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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: ronsaghey on Sunday 18 November 18 20:56 GMT (UK)
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Hi:
I'm trying to sort out some information on a convict named William Hutchins. He was convicted in 1821 at the Surrey Quarter Sessions and transported to Australia aboard the ship Adamant. New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 on Ancestry.com.au says that his native place was Warwickshire. However, his Certificate of Freedom in 1828 lists his native place - which I think means birthplace - as Lymington, which is in Hampshire. He was ill during the voyage of the Adamant and the ship's Surgeon, James Hamilton, gave William's age as 27 in his journal, giving a rough birth year of 1794. However, his certificate of freedom lists his birth year as 1799. I would guess that both are probably estimates, but which location would be right for his birthplace? Thanks.
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I'm having trouble getting all of the records on Ancestry come up, but I can see one record that has the spelling as Leamington, which would be Warwickshire
M
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From my offline resources :) including those based on earlier research through NSW Archives pre Ancestry and other commercial family history websites :)
November 1828 William HITCHINS
September 1825 William HUTCHINSON
September 1824 William HUTCHINS
May 1824 William HUTCHINS
September 1822 William HUTCHINSON
September 1821 William HUTCHINS
William HUTCHINS, 27 years of age, born Lymington, HAM, England, Indoor Servant, 5 ft 6 in tall, Dark sallow Complexion, Dark Hair, Hazel Eyes, Trial at Surry Quarter Sessions 9 Jan 1821, 7 year sentence, arrived per Adamant 8 Sept 1821. Certificate of Freedom issued 1828, #379.
Try NSW Col Sec papers under those various spellings :D my research at that earlier time may not have concentrated on the individual, but have been more about the administrative processes and how they changed under different governorships ...
http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au/
JM
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Thanks for confirming that he was from Hampshire. The Colonial Secretary Index only has three items for William Hutchins and all three are on Ancestry.com.au. However, I did find a record on Find My Past.co.uk - Record Transcription: England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935
He was convicted of larceny. The image of his Certificate of Freedom in 1828 clearly shows the native place as Lymington. However, it's been mistranscribed as Lemmington and Leamington.
The surname got changed slightly from Hutchins to Hitchins and I don't know if I'm going to find a death or burial for him.
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Who were his parents?
C of F notice 1st column: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31759851
A reprieve from a death sentence? 1st column: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31716252
Wine theft, 5th column: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2212051
Jamjar
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Something to keep in mind is that there was more than one William Hutchins transported to Australia. The Hutchins that I'm researching was transported for 7 years. Also, by 1826 the surname, possibly through a spelling error, had got changed to Hitchens.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37072080?searchTerm=%22william%20hitchins%22%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||sortby=dateAsc
The relevant paragraph is at the bottom of the second column, just above the heading "Liverpool Police".
As for his parents, I haven't found them yet. Although William Hutchins' native place is given as Lymington doesn't necessarily mean that he was baptized there.
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From my offline resources :) including those based on earlier research through NSW Archives pre Ancestry and other commercial family history websites :)
November 1828 William HITCHINS
September 1825 William HUTCHINSON
September 1824 William HUTCHINS
May 1824 William HUTCHINS
September 1822 William HUTCHINSON
September 1821 William HUTCHINS
William HUTCHINS, 27 years of age, born Lymington, HAM, England, Indoor Servant, 5 ft 6 in tall, Dark sallow Complexion, Dark Hair, Hazel Eyes, Trial at Surry Quarter Sessions 9 Jan 1821, 7 year sentence, arrived per Adamant 8 Sept 1821. Certificate of Freedom issued 1828, #379.
Try NSW Col Sec papers under those various spellings :D my research at that earlier time may not have concentrated on the individual, but have been more about the administrative processes and how they changed under different governorships ...
http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au/
JM
Here is expanded info from NSW Archive sources. Do you need the actual reel numbers? If so I will look back through my own archival records, could be a couple of weeks before I can access those.
Sept 1821 HUTCHINS William per Adamant to Parramatta for distribution
Muster Sept 1822 HUTCHINSON William 7 years per Adamant, assigned to Mr Reddall, Liverpool
Letter 17 May 1824 William HUTCHINS, per Adamant 1821, assigned survey party in Argyle County, re rationing
Letter 11 Sept 1824 William HUTCHINS, per Adamant 1821 re assignment
Muster Sept 1825 William HUTCHINSON, 7 years per Adamant 1821 Assignment Reddall, Liverpool
Census November 1828 William HITCHINS, aged 28, per Adamant, 7 years, free by servitude, a hutkeeper for John JONES, at Calula, in the Bathurst district. NOTE: John JONES came free per Nile, in July 1801
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts/indexes
I am confident that all the above listings are for the one person who arrived on the Adamant in 1821.
JM
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Two Certificates of Freedom ... so is that suggesting that there's likely a colonial sentence as well ...
NSW state archives convict index.
Reel 983
William HUTCHINS, Adamant 1821 CF 24 April 1828 #379
Reel 998
William HUTCHINS, Adamant 1821 CF 30 December 1836 #1299
JM
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From my offline resources :) including those based on earlier research through NSW Archives pre Ancestry and other commercial family history websites :)
William HUTCHINS, 27 years of age, born Lymington, HAM, England....
Thanks for confirming that he was from Hampshire.
That record does not confirm he was from Hampshire, it is just from a transcription of one of the many records available, some of which also record the place as Leamington.
Debra :)
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Something to keep in mind is that there was more than one William Hutchins transported to Australia. The Hutchins that I'm researching was transported for 7 years. Also, by 1826 the surname, possibly through a spelling error, had got changed to Hitchens.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37072080?searchTerm=%22william%20hitchins%22%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||sortby=dateAsc
The relevant paragraph is at the bottom of the second column, just above the heading "Liverpool Police".
As for his parents, I haven't found them yet. Although William Hutchins' native place is given as Lymington doesn't necessarily mean that he was baptized there.
RE : changed to HITCHENS by 1826 ... Sorry, I have not found any likely sighting for a William HITCHENS per the Adamant, in any of the usual reliable convict indexes...
RE : Lymington ... from your records, what denomination was he? red post ... I agree, with Debra, Lymington HAMS is from my offline resources, based on records held at NSW Archives. You need to inspect these to determine if the written word is Lymington or if it is Leamington and how it is written on each of the other official records too.
RE : that second Cert of Freedom ... yes, same man, same ship of arrival details, he had a colonial conviction, Windsor Quarter Sessions
JM
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:D
I am attaching a snip for consideration ... this is in the handwriting of the clerk handling the issuing of Certs of Freedom in the Colonial Secretary's Offices, Sydney. I read it is Lymington. Others may read it as Leamington. The 'y' tail becomes lost in the capital 'L' of labourer.
Of course, other official records for this convict may have recorded his native place as some other location altogether different from this entry. :)
JM
ADD .... I see that Ancestry has transcribed it as Lemmington ... ::) ::) ::)
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Hullo again majm,
Tasmania (VDL) was part of the Colony of NSW in 1828.
Would you like any searches for William HUTCHINS here in Tasmania?
Regards
clancam37
:D
I am attaching a snip for consideration ... this is in the handwriting of the clerk handling the issuing of Certs of Freedom in the Colonial Secretary's Offices, Sydney. I read it is Lymington. Others may read it as Leamington. The 'y' tail becomes lost in the capital 'L' of labourer.
Of course, other official records for this convict may have recorded his native place as some other location altogether different from this entry. :)
JM
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thank you Clancam37 .... I am sure the OP will appreciate assistance from all, but I am confident this convict was in Sydney and surrounds, and did not venture far ... Bathurst and Argyle (Goulburn) seem to be his furthest until at least December 1836 and that second CF.
If you have spare moments, please cast your eyes over the thread, fingers crossed your fresh eyes will see something we have not yet considered.
JM
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Regarding my Trove post, New South Wales, Australia, Convict Records, 1810-1891 for William Hutchins on Ancestry.com. au in the category Alphabetical List of Convicts, Title List of Non-Artificer Prisoners, 1822 shows that on September 11, 1824, William Hutchins of the Adamant was assigned to Mrs. Eyres of Parramatta. The Trove article says that William Hitchins, servant to Mr. Eyre, was charged for being abusive to his mistress, and was sentenced to spend 14 days on a treadmill. The newspaper was a little off on the spelling of the names so maybe that where the spelling change came in.
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Two treadmills in Sydney Town in that era.
http://users.tpg.com.au/shammell/carters.htm
ADD
https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01682b.htm
http://www.convictcreations.com/history/punishments.html notice the comment about used for punishment for insolance ;)
JM
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37072080 Australian 30 Aug 1826
Parramatta Police .. William Hitchins, servant to Mr. Eyre, charged with being abusive to his mistress, was ordered to try a fourteen days tour on the tread-mill.
Likely that would be John EYRE who arrived per Friendship (2) in 1800. His wife arrived as Ann BRAILEY, per Hercules. He died Liverpool hospital aged 72 in December 1831. Buried by Rev Cartwright,21 Dec 1831. Burial registered St Lukes C of E, Liverpool.
JM
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So it seems that your William
was assigned to EYRE at Parramatta in Sept 1824, and then
I can see him as back with RENNALL at Liverpool in 1825 Muster and then
you can see him as back with EYRE in August 1826 ... and then
I can see him up at Bathurst in 1828 ...
I cannot find him as HITCHENS anywhere. Where do you see that spelling?
JM
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:)
another sighting.
William HUTCHINS per Adamant is listed in the Weekly Transportation Entrance Books for the Phoenix Hulk. This is likely to do with a colonial sentence judging by his then recorded age of 30. While Ancestry has uploaded a series of digital images, this is in partnership with NSW State Archives, and is the microfilm made in 1973 and available at NSW archives, Kingswood and likely at SAG too.
JM
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This is what I've found re his native place and date of birth:
Prison Hulk Register - Justitia 1821, William Hutchins aged 27; offence - stealing carpet; convicted Newington Qr Sessions 9 January 1821. Directly above his entry, also convicted for carpet stealing was William Young 34, so maybe a connection.
1828 Cert. of Freedom - native place does read as Lymington; date of birth 1799
24 Nov 1834 Sydney NSW Gaol Description & Entrance Book - William Hutchins, Adamant 1821; Native place Warwickshire; Protestant; Labourer; Parramatta then 2 yrs Moreton Bay
QLD Archives Chronological register of convicts at Moreton Bay, Alphabetical listing by surname of convicts' personal details, E-L, 1824-1839; and Chronological register of convicts at Moreton Bay (pg 90) http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/ItemDetails.aspx?ItemId=869689
This has his native place as Warwickshire and age as 39 in 1834
20 July 1837 Sydney NSW Gaol Description & Entrance Book - William Hutchins, Adamant 1821; Native place Leamington; Protestant; Servant; Trial; ? to Parramatta Stock???
A couple of these entries suggest a birth year of around 1795 and I think there's some weight for it being in Leamington, Warwickshire. Newspapers at the time refer to Leamington and Leamington Spa - not sure if these were the same place. There's a few William Hutchins born in Warwickshire around that time to check, a possible contender is one born to Robert and Eliz. Hutchins and baptised 23 August 1795 at Barford, about 6 miles out of Leamington Spa.
M
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Hullo Majm,
Will do.
Regards
clancam37
thank you Clancam37 .... I am sure the OP will appreciate assistance from all, but I am confident this convict was in Sydney and surrounds, and did not venture far ... Bathurst and Argyle (Goulburn) seem to be his furthest until at least December 1836 and that second CF.
If you have spare moments, please cast your eyes over the thread, fingers crossed your fresh eyes will see something we have not yet considered.
JM
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Hullo,
Majm mentioned Bathurst Gaol. Ancestry.com.au have descriptive records from Bathurst Gaol. Physical details of prisoner, native place etc.
Will have a look on your behalf. It seems he was mainly in what is today the State of NSW, however will search records here in Tasmania for any clues in the Colony. Give me a few days to search the Archives in Hobart.
Regards
clancam37
This is what I've found re his native place and date of birth:
Prison Hulk Register - Justitia 1821, William Hutchins aged 27; offence - stealing carpet; convicted Newington Qr Sessions 9 January 1821. Directly above his entry, also convicted for carpet stealing was William Young 34, so maybe a connection.
1828 Cert. of Freedom - native place does read as Lymington; date of birth 1799
24 Nov 1834 Sydney NSW Gaol Description & Entrance Book - William Hutchins, Adamant 1821; Native place Warwickshire; Protestant; Labourer; Parramatta then 2 yrs Moreton Bay
QLD Archives Chronological register of convicts at Moreton Bay, Alphabetical listing by surname of convicts' personal details, E-L, 1824-1839; and Chronological register of convicts at Moreton Bay (pg 90) http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/ItemDetails.aspx?ItemId=869689
This has his native place as Warwickshire and age as 39 in 1834
20 July 1837 Sydney NSW Gaol Description & Entrance Book - William Hutchins, Adamant 1821; Native place Leamington; Protestant; Servant; Trial; ? to Parramatta Stock???
A couple of these entries suggest a birth year of around 1795 and I think there's some weight for it being in Leamington, Warwickshire. Newspapers at the time refer to Leamington and Leamington Spa - not sure if these were the same place. There's a few William Hutchins born in Warwickshire around that time to check, a possible contender is one born to Robert and Eliz. Hutchins and baptised 23 August 1795 at Barford, about 6 miles out of Leamington Spa.
M