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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: MJW on Thursday 27 March 25 15:56 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I'm trying to find any information about Thomas Emmett (sometimes spelt Emett) after he landed in Australia in 1834.
He was born abt. 1808 in Lancashire, found guilty of attempted murder at Lancaster Assizes in August 1833. He was sentenced to death, then reprieved and transported for life, arriving on the convict ship Hive in June 1834 in New South Wales. He had been a cotton spinner, and was married with 2 young children,
I’ve found UK newspaper reports about his trial, and found him listed on New South Wales Convict Indent for ship Hive (as Thomas Emett), but I can't anything else about his time in Australia.
Can anyone help?
Thanks ...... Malcolm
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Worth checking NSW death
https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search?4
1427/1849 V18491427 34B Thomas EMMETT; AGE 40; District: MA
https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/family-history-search/early-church-and-district-codes#toc-search-district-codes
Code: MA
Denomination: Church of England
Parish/Circuit/District: Australian Agricultural Company; Dungog; Eldon; Stroud; Uffington
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I'll check out these links.
Thanks .... Malcolm
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An article about the Australian Agricultural Company
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2183383
…. That the primary Object of the Company being the production of Fine Merino Wool, as an article of export to Great Britain, they propose to purchase, in the Colony, such flocks of sheep as can be procured of good quality, and to increase and improve them by importations of the purest race from Spain, and the Electoral Dominions of the King of Saxony.
To send out free and experienced Persons as Agents and Overseers; and to employ the Convicts under their superintendence and direction.
To employ Convicts, under such discipline and regulations, as may best conduce to the great object of Government, in establishing the punishment of transportation.
To send from Europe, persons skilled in the management of Merino sheep, and in the mode of assorting and preparing the fleeces for the London market. To afford, also, facilities to the diffusion of this useful knowledge throughout the Colony.
To send from Europe, persons skilled in the management of Merino sheep, and in the mode of assorting and preparing the fleeces for the London market. To afford, also, facilities to the diffusion of this useful knowledge throughout the Colony.
To promote (subordinate to the raising of fine wool) the cultivation of the olive, vine, and such productions as may appear best adapted to the climate and soil; and, with this view, to send from France, Italy, or Germany, some families skilled in the management of olive grounds and vineyards.
To encourage and assist (as far as may be found practicable) the emigration of useful Settlers, and of female Servants….
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Worth checking NSW death
https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search?4
1427/1849 V18491427 34B Thomas EMMETT; AGE 40; District: MA
https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/family-history-search/early-church-and-district-codes#toc-search-district-codes
Code: MA
Denomination: Church of England
Parish/Circuit/District: Australian Agricultural Company; Dungog; Eldon; Stroud; Uffington
Above appears to be this Thomas Emmett
https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/emmett/thomas/44657
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Link 1844 T.O.L.
EMMETT Thomas arr. per Manlius.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230145969?searchTerm=%22emmett%20manlius%22~5
From NSW Archives.
EMMETT Thomas was recommended for conditional Pardon 1842.
The record shows arrived 1827. Ship of arrival Marlin
So, confusing :(
Sue
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Seems to be more than one "Thomas Emmott/Emmett/Emett" who came as a convict, and more than one person of the same name convicted at Lancaster, also a free passenger. All of which makes searching for your man quite tricky - plenty of possible death records.
As well as your person I see:
Thomas Emmett, convicted Lancaster, 1842, per ship Marquis of Hastings 2nd voyage, arrived Tasmania 1842.
Thomas Emmett, convicted Lancaster 8 August 1826 for rioting, per ship Manlius, Conditional Pardon 1842. This chap apparently died in 1849
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12849971
Arrival of a Mr Thomas Emett and Mrs Mary Emett, free passengers per ship Red Rover
Judith
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I can see no record relating to the man Thomas EMMETT who boarded Hive
There are records of him being listed aboard the ship, but nothing more than that.
Is it possible he died on the voyage?
Sue
Adding.
This database does not have further records of him.
https://freesettlerorfelon.com/searchaction.php?page=1&surname=&ship=hive&firstname=
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Ancestry has this record from:
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
Convicts arrived 1833-1834
Thomas Emett
Date of arrival; 11 June, 1834, per ship Hive
Sentence: Life
How disposed of: Henry O'Brien, Yass Plains
Very annoyingly I can only access this record on Ancestry by using the spelling "Emett" - nothing under Emmett
Judith
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A further record:
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 for Thomas Emett -Bound Indentures, 1833-1835
No extra information on this record except that his surname Emmett is crossed out and amended to Emett.
Judith
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Henry O’Brien was well on his way to extensive pastoral ownership by 1830.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2196283
And was assigned convicts from at least 1832
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2208724
Sue
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Amused to read under column headed "Particular Scars or Marks" -
"Carrotty whiskers ..."
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Thanks everyone for your replies and interest.
The 1849 death age 40 and 1842 pardon is definitely not my Thomas.
I'd noticed from UK newspapers reports a surprising number of Thomas Emmetts sent to Australia in 1830s/40s from Lancashire. Very confusing.
Sparrett - I don't think he died on the voyage. The NSW convict indent lists all convicts who arrived on ship Hive from England on 11 June 1834, and Thomas is listed.
Ancestry has this record from:
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
Convicts arrived 1833-1834
Thomas Emett
Date of arrival; 11 June, 1834, per ship Hive
Sentence: Life
How disposed of: Henry O'Brien, Yass Plains
Very annoyingly I can only access this record on Ancestry by using the spelling "Emett" - nothing under Emmett
Judith
That is my Thomas!! I can't find this on Ancestry, maybe outside my subscription from UK. Is that the full entry? Wonder what "How disposed of" means?
I can't access Australian Archives website at the moment, the website site seems to be down.
Thanks everyone.
Malcolm
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Thanks everyone for your replies and interest.
The 1849 death age 40 and 1842 pardon is definitely not my Thomas.
I'd noticed from UK newspapers reports a surprising number of Thomas Emmetts sent to Australia in 1830s/40s from Lancashire. Very confusing.
Sparrett - I don't think he died on the voyage. The NSW convict indent lists all convicts who arrived on ship Hive from England on 11 June 1834, and Thomas is listed.
Ancestry has this record from:
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
Convicts arrived 1833-1834
Thomas Emett
Date of arrival; 11 June, 1834, per ship Hive
Sentence: Life
How disposed of: Henry O'Brien, Yass Plains
Very annoyingly I can only access this record on Ancestry by using the spelling "Emett" - nothing under Emmett
Judith
That is my Thomas!! I can't find this on Ancestry, maybe outside my subscription from UK. Is that the full entry? Wonder what "How disposed of" means?
I can't access Australian Archives website at the moment, the website site seems to be down.
Thanks everyone.
Malcolm
That record is one of a half dozen "FindMyPast Australia" records.
I tracked Thomas thru' sentencing, pardon, transfer to the Hulk Ganymede at Woolwich (23 Sep 1833), probable transfer from the Hulk Ganymede to the Hive 23 Dec 1833 (20 convicts transferred in London tho' not named), left Falmouth 8 Feb 1834, two deaths on voyage (not named) and arrived 11 Jun.
"How disposed of" usually means "Where sent and to whom" - but not always. For example, an entry on the same page reads "Died at Sea".
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FindMyPast's "Oz" records appears to have the original ship's muster for the convict ship Hive that took Thomas Emett to NSW. The column headed "Married or Single" shows "M" and the column headed "Family" shows "2".
A separate FindMyPast "Oz" record, which appears to be a typed version of these musters, has interpreted the column headed "Family" as "2 female children." Not clear how it was able to do this? This was also the record that included "carrotty whiskers" which was not on the original!!
The newspapers reports re. Thomas make no mention of a family. He was "25, a spinner and worked for Fielden & Co, spinners at Blackburn." So, I've been chasing a possible marriage and baptisms in the Blackburn area in a fairly narrow time frame given Thomas' age and incarceration date.
The site is "OPC Lancs" -
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Search/indexp.html
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FindMyPast's "Oz" records appears to have the original ship's muster for the convict ship Hive that took Thomas Emett to NSW. The column headed "Married or Single" shows "M" and the column headed "Family" shows "2".
A separate FindMyPast "Oz" record, which appears to be a typed version of these musters, has interpreted the column headed "Family" as "2 female children." Not clear how it was able to do this? This was also the record that included "carrotty whiskers" which was not on the original!!
The newspapers reports re. Thomas make no mention of a family. He was "25, a spinner and worked for Fielden & Co, spinners at Blackburn." So, I've been chasing a possible marriage and baptisms in the Blackburn area in a fairly narrow time frame given Thomas' age and incarceration date.
The site is "OPC Lancs" -
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Search/indexp.html
Thanks hanes teulu. I'd already seen the ships muster for convict ship Hives that you mention showing Thomas married with 2 children, it's on Ancestry (I don't have a FindmyPast subscription), but I hadn't seen any record that mentions 2 female children. However, this is correct. He married Bridget Johnson in 1829 in Chorley. Lancashire, and they had 2 daughters Mary Anne Emmett b. 1830 (baptised Oct. 1830) and Elizabeth b.1832 (baptised Nov.1842 aged 10 years). Bridget also gave birth to a son Richard Emmett in 1837 but no father is named on his baptism record. Richard Emmett is my great grandfather.
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There is a record of Thomas EMMETT of "Hive" having a NSW prisoners Savings Bank book.
It shows £2 (and interest) but does not show that it was ever accessed to have funds withdrawn.
I could not see Thomas Emmett per "Hive" in the 1841 NSW census, nor the 1837 general convict muster.
Perhaps he died just a few years after arriving in NSW.
Thomas Emett
Date of arrival; 11 June, 1834, per ship Hive
Sentence: Life
How disposed of: Henry O'Brien, Yass Plains
FYI some history on Henry O'Brien. His farm at Yass Plains was called "Douro".
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/obrien-henry-2515
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MJW - thanks for the update about Thomas "pre OZ". I had identified 2 possible marriages - "Thomas, a spinner and a Mary Duxbury" and "Thomas, a spinner and a Bridget Johnson" but was struggling to determine which was "your" Thomas. Glad I'm not a betting man - I think I would have lost my money.
Under the category "Australia Convict Ships 1786-1849" FindMyPast has 2 entries for Thomas Emett -
1. the original ship's muster appears under "Indents 1788-1842 (Nrs 12188)"
2. a printed version appears under "Office Copies of Printed Indents 1831 - 1842 (Nrs 12189)". The printed version carries the additional info "2 female children" under "Family".
Good luck with the search.
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There is a record of Thomas EMMETT of "Hive" having a NSW prisoners Savings Bank book.
It shows £2 (and interest) but does not show that it was ever accessed to have funds withdrawn.
I could not see Thomas Emmett per "Hive" in the 1841 NSW census, nor the 1837 general convict muster.
Perhaps he died just a few years after arriving in NSW.
Thomas Emett
Date of arrival; 11 June, 1834, per ship Hive
Sentence: Life
How disposed of: Henry O'Brien, Yass Plains
FYI some history on Henry O'Brien. His farm at Yass Plains was called "Douro".
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/obrien-henry-2515
Where did you find the record about his savings book? Is it on Ancestry? I have worldwide subscription from UK).
Thanks .... Malcolm
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Prisoners bank books are on Ancestry.