Anna Josepha King (1765–1844) was the wife of Philip Gidley King, the governor of New South Wales from 1800 to 1806. She was the first person to act as spouse of the governor of New South Wales, a territory that was then part of the British Empire and now forms a state of Australia.
Early life and marriage
Anna Josepha Coombe was born in 1765 at Hatherleigh in Devonshire. At the age of 26 she married her first cousin Philip Gidley King, who was a 33-year-old officer in the Royal Navy. He had recently returned from Norfolk Island, where he had been in charge of establishing a penal settlement for two years under the direction of Captain Arthur Phillip.
The marriage took place on 11 March 1791 at St Martin in the Fields, London. King needed to resume his duties as Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island, and just four days later, the newly weds set sail on the frigate Gorgon. Anna King and the captain's wife, Mary Ann Parker, were the only women on the outward journey. Parker wrote an account of the voyage which described Mrs. King as her "amiable companion".
Norfolk Island
The Kings arrived at Norfolk Island in November 1791 and six weeks later Anna gave birth to her first child, Philip Parker King. Life was not easy. They lived at Government House, a "dilapidated little building twenty four feet by twelve, falling to pieces and unsafe to live in". Not only did Anna have her own baby to attend to, she was also required to care for two illegitimate children of her husband. These two children, named Norfolk and Sydney, were born to Anne Innet, a female convict who was King's mistress during his previous term as Governor on the island.
Life on the island was very isolated. In 1792, there was no communication for nine months with New South Wales, which was their only link with the outside world. News from England, when it did arrive, was often almost 12 months old. Two daughters were born on the island - Anna Maria in 1793 and Utricia in 1795. Utricia died when she was a small child.
Illness plagued both Anna King and her husband during their stay on Norfolk Island. King suffered frequently from gout and other illnesses and in 1795 almost died. The following year he applied for leave to return to England for proper medical advice. In April 1796 the King family sailed aboard the Britannia and then the Contractor for England. During the voyage another daughter, Elizabeth, was born. Over a year after leaving Norfolk Island, the family arrived in England in May 1797.
During the next two years in England King sought to improve his health. He also wanted to find further employment as the Kings were not financially secure. In 1798, it was decided that King would go to New South Wales to succeed John Hunter as governor in the event of his death or absence from the colony.
In the following year, in August 1799, Anna and her husband with their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, sailed in the ship Speedy for Sydney. Their other two children, Philip and Anna Maria, remained in England with friends to further their education.
During the voyage Mrs King kept a diary a page of which is pictured. In the diary she describes the hardships they endured and the frequent storms and gales they encountered. On 30 March she said:
"It is out of my power to describe half of the melancholy situation we have been in, occasioned by a dreadful gale of wind which began at 12 oclock yesterday - gradually encreasing more and more - at ½ past one this morning it blew so heavy that the Captain took in all sail, but such as was necessary to keep the ship steady - and brought her too - the sea was dreadful which with the wind kept encreasing - at half past four oclock a sea struck and made a breach over the larboard side of the ship carrying away all before it stripped the larboard side of the railings and the boat cranes and all three water casks that was only put there the day before of course all went - every body’s cabin suffered by this dreadful sea. It burst down upon me, and poor Elizabeth, and completely wetted us through bed and all - and the bottom part of the cabin was shoe deep with water - for my part I thought the decks was falling in upon us - and that we was in great danger." She concludes her diary as follows. "We however arrived safe - to Port Jackson on the 13th of April- and was very happy - to put my foot once more on dry land - and I hope never to take another voyage after arriving again in England - for I am quite sick of the seas."