Convict ancestry?

[nudge67]

When Ancestry released the advertisement promoting their convict records, it said that approx. 22% of Aussies have convict ancestry. Let's see if we get that sort of percentage here.

For the record, count me as a Yes: Richard Rees, convicted for stealing 2 sheep in 1841, sentenced to 10 years transportation.

Please, only vote if you are Australian.

[MarieC]

Proudly, I have two!  Sarah Perry and Thomas Johnson, who eventually married Sarah's daughter.  Sarah stole a length of cloth - off the top of my head, can't recall what Thomas was convicted for...

MarieC

[joppo1968]

Proudly 7 Convicts on my tree...so far  Like Jack Thompson said on "Who do you think you are," Finally a real Australian link 

Mike.

[PrueM]

Lucky you Mike!
I've got two - Mary Holmes stole some clothes and then tried to sell them on to a girl who turned out to be a grass.  Mary wore some of the stolen clothes to her trial    Joseph Danks, who became her husband, stole some geese and then a horse.
My g-g-grandfather John Haynes ended up in Darlinghurst Jail in Sydney for a while for not paying costs in a court case he was embroiled in... but I haven't counted him as one of my convicts as I'm assuming we are talking about transported convicts

Prue

[jellybeans]

OH has one so far. Hannah Williams stole 1 cotton handkerchief, value 3 shillings, 1 silk handkerchief, value 5 shillings, and 1 flannel apron, value 2 shillings. The complaint was made on the "fifth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred". For said crime, she was given 7 years. She later married Michael Murphy, a marine on the Sirius, first fleet.

[deeiluka]

Sadly....I have none!   

Only one on the tree because he married my ggg-grandfather's sister, so he doesn't count. He stole a lamb and then sold it. 

.....dee

[joppo1968]

My GGreat Grandfather, Benjamin Walters,  stole 1 linen bag to the value of sixpence & 1 other bag to the value of sixpence, did hold seven hundred copper pieces, to the value of 60 shillings, and one thousand, four hundred & forty pieces of copper, being half-pennies to the value of sixty one shillings & eight pence & 2 promissory notes to the value of 1 pound.

My GGGreat Grandfather, Richard Wise, was charged with the theft of 30 gallons of rum from a hoy (small barge or river sloop,) on the Thames. My other GGGrandfather George Jubb & his brother Thomas were convicted of "White Collar" crime (fraud) & came out with Governor Bligh.

The other's I'm still waiting for the paperwork to come back from the UK TNA as to their crimes & trials etc 

Mike.

[Bellejazz]

Definitely 2, possibly 3, third one is yet to be confirmed.

I'm not at home and can't remember the exact details off the top of my head but the 2 confirmed are two of my ggg grandfathers, they are:

William Smedley:
Parkhurst Exile aged 14 (when convicted, 17 when transported), ship Thomas Arbuthnot in 1847, convicted of burglary I think, married an Irish Famine Orphan, they had sixteen children and both lived to a ripe old age.

and

Thomas Appleby:
Aged 20, ship Surrey in 1836, had been a soldier and I think he was convicted of  theft although I haven't found much info so far (not sure where to look?). Ended up being employed on a Property near Canberra called Lanyon and apparently was put in charge and did very well.

I posted a thread about multiple convict ancestors a couple of months ago which you might find interesting.
You can see it here: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,272059.0.html

- Belinda.

[nudge67]

Thanx for he link Bellejazz

Sorry to unwittingly restart a conversation that had only just concluded. Happens when you are a newbie.

There is one 19th century ancestor of whom I have no info other than he was William Bowyer, possibly a butcher by trade, who fathered my great grandmother in 1883.
I have found several William Bowyers present in Australia during the 19th century, some of whom were convicts. He could be one of those.

Another ancestor, James Peter Vivian (~1805-1890) from Redruth in Cornwall was a "Remittance Man" according to family folklore. I understand that as generally being someone effectively exiled for having done something morally or financially embarrasing to the family, but not necessarily illegal, sent to the colonies to make good. I would love to know what he supposedly did.