"Parkhurst Boys" transported to NZ 1842/43

[BAC3]

Hello Lyn,

Thanks for keeping a watching brief.

Sadly things are extremely quiet on the response front, although the posting itself has had 10,589 "hits".........it is a very strange ratio that overall I have only had 3 positive replies.   

What I find even stranger is that people who publish their "Family Trees" on Ancestry.com etc., and provide email addresses or contact facilities through Ancestry, never reply.   So far I have unearthed about 30 ex-Parkhurst juvenile offenders who made successes of their lives and have written in vain to the addresses supplied.   These are situations in which descendants, to my way of thinking anyway, should feel a sense a pride that despite adversity their ancestors "won through".   My dissertation will in effect be a testament to these ancestors.   

Never mind.......I can only carry on with the research.

For now

Tony

[lynbee]

Hi Tony,
So sorry that your research is at such a dead end...bit like my tree at the moment. 

When I found out about Isaac, I was more amused than anything!

I know what you mean about people not responding to emails, even though they have left and email address therefore inviting contact.  It is extremely frustrating.

I have spent today wondering where on earth boys would have been transported to or sent into exile from NZ.  I have absolutely no idea.  Nor have I any clues as to who may know.  It is really bugging me.  I would love to find out how many and which ones were treated this way.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that some new info will come your way real soon.

Blessings
Lyn

[BAC3]

Hello Lyn,

My research in fact carries on apace.......so much so that, although the accepted figure for "Parkhurst Boys" transported is 1,499, the reality is closer to 1,900 when tracing those that were initially transferred from Parkhurst Prison to other prisons, for instance, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth and Dartmoor, for subsequent transportation as adult convicts.

In truth latterly I have dealing with at least an increase of 25% to that aspect of my research being conducted "down under"............admittedly this makes rhe 123 that went to Auckland look small by comparison but they are an especial category and do need finite research.   Yes, frustrating is probably the right description to the response.

For now

Tony

[fantasmoo69]

Hello Tony
I am not sure how your relentless task is going?  Or if you may have finished, but I may have some information on another Parkhurst Boy for you.  I am a descendant of John Saunders who came to NZ on the St George aged 14.  He was my Great Great Great Grandfather.
Let me know if you would like the information.
Regards
Tracy Saunders

[mare]

Hello Tony and Tracy

Coincidentally I just did a pm to Lynbee yesterday 21/1/08 re the same? John Saunders, as Harriet Green who was named as Isaac Eggerton's second wife married a John Saunders 9 Apr 1850 in Auckland New Zealand, her first husband of three.
My source of info is from Ancestors of Robert Scott including Scott's from Tipperary, Ireland,  RootsWeb.com
The Green family tree is of interest to me as I am a descendant of Harriet's brother John, and the name Isaac Eggerton registered.
Info gives John Saunders born 1828 in Lower Matakana, New Zealand but I have found inaccuracies on 'our page' and the birth year is correct it matches up. Sorry if I have jumped to conclusions.
Lynbee not on line for a month it appears.
I've been catching up with a lot of old threads in 'spare' moments and I found the Parkhurst thread interesting reading.  Just sorry Tony you didn't get more response from helpful NZ descendants.
Regards
Mare

[BAC3]

Hello Tracy and Mare,

Great news about John SAUNDERS.......I have some reasonable information for him up until 1842/1843 which I shall be delighted to let you have.   This takes into account his arrival in Auckland and his immediate "Apprenticeship" arranged by the Harbour Master, David Rough, who was appointed to look after the "Parkhurst Boys".

I have sent you both PM's with my email address so that you can let me have yours.   I can then send you a copy of my Biography (unfinished!!) which is in Word.

For the moment,

Regards

Tony

[Norwich HEART]

Hello,
I'm a newby here, and I know this thread has been quiet for a while, but I'm working on an education pack featuring a Parkhurst boy and I wondered if anyone had any material on him?
He is William Tuck, convicted at Norwich in 1839 aged around 8 and transported on the St George in 1842.
Anything about his subsequent life much appreciated.

Norwich HEART
www.heritagecity.org

[mare]

It's a great site Norwich HEART  ... Welcome
... and this has been a great thread, thanks to Tony

I had a quick look on NZ BDM site http://bdmhistoricalrecords.identityservices.govt.nz/home/

A couple of possibilities

There is an 1866 marriage 1866/3575 to a Mary Smith to a Tuck with no first name recorded
There is an 1888 death 1888/309 William Tuck aged 60 years ( b. 1828 ) 

I am aware via a friend of a big Tuck family reunion she went to many years ago, her husband's line but not their name. Also when I visited the Shortland Cemetery in Thames a couple of years ago there was a family replacing the plaque for the 100 anniversary for a Tuck matriarch. Hopefully you'll get some good definite leads from this site.

  mare

[Norwich HEART]

Thanks Mare,
b 1828 is not that far off for the records I do have - would make him 11 not 8 when convicted, but it's listed as 'around' and I should think he was keen to seem as young as possible! I will follow up.
Norwich HEART