How many convict relatives in your tree?

[Beeonthebay]

I've found several distant relatives who were transported, but also two direct ancestors who were sentenced to transportation, albeit only one got transported.   John Easterby was sentenced to 14 years transportation in August 1814 for receiving stolen goods (a quantity of rope, he was a ropemaker by trade).  He died in Sydney in 1844, whether his five children, all of whom remained in the UK (as have all my subsequent ancestors as well as myself), ever knew what had happened to him I've no idea (nobody in recent generations knew anything about it that's for certain).  The youngest was only a couple of months old when he was transported.  I've managed to find all the relevant documents on him which helped confirm he was my ancestor, but one of these days I shall have to spend some money to try and get a readable copy of a petition he made to the Colonial Secretary.  Unfortunately the copy on ancestry is albut unreadable because it is so feint.  I suspect he was petitioning for something, but would like to know what.

Another direct ancestor was sentenced to 10 years transportation in 1845 for stealing a sheep, he never made it to Australia (they were still transporting at that time) but spent five years on a prison hulk and died in an army camp in Kent in 1850.  He was 55 years old when he was sentenced and from all accounts not in particularly good help, so probably the reason they didn't ship him to the colonies.  Its amazing he managed to survive 5 years on the prison hulks at Woolwich considering the conditions on them.

I did some research last year on female convicts transported to VDL and I found FindMyPast had better criminal records than Ancestry.  I did find one FABULOUS petition amounting to pages and pages of signatures of this lady's neighbours pleading for her not to be transported.  She had a shop and had basically received and paid for stolen goods off 3 children.  On the documents the answer to the plea was that she and some others had to be transported as the gaols were full!!

She had a baby not long after arriving in Australia and from memory she must have been 2 or 3 months pregnant when sentenced as she departed these shores not long after.

**  added.  I just tried posting it on here but it goes over the 5500 characters allowed. 

[stevew101]

I have one who I was very pleased to find.  My 4 x GGF - Henry Gentle was born in Stotfold, Bedfordshire in 1795.  He was a bit of a character.  In 1813, he was convicted of assault and again in February 1830.  In April of the same year, he was sentenced to five months hard labour for fowl stealing.
His main claim to fame was that he was involved in the Stotfold riots which took place on the 1st and 2nd of December 1830.  He was charged with riotous conduct and felony (He stole a loaf of bread) and when he appeared in Court, he was sentenced to be hung.
Luckily for Henry, his sentence was commuted to 14 years transportation.
He waited at Woolwich for a number of months on the hulk Justicia before boarding the Letitita bound for Australia.  The journey is well documented as the sailors mutined during the voyage.
When he arrived at West Maitland, he was allocated to the Dunmore Estate and continued working as a ploughman.  There are a number of well documented articles in Trove of him winning ploughing competitions.  He received his Ticket of Leave and then had it revoked for disorderly conduct.  Even after winning his freedom he can still be found getting in to trouble and appearing in Court. 
-
1846 - Convicted of drunkeness
1861 - Maliciously pulling down a fence - Case dismissed
1861 - Using threatening language - Case dismised

Although Henry had a wife and children at Stotfold, he married again in Australia, although his wife also appears to have liked a drink.

Henry died as he had lived.

In 1864, Henry and his wife had spent the day in Town - This appears to have included a drink or two.  They returned home by crossing the Hunter River in a boat.  He landed his wife at the usual place, and took a basket to the top of the bank for her. He then said he would go back and fasten the boat more securely. The wife proceeded to the hut, thinking he would soon follow; but as he did not return in a quarter of an hour she went in search of him.  Several times during the night the wife went to the place, and could not find any trace of her husband. Next morning the search was resumed, and Mr. Doyle, senior constable Gordon, and two others dragged the river, and found the body of " Old Harry." the name by which he was generally known - within a short distance of where the boat was fastened

What a life!!

[Beeonthebay]

Sounds like he had a full and eventful life!!   

[maddys52]

Not part of Australian royalty yet, but do have an somethingth cousin who is married to someone who is descended from a Cavanaugh who was a sailor on the First fleet - apparently the first first fleeter to set foot on terra australis as he hopped off the row boat and held it steady for Captain Arthur Philip.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I'm starting to feel a bit deprived that all my law-abiding lot never seemed to feature in any way in the dock, let alone get themselves transported.....

[smudwhisk]

I did some research last year on female convicts transported to VDL and I found FindMyPast had better criminal records than Ancestry.  I did find one FABULOUS petition amounting to pages and pages of signatures of this lady's neighbours pleading for her not to be transported.  She had a shop and had basically received and paid for stolen goods off 3 children.  On the documents the answer to the plea was that she and some others had to be transported as the gaols were full!!

She had a baby not long after arriving in Australia and from memory she must have been 2 or 3 months pregnant when sentenced as she departed these shores not long after.

**  added.  I just tried posting it on here but it goes over the 5500 characters allowed. 

Thanks for the tip for FindMyPast.  I can't see anything obvious that would be the NSW Colonial Secretary's Papers which are on Ancestry.  As I only have a Britain sub to FindMyPast, but Worldwide on Ancestry as there is far more on there, it'll have to wait until they have another freebie, assuming I remember to look.

[smudwhisk]

I'm starting to feel a bit deprived that all my law-abiding lot never seemed to feature in any way in the dock, let alone get themselves transported.....

My father's second cousin who lives in NSW (his grandfather, my great grandmother's brother, emigrated in the early 1900s) wasn't particularly interested that he had Australian royalty in the family, albeit that the daughter was born and remained in the UK so whether John Easterby would be considered Australian royalty remains to be seen.

[a-l]

I haven't found any, even though there are trees on Ancrusty claiming one of mine was transported.

[pinefamily]

What I found curious (coincidental?) is that both of my convict ancestors seem to have married Irish women. I would like to hear others' opinions/thoughts on whether this was because convicts (ex-convicts) and the Irish were both marginalised.