A man at the very centre of death
It was the feature in last Sunday's Sydney Morning Herald about an upcoming talk by Elliot Lindsay at Woollahra Hotel about Murder and Mayhem in the eastern suburbs of Sydney in 19th Century that made me recall a man at the very centre of the end of these people’s lives. This talk is one of the first of a packed National Trust's Heritage Festival to be held over the next month and there are many walks, talks and exhibitions available; more on that later as I introduce you to a prominent but largely forgotten member of Sydney Society. HENRY SHIELL Henry was born on 10 August 1826 on the island of Montserrat, in the West Indies, the son of James Phipps Shiell and his wife Elizabeth. James Shiell was the Comptroller of Customs for Montserrat and died when Henry was seven years of age. The family had owned sugar plantations and slaves from the early 1700's and after the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act, Henry's grandfather, Queely Shiell, received a vast sum in co...