellington lawyer, on 26 Feb 1844. A quarrel surrounding legal differences had followed Mr Brewer's loss of a case in the County Court. Mr Ross had been in court concerning an appeal made against a decision taken by Mr Arthur E. McDonogh, the Police Magistrate. The decision to resolve the dispute saw the two meet in a wooded valley in the area which was once Kumototo Street and is now Bowen Street.
When the two men faced off in Sydney St, Thorndon, Brewer fired first and sent his shot harmlessly into the air. Ross's aim and purpose appeared, however, to have been more deadly and his ball struck Mr Brewer in the groin. At the sight of Mr Brewer collapsing, apparently dead, the members of the duelling parties absconded only to return later when it was found that he was still alive.
During the first few days following the incident it was expected that Mr Brewer would survive but his condition became worse and continued to deteriorate until, on Monday, March 4th, 1844 at approximately 6pm "Mr Brewer breathed his last".
Although several people witnessed the duel, the coroner's inquest concluded that there was no proof as to who had inflicted the wound. The fact that the survivor of a duel could be charged with murder may explain the witnesses' reticence. On the other hand, perhaps it was a case of 'what happens on the duelling field stays on the duelling field.'
Brewer was no stranger to duelling. In 1840 he had 'threatened to call out the next man' who associated him with a certain young woman. Surveyor John Kelly called Brewer's bluff and was lucky to survive the resulting duel on Oneroa Beach at Kororāreka (now Russell) – part of his wig was shot away.
Hugh Cokeley Ross (1795-1869), lawyer, came of an Episcopalian family of Aberdeen, Scotland. He received his primary education at Morden Academy, Morden, Surrey, England, and later qualified as barrister, solicitor and conveyancer at the Courts of Westminster. He reached Hobart Town in the Regalia in December 1822, was admitted to the Lieutenant-Governor's Court on 1 April 1823, and next day to the Supreme Court of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for New South Wales. In June he entered into partnership with George Cartwright, and together they acted as solicitors to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land on its formation in August. In October 1824 he applied for a land grant and, on the strength of his capital of £7500, received 1000 acres (405 ha) at Bothwell, on which to graze livestock received in payment for legal services.
When (Sir) Alfred Stephen, solicitor-general and crown solicitor, took leave of absence in 1832-33, Ross acted at first in both positions and later as crown solicitor only. He continued his private practice, until given onerous duties with the commission inquiring into the titles of land, the remuneration for which was always in arrears and poor compensation for that of his private practice. On the dismissal of Henry Emmett, Ross became clerk of the peace, confirmation of the appointment being strongly recommended by Lieutenant-Governor (Sir) George Arthur, who expressed himself very satisfied with his past services to the government. Later Ross was given the additional duties of conducting jury cases at the Quarter Sessions, until such cases were discontinued. At the suggestion of Stephen, then attorney-general, he was appointed crown solicitor at a salary of £500. Until the arrival of Herbert Jones as solicitor-general, Ross acted competently in his positions but his inability to work harmoniously with Jones brought complaints of his attitude and efficiency.
Ross was in financial difficulties in 1840. His family was increasing, his salary fell by £100 and his large residence in Hobart was sold for £1000 less than its value in the depressed colonial economy. Ross found it necessary to borrow from Crown debts which it was his responsibility to sue for, but not collect. Hoping to find more remunerative work in Port Phillip, he asked for leave, and when refused, absented himself. Not until six days after his departure was the extent of his defalcations realized. Warrants immediately sent to other colonial ports determined Ross on taking a ship for Singapore. He went from there to Batavia, and in May 1841 appeared in Western Australia, whence after some difficulty with an extradition warrant he was brought back to Hobart in custody, to the regret of the colonists who sympathized with Ross's difficulties and those of his wife and family. He was committed for trial on 8 March 1842, charged with embezzlement of £2021 belonging to the Crown. Edward Macdowell, formerly attorney-general until he too had disagreed with the solicitor-general, shattered the prosecution's case on a legal point and won a verdict of not guilty. Ross then free, sailed with one son for Sydney and New Zealand, where he set up as a lawyer in Lambton Quay, Wellington, that year. In February 1844, after a legal dispute, he mortally wounded a fellow lawyer, W. V. Brewer, in a duel. Ross served as a lieutenant in the militia during the disturbances in the North Island in 1846. In the early 1850s he retired from his legal practice and settled at Cokeley, on the Rangitikei River, where his wife died in September 1853. He died on 27 August 1869, aged 73.
Ross was twice married. Left with four small children on the death of his wife Sarah Cantrill White in 1825 aged 26, he married Anna Maria, daughter of James Boteler Wood, in 1829, and by her had four sons, three of whom survived
Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser,
17 June 1825 DIED - On Monday last, in Macquarie street, Sarah, the wife of Hugh Ross, Esq., Solicitor - We cannot avoid adding a sincere expression of our deep regret on this most unexpected and hapless event. The amiable deceased was in the bloom of life, the mother of four lovely infants, (the youngest only nine days old) and her premature departure to a better world bereaves those infants of the fondest mother, while it desolates the bosom of her affectionate husband, and deprives our enlightened female circle of a uniformly conspicuous ornament
By 1835, when he had purchased what was then a very large block of land where the Priory stands today, he was acting as Crown Solicitor for the colony and had been married again. His second wife, Anna Maria would eventually bear him a further 4 sons. His newly acquired land had a frontage on Davey St and extended down to the Sandy Bay Rivulet. The area was about 1.5 hectares. The man who he bought the land from - a Commander in the Royal Navy, Charles Colville Frankland, had built a small cottage on it. Ross set about changing it to "an elegant and spacious residence" of one storey and consisting of at least six rooms.
Sadly, by 1840, Ross found himself in financial difficulties and by December that year had been forced to advertise the property for sale. The reason given for the sale was that Ross's professional engagements required his constant residence in town. However, worse was to come for Ross. Because of the existing financial climate in the colony at the time, the house was sold for considerably less than expected and thus, a month later The Hobart Town Courier newspaper carried the following story: "A great sensation has been occasioned by the absconding of Mr Hugh Ross, the Crown Solicitor with, it is said, a considerable sum of the public money"
He was eventually caught, returned to the colony to face trial and was ultimately acquitted on a technicality. In the late 1850's the Priory was bought by a city chemist, Henry Hinsby, who added the 2nd floor. In 1864, he completed its construction by adding the attic bedrooms. The present owners have confirmed that the first floor verandah on the southern side of the building is still, - in the words of the press advertisement of more than a century and a half ago – "commanding a most delightful view of the harbour and Sandy Bay.
PISTOLS AT DAWN
Mr William Vitruvius Brewer Esq a Barrister-at-Law, died of wounds received during a pistol duel with Mr Hugh Ross Esq another Wellington lawyer, on 26 Feb 1844. A quarrel surrounding legal differences had followed Mr Brewer's loss of a case in the County Court. Mr Ross had been in court concerning an appeal made against a decision taken by Mr Arthur E. McDonogh, the Police Magistrate. The decision to resolve the dispute saw the two meet in a wooded valley in the area which was once Kumototo Street and is now Bowen Street.
When the two men faced off in Sydney St, Thorndon, Brewer fired first and sent his shot harmlessly into the air. Ross's aim and purpose appeared, however, to have been more deadly and his ball struck Mr Brewer in the groin. At the sight of Mr Brewer collapsing, apparently dead, the members of the duelling parties absconded only to return later when it was found that he was still alive.
During the first few days following the incident it was expected that Mr Brewer would survive but his condition became worse and continued to deteriorate until, on Monday, March 4th, 1844 at approximately 6pm "Mr Brewer breathed his last".
Although several people witnessed the duel, the coroner's inquest concluded that there was no proof as to who had inflicted the wound. The fact that the survivor of a duel could be charged with murder may explain the witnesses' reticence. On the other hand, perhaps it was a case of 'what happens on the duelling field stays on the duelling field.'
Brewer was no stranger to duelling. In 1840 he had 'threatened to call out the next man' who associated him with a certain young woman. Surveyor John Kelly called Brewer's bluff and was lucky to survive the resulting duel on Oneroa Beach at Kororāreka (now Russell) – part of his wig was shot away.
taken from Australian Dictionary of Biography by Hugh D. Ross ...
Hugh Cokeley Ross (1795-1869), lawyer, came of an Episcopalian family of Aberdeen, Scotland. He received his primary education at Morden Academy, Morden, Surrey, England, and later qualified as barrister, solicitor and conveyancer at the Courts of Westminster. He reached Hobart Town in the Regalia in December 1822, was admitted to the Lieutenant-Governor's Court on 1 April 1823, and next day to the Supreme Court of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for New South Wales. In June he entered into partnership with George Cartwright, and together they acted as solicitors to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land on its formation in August. In October 1824 he applied for a land grant and, on the strength of his capital of £7500, received 1000 acres (405 ha) at Bothwell, on which to graze livestock received in payment for legal services.
When (Sir) Alfred Stephen, solicitor-general and crown solicitor, took leave of absence in 1832-33, Ross acted at first in both positions and later as crown solicitor only. He continued his private practice, until given onerous duties with the commission inquiring into the titles of land, the remuneration for which was always in arrears and poor compensation for that of his private practice. On the dismissal of Henry Emmett, Ross became clerk of the peace, confirmation of the appointment being strongly recommended by Lieutenant-Governor (Sir) George Arthur, who expressed himself very satisfied with his past services to the government. Later Ross was given the additional duties of conducting jury cases at the Quarter Sessions, until such cases were discontinued. At the suggestion of Stephen, then attorney-general, he was appointed crown solicitor at a salary of £500. Until the arrival of Herbert Jones as solicitor-general, Ross acted competently in his positions but his inability to work harmoniously with Jones brought complaints of his attitude and efficiency.
Ross was in financial difficulties in 1840. His family was increasing, his salary fell by £100 and his large residence in Hobart was sold for £1000 less than its value in the depressed colonial economy. Ross found it necessary to borrow from Crown debts which it was his responsibility to sue for, but not collect. Hoping to find more remunerative work in Port Phillip, he asked for leave, and when refused, absented himself. Not until six days after his departure was the extent of his defalcations realized. Warrants immediately sent to other colonial ports determined Ross on taking a ship for Singapore. He went from there to Batavia, and in May 1841 appeared in Western Australia, whence after some difficulty with an extradition warrant he was brought back to Hobart in custody, to the regret of the colonists who sympathized with Ross's difficulties and those of his wife and family. He was committed for trial on 8 March 1842, charged with embezzlement of £2021 belonging to the Crown. Edward Macdowell, formerly attorney-general until he too had disagreed with the solicitor-general, shattered the prosecution's case on a legal point and won a verdict of not guilty. Ross then free, sailed with one son for Sydney and New Zealand, where he set up as a lawyer in Lambton Quay, Wellington, that year. In February 1844, after a legal dispute, he mortally wounded a fellow lawyer, W. V. Brewer, in a duel. Ross served as a lieutenant in the militia during the disturbances in the North Island in 1846. In the early 1850s he retired from his legal practice and settled at Cokeley, on the Rangitikei River, where his wife died in September 1853. He died on 27 August 1869, aged 73.
Ross was twice married. Left with four small children on the death of his wife Sarah Cantrill White in 1825 aged 26, he married Anna Maria, daughter of James Boteler Wood, in 1829, and by her had four sons, three of whom survived
Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser,
17 June 1825 DIED - On Monday last, in Macquarie street, Sarah, the wife of Hugh Ross, Esq., Solicitor - We cannot avoid adding a sincere expression of our deep regret on this most unexpected and hapless event. The amiable deceased was in the bloom of life, the mother of four lovely infants, (the youngest only nine days old) and her premature departure to a better world bereaves those infants of the fondest mother, while it desolates the bosom of her affectionate husband, and deprives our enlightened female circle of a uniformly conspicuous ornament
By 1835, when he had purchased what was then a very large block of land where the Priory stands today, he was acting as Crown Solicitor for the colony and had been married again. His second wife, Anna Maria would eventually bear him a further 4 sons. His newly acquired land had a frontage on Davey St and extended down to the Sandy Bay Rivulet. The area was about 1.5 hectares. The man who he bought the land from - a Commander in the Royal Navy, Charles Colville Frankland, had built a small cottage on it. Ross set about changing it to "an elegant and spacious residence" of one storey and consisting of at least six rooms.
Sadly, by 1840, Ross found himself in financial difficulties and by December that year had been forced to advertise the property for sale. The reason given for the sale was that Ross's professional engagements required his constant residence in town. However, worse was to come for Ross. Because of the existing financial climate in the colony at the time, the house was sold for considerably less than expected and thus, a month later The Hobart Town Courier newspaper carried the following story: "A great sensation has been occasioned by the absconding of Mr Hugh Ross, the Crown Solicitor with, it is said, a considerable sum of the public money"
He was eventually caught, returned to the colony to face trial and was ultimately acquitted on a technicality. In the late 1850's the Priory was bought by a city chemist, Henry Hinsby, who added the 2nd floor. In 1864, he completed its construction by adding the attic bedrooms. The present owners have confirmed that the first floor verandah on the southern side of the building is still, - in the words of the press advertisement of more than a century and a half ago – "commanding a most delightful view of the harbour and Sandy Bay.
PISTOLS AT DAWN
Mr William Vitruvius Brewer Esq a Barrister-at-Law, died of wounds received during a pistol duel with Mr Hugh Ross Esq another Wellington lawyer, on 26 Feb 1844. A quarrel surrounding legal differences had followed Mr Brewer's loss of a case in the County Court. Mr Ross had been in court concerning an appeal made against a decision taken by Mr Arthur E. McDonogh, the Police Magistrate. The decision to resolve the dispute saw the two meet in a wooded valley in the area which was once Kumototo Street and is now Bowen Street.
When the two men faced off in Sydney St, Thorndon, Brewer fired first and sent his shot harmlessly into the air. Ross's aim and purpose appeared, however, to have been more deadly and his ball struck Mr Brewer in the groin. At the sight of Mr Brewer collapsing, apparently dead, the members of the duelling parties absconded only to return later when it was found that he was still alive.
During the first few days following the incident it was expected that Mr Brewer would survive but his condition became worse and continued to deteriorate until, on Monday, March 4th, 1844 at approximately 6pm "Mr Brewer breathed his last".
Although several people witnessed the duel, the coroner's inquest concluded that there was no proof as to who had inflicted the wound. The fact that the survivor of a duel could be charged with murder may explain the witnesses' reticence. On the other hand, perhaps it was a case of 'what happens on the duelling field stays on the duelling field.'
Brewer was no stranger to duelling. In 1840 he had 'threatened to call out the next man' who associated him with a certain young woman. Surveyor John Kelly called Brewer's bluff and was lucky to survive the resulting duel on Oneroa Beach at Kororāreka (now Russell) – part of his wig was shot away.
Hugh Cokeley Ross (1795-1869), lawyer, came of an Episcopalian family of Aberdeen, Scotland. He received his primary education at Morden Academy, Morden, Surrey, England, and later qualified as barrister, solicitor and conveyancer at the Courts of Westminster. He reached Hobart Town in the Regalia in December 1822, was admitted to the Lieutenant-Governor's Court on 1 April 1823, and next day to the Supreme Court of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for New South Wales. In June he entered into partnership with George Cartwright, and together they acted as solicitors to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land on its formation in August. In October 1824 he applied for a land grant and, on the strength of his capital of £7500, received 1000 acres (405 ha) at Bothwell, on which to graze livestock received in payment for legal services.
When (Sir) Alfred Stephen, solicitor-general and crown solicitor, took leave of absence in 1832-33, Ross acted at first in both positions and later as crown solicitor only. He continued his private practice, until given onerous duties with the commission inquiring into the titles of land, the remuneration for which was always in arrears and poor compensation for that of his private practice. On the dismissal of Henry Emmett, Ross became clerk of the peace, confirmation of the appointment being strongly recommended by Lieutenant-Governor (Sir) George Arthur, who expressed himself very satisfied with his past services to the government. Later Ross was given the additional duties of conducting jury cases at the Quarter Sessions, until such cases were discontinued. At the suggestion of Stephen, then attorney-general, he was appointed crown solicitor at a salary of £500. Until the arrival of Herbert Jones as solicitor-general, Ross acted competently in his positions but his inability to work harmoniously with Jones brought complaints of his attitude and efficiency.
Ross was in financial difficulties in 1840. His family was increasing, his salary fell by £100 and his large residence in Hobart was sold for £1000 less than its value in the depressed colonial economy. Ross found it necessary to borrow from Crown debts which it was his responsibility to sue for, but not collect. Hoping to find more remunerative work in Port Phillip, he asked for leave, and when refused, absented himself. Not until six days after his departure was the extent of his defalcations realized. Warrants immediately sent to other colonial ports determined Ross on taking a ship for Singapore. He went from there to Batavia, and in May 1841 appeared in Western Australia, whence after some difficulty with an extradition warrant he was brought back to Hobart in custody, to the regret of the colonists who sympathized with Ross's difficulties and those of his wife and family. He was committed for trial on 8 March 1842, charged with embezzlement of £2021 belonging to the Crown. Edward Macdowell, formerly attorney-general until he too had disagreed with the solicitor-general, shattered the prosecution's case on a legal point and won a verdict of not guilty. Ross then free, sailed with one son for Sydney and New Zealand, where he set up as a lawyer in Lambton Quay, Wellington, that year. In February 1844, after a legal dispute, he mortally wounded a fellow lawyer, W. V. Brewer, in a duel. Ross served as a lieutenant in the militia during the disturbances in the North Island in 1846. In the early 1850s he retired from his legal practice and settled at Cokeley, on the Rangitikei River, where his wife died in September 1853. He died on 27 August 1869, aged 73.
Ross was twice married. Left with four small children on the death of his wife Sarah Cantrill White in 1825 aged 26, he married Anna Maria, daughter of James Boteler Wood, in 1829, and by her had four sons, three of whom survived
Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser,
17 June 1825 DIED - On Monday last, in Macquarie street, Sarah, the wife of Hugh Ross, Esq., Solicitor - We cannot avoid adding a sincere expression of our deep regret on this most unexpected and hapless event. The amiable deceased was in the bloom of life, the mother of four lovely infants, (the youngest only nine days old) and her premature departure to a better world bereaves those infants of the fondest mother, while it desolates the bosom of her affectionate husband, and deprives our enlightened female circle of a uniformly conspicuous ornament
By 1835, when he had purchased what was then a very large block of land where the Priory stands today, he was acting as Crown Solicitor for the colony and had been married again. His second wife, Anna Maria would eventually bear him a further 4 sons. His newly acquired land had a frontage on Davey St and extended down to the Sandy Bay Rivulet. The area was about 1.5 hectares. The man who he bought the land from - a Commander in the Royal Navy, Charles Colville Frankland, had built a small cottage on it. Ross set about changing it to "an elegant and spacious residence" of one storey and consisting of at least six rooms.
Sadly, by 1840, Ross found himself in financial difficulties and by December that year had been forced to advertise the property for sale. The reason given for the sale was that Ross's professional engagements required his constant residence in town. However, worse was to come for Ross. Because of the existing financial climate in the colony at the time, the house was sold for considerably less than expected and thus, a month later The Hobart Town Courier newspaper carried the following story: "A great sensation has been occasioned by the absconding of Mr Hugh Ross, the Crown Solicitor with, it is said, a considerable sum of the public money"
He was eventually caught, returned to the colony to face trial and was ultimately acquitted on a technicality. In the late 1850's the Priory was bought by a city chemist, Henry Hinsby, who added the 2nd floor. In 1864, he completed its construction by adding the attic bedrooms. The present owners have confirmed that the first floor verandah on the southern side of the building is still, - in the words of the press advertisement of more than a century and a half ago – "commanding a most delightful view of the harbour and Sandy Bay.
PISTOLS AT DAWN
Mr William Vitruvius Brewer Esq a Barrister-at-Law, died of wounds received during a pistol duel with Mr Hugh Ross Esq another Wellington lawyer, on 26 Feb 1844. A quarrel surrounding legal differences had followed Mr Brewer's loss of a case in the County Court. Mr Ross had been in court concerning an appeal made against a decision taken by Mr Arthur E. McDonogh, the Police Magistrate. The decision to resolve the dispute saw the two meet in a wooded valley in the area which was once Kumototo Street and is now Bowen Street.
When the two men faced off in Sydney St, Thorndon, Brewer fired first and sent his shot harmlessly into the air. Ross's aim and purpose appeared, however, to have been more deadly and his ball struck Mr Brewer in the groin. At the sight of Mr Brewer collapsing, apparently dead, the members of the duelling parties absconded only to return later when it was found that he was still alive.
During the first few days following the incident it was expected that Mr Brewer would survive but his condition became worse and continued to deteriorate until, on Monday, March 4th, 1844 at approximately 6pm "Mr Brewer breathed his last".
Although several people witnessed the duel, the coroner's inquest concluded that there was no proof as to who had inflicted the wound. The fact that the survivor of a duel could be charged with murder may explain the witnesses' reticence. On the other hand, perhaps it was a case of 'what happens on the duelling field stays on the duelling field.'
Brewer was no stranger to duelling. In 1840 he had 'threatened to call out the next man' who associated him with a certain young woman. Surveyor John Kelly called Brewer's bluff and was lucky to survive the resulting duel on Oneroa Beach at Kororāreka (now Russell) – part of his wig was shot away.
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