David WALKER 1854 help please

[davidft]

A kind rootschatter found the attached record for me and I am seeking help to see if I can verify him as my David Walker

Background
My David Walker born 1821 in North Yorkshire was sentenced to 7 years transportation on 15 April 1851. He was a blacksmith.

The attached records record a David Walker of the right age arriving at Darlinghurst Gaol, New South Wales in 1854.

I have tried looking for details of the ship Antelope to no avail.

I have tried to look at Australian Government records but they seem to require registering to access anything.

Please could someone suggest a way forward or perhaps find what Australian records exist for this David Walker.

Thank you

[CassT]

I had a look at TROVE, searched for "David Walker" Antelope,and found an article in the newspaper Empire 3 March 1854 regarding David Walker desertion Antelope,sentence to 7 days,

hope this helps

Cass

[davidft]

Thank you Cass,

Looks like that may not be my David Walker if he was sentenced for desertion - not something you associate with a convict

Could you tell me what TROVE is please

Thank you

[majm]

Hi there,

I have my doubts that your chap was actually transported to New South Wales. 

From the Sydney Morning Herald  3 March 1854
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12953047

Daniel Walker, a seaman belonging to the Antelope,was found guilty of desertion, and sentenced to seven day's imprisonment. John Reynolds, a seaman belonging to the same vessel," was found guilty of desertion, and sentenced to 28 days' imprisonment.

The reason for so many ship desertions (the newspapers from that era are full of reports) was most likely because NSW was in the middle of the grip of Gold Fever caused by the lure of Gold discoveries and many Rushes to the various locations included people deserting ships, and not just deserting their land based employment positions.

Transportation of convicts to NSW ceased 1840,  http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_19_02_02.htm   
Transportation of convicts to VDL (Tasmania) ceased 1853 http://www.wyatt-family.com/sue/genealogy/abbreviations.htm
Transportation of convicts to WA started in 1850 and ceased in 1868 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia

Fingers crossed you can find your David Walker.  Here's the main link to the digitised newspapers  http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

Cheers,  JM

[davidft]

Hi JM

Thank you for those details.

Yes it looks like that David\Daniel Walker is not mine.

Back on the search for David Walker in the parish registers I think. I've had one die and been buried but not registered perhaps that is what happened to David Walker too.

Much appreciated

David

[majm]

A kind rootschatter found the attached record for me and I am seeking help to see if I can verify him as my David Walker

Background
My David Walker born 1821 in North Yorkshire was sentenced to 7 years transportation on 15 April 1851. He was a blacksmith.

He may have been transported to Western Australia.  Do you have the trial information? 
http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/con-wa.html

Also, have you considered that perhaps Britain was sending convicts to other colonies, not just to the Antipodes?

Cheers,  JM

[davidft]

Hi

Yes I have the trial information. Basically he was convicted of stealing a pair of trousers and a sheet and sentenced to 7 years transportation - probably because this was not his first offence !

I have searched records of convicts leaving England (these are not complete) and can not find him in there and also can not find him listed as having received a pardon or lesser sentence (which I gather quite a lot of people did at this time). The records of the Northallerton Gaol where he was held do not show when he left there (he had gone by July 1851) or where he went.

I did search the WA list for him some time ago and although quite a few Walkers not the one I wanted

I know his wife remarries in 1856 - but was she the widow she claimed to be ?

David

[Pastmagic]

Do the details you have say he was first sent to a Prison Hulk?, and have you got the newspaper report on his sentence, or any more details you could post here? Some convicts never actually were transported, they spent the seven years on the Hulks.

PM

[davidft]

What I have is

1. the ancestry extracts from the criminal registers. There are actually two David Walkers tried in April 1851 one on the 8th and the other on the 15th. These are two separate people. The first is not mine and gets two months. The second is mine and gets 7 years transportation.

2. I have the desposition papers from the trial from the North Yorks Archives (they originally sent the wrong ones that is how confusing it is having the two David's). From that I can clearly tell I have the right David Walker as it lists where the crimes take place, what he had to say and what his wife said when the police arrived at the door.

3. I have the quartely calendar of those in confinement in Northallerton Gaol dated 1 july 1851. By the time of the next quarterly return he is gone. There is no mention of being sent to a hulk, being released or given a lesser sentence

4. I did ask the North Yorks archives (who provided the desposition papers) if there were any more jail papers or details of what happened to the convicts and they said they didn't have any and could not suggest where to look.

There is a possibility there could be something in local papers but as these are not on line this would involve a visit to the British Library newspaper archives (which are currently being digitalised I believe)