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Andrew Geils
Colonel Andrew Geils (c. 1773 – 11 February 1843) was a military officer of British (Scottish) heritage, who served as Commandant (acting governor) of Van Diemen's Land (subsequently Tasmania) between 1812 and 1813; prior to that time he served in Madras, India, and subsequently spent 2 years with his regiment in Ceylon. In around 1818, having failed in an aspiration to the Lieutenant-Governorship of Tasmania when the latter was due to became vacant in 1818, he returned to Scotland where in 1815 he had inherited one of his father's properties, Dumbuck Estate in West Dunbartonshire, and where he resided until his death in 1843. The Hobart suburb of Geilston Bay in Tasmania is named after his one time (1812–1832) land holdings in the area.
Geils was "probably" born in India around 1773, the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Thomas Geils, born Greenock, Scotland, who was in command of the Madras artillery of the East India Company. Andrew joined his father's regiment in 1790, passing through several other regiments to attain the rank of major in the 73rd Regiment of Foot by 1808. By 1810 Geils was in England with his wife Mary (née Noble) and, together with their 2 daughters Hannah (b. c.1797 and Mary, b. c.1798) and 4 sons Thomas (b. c.1802), William Noble (b. c.1805), Andrew (b. c.1807) and Alexander McGregor Murray (b. c.1808) set sail for Australia in charge of the guard of a convict transport ship, the "Providence", which arrived in Sydney in July 1811.
Initially enjoying the patronage of Australian Governor Lachlan Macquarie, in 1812 he was appointed the third Commandant (acting Governor) of Van Diemen's Land, his predecessors in that role being Lieutenant Edward Lord and Captain J. Murray, his appointment terminating with the appointment of the new Governor Thomas Davey in 1813. Many official exchanges between Geils and Macquarie (mainly responses by the latter to reports and requests by the former, but also including Macquarie's official letter of instruction to Geils) over that interval have been preserved, and can be read via the published "Historical Records of Australia Series III" which deals with "Despatches and Papers Relating to the Settlement of the States" including Tasmania, 1803—June, 1812 (Volume 1) and Tasmania, July, 1812—December, 1819 (Volume 2).
Macquarie, however, was less than impressed with Geils' conduct while in office, reprimanding Geils for "excessive withdrawals from the Police Fund" and later having taken large quantities of spirits, grain, sugar and hardware from the Government store without authorisation, and also using the services of a large number of convicts for his own benefit, again without authorisation, such that Geils' expressed desire for a subsequent lieutenant-governorship was refused.
The compiler of the 1921 Volume 3 part 2 of "Historical Records of Australia" left no doubt as to his and/or history's verdict regarding Geils' time as administrator, writing:
Geils was quite unfit to be an administrator, and Governor Macquarie stated that, "in the exercise of his temporary power, he displayed not only a sordid, mean and covetous disposition, but, in many instances, shewed himself also venal and corrupt." ... Before Governor Macquarie was aware of his misappropriations of government property, Geils had made most preposterous requests. He asked for a grant of three thousand acres with a liberal proportion of cattle from the government herds for his six children; and he sought permission to purchase the government house at Hobart town. Governor Macquarie naturally refused these requests, but he offered Mrs. Geils a grant of twelve hundred acres with twelve cows and four working oxen from the government herds on the usual terms of three years' credit. ... there is little worthy of historical note except the unbridled prevalence of bushranging, and the arrival, on the 9th of October, 1812, of the Indefatigable, the first ship to carry convicts from England to Tasmania. The union of the administrations caused little evident changes, and Geils was too preoccupied with personal aims to be concerned with the administration of the settlements at Port Dalrymple under major G. A. Gordon as commandant. After lieut.-governor Davey assumed the government, Geils sailed from the Derwent in the brig Active on the 14th of January, 1814.
During his brief period of residence in Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania, Geils purchased a number of properties including "Restdown" at Risdon Cove, which he was apparently provisioning for his own occupation, and also, land on the Derwent River 3 miles upstream from Hobart Town which became known as "Geils Town", although during Geils' ownership it appear to have been mainly the site of a farm of the same name; the latter name, morphed into "Geilston", subsequently became used (as "Geilston Bay") for both the inlet itself and the locality (eventually a suburb) that occupied the area.
One other event of significance for the family during this period was the birth of the couple's fifth son, John Edward, born 6th April 1813 and baptised on 13 June at Hobart Town. On account of a tragic accident as detailed below, John Edward was to be the eldest surviving son at the time of Andrew's death in 1843, and would thus inherit his father's subsequent estate in Scotland.
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Andrew Geils
Colonel Andrew Geils (c. 1773 – 11 February 1843) was a military officer of British (Scottish) heritage, who served as Commandant (acting governor) of Van Diemen's Land (subsequently Tasmania) between 1812 and 1813; prior to that time he served in Madras, India, and subsequently spent 2 years with his regiment in Ceylon. In around 1818, having failed in an aspiration to the Lieutenant-Governorship of Tasmania when the latter was due to became vacant in 1818, he returned to Scotland where in 1815 he had inherited one of his father's properties, Dumbuck Estate in West Dunbartonshire, and where he resided until his death in 1843. The Hobart suburb of Geilston Bay in Tasmania is named after his one time (1812–1832) land holdings in the area.
Geils was "probably" born in India around 1773, the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Thomas Geils, born Greenock, Scotland, who was in command of the Madras artillery of the East India Company. Andrew joined his father's regiment in 1790, passing through several other regiments to attain the rank of major in the 73rd Regiment of Foot by 1808. By 1810 Geils was in England with his wife Mary (née Noble) and, together with their 2 daughters Hannah (b. c.1797 and Mary, b. c.1798) and 4 sons Thomas (b. c.1802), William Noble (b. c.1805), Andrew (b. c.1807) and Alexander McGregor Murray (b. c.1808) set sail for Australia in charge of the guard of a convict transport ship, the "Providence", which arrived in Sydney in July 1811.
Initially enjoying the patronage of Australian Governor Lachlan Macquarie, in 1812 he was appointed the third Commandant (acting Governor) of Van Diemen's Land, his predecessors in that role being Lieutenant Edward Lord and Captain J. Murray, his appointment terminating with the appointment of the new Governor Thomas Davey in 1813. Many official exchanges between Geils and Macquarie (mainly responses by the latter to reports and requests by the former, but also including Macquarie's official letter of instruction to Geils) over that interval have been preserved, and can be read via the published "Historical Records of Australia Series III" which deals with "Despatches and Papers Relating to the Settlement of the States" including Tasmania, 1803—June, 1812 (Volume 1) and Tasmania, July, 1812—December, 1819 (Volume 2).
Macquarie, however, was less than impressed with Geils' conduct while in office, reprimanding Geils for "excessive withdrawals from the Police Fund" and later having taken large quantities of spirits, grain, sugar and hardware from the Government store without authorisation, and also using the services of a large number of convicts for his own benefit, again without authorisation, such that Geils' expressed desire for a subsequent lieutenant-governorship was refused.
The compiler of the 1921 Volume 3 part 2 of "Historical Records of Australia" left no doubt as to his and/or history's verdict regarding Geils' time as administrator, writing:
Geils was quite unfit to be an administrator, and Governor Macquarie stated that, "in the exercise of his temporary power, he displayed not only a sordid, mean and covetous disposition, but, in many instances, shewed himself also venal and corrupt." ... Before Governor Macquarie was aware of his misappropriations of government property, Geils had made most preposterous requests. He asked for a grant of three thousand acres with a liberal proportion of cattle from the government herds for his six children; and he sought permission to purchase the government house at Hobart town. Governor Macquarie naturally refused these requests, but he offered Mrs. Geils a grant of twelve hundred acres with twelve cows and four working oxen from the government herds on the usual terms of three years' credit. ... there is little worthy of historical note except the unbridled prevalence of bushranging, and the arrival, on the 9th of October, 1812, of the Indefatigable, the first ship to carry convicts from England to Tasmania. The union of the administrations caused little evident changes, and Geils was too preoccupied with personal aims to be concerned with the administration of the settlements at Port Dalrymple under major G. A. Gordon as commandant. After lieut.-governor Davey assumed the government, Geils sailed from the Derwent in the brig Active on the 14th of January, 1814.
During his brief period of residence in Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania, Geils purchased a number of properties including "Restdown" at Risdon Cove, which he was apparently provisioning for his own occupation, and also, land on the Derwent River 3 miles upstream from Hobart Town which became known as "Geils Town", although during Geils' ownership it appear to have been mainly the site of a farm of the same name; the latter name, morphed into "Geilston", subsequently became used (as "Geilston Bay") for both the inlet itself and the locality (eventually a suburb) that occupied the area.
One other event of significance for the family during this period was the birth of the couple's fifth son, John Edward, born 6th April 1813 and baptised on 13 June at Hobart Town. On account of a tragic accident as detailed below, John Edward was to be the eldest surviving son at the time of Andrew's death in 1843, and would thus inherit his father's subsequent estate in Scotland.