Born at Norwich, County of Norfolk, England in 1798, Samuel Henry Horne was sentenced at the Norwich Assises on August 13, 1816 to transportation for life. He arrived at Sydney Cove on September 30, 1817 in the convict transport “Lord Eldon’, which carried Dr. James Bowman, later of ‘Ravensworth’ as ship’s Surgeon and John MacArthur, returning from exile in England. Samuel Horne’s convict indent described his as having a ruddy complexion, black hair, hazel eyes and being 5 feet 4½ inches in height.
Due to good conduct when working on the Parramatta Road, he was made Overseer at Grose Farm and when the Agricultural Establishment opened at Emu Plains in September, 1819 became Principal Overseer. Horne was given a Conditional Pardon on October 25, 1821, and appointed Constable at Parramatta in October, 1824. As a reward for his part in the capture of bushrangers Dalton and MacNamara on June 22, 1830, he received a land grant of 320 acres authorised by Governor Sir Ralph Darling on July 11 th , free of quit rent, the Deed being signed by Sir George Gipps dated April 7, 1833. Samuel Horne was granted a Full Pardon on August 8, 1831.
Horne never lived on his grant ‘Hornsby Place’ which extended from Pearce’s Corner along the Pennant Hills Road to Chief Constable Thorn’s grant (Thornleigh) in a long triangle bounded on the east by Hynde’s grant. Although Hornsby derived its name from his grant, to-day’s Hornsby, originally Hornsby Junction is some distance north of that area now called Normanhurst. He sold the land in the late 1850’s.
The Government Gazette of May 1, 1839 stated “His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Mr. Samuel Horne to be Chief Constable at Patricks Plains in room of William Cooke resigned”.
Samuel Horne had married Elizabeth Evans, a currency lass, at St. Phillip’s, Sydney on February 2, 1824. They had 7 children – Eliza (Mrs. Benjamin Singleton II), Caroline (Mrs. Patrick Cullen), John, William, Clementina (Mrs. George Compton), Charles and Lionel. Elizabeth Horne died at Singleton on February 10, 1841, aged 33 years. On April 9, 1845 he married a young Englishwoman, Ellen Weston at the Presbyterian Church, Maitland and they had 4 children – Emily (Mrs. Henry Ohmsen), Edward Walter and Samuel. He was appointed Inspector of slaughter houses and of cattle intended for slaughter in the District of Patricks Plains in 1839, Bailiff of the Court of Petty Sessions, Singleton in 1847, Bailiff of the court for the recovery of small debts within the District of Patricks Plains in 1854 and Inspector of Distilleries for the Police District of Singleton in 1857.
Chief Constable Horne resigned in February, 1862, aged 63 years. The amended Police Act came into force on March 1, 1862 completely altering the old system under which police acted. He retired on full pay following 37 years service and until his death on May 11, 1886 aged 87 years, lived in his Cambridge Street home. His wife Ellen had died on October 18, 1885 aged 61 years and he was buried at Whittingham Cemetery beside his two wives. An impressive marble monument was erected to him as one of the most respected citizens of Singleton.
The following ballad would be a fitting epitaph;

“A lad there was from Norfolk Broads, Samuel Henry Horne by name, He was born and bred in Norwich Town and from there he came. When barely eighteen years of age he sailed across the foam, Till he reached the shores of Sydney Cove never more to roam. A policeman there he soon became to hunt bushrangers down, When MacNamara fired on him he gunned him to the ground. He rounded up the Jew-boy’s gang in eighteen-forty-one. In Doughboy’s Hollow captured them when they were on the run. For twenty years o’er Patrick Plains all danger did he scorn, A terror to transgressors was this Samuel Henry Horne. When he died in ‘Eighty-six and went to his reward, A credit to Australia was the man from Norfolk Broads.” Compiled from The Singleton Argus 26 th June, 1968 Pioneers of the Hawkesbury Shire 1788-1906.

This article taken from the Patrick Plains Gazette Volume 1 No 1 September 1984 issue.