John Clish

[terryau]

Good Morning,
John CLISH was tried and sentenced to 14 years tranportation to NSW at Durhan Quarter Sessions on the 30 June 1834. Can any one advise as to where I might find on line the details of the court hearings. Alternatively, can any one do a look up for me.
Many thanks in antipication.
Terry

[Gadget]

Hi Terry

Durham Criminal Register 1834

Age 31 51, John Clish, tried before Midsummer Session, Larceny before convicted of felony, transported for 14 years

No other details.


gnu

[Gadget]

Just found some  earlier convictions in the  Durham Register ~

1826  John Clish - October Session - larceny,  7 years transportation

1823 John Clish - July Session - larceny, 6 months imprisonment

And in the Northumberland Register ~

John Clish, Summer 1815, Rape, Not Guilty

John Clish, Midsummer 1818, Larceny Land Money ? , 6 months imprisonment (very faint image)  *See below Reply #4


gnu



Added - please note that all of the images are very faint

[Gadget]

Just noticed on your website that you seem not to have found his parents/family, etc.  This is a possible on the IGI (extracted series):

Baptisms - Newburn, Northumberland
23 June 1782 John Clish or Goodall. Parents - Thomas Clish and Sarah Goodhall

gnu

[Gadget]

re the 1818 entry - I've darkened the image and now think it reads 'Procuring bad money to ?  it'





gnu

[terryau]

Good Morning gnu and many thanks for the information.
 As always in research the information you have given poses  another question . If he was convicted and sentenced to 7 years transportaion in 1826 I can find no record of his arrivial in NSW or Tasmania. So what were the circumstances?
Regards  and thanks again.
Terry

[davidft]

If he was convicted and sentenced to 7 years transportaion in 1826 I can find no record of his arrivial in NSW or Tasmania. So what were the circumstances?
Regards  and thanks again.
Terry

Its possible that he was not transported in 1826 and that is why he was in the UK in 1834 tlo be sentenced again.

Not all people wh were sentenced to be transported actually were. There was some mechanism of appeal but not sure exactly how it worked - perhaps someone else can help .... and i'd be interested to find out too

[Gadget]

Hi again

Not all those who were sentenced to transportation were transported at the time of their sentence. Often they were imprisoned and then transferred to a prison hulk (floating prison) to await transportation.

While investigating further for you, I've found these  records of John Clish in  the Prison Hulk registers  ( http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/490.htm ) which shows that he was kept on two prison hulks until 1831. Then he was re-convicted and transported in 1834:

Justitia moored at Woolwich:
John Clish, aged 41, received 4 Nov 1826, convicted 16 October 1826, Durham, offence - theft of 2 shirts, transferred to Gannymede
Justitia - gaoler's reports:
1472 John Clish, disposed of - to Gannymede, Bad Character
551 Jno Clish, ?, V B (Very Bad character).

Gannymede, moored at Woolwich and Devonport:
John Clish, Age 42, convicted 16 Oct 1826, Durham.  Disposed of - Pd (? pardoned) 20 Sept 1831


Justitia moored at Woolwich:
John Clish, aged 51, received 26 August 1834, convicted 30 June 1834, Durham, stealing meat, etc., Disposed of - NSW 19 Sept 1834


List of British prison hulks:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_prison_hulks
Hulks on the Thames:  http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.56/Prison-hulks-on-the-River-Thames.html   and  http://www.plumstead-stories.com/story%20-%20Prison%20hulks%20at%20Woolwich.htm  and  http://www.victorianlondon.org/prisons/hulks.htm

You might be interested in other aspects of Victorian crime and punishment:  http://vcp.e2bn.org/


gnu



Added - just noticed that I've misspelled Ganymede - only 1 'n'

[Rol]

Good stuff on the hulks,  Gnu.  Brings back the start of Great Expectations.

re the 1818 entry - I've darkened the image and now think it reads 'Procuring bad money to ?  it' ...

On that earlier point of detail,  I think the "?" is Utter.

To "utter bad money" was knowingly to tender or pass counterfeit notes/coins.


Rol