Convict John DAINES

[Marg S]

Hi fellow genies,
I am new to Rootschat and have been slowly finding my way around.  You have a reputation of being very friendly and helpful so I am seeking your assistance in finding my elusive gg. grandfather convict John DAINES.  He is also known as DANES, DEAN(E) or any derivative thereof.
John was born abt 1813 Norfolk, committed 'highway robbery' with his partners in crime James POLL and William MILLER in Aug. 1831, tried Norfolk Assizes March 1832 and shipped to Sydney on the Planter.  He married Jane NAPIER in 1845 Sydney and had the following children - Bridget, Jane, John William, Alice, Robert Bruce and James Henry.
I know nothing of his life and family prior to arriving in Sydney 1832 and would greatly appreciate any info.
Many thanks,
Margaret Stevens     
Sydney

[carol8353]

Hi Marg

I notice that no one has replied to this yet  Do you have anymore info on John that would help us pin him down?

Do you know his fathers name for example.

I see one of the childrens names is Robert Bruce-does that suggest a Scottish connection somewhere along the way perhaps?

All the best

Carol

[Marg S]

Hello Carol,

Thanks for your interest in my posting.

The Scottish link is from John DAINES wife Jane NAPIER who he married after he arrived in Sydney.  I am thinking, and it is only a long shot hunch as I have nothing else to go on, that maybe the names John, William and Alice might be from John DAINES family line as the other children's names come from Jane's Scottish family line.

I have a copy of his Ticket of Leave which states his Native Place as Norfolk, his Religion as Protestant, his trade as Turner (good) and details his physical appearance and tattoos but no mention of his family.  I also have a newspaper clipping from The Norfolk Chronicle but it only talks about his crime.

So alas, I'm stuck.  So if anyone can help with finding John DAINES, DANES, DAYNES or any other derivative thereof, born abt 1813, I would be extremely grateful.

Many thanks,
Marg Stevens   
Sydney

[carol8353]

Hi all

I have just received news that John's crime took place in Wymondham.
He was just 19,so I don't think he could have lived too far away- do you?

If anyone has local knowledge of the area-hopefully they can try and find his birth.

The trial was March 1832 and he arrived in Sydney that October age 19,he was a Turner- so maybe dad was?

Hope this now helps us to find his background.

All the best

Carol

[Geoffers]

The most detailed surviving information on crimes and trials usually survives in local newspapers. A report may well identify where the offender came from and so give you a lead as to parish registers to try for a baptism (if he was 19 in 1832, you are unlikely to get a date of birth for him in the registers). Surviving newspapers should be held at Norwich and also at the British Library Newspaper Collection.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxforfdshire

[carol8353]

Thanks for that Geoffers.........but the newspaper report is excatly where Margaret got her info from in the first place!

In all the documents she has- he never once mentions his family or where he comes from.

Although since reading the report about his tattoos we have been able to establish a little more-and I have now explained where Wymondham is(and how to pronounce it!!!)to Margaret in Oz. As the original offence- highway robbery, took place there.So we believe he probably came from not too far away.

All the best

Carol

[Geoffers]

In that case try TNA's resedarch guide
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=253
for ideas - or possibly one of the other newspapers - The Norwich Mercury?

There is a place of offence, try parish registers and/or AT/BTs - also surviving workhouse records for which try NROCAT.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[fred59]

Try these sites, quite a good read.

www.convictcentral.com

www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/cons.htm


                 Gordon

[Ochsenkopff]

Hi
For what it is worth I found John Daines married 1845 to Jane Leiper not Jane Napier in the N.S.W. B.D.& M.

Interesting was a death of a John .J. Daines in 1893 at Hay Reg. No. 7102/1893 parents were James and Margaret.
Could this possibly be the John you are looking for?
Tried to find children and marriage for James and Margaret and what ever way I changed the name I could not get any thing up on the parents which may mean that they came from out of Australia.

I have tried the I.G.I. and also some Norwich Records I have but to no avail on James and Margaret or their children.

Sorry I could not help further.
Don't take these parents as gospel but it's an avenue you may want to try yourself.
I see that John did name one of his children James so who knows.

Colin