1812, April 6th - 10pm - the people of the fortress village of Badajoz, southwestern Spain, 10kms from the Portugal border, are preparing for sleep, when the sound of thundering canon and gunshot echoed through the bastion - this was the beginning - Duke of Wellington’s 3rd Siege of Badajoz one of his Peninsular War efforts to drive Napoléon from Spain.

When dawn broke, the horror of the slaughter revealed. 5,000+ bodies and wounded men piled high, blood flowing like rivers. This 8-hour battle was the bloodiest and most shameful for the Duke and it was here at this dawn that the stoic Wellington wept, uttering the words “our losses fell most heavily on the best and the bravest”.

The story of our connection to this Siege begins….

In the Matakana Cemetery a grey granite headstone is dedicated to the memory of Robert Jocelyn Phillips of “Somerville Farm” Whitmore Road at Bishops Corner, Lower Matakana. Remembered here after losing his life from “dysentery”, an infection of the intestines, on 29th of June 1871, he was 49 years old. Originally buried on the family farm and reinterred at the Matakana Cemetery in 1911 when the Phillip’s farm was sold . He was mourned by his wife Emma Jane (nee Bellingham) and his children William Henry and Lucy.

Robert Jocelyn Phillips Junior - Photo taken Dublin c1859

A descendent of Lord Jocelyn, Chancellor of Ireland 1739-1756, Robert Jocelyn Phillips (Junior) was born in 1822 at Somerville Castle, County Cavan, Ireland, approximately 100kms northwest of Dublin. Robert’s father Robert Jocelyn Phillips (Senior) is our connection to the 3rd Siege of Badajoz. A career soldier with the 27th (Inniskilling) Foot Regiment with rank of Ensign his responsibility during the siege was to hold the regimental colours (flag). He was one of Wellington’s best and bravest. During the siege he was wounded on the right shoulder and consequently his arm was amputated.

The connection to this Soldier and battle lives on in tangible items, in 1969 the great granddaughter of Robert Senior, Lucy Phillips (William Henry’s daughter), donated family items including china, portraits and Robert Seniors battle Sword to the Auckland Museum. Our connection is now physical and touchable.

Robert Senior marries in 1815 and has several children, Thomas, Grace, Robert and William. It was in 1840 at the age of 18 that Robert Jnr decided to leave his beloved homeland and try his luck in Australia. The reasons for this decision are unknown, however if you examine the context of this decision the reasons become clearer.

After the Irish Rebellion of 1798 the Acts of Union was passed in 1800 creating the United Kingdom - Ireland and England as one. Within a few years’ Irishmen were called to fight English wars in Spain and at Waterloo and by the 1830’s under the harsh hand of the English, Ireland had fallen into poverty, religious division, and rural unrest. All precursors to the potato crop failure in the 1840’s and the resulting 1+ million deaths (12.5% of the population) during this Great Famine.

Robert’s Brother, Thomas was a Ships Surgeon and maybe he brought home tales of success and wealth in foreign lands. Consequently, on October 6th, 1840, together they took passage on the “Conrad” bound for Sydney, Australia, arriving January 31st 1841. Of note is that also on board are the Bellingham Family from Kent, England - Francis, his second wife Julia and 5 daughters, including Elizabeth and Emma Jane. We do not know what work Robert performed in Australia, however his brother Thomas continued to travel on the immigrant ships as a Surgeon and in 1844 married Elizabeth Bellingham in Sydney.

However, tragedy struck and in May 1850 Thomas suddenly died of Rapid Consumption 2 months before the birth of his 2nd child. Both of their children died in infancy and are buried with their father at the Camperdown Cemetery, Sydney, Australia. The 12 years Robert spent in Sydney are currently a mystery. However, our research finds him in San Francisco in May 1852, when he marries Emma Jane Bellingham in the Grace Church on the 30th of May, Robert is 30 and Emma Jane 31.

From San Francisco they return to Dublin, we presume to attend to Robert’s elderly parents. Robert Senior now Retired Captain Barrack-Master of the Dundalk Barracks a position he held for over 33 years is living in Springfield Cottage, Dublin. Robert Junior and Emma Jane settled in Dublin and in 1855 their son William Henry Phillips is born followed by daughter Lucy in 1856.

In 1861 after the death of his parents Robert and Emma packed up their household including a piano and left for New Zealand on the 232-ton brigantine Tawera, arriving in Auckland on 16 July 1861. In 1869 they purchase Lot 11 in Matakana and settle into farming life. William Henry (14 years old) is helping on the farm and Lucy (13) is attending the Matakana School. Of comfort to the family would have been that William Buchanan from Tyrone, Northern Ireland is their neighbour.

Lucy Phillips & William Henry Phillips - portrait taken c1859, Dublin, Ireland.

Robert is active in the community and Emma Jane operates a school for girls from the family house. Then in June 1871 at the age of 49 he falls ill with “dysentery” and dies. He is buried on the farm and his 16-year-old son William takes over and farms the land for the next 40 years until 1911 when the farm is sold. Robert’s daughter Lucy passes away from illness in 1878 and that’s another interesting story, for later.

Emma Jane dies in 1887 and is also buried on the farm. In 1911 just prior to the sale of the farm Robert and Emma Jane are reinterred at the Matakana Cemetery and in 1971 a new gravestone is installed paid for by their Grand-daughter Lucy Phillips, as stated in her will. Robert's son William Henry marries Susan Snell and their descendants still live in the district.

----ooo0ooo----

For the past 5 months I have been held in the grip of Robert Jocelyn Phillips Jnr and my efforts to reveal his life has led me into unknown places -

- The Irish Troubles and the role played by the English

- The Peninsular Wars & Waterloo

- The life and times of the Duke of Wellington & Napoleon

I may never be free of Robert, and I will always remember him. Rest in Peace young man.

References:

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, February 4). Siege of Badajoz (1812). In Wikipedia Retrieved July 23, 2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Badajoz_(1812)

Muir, R (2013). Wellington: The Path to Victory, 1769-1814. Annie Burr Lewis Fund. Retrieved July 31, 2

https://www.lifeofwellington.co.uk/.../chapter-27.../

“The Exploits of Ensign Bakewell Ms: With the Inniskilling in the Peninsula, (1810-11; and in Paris 1815)” edited by Ian Robertson 2012. Frontline Books.