Ikey Solomon - Journey To Be With His Wife

Journey To Be With His Wife

Ann traveled in the ship Mermaid, arriving at Hobart Town Penal Colony in June 1828. Back in New York, Ikey Solomon learned from newspapers that his wife had been transported. He decided he would sail to Tasmania in order to be with her. Solomon first went to Rio de Janeiro, then sailed in the Coronet to Hobart. He traveled under the name of Slowman, probably a mispronunciation of Soloman rather than an assumed name.

Hobart, Tasmania's capital, was the enforced home of many of Solomon's old criminal colleagues and customers. These individuals quickly recognised Ikey when he arrived on 6 October 1828.

Solomon's London escape had made him a notorious fugitive, but he had not broken any laws in Tasmania. As a result, Tasmanian Lieutenant-Governor Colonel George Arthur could not arrest Solomon without a warrant from London. On 17 October 1828 he wrote to the Colonial Office requesting one.

This warrant took 12 months to reach Tasmania. In the meantime, Solomon opened a tobacco shop/general store in Hobart's Elizabeth Street. He also began petitioning to have his wife assigned to his household.

Ann Solomon had initially been assigned as a servant to police officer Richard Newman, but quarrels broke out and she was sent to the Tasmania's Female House of Correction.

Ikey made a number of requests that Ann be assigned to him. Lieutenant-Governor Arthur finally agreed to the assignment after Ikey entered into a £1000 bond to guarantee that his wife would not escape from the colony, and a number of local publicans and merchants, including John Pascoe Fawkner, entered into sureties of £100 or £200 each.