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Jamaican Convicts in Australia
Abbreviations:
HPB= Hyde Park Barracks
TOL: a Ticket of Leave that was sometimes issued to a convict. They still had to finish their sentence. It just meant that they could work for themselves. The TOL had to petitioned from the governor and was often denied, especially as most masters did not want to lose a worker.
CP= Conditional Pardon meant that they were free of their sentence and could work for themselves, but were not free to leave the colony.
COF= Certificate of Freedom was very precious and meant that the convict was free to travel and could return home if he wanted. Many, of course, could not afford the fare, but at least they were free men.
List of Male convicts, by the ship Moffatt, Thomas Bolton Master; John Smith Surgeon Superintendent
Arrived from England 30th August 1836, transferred to Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, Australia, 31st August 1836
(Unless otherwise noted, all the following convicts were Natives of Jamaica, black, single, protestant with black eyes, woolly black hair sometimes tinged with grey)
_______________________
Name: Thomas Butler BONNER
Prisoner's No: 36-1787
TOL# 45/1060?
Indent: 379
Age: 50
Education: None
Native Place: Africa
Trade or Calling: In-door servant, groom & stockman
Offence: Cutting & maiming
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: 14th March 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Nose broad, lips thick, wen (benign tumour) on forehead, lost three front upper teeth, two large scars on upper right arm, large scar upper left arm, man of colour
5' 4 3/4"
__________________________________
Name: Henry GARDINER
Prisoner's No: 36-1788
Indent: 380
Age: 50
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: Carter
Offence: Absconding & Riot
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: 25th April 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Nose broad, lips thick, scar left eyebrow, right thumb inclining to the wrist, from a burn top of middle finger of left hand turned upwards, man of colour
5' 8 1/2"
__________________________________
Name: Robert DAVIS
Prisoner's No: 36-1789
Indent: 381
Age: 25
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: Indoor servant & stockman
Offence: Mutiny
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: 25th April 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Nose broad, two scars left collar bone, man of colour
5' 3 3/4"
__________________________________
Name: Francis SMITH
Prisoner's No: 36-1790
Indent: 382
Age: 40
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: Cooper
Offence: Mutiny
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: 25th April 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Nose broad, thick lips, lost a front upper tooth, scar right side of chin, fingers of right hand contracted , man of colour
5' 6"
__________________________________
Name: James Miller FINE
Prisoner's No: 36-1791
TOL # 44/2461
Indent: 383
Age: 32
Education: Reads
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: House servant & distiller
Offence: Absconding
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: 25th April 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Nose broad, small scar centre of forehead, scar above left cheek bone, mark of a burn inside upper part of right arm, man of colour
5' 3 1/4"
TOL dated 11th October 1844, allowed to remain in the district of Bathurst dated June 1844.
On TOL it states ticket of leave torn up, Fine having received a Conditional Pardon No 49/1211 or 49/1811 dated ?? August 1849
__________________________________
Name: William BUCHANAN
Prisoner's No: 36-1793
TOL # 45/990
Indent: 386
Age: 31
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: In-door servant & mason good
Offence: Mutiny
Tried Where: Jamaica
Tried When: May 1833
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Lost a front upper tooth, scar left safe of upper lip, long scar ball of left thumb, complexion: cooper color, eyes: dark chestnut, half caste
5' 6"
History & Punishments.
Runaway from HPB. Apprehended May 3, 1837
Source: Govt. Gazette; Date: Nov. 3,1836
TOL 45/990, 7th June 1845 allowed to remain in the district of Goulburn, dated Feb 1845
List of Male convicts, by the ship Strathfieldsay, Philip Jones, Master Thomas Braidwood Wilson, Surgeon Superintendent.
Arrived from England 15th June 1836, transferred to HPB 1836
(Unless noted - all the following convicts were Natives of Jamaica, black, single, protestant with black eyes, woolly black hair sometimes tinged with grey
________________________
Name: John MCBEAN
Prisoner's No 36-1397
Born 1803?
Indent: 258
Age: 33
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: Mason's laborer
Offence: Rebellion
Tried Where: Jamaica (Montego Bay)
Tried When: 30th October 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: Lost a front upper tooth, lips thick, slight scar right cheek bone, eyebrows thin and small scar inner corner of left, scar inside left wrist, man of colour, little pockpitted
5' 3 1/4"
Found on the TOL: Secretary of States Ticket BW 41/3833 per the Governors minutes dated 14th March 1841 see Secretary of State's Dispatch dated 9th September 1840 No 144.
Ticket of Leave Passport # 953 dated 18th October 1843. Allowed to remain in Liverpool Plains in the service of George Wyndham Esquire for 12 months, in the District of Maitland on the recommendation of the Maitland Bench, dated 12th October 1845, 45/1904.
Ticket of Leave Passport # 45/200 dated 27th February 1845. Allowed to proceed to Liverpool plains in the service of George Wyndham Esquire for 12 months in the District of Maitland on the recommendation of the Maitland Bench, dated 19th July 1845, 45/1904.
Ticket of Leave Passport # 46/321 dated 3rd March 1846. Allowed to remain in the service of George Wyndham Esquire at Liverpool Plains for 12 months in the District of Maitland on the recommendation of the Maitland Bench. No date. Req 40/1842?
Conditional Pardon: 49/362.
_____________________________________
Name: Richard HOLT
Prisoner's No 36/1398
Born 1811?
Indent: 259
Age: 25
Education: None
Native Place: Jamaica
Trade or Calling: Stableman
Offence: Rebellion
Tried Where: Jamaica (Montego Bay)
Tried When: 19th November 1832
Sentence: LIFE
Marks Or Scars: man of colour
TOL No: 44/2078 dated 8th August 1844, allowed to remain in the district of Parramatta on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Clarence River dated April 1844.
Cancelled for being drunk using violent and threatening language to his Master and committing an Assault upon several of ???? per Governors Minute dated 23 (?) August 1841 ? Regd. 47/5128. Found on TOL 44/2078.
Ticket of leave passport 44/821,11th December 1844, allowed to proceed to the Clarence River in the service of Dr. John Dobie for 12 months, on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Clarence River, dated 8th November 1844 (44/12027).
Ticket of leave passport 45/929a, 13th October 1845, allowed to remain at Clarence River in the service of Mr. ?? Manning?, Parramatta, dated 30th September. Reg No 45/ ___, On the recommendation of Parramatta Bench.
Restored NIDE TOL 48/71 dated 10th January (?) 1848, allowed to remain in the district of Port Macquarie.
Governors Minute on Petition Regd. 48/13.
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
Comments:
Most of the convicts who were sentenced to transportation and assigned to Sydney, Australia, were placed in the Hyde Park Barracks.
Other instances of slaves being "transported for life" have been found in Colonial Office correspondence.
The contributor is a Jamaican, now resident in Australia.
Questions from the Contributor of this information:
It seems to be a possibility that these convicts had taken part in the 1831 Rebellion. If so, why were they not executed like the others?
Has any one seen a record of the names of those arrested for the rebellion, and are the names listed here included there?
They were transported to Australia about 4 years after being sentenced. What took place during those four years?
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