Very Puzzling mystery.

[Markkent91]

Hello all,

I have been researching an ancestor of mine who I beleive  was convicted and sent to Van Diemens land ( Tasmania) in 1852. His name was Charles Kent.

According to family bible he was born in  about 1828 in Camberwell, London. Using Ancestry.com ,  I found him in the 1841 census living in a boarding school called Blemell House in Brompton. I then progressed to find  him back at home living  his parents and siblings in Kensington / Brompton.

This is the rather interesting part..

On the Family bible, it reads that he died in 1853 ( My grandfather added a note next to this saying " on route to Australia, probably emmigrating" )


On Ancestry.com, I discovered a handful of criminal records for a Charles Kent (born in about 1830)
He was tried in 1849 at the  Central Crimial Court (The Old Bailey) Middlesex and convicted of Larceny before convicted of felony in 1849 given sentence of seven years.

I then researched the convict ships going to Australia and found one called the Equestrian that left England in autumn 1852 and arrived at Van Diemens land on the 16th December 1852.  This Charles Kent was on this ship.

I am uncertain if this is my ancestor or not. If not it would be a great coincidence indeed!


I also went on the  Tasmania archive website and found the arrival book of the convicts from the Equestrian when the ship arrived in 1852.
 I located the entry for Charles Kent so  he arrived fine.

I visited Brompton Cemetary, London where Charles parents and brothers were buried and saw on the grave stone of his brothers that Charles's name  was on it at the bottom. Unfortunately the gravestones were very faded due to age but I could distinguish the names clearly.


This has me rather puzzled. Would it be possible that if Charles arrived in 1852 and died the following year,( as said on the family bible)  they would of shipped his body back to London?  I personally would think not so.

Or  could  it be that his family were so ashamed that he was a convict they tried to cover up his doings to preserve family honour saying he died ' Emmigrating' to Australia?

Or of course this Charles Kent is not a relation at all.




In the convict entry book for arrivals it states his native place as Brixton. The family bible reads he was born in Camberwll which is Brixtons close neighbour.

I found Charles in the 1841 and 1851 census in England  but no other census records after that...


Would love to here peoples opinions.

Mark

[Markkent91]

Charles Kent arrival 16th Dec 1852

Copyright image removed

[muss]

Hi

Where was Charles listed on the 1851 census, from this record I would think he was in prison

http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON33-1-111,303,161,F,39


Muss

[Markkent91]

 Hi Muss

Here is the 1851 Census with Charles and his family. Place born reads Surrey, Camberwell which matches on the family bible though noted it says Brixton on the convict record.

Was he on bail or something?

[Dundee]

If you look at the last column of Charles KENT's indent, it says that his father was Joseph, mother Hannah, brother Joseph and sister Fanny.

You will find him ennumerated in 1851 as a prisoner at Portsea Island on the convict hulk Stirling Castle.

Debra 

[Markkent91]

If you look at the last column of Charles KENT's indent, it says that his father was Joseph, mother Hannah, brother Joseph and sister Fanny.

You will find him ennumerated in 1851 as a prisoner at Portsea Island on the convict hulk Stirling Castle.

Debra 

Thank you very much Debra. 'My' Charles parents were Thomas and Elizabeth with different siblings ( none of whom called Jospeh or Fanny).  So it cannot be my relative unfortuanately.

So they held him on the Stirling Castle before being transported on the Equestrian in 1852?

Though I have just conducted a quick on Ancestry and could not find any matches of a Charles Kent  son of Joseph and Hannah with siblings Jospeh and Fanny...dont suppose you would be able to double check this Debra?

Mark.

[Floozy]

Have you seen this site?  hope it helps

http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/kent/charles/10791

[Markkent91]

Have you seen this site?  hope it helps

http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/kent/charles/10791

Hello Floozy, Yes I have. That information was added just a  couple days ago when another member kindly transcribed some of the information for me and was added on that site.

[Dundee]

That information was added just a  couple days ago when another member kindly transcribed some of the information for me and was added on that site.

Just to clarify, the conduct record says "P.H. on arrival", not "Port Arthur".  P.H. stands for Pass Holder.

By 1852 the convict system was coming to end, and only around another 6 ships came to Tas after the Equestrian.  Many of the convicts on this ship had already served some years in England.  This article refers to them as "good conduct" convicts and "emigrant convicts", and were similar to the exiles sent to NSW and Victoria.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/38460933

Notes on Charles' conduct record say that he must serve 12 months before being recommended for a conditional pardon.  Also in the notes, it appears to me that he was a constable in the prisoner barracks (P.B.)

The Charles (James) KENT who married Mary WILSON in 1855 was from Dublin.  Their marriage notice:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/65719883

Many convicts went to the mainland and New Zealand, especially Victoria when the gold rush started.  There is another marriage in Victoria to a Christina REID, but that family lived in Ballarat and Charles died there.  His death registration names his parents as Richard KENT and Elizabeth KERRY.

There is a Charles KENT who died in NSW in 1867 whose parents are named as Joseph and Ann. 

There is a Charles KENT aged 23 who immigrated to Victoria in 1852 from London.  The original documents would need to be checked to see if they say where this person was from, their occupation, and whether they survived the journey.  Sometimes this info is not given.

prov.vic.gov.au/research  (but I think the PROV is asleep for the weekend  )

Debra