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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Goldberry on Thursday 20 June 13 10:45 BST (UK)
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I have found a record of a convict called Samuel who was tried at Cornwall assises and sent to Australia in 1819. This Samuel could be a relative who I'm unable to trace, but the information I've found to date does not indicate his age or where he was from. I would be most grateful if anybody can help.
The transportation information is as follows:
Title: Samuel James, one of 369 convicts transported on the Dromedary, 11 September 1819.
Author/Creator: Great Britain. Home Office. ; State Library of Queensland.
Subjects: James, Samuel ; Dromedary (Ship) ; Convicts -- Australia -- Registers ; Australia -- Genealogy
Publisher: Canberra A.C.T. : Australian Joint Copying Project
Is Part Of: Criminal : Convict transportation registers [HO 11]
Date: 1948-1990
Language: English
Notes: Sentence details: Convicted at Cornwall Assizes for a term of 14 years on 22 March 1819.
Vessel: Dromedary.
Date of Departure: 11 September 1819.
Place of Arrival: Van Diemen's Land [and New South Wales].
Source: Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 88, Class and Piece Number HO11/3, Page Number 202
Other title(s): British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database.
Convict transportation registers.
Record number: 1091491
Link to this record: http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=SLQ&docId=slq_voyager1091491
I've located the original record of the courtcase, and it appears that, at the lent sessions of Launceston Assizes 1819, he and three others (William Cruise?, William Cowling and Samuel Kelly) were convicted of sheep stealing and sentenced to death. For some reason the sentence seems to have been commuted to 14 years transportation for all but William Cruise (I cannot find any further information on him), as Samuel Kelly and William Cowling were also on the Dromedary.
I've been informed that he got his Ticket of Leave in 1826, and a Conditional Pardon in 1831, but I haven't been able to access these records myself.
I've been working on a cross-reference for those named Samuel James born between 1780 and 1810 in Cornwall and I seem to have been able to find some information about all of them that would rule them out (eg marriages, baptisms of children, census or burial.)
The Samuel that I am researching is Samuel Tiller James bap 1 Jan 1802 Ladock, Cornwall (parents William James and Mary James nee Tiller). I haven't been able to find any further information on him, so there's a possibility this convict could be him. His father was a farmer (at different points in time shown as - Yeoman, Husbandman, Farmer, Ag Lab).
Thanks in advance if anybody can help or point me in the right direction, or if anybody know something different about this Samuel.
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Samuel, along with his cohorts William Cowling and Samuel Kelly, all convicted of a felony 22 Mar 1819 at Launceston are aboard the prison hulk the Levianthan on the 4 Jun 1819 and Samuels age is given as 27 (1792), does that help?
Jo :)
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He arrived in Tassie on the 20 Jan 1820 aboard the Dromedary, his muster and conduct records are free online at the Tasmanian Archives.
Jo :)
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Hi,
The Hobart Town Gazette
Volume XXI Saturday August 4th 1827, Number 587
GOVERNMENT NOTICE
Colonial Secretary's Office, Aug. 1, 1827
THE periods for which the undermentioned persons were transported having expired, Certificates have been granted to
List of names including
84. Samuel James, Dromedary.
Gerry
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Thanks Jo, if his age was given as 27 in 1819 then he's not the one I'm looking for.
However, it's given me an insight into an interesting subject though.
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In early 1831 Samuel James was working for my GGGGrandfather, Patrick McCasker and his wife Mary Ann in New Norfolk, Northern Tasmania. While Patrick was away from the house, hostile natives attacked . Samuel saved their three sons by taking them into the bushes. Mary was brutally murdered by these aboriginals. Samuel was given a conditional pardon for risking his life. I found a copy of this event in Trove. Happy to talk further. Cheers Susan
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Hi Susan
Last night I managed to find Samuel James in the register for the Hulk Leviathan. As mentioned above, it says his age was 27, so unless he was lying he wasn't our ancestor (our Samuel Tiller James was bap 1802 so he would have been 17)............unless you know something different? :)
Interesting story. Wish it was something I could have added to my tree.
In the meantime, I have found a marriage for our Samuel 4 March 1848, Mawgan in Pydar, when he married Elizabeth Williams who was a minor, whereas Samuel would have been about 46. :o So he's still a bit of an enigma!