# Kenneth Snodgrass

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**Kenneth Snodgrass** (1784 – 14 October 1853) was a Scottish-born soldier and colonial administrator. He acted as [lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen's Land](/source/Governor_of_Tasmania) and [governor of New South Wales](/source/Governor_of_New_South_Wales) for brief periods.

## Early life

Snodgrass was born in [Paisley](/source/Paisley,_Renfrewshire), [Scotland](/source/Scotland), the son of the Reverend Dr John Snodgrass, M.A., DD (1744–97), a [Presbyterian](/source/Presbyterian) [minister](/source/Minister_(Christianity)), author and [pamphleteer](/source/Pamphleteer); and Janet, née [Mackenzie](/source/Clan_Mackenzie) (1762-1852), who was descended from the [Chiefs of Clan Mackenzie](/source/Chiefs_of_Clan_Mackenzie) of [Kintail](/source/Kintail), in the [Scottish Highlands](/source/Scottish_Highlands). His brother was [John James Snodgrass](/source/John_James_Snodgrass).

Kenneth Snodgrass enlisted in the [British Army](/source/British_Army_during_the_Napoleonic_Wars) in 1802 as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)) and was promoted to [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant) in 1804. He served in [Sicily](/source/Sicily) and [Sweden](/source/Sweden), was promoted [captain](/source/Captain_(rank)) in 1808, and fought in the [Peninsular War](/source/Peninsular_War) with the Portuguese army from 1809 to 1814. Promoted [major](/source/Major_(rank)), in 1813 he commanded a corps of 400 [grenadiers](/source/Grenadiers) at the [battle of Vitoria](/source/Battle_of_Vitoria), then led a [forlorn hope](/source/Forlorn_hope) in the [Siege of San Sebastian](/source/Siege_of_San_Sebastian). He suffered a severe head wound at the [Battle of Orthes](/source/Battle_of_Orthes) in 1814, was appointed [Companion of the Order of the Bath](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath) in 1815, and promoted [lieutenant-colonel](/source/Lieutenant-colonel) in 1817. He remained in the Portuguese army until 1822.

Snodgrass had married Janet Wright in 1814, during his time stationed in Portugal, where they began raising a family. Eventually they had six children.

## Colony of New South Wales

In [December 1828](/source/1828_in_Australia) he arrived in [Sydney](/source/Sydney), capital of the [Colony of New South Wales](/source/Colony_of_New_South_Wales), with his wife and six children, where on 1 January 1829 he was appointed [commandant](/source/Commandant_(rank)) of the recently created [New South Wales Mounted Police](/source/New_South_Wales_Mounted_Police).[1] On 19 November 1833 he was appointed a member of the [New South Wales Legislative Council](/source/New_South_Wales_Legislative_Council), and remained a member until 6 December 1838.[2]

## Acting lieutenant governor

He served as acting [Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land](/source/Governor_of_Tasmania#Lieutenant-Governors) (now [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania)) from October 1836 to January 1837, between the terms of [George Arthur](/source/Sir_George_Arthur,_1st_Baronet) and [Sir John Franklin](/source/Sir_John_Franklin).[2]

## Acting governor

He was [Acting Governor of New South Wales](/source/Lieutenant-Governor_of_New_South_Wales) for two months from late 1837 to early 1838,[3] between the departure of the outgoing governor [Richard Bourke](/source/Richard_Bourke) and the arrival of his replacement, [George Gipps](/source/George_Gipps). While in this role Snodgrass despatched a Sydney mounted police detachment to pursue the Namoi, Weraerai and [Kamilaroi](/source/Kamilaroi) people who had killed five stockmen in separate incidents on recently established [pastoral](/source/Pastoralism) runs in the upper [Gwydir River](/source/Gwydir_River) area of [New South Wales](/source/History_of_New_South_Wales).[4] Tragically this led to the events in January 1838 which became known as the [Waterloo Creek massacre](/source/Waterloo_Creek_massacre) (or the Australia Day Massacre). On 26 January 1838, a New South Wales Mounted Police detachment led by Major James Nunn murdered perhaps 40 to 50 men, women and children. (Some historians claim up to 300 people were killed).[5] The group attacked an encampment of Kamilaroi people at a place that came to be called Waterloo Creek, in remote north west New South Wales.[6][7][8][9]

## Later life

Snodgrass served again in the Legislative Council from 1848 to 1850, having been elected as the member for the [Counties of Gloucester, Macquarie and Stanley](/source/Electoral_district_of_Counties_of_Gloucester,_Macquarie,_and_Stanley).[2]

His daughter Mary married New South Wales politician [Archibald Jacob](/source/Archibald_Jacob), and his son [Peter](/source/Peter_Snodgrass) became a [pastoralist](/source/Sheep_station) and politician in [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)). Snodgrass died at [Raymond Terrace](/source/Raymond_Terrace), New South Wales, in 1853.[2]

## References

1. Lea-Scarlett, E J. "Snodgrass, Kenneth (1784–1853)". Retrieved 21 February 2019.

1. 224. Retrieved 15 April 2019.

1. ["Former Lieutenant-Governors"](https://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/governor/lieutenant-governor/former-lieutenant-governors/). NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

1. Ryan, L. (2003), "Waterloo Creek, northern New South Wales, 1838", *Frontier Conflict : The Australian Experience*, Attwood, Bain (ed.), Canberra: National Museum of Australia, pp. 33–43, ISBN 1876944110

1. R. Milliss, *Waterloo Creek: the Australia Day massacre of 1838, George Gipps and the British conquest of New South Wales*, University of New South Wales Press, 1994 p.2

1. ["Australian Broadcasting Corporation Frontier Education history website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131016082243/http://www.abc.net.au/frontier/education/slavery.htm#waterloo#waterloo). *[Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.abc.net.au/frontier/education/slavery.htm#waterloo) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2014.

1. [Jeffrey Grey](/source/Jeffrey_Grey), *A military history of Australia*, Cambridge University Press, 2008 p.35.

1. Robert Manne, *In denial: the stolen generations and the right*, Black Inc., 2001 p.95

1. Chris Clark, *The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles,*Allen & Unwin, 2010p.13

## External links

- [Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877](https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/tqqf2h/alma99183959420902061), [State Library of Queensland](/source/State_Library_of_Queensland)- includes digitised correspondence and letters written by Snodgrass to the [Colonial Secretary of New South Wales](/source/Colonial_Secretary_of_New_South_Wales)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kenneth Snodgrass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Snodgrass) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Snodgrass?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.