18 Facts About Edward Eagar

Edward Eagar's parents were landed gentry so he was well educated.

Edward Eagar trained as a solicitor and became an attorney to His Majesty's Courts in Ireland.

Edward Eagar pleaded for clemency and either his family influence or his conversion to Christianity saw him gaoled for 18 months until he was transported to Sydney.

The ship Providence arrived in Sydney in 1811 and Eagar was assigned to teach children.

Edward Eagar soon commenced Bible classes in the Windsor district.

Edward Eagar was then given charge of the local school.

Edward Eagar wrote to the Methodist Conference in England to "send us a Minister lest we die in our sins".

The Minister, Reverend Samuel Leigh, arrived in 1815, and Edward Eagar introduced him to Governor Macquarie.

Edward Eagar assisted in founding the Sydney Benevolent Society, and subsequently the Royal Women's Hospital at Paddington, the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Australian Religious Tract Society.

Edward Eagar established the Society for the Protection and Civilisation of Distressed Islanders of the South Seas.

Edward Eagar put up 10 per cent of the funding capital to establish the Bank of New South Wales, now known as Westpac, but he was angry that he was not allowed to become a director of the bank because he had been a convict.

Edward Eagar lost a court case because pardoned convicts did not have a right to own property, to sue, to give evidence in court or to have other civil rights.

Edward Eagar fought for trial by jury and for freedom to trade commercially.

Dr William Redfern, after whom the Sydney suburb of Redfern is named, and Edward Eagar sailed to London in 1821 to argue the case in the Court of St James's on behalf of other emancipated convicts.

Edward Eagar fought the case for 20 years, and eventually won.

Edward Eagar left his wife and three sons behind, taking his daughter with him to London.

Edward Eagar married a 16-year-old girl and they had 10 children.

Edward Eagar was among the first settlers to cross the Blue Mountains and the most powerful member of the Legislative Council.