Transcription of extracts from the pocket book written by W. Hudspeth in c1952

Draft of letter, dated 12 September 1840 and signed by J. Belbin, in answer to an enquiry about taxes and fees for inspecting cattle, and dues for slaughtering at the Government slaughter houses, of which he took charge in 1821.

Copy of victualling order dated 29 April 1814.
Victualling from Government stores for James Belbin "a new settler' and his wife and son, for 18 months.

Paper endorsed and dated December 1843 : 'memorandum of certificates to my memorial to his excellency Governor Willmott to grant me a pension on my retiring from my situation as superintendent and inspector to Government Slaughter Houses', including testimonials from : J.L. Pedder, who noted that Belbin's care in entering the marks of animals brought to slaughter:' were of great value in detecting sheep stealing; A. Montague, M. Forster, W. Fletcher, ,W. Kermode, C. Swanston, John Kerr, G. Boyes.

Small memorandum book in leather pocket book. In this James Belbin noted his departure from Norfolk Island arrival in Hobart on 3 October 1808, being victualled from the Government stores after having already received. blankets etc. in Norfolk Island. He then noted the arrival and departures of ships, their cargoes and sometimes what provisions, etc were issued from the stores. He noted the arrival of Governor Bligh in the 'Porpoise'. Interspersed a bit haphazardly amongst the regular entries were personal memoranda, such as his arrest for support of Governor Bligh: The first entries, recording his arrival in 1808, are written on the back page, the regular entries of arrivals and departures of ships begin at the front of the volume. A few miscellaneous memoranda appear to have been entered at the back of the notebook (including a note from The News of the trial of Governor Picton of Trinidad in the Court of Kings Bench 1806) or in any odd space, including the leather of the wallet (eg. a note that the Government cow shed built by Mr Lord had fallen down killing 12 cattle). Inside the cover Belbin entered the dates of birth of himself and children and the death of his wife and a daughter at Norfolk Island