Correspondence [Letter from E. Deas Thomson, Colonial Secretary's Office to E. D. Day]

Production date
23 Nov 1840
 About this object
Edward Denny Day (1801-1876) is a significant public figure in the early days of colonial Maitland. He was police magistrate in Maitland in the late 1830s, the 1840s and from 1858 to 1869. He was commissioner, Court of Requests from 1841 and of insolvent estates from 1842. He was also active in public life. As well, Day is associated with the prosecution of the men responsible for the Myall Creek massacre in 1838, and for the arrest of the ‘Jewboy bushrangers’ led by Edward Davis in 1840.
The letters and documents in the Edward Denny Day collection connect Day to specific events and services in Maitland and district. They also provide some documentation on the nature of the evolving colonial judicial system.
This letter outlines an intention to appoint Day as Police Magistrate at Maitland following the resignation of Patrick Grant. Day accepted the position but resigned soon after to seek business employment. In December 1840 he was visiting Muswellbrook as a private citizen when he organised volunteers and Mounted Police to track down the Jewboy Gang. He subsequently took up the Maitland appointment.

Currently on loan to Maitland Libraries, is a small but significant digital collection of E.D. Day-related documents, handwritten notes and articles.
Permission must be sought for access to these documents for study or research purposes. Please contact Maitland Libraries for further information. (Library@Maitland.nsw.gov.au)
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Object detail

Significance
The Library’s Edward Denny Day Collection is significant for its documentation of aspects of the professional, public and private life of a well-known and respected public figure in Maitland’s colonial history. Complemented by other public collections of items relating to E. D. Day, the Library’s collection has the potential to add details to understanding the different capacities in which Day contributed and to the networks and judicial system within which he worked. The items are provenanced to Day’s descendants, and individual items are complete although the condition and fragility of individual items vary.

Statement of Significance completed by Janis Wilton, 2022
Related information
Read more about this item here
Collection type
Maitland Libraries
Media
Ink on paper
Measurements
32.9 x 41.3cm
Collection
E. D. Day Collection
Credit line
Acquired by Maitland libraries, 2019.
Accession number
LIB2022.048
Associated period
[1840 – 1899] Maitland established as a key colonial city: rise of government, commercial and public buildings and institutions.
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The development of the Maitland City Council online collection is an ongoing process. Despite our best efforts, there may be errors or omissions in the information provided and we welcome input from the public. In some cases, items may not be attributed to their author due to a lack of documented provenance at this time. Maitland City Council acknowledges the intellectual property and moral rights of the makers and authors who remain anonymous. If you have concerns about the material made available on this website, including any unintentional infringement of copyright, you are highly encouraged to contact us at opened.minds@maitland.nsw.gov.au.

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