FL14369291

Rowland Hassall (1768-1820)
For many years this picture has been assumed to be that of Rowland Hassall. Attempts to find a more positive identification have so far proved fruitless. This picture appears in Gunson, Niel, Messengers Of Grace, Evangelical Missionaries in the South Seas 1797-1860, and its source is given as coming from the Council for World Mission Archives in London.
Rowland Hassall was born on 31 Mar 1768 at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, the son of James Hassall and his wife, Elizabeth nee Whitmore. The family lived at Bablake and St. John's was their parish church. There is a suggestion that the family lived in Spon Street, Coventry which still has a number of medieval houses in it, and which was the centre of the ribbon weaving and dyeing industry. Rowland Hassall's parents were married at St. John's, Bablake on 2 May 1757. James Hassall remained in Bablake after his wife died it was reported to his family in New South Wales that he remained in good health in 1800 and later in 1803. Their children were as far as can be ascertained:
1. Ralph Hassall, a flaxdresser, who was baptisted at St. John's Bablake, Coventry on 10 July 1759 and who perhaps married twice, first to Rachel Reeves on 4 April 1771 at Bickhenhill and had a daughter Ann, born on 24 May 1774, who married Tom Allen, a weaver. Secondly he married on 13 January 1776, Sarah Loxley.
2. James Hassall was baptisted on 13 October 1760 and became a soldier. He married Sarah Claridge on 15 September 1787 at St John's, Coventry and they had a large number of children baptised at the West Orchard Congregational Church: James baptised on 25 June 1789, Sarah, William, Thomas who died young, Joseph, Samuel baptised on 17 June 1799, a second Thomas who also died young, John and Ann baptised on 15 June 1806. It is clear that James Hassall was in financial difficulties in August 1804 when he wrote to Rowland Hassall. He said that though he had ten looms his family would have starved during the Napoleonic War because their was no work and food was very dear. He had been at Colchester Barracks while his family had stayed in Coventry where his wife received "12 shilling per week from the County." He became ill and a lung complaint caused him to be discharged from the army. He then attempted