Franklin Village - Tasmania

FRANKLIN VILLAGE (LONG MEADOWS)

Franklin Village is a small township approximately 8 kilometers south of Launceston, these days it is almost an outer suburb. In days gone by it was on the main highway between Launceston and Hobart and was originally known as Long Meadows. It was also referred to as part of the Patterson Plains district.

The township consisted of Franklin House, St James Church directly opposite Franklin House, four inns, Franklin Hall, Greycliffe home of Mr. Britton Jones, Kerry Lodge farm, surrounding rural land and the convict built bridge Kerry Lodge. The land for Franklin Village Chapel (now St. James) and the attached cemetery at Franklin Village was donated by Richard Chugg and Britton Jones and was opened in time for the Christmas services in 1848.

The Anglican Church at Franklin Village today is called St James and was opened on 15 April 1845. The Reverend Alfred Stackhouse performed the services in this parish (which included Perth and Breadalbane) for 18 years.

FRANKLIN VILLAGE TRAIL

This sketch map of the area entitled " A Journey of Historical Interest " was drawn in October 1961 as part of the publicity surrounding the opening of Franklin House by the Trust.

FRANKLIN HOUSE (1838)
 

Franklin House 1960

Built by former convict and successful businessman Britton Jones, Franklin House is notable for its rich use of imported Australian Red Cedar. Extended to accommodate one of the colony's leading private schools which operated there from 1842 until 1866 the house finally became the birthplace of the National Trust in Tasmania in 1960.

Franklin House survives with house, stables and garden and is owned and managed by the National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) today. It is the founding house for the National Trust in Tasmania.

Franklin House (front)

Franklin House (rear)

THE HAWKES FAMILY AT FRANKLIN HOUSE 1842 – 1888

William Keeler Hawkes married Martha Green probably in 1833 in England. Martha and William Keeler arrived in Tasmania 6 April 1842 on the “Indian”. Within two months William Keeler had leased Franklin House from Britton Jones, added a classroom and opened The Classical and Commercial School. He purchased the house and six acres of land six years later.

Martha Hawkes 1808 - 1886	William Keeler Hawkes 1805 – 1882

The school had often more than twenty students attending through the 1840’s and 1850’s. Six sons of Matthias Gaunt, Hesketh Henty and Frank Lord were most probably the foundation scholars. The school was last mentioned in Walch’s Almanac in 1866 giving it a life of about 24 years. Charges were 45 guineas a year. Both Martha and William were teachers. Most accounts agree that William Keeler Hawkes was a great disciplinarian with a liking for vigorous corporal punishment.

Click here for the student roll 1842-1857 page 1 page 2 page 3

'Launceston Advertiser' 29 August 1839

Franklin Village community was young when William Keeler Hawkes became involved with the Dorset and Breadalbane Road Trustees, the Breadalbane School Board and the Board of Works. He was a Justice of the Peace in 1859. Theodore Bartley from Kerry Lodge sent his sons and nephew to Mr Hawke’s school. In 1844 Britton Jones was the owner of Franklin House. In that year Mrs Hawkes anxious to start a Sunday School in the village approached Britton Jones, their ‘landlord’ for assistance in erecting a suitable building. Although living in the village for some two years she had barely been beyond her gate except to go to church and did not know Jones. “He lives at a Public House just by, he has a good deal of land round here but is of low connection and has been a prisoner…..he would scarcely believe it could be Mrs Hawkes who wished to see him as I had never spoken to and did not know him even by sight In the event Jones donated the land and a sum of money for the immediate erection of a small cottage which could be uses as a Sunday School and for worship pending the erection of a more permanent building. Mrs Bishop of Invermay was reported in 1960 to have been a maid to the Hawke’s family first going to the house at the age of 13 about 1878.

ST JAMES CHURCH
 

St James Anglican Church, Hobart Road, Franklin Village

Built in 1845 St James Church, originally known as Franklin Village Chapel, is on the Register of the Tasmanian Heritage Council which describes it in these terms. This is a primitive Gothic church, cruciform on plan with a side narthex with vestry opposite. It is rendered brick building with a gabled roof with simple square parapets at the ends.

The southern gable apex has a small bell-tower corbelled out from the wall. The narthex has a semi-circular headed doorway with hood moulding. It has four Gothic arched windows, two stained, connected by a string course.

St James Church and Franklin House opposite (the latter built in 1838) remain as remnants of an important early colonial village. Together they form essential heritage elements of Franklin Village and reminders of its significant historical past.

From the early 1800s Long Meadow (Franklin Village from 1837) had become a thriving colonial settlement and there was a demand for a place of worship to serve the spiritual needs of the local population and of the boys who attended Mr Hawkes’ Classical and Commercial School (established in 1842 and situated opposite where St James Church now stands).

The first, newly-elected Bishop of Tasmania, Francis Nixon who had arrived in the colony in 1843, agreed to a request for a regular Sunday service provided that there was a suitable place for the conduct of church services.

On 13 October 1844 Bishop Nixon travelled North and met with the Rural Dean, the Rev. R. R. Davies of Longford. Together they planned ten new churches, the first to be built at Franklin Village.

An acre of land was given by Mr Britton Jones, licensee of the Sir William Wallace Inn, and Richard Chugg for “a school and for the celebration of Divine Worship according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the United Church of England and Ireland and for a place of burial”. Funds for the erection of the church were raised by Schoolmaster Mr William Keeler Hawkes and Mr John Smith of nearby Marchington. A further sum of money was contributed from England by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. On 12 October 1844 the Bishop laid the foundation stone in the presence of the Rural Dean, a number of clergymen and 300 people.

The building was opened on 15 April 1845, just six months after the laying of the foundation stone. The Bishop was presented with a petition from the residents requesting His Lordship to open the building by licence. The licence was read – prayers were said and the Bishop delivered a sermon based on the text. “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” Following the opening the land was consecrated as a burial ground but the church, then known as Franklin Village Chapel, was not consecrated.

The first rector was the Rev. Alfred Stackhouse of Perth. At various times the chapel become attached to the parishes of St Leonards and St Johns until 1952 when the chapel was consecrated as St James Church in 1926, was incorporated in to the newly-established Parish of Launceston South, which comprises St Mark on the Hill, The Church of the Good Shepherd at Hadspen and St James at Franklin Village.

During the years St James has faithfully served the spiritual needs of the families of the districts of Relbia, Breadalbane, Youngtown and Franklin Village.

Memorials

Within the Church there are memorials which reflect the part the Church has played in the district. There is a Roll of Honour of the 1914-1918 War with names from Youngtown, Franklin Village, Breadalbane, Relbia and Kings Meadows on it. Over the altar is a stained-glass window "The Ascension" in memory of Marion Grubb and another window in the Eastern wall "Suffer the Little Children" is in memory of Frank Beaumont Grubb. A marble plaque on the Eastern wall is in loving memory of Mary Anne Hughes. In 1965 a memorial plaque was erected to the memory of Mr. and Mrs. I. C. Filleul who were in charge for thirty-one years of the Northern Tasmanian Children’s Home located at Glenara nearby

Headstones in the graveyard include the names of many of the pioneer families of the district such as Smith, Bartley, Genders, Hawkes, Gardner, Leupolt, Jacobson, Webber, Hills and Johnston. Church services

Services are held at St James Church each Sunday at 11.00 a.m. Special services (Baptisms, Weddings and Funeral Services) may be conducted by arrangement. Inquiries should be directed to the Anglican Parish of Launceston South. Telephone (03) 63441256.

Click here for the St James background & conservation leaflet

TALLENTYRE
 

Tallentyre, once the Sir William Wallace Inn, Hobart Road, Franklin Village (now demolished)

The Sir William Wallace Inn was built at Franklin Village in 1843, then run by Richard Chugg. This inn was attached to Mr. Chugg’s 800 acre property in a paddock back from the main Hobart road. Later the inn and property became the Tallentyre estate, the home of Fred Grubb and his wife until it was demolished.

FRANKLIN VILLAGE HALL
 

Letter from Charlotte Hawkes to John William Hawkes (14th August 1886)

“My dear Nephew John……my room is snug free from the cold air and one of the best rooms in the House. I have not been down stairs yet – as they try my “Heart” so I had better leave well alone – I have the Windows open when not too cold and damp – now the weather is so wet, continual rain in Torrents the rivers are all Flooded. All the Longford Bridges under water but the Railway one that is built high and out of the power of any Flood – James Cox has lost 700 to 800 sheep and a Mr Kidd, a great many good Sheep and some to lamb – they have been going down the Cataract – only a fine day on Thursday the 12th – yesterday partial – but a fine Evening for the Opening of the Franklin Hall.

The new building your Aunt Hawkes has taken so much interest in which is erected just at the Corner of the two roads, a piece of Fisher’s Land, it’s a nice respectable building, cost about 150 pounds – a large share of which she has contributed herself, the Garden money chiefly.

The Green’s, Mrs Horton and some others have given freely and Mrs W. Gibson Junior of Scone. It was opened with a concert, the St Leonard’s Bears Band volunteered to come out to play which they did, and several amateur musical performers and singers – Mr Edgell recited 2 pieces of Dickens – he is very clever at Comedy – and keeps the people in fits of laughter – an omnibus came from Town for the occasion so that the people came high and dry and the weather was uncertain, fortunately the Hall was nearly full and 7 pounds taken at the doors, 1/- being the charge for admission.

All the young people about the “Genders” Fletchers, Charles Grubbs are much interested and pleased with their entertainment, which went off first rate. The Band men were regaled with ham sandwiches, Victoria cake, Plain do. and coffee, so that they might return home rejoicing.

It is not strange that your Aunt has taken in the erection of this building that she was not well enough to go. She has had such a restlessness come over her for the last fortnight that she cannot rest any time without changing her seat.”

Martha Hawkes died 19th August 1886 at midnight.

GREYCLIFFE
 

Mr Britton Jones residence Greycliffe, 513 Hobart Road, Franklin Village

Greycliffe, originally built in 1832 for Mr. Britton Jones and his wife Sophia Kirk is a well preserved early house, which although extended over the years, contributes to the streetscape of Franklin Village. The house is a one and a half storey stuccoed brick Gothic Revival style building which was enlarged in 1864 with twin bedroom attic rooms.

In the 1870s the house was known as Lyndhurst where Mrs James conducted a girls' school with boarding facilities. Today it is a private residence.

KERRY LODGE BRIDGE
 

Kerry Lodge Bridge, Hobart Road, Franklin Village (1835)

(Also known as Strathroy Bridge over Jingler’s Creek) A fine stone bridge built by convict labour in 1835 as the earliest major bridge on the Midlands Highway. The bridge is still in operation today.

Kerry Lodge Bridge adopts the name from the nearby property where Theodore and Hannah Bartley, the parents of sixteen children, lived. In 1830 Bartley sold a farm of 200 acres at Kerry Lodge to Lieutenant William Kenworthy, the Inspector of Public Works at Launceston, who later became concerned in the building of the bridge.

Sketch elevation of Kerry Lodge Bridge (State Archives of Tasmania)

Joshua Higgs - 'Strathroy Bridge' c1885 (QVMAG collection)

Kerry Lodge house was demolished and the property now forms part of Strathroy.

"Kerry Lodge Bridge, also known as Strathroy Bridge and Jinglers Creek Bridge, is located on the former Midland Highway, some six miles (9.6 kilometers) just south of Launceston. The bridge was authorised by Lieutenant Governor Arthur, with work commencing in 1834. Lieutenant William Kenworthy was in charge on site, with John Lee Archer in overall charge in Hobart. Archer was also responsible for designing the magnificent Ross Bridge. "§

§ Reference: Kerry Lodge Bridge, Tasmania - OZpedia

"This bridge and causeway of bluestone masonry stands some six miles south of Launceston, its high single barrel vault across a deep gully. The massive facades are decorated with a colonnade of narrow pilasters, string courses and relief panels in the parapet walls. The copings are of random rough stones set on edge, unusual in Tasmania and particularly curious because at the time the bridge was built it was intended to have moulded freestone copings.

Construction 1834-35 was supervised by Kenworthy. Coincidentally, Kenworthy had purchased Kerry Lodge Farm four years previously. After an initial delay in consideration of tenders for the supply of lime, work was under way in February 1834 and by October correspondence was entered into about the provision of freestone for the coping of the parapet walls, a plan which did not materialize. "The Blue Book for 1835 stated that the Kerry Lodge Bridge was finished: "This convict built bridge has been completed and a Stone Coping has been put on the parapet walls. The expense of convict labour performed amounts to 19 pounds no shillings and 4 pence and the further sum of one hundred and nine pounds seventeen shillings has been paid for stone lime and cartage." "The bridge still stands with its rough stone copings. " †

† Reference: Convicts And Carriageways. Tasmanian Road Development Until 1880. Newitt, L. Jones, A (Ed). Dept Main Roads Tasmania