John Dennis 1837 Convict ship Sarah

[SarahShip]

I am researching the ship Sarah and all those people who sailed upon her. can I help with any info re the ship and this voyage?

[dionysus]

Thank you for replying.  I think I have what I am looking for as regards the ship and process of transportation and appropriation.

I was hoping to find out what happened later.  The last reference I can find is a list of people granted conditional pardons in the Launceston Examiner 25 Sep 1847 (via Trove), which includes "John Dennis, Sarah".

[SarahShip]

No problems.
As part of my research I am identifying every person who sailed on the Sarah, and have researched all the convicts for the 1837 voyage. I will check my database and see what I can dig up.

[SarahShip]

Have had a look at the Convict Indent for John Dennis.
The 1847 entry appears to be a record of his attending a muster.
The entry for 24 Feb 1863 is the date he was granted his "Certificate of Freedom". The place abbreviation of "C. Town" probably relates to Campbelltown, but will follow this up.

[SarahShip]

Have found an index entry for a death
John Dennis, died 2 May 1869 in District of Morven (near to Campbell Town), Tas. (VDL)
Age is given as 53 which doesn't quite fit your man, but they are not always accurate, depends on the informant.
In next few days I will have a look at original register entry.

[dionysus]

Thanks again, SarahShip.
27 years is a long time; not all murderers get that long a sentence these days!
Some life.  John was baptised in 1810 in Measham, Derbyshire, England the son of a coal miner.   His mother died before the 1841 census, possibly in 1822 after the birth of her last child.  John descended into a life of crime, mainly poaching, but with incidents of theft and assault, sometimes the accomplice of a cousin Henry, a butcher.  In 1835 he was sentenced to six months' hard labour for stealing some bacon from an inn; his sister gave the damning evidence.  A year later stealing two geese was apparently the last straw and he was sentenced to transportation.  Henry, an accomplice, was also convicted, but sentenced to six months in a house of correction.
Cheers!
Dion

[SarahShip]

Had a look at Registrar records of death.
John Dennis, age 53, Labourer.  Died from strangulated hernia.
Informant was Thomas Laskey of "Kirkdale" a property just north of Campbell Town, Tasmania.
Laskey was himself a former convict.
Sorry but no other details given. While the age difference is an issue, perhaps Laskey did not not know enough about him.  Can find no other details for John Dennis.
Thanks for the earlier bio details on John.

[dionysus]

Thanks, again SarahShip, very generous.
It seems very likely that this was the same John Dennis.  I can't find another convict named John Dennis of about the right age who was sent to Tasmania.

I generally pick up posts on Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, so I'm willing to help with records in these areas.

Cheers!
Dion