FL14369595

"When I entered the Ministry in the Ch. of England I expected to be maintained under her care such has not been the case and I have consequently suffered much unhappiness and detriment. I have --- those private means which I feel should have been received for the education of my family to supply the deficiencies --- and I regret to say I see no means of sending one boy, much less four to a public school, or placing them in that station of life to which it would appear God desires them to be called. If the Ch Of England is unfaithful to her Ministers which I maintain she is, then we must either withdraw from her... or as St Paul, labour with our own hands to supply what is lacking. I for one, my Lord, am ready conscientiously to do anything reasonably to maintain my position as a Xtian Minister... Then I cannot become a drone I should resign my all. I have always looked beyond my clerical remuneration for a maintenance and I regret to say I must do so still.

This threat to resign brought a reply from the bishop:

"while I cannot but feel much regret that your Parishioners should not have fulfilled the promised which appears to have been made in 1861 of £100 per annum as a supplement to your Governement stipend. I cannot recommend your resignation of the care of Berrima upon this ground.
I certainly think the people have shown much apathy and indifference to the comfort of their Clergymen but may it not be hoped that any application to them and representation of the case may produce some better result?"

It is doubtful that the parishioners produced much more income but Hassall remained at Berrima for another ten years.

James Hassall went to Queensland at least twice in the 1860s and he and his brothers, George and Charles, bought a property referred to as "The Flinders: which must have been somewhere on the Flinders River in the Gulf Country. This was not successful venture and worsened the financial problems of which he often wrote. In 1863 he bought 4000 sheep from Archer & Co. for himself and his brothers but whether that was for the Flinders station or another enterprise near Rockhampton is not clear. He was granted leave for two months in January 1966 to go to Rockhampton and then to the Gulf country to rid himself of his share in the enterprise, although he was still strying to sell it in 1868. While he was in Queensland on a later visit in February 1867 a notice appeared in the Queensland Government Gazette which indicated that James Hassall was travelling in the districts of Kennedy and Burke in the Gulf country and that he was then registered as a Minister of Religion for the celebration of marriages in Queensland. He must have applied to carry out such a function while he was trying to find a solution to the difficulties his brother had placed him in. James Hassall tried, as did other members of his family, to help his brothers, both of whom had a drink problem, never settled to any occupation, trying in turn gold mining, droving and farming, and never married.