What happened to my convict?

[enzfan]

Hello

I am looking for information with regarding to John EVELEIGH (b. John George EVELEIGH) who was sentenced to transportation to life, commuted from death, through the Dorset Assizes in 1837 for highway robbery.

He arrived in NSW on the Emma Eugenia in Feb 1838.

The next time I find him he is in Gropers Bush, Riverton, Southland New Zealand, the proprietor of an accommodation house known as the Travellers Rest Hotel.

He died in 1899 and is buried in Riverton.

I would like to know his movements between his arrival in Australia in 1838 and his appearance in NZ in 1866 please.

What happened to his sentence? Was he a runaway convict? When did he leave Australia? etc.

[sparrett]

Are you aware of this Rootchat thread ?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=756513.18
Sue

[Dundee]

He stole a sheep at Berrima in 1840, sentenced to 10 years and sent to Norfolk Island.  After 3 years and 9 months he was sent to Tasmania.  His records are at Tas Archives.

Conduct Record

http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON33-1-55,269,73,L,70

Indent

http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON17-1-1,386,46,L,80 (page 1)
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON17-1-1,386,47,L,80  (page 2)

Son of John and Elizabeth, brother Henry, sister Elizabeth

He applied to marry Mary GREEN (ship Angelina) and they married in 1848.

https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD37-1-7p15j2k

Debra 

[majm]

OOPS,  sorry,  no red post warning.  I think the RChat servers were re-booting.  sorry Dundee.

------------------------------------- 

The NSW State Records as partnerships with several commercial websites.

Ancestry has digitised pages from Berrima Gaol’s Entrance Books  1840-1842

Prisoner No 123
John EVELY, ex Emma Eugenia 1838, Bond, of Bridport Dorsetshire, Protestant, a Labourer, admitted to Berrima Gaol 18 April, and then on 13th May 1840 sent to Sydney Gaol for  Transportation for a number of years.  (very difficult to read as I am on a spare ‘old’ puter with poor video card).   So he had been found guilty of a colonial offence, and was sentenced to a further sentence of transportation.   In that era, this would usually mean transported to Norfolk Island. 

I notice that Tasmania Archives Index  has live links to images, free to search, for a John EVELEIGH, a convict leaving Norfolk Island on the Lady Franklin for Van Diemen’s Land 18 May 1844.  And in the remarks at that index it reads “To NSW per Emma Eugenia.  To Norfolk Island 1840”. https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/

I have not found John EVE* listed on that 1838 arrival to NSW
http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/searchform.aspx?id=65&new=1
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts/indexes

JM.

[majm]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36860900 28 April 1840 The Australian
Berrima Quarter Sessions 21 April 1840
...
John Evely was indicted for sheep stealing — Guilty. To be transported for ten years

JM
 

[judb]

Another spelling of his name -

From
The Salisbury and Winchester Journal, Monday, February 20, 1837; pg. 4
"There are, at present, thirty-one prisoners on the calendar for the forth-coming Dorset Assizes, charged with the commission of the following offences.
-John EVERLEIGH, 22, and Geo Bunn, alias Gerrard, 22, assaulting and robbing Thomas Turner on the highway at Whitchurch Canocorium"

There is an account of the crime in a later paper which I can transcribe later - real life gets in the way of R'chat sometimes 

Judith

[enzfan]

Hi

This is great information.  Thanks so much. Still need to pin him down on NZ arrival.

Link to other thread - I will add a post and advise the chatter that he is not her person

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

From FamilySearch, there were three John Eveleigh marriages in Tasmania in the 1800s.

John Eveleigh, 30, married Mary Green, 30 married Mary Green at Brighton on 1st June 1848.

John Eveleigh, 25, married Jane Collins, 27 at Launceston on 5th Feb 1856

John Eveleigh, 28, married Maria Moss, 19 at Launceston on 20th September 1860.

Gerry

[judb]

From
Woolmer's Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, etc (Exeter, England), Saturday, March 18, 1837; pg. 3

Dorset Assizes at Dorchester
CROWN BAR - John Eveleigh and George Bunn, for assaulting and robbing Thomas Turner.  The prosecutor was returning from Bridport Market and having arrived at Baker's Cross Hill, about midnight, Bunn and a person about the size of Eveleigh, came up to him and began to beat him about the head with sticks; he got under the cart for protection; but they still continued beating him until has was nearly senseless.  They then took from his person 16s and a knife, kicked him and then ran away.  He had known Bunn two years.  The prisoners were seen together about two miles from the spot between 7 and 8o'clock and again between 10 and 11.  The knife of which the prosecutor had been robbed was found in the pocket of Eveleigh.
Jury found both prisoners Guilty - Death recorded.

Judith