What did your convict do?

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Permalink Reply by Simon Potter on July 11, 2009 at 12:06am

My g-g-grandfather Lewis Potter (1807-1881) was a Glasgow merchant and shipowner who speculated heavily in Australian land. He bought an estate outside Hamilton, Lanarkshire on which coal was discovered, and he became an extremely wealthy man. He was a director of the City of Glasgow Bank. The Bank expanded very fast, and made some unwise investments in American railroads and Australian and New Zealand Land.
The economy spiralled downwards in the 1878 recession, and the City of Glasgow Bank collapsed on 1 October with debts of over £5 million, sending shock waves throughout the banking world. Since the bank was unlimited, each shareholder faced eventual calls of £2750 for every £ 100 of stock. Many families were ruined, and throughout 1879 lists of shareholders who had to meet further calls or no longer had any resources appeared regularly in the Glasgow press. Only 254 of the 1819 shareholders remained solvent when the affairs of the bank were finally wound up, though the depositors were paid in full. The collapse of the bank was a traumatic experience for Glasgow: nearly 2000 families suffered severe loss; many were ruined. The catastrophe had similar repercussions in both New Zealand and Australia.
Lewis Potter was declared bankrupt and his property sold. Along with his fellow directors he was tried for fraud early in 1879 in a blaze of publicity, when it emerged that the accounts had been deliberately falsified. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months inmprisonment.He was released from Perth prison in July 1880 and died, a broken man, a year later

Permalink Reply by Cindy Johnston Sorley on July 12, 2009 at 2:21am

First off, this is NOT my family member but a dear friends.. he says his behavior answers a great deal of questions about the family.

Born in 1910, in Clay County, Kentucky
married his 13 year old girlfriend in 1931
First child born in 1932
abandons wife
comes back
second child born in 1933
abandons wife
father brings him back to be responsible and he beats up father and has to go to hospital
third baby born in 1935 and dies
he leaves and the children go to orphanage
children adopted in 1935
Starts robbing peoples homes while they are in church
word is he goes to Indiana State Prison
Runs from law for making moonshine
(Sometime in 1930's he fights in self defense and kills man, does not serve time)
1942 Join Army and serves during WWII for at least two years
works off and on in construction
1960 dies at 49 from Cirrhosis

The family said the following
"When he didn't drink he was a very likable guy"
"You never crossed him"
"My first husband (our relative) drank all the moonshine my second husband made"

The search was initiated by the this mans grandson. His father had been one of the children given up for adoption. After finding family that knew him and locating his grave a few months ago.. I think his great niece summed it up better than anyone could..

"You know what, it just goes to show ya....you can be a BIG TERD all your life and somebody down the road can still be excited to find out about ya."

Permalink Reply by Anita Payne on July 12, 2009 at 2:33am

So many of our families have hidden stories, I'm yet to find the one in my family but I will. It will be there somewhere. My mother keeps telling me to stop looking for it, she's nearly 80 and doesn't want to know about it if it's bad. :-) The convict above is on my husbands side of the family and he is proud of her.

Permalink Reply by David Boon on July 12, 2009 at 6:02am

I have 16 convicts in my tree so I am not quite sure where to start. One of the most interesting was Jane Whiting who at the age of 14 stole clothes from a little girl. The girl was wearing them at the time. Jane had an accomplice named Mary Wade who was the ancestor of Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. Apparently Jane led Mary astray, so without my family's ivolvement in getting Mary Wade transported to Australia there would be no Kevin Rudd. Both girls came to Australia on the Lady Juliana (a.k.a. 'The floating Brothel) as part of the second fleet to Australia.

Another interesting convict in my family tree stole bedsheets from a gentleman from London named William Gould. My wife who only came to Australia in the 1970s has a William Gould from London in her tree. He was born about a generation after my ancestor's crime and because of lost church records I cannot tie the two. My aim is to eventually research whether my ancestor did steal from one of my wife's ancestors (possibly an uncle). The crime and the birth of my wife's ancestor occured only about half a mile apart. The first born son in my wife's family line traditionally have Gould as their second name. Some of her nephews are so named. When I went to England a few years ago we did give my wife's relatives some besheeets as a gift just in case.

Regards,
David Boon

Permalink Reply by Penelope Bell on July 18, 2009 at 10:35pm

MY CONVICT IN-LAWS
Three of my husband's great great great grandparents were convicts. One was JOSEPH BRIDGE who was born in Tottington, Lancashire, England on Friday 10th May 1776. Like their father, John, Joseph and his brothers, John and James, were cotton weavers by trade. But on 11 August 1804, after their arrest in Rochdale, at the Lancashire Assizes Joseph Bridge, along with his brother James and Thomas Boadle, was convicted of uttering (presenting) and disposing of a Bank of England one pound note, knowing the note to be forged.These were regarded as particularly serious offences as they were seen as undermining the currency and all were condenmned to death. James Bridge, alongside Thomas Boadle was hanged at Lancaster Castle on 8 September 1804. Fortunately for my husband's family, because he was judged not to have taken such an active role Joseph was reprieved and sentenced to transportation for life. Despite a petition for leniency presented by the Parish of Bolton Joseph was transported in 1806 on the "Fortune". For some time he appears to have done well in Sydney, on 31 Jan 1814 he received his ticket of leave and even appeared on lists of Europeans charged with tracking down troublesome aboriginals. But in 1825 he and his partner, Elizabeth Buffey, were in trouble again, convicted of stealing and receiving stolen goods. Joseph was on the brig "Wellington" on the way to Norfolk Island when the prisoners mutineed.On his return to Sydney Joseph once again escaped execution, being deemed not one of the ringleaders. Instead he was sent to the then notorious prison in Moreton Bay, where he died on 12 February 1829.
The "Alexander", a ship of 278 tons, accompanied the "Fortune" to Sydney, although it seems to have been longer on the journey, arriving in Sydney on 28 August 1806. Aboard was Joseph Bridge's future partner in life and crime, ELIZABETH (BETTY) BUFFEY. She appeared in court on 16 January 1805 as "Betty Buffy", a single woman of nineteen from the city of Manchester. She was charged with stealing from Joseph Burkill's house clothing (two cloth caps, silk bonned and sundry items). Elizabeth was tried at the Lancaster Quarter Sessions, found guilty and sentenced to seven years transportation. She spent a year in the Manchester House of Correction before leaving for Australia. There she may or may not have married Joseph Bridge. Whatever their status they had seven sons. Although she appears to have been involved in the crime of 1825 the authorities released her into the care of her son James, who lived in the Ellalong area. She married William Meadows there and lived to the age of eighty-four.
The third of these g g g grandparents was JOHN ANTHONY FERNANCE who was found guilty in 1813 of "larceny on a navigable river" and sentenced to death. Since he stole thirteen lumps of sugar this appeared at first to be an example of extremely heavy-handed Victorian justice! But the lumps of sugar were worth twenty-two pounds - a considerable sum at the beginning of Nineteenth Century. Reprieved and sentenced to transportation he arrived in Australia on the "General Hewitt", where he was joined by his wife and infant son. By 1824 he had earned a conditional pardon and went on to become one of the prominent settlers in the Hawkesbury River area. In his later years he is thought to have gone to considerable lengths to hide his convict past from his contemporaries and descendants.

Permalink Reply by Anita Payne on July 19, 2009 at 12:07am

I love your title, my convicts are also in-laws. I sadly don't have any of my own or are yet to find them. I'm stil looking.

Permalink Reply by John Patten on July 22, 2009 at 12:30am

On my mother's side I'm descended from 8 (potentially 9) convicts. There are none on my father's side, as that ancestry is Aboriginal.

My convicts and their crimes are:

John Dempsey arrived in Australia from Ireland as a convict aboard the "Atlas" in 1802. Sentenced to life, it is believed that John had taken part in the Battle of Vinegar Hill during the 1798 Rebellion.

John Ryan arrived in Australia aboard the "Indefatigable" as a convict in 1815. His crime was having pick-pocketed a handkerchief and was thus sentenced to life via transportation to NSW.

James Morris arrived in Australia as a convict aboard the "Minorca" in 1801. His crime was the theft of "stealing buttons etc" and he was sentenced to 7 years via transportation to NSW.

Anthony Rope arrived in Australia aboard the "Alexander" as a convict in the First Fleet in 1788. His crime was having stolen: 2 printed cotton Gowns, one Petticoat made of silk and Worsted, one Silk Neck Hankerchief,one pair of Women's Leather Shoes, one pair of Metal Buckles plated with Silver, one Man's hat, one pair of Men's Leather Shoes, one pair of other Men's Shoe Buckles plated with Silver, and one Mempen Sack and Chattels; and one pair of other Men's Leather Shoes, one pair of other Metal Buckles plated with Silver, one cotton Waistcoat, one Linen Shïrt, silk Hankerchiefs, one piece of Silver Coin of the proper coin of this realm called a Half Crown, one piece of the proper Silver coin of this realm called a Shilling and monies of Robert Bradley in the same dwelling house. For his crime, Anthony was sentenced to 7 years via transportation to NSW.

Elizabeth Pulley arrived in Australia aboard the "Friendship" as a convict in the First Fleet in 1788. Her crime was burglary and stealing ten pounds weight of Cheese, three pounds weight of Bacon, twenty four ounces weight of butter, three pounds weight of raisins, seven pounds weight of flour and two rolls of Worsted. For her crime, Elizabeth was sentenced to be hung until dead. Later reprieved, Elizabeth was sentenced to 7 years via transportation to NSW.

Pierce Collits came to Australia as a convict aboard the "Minorca" in 1801. His crime was having received stolen goods from Edward Baldwin and he was sentenced to 14 years via transportation to NSW. The stolen goods were twelve yards of mode, twelve yards of muslin, eighteen yards of lace and two pieces of handkerchiefs, each containing seven handkerchiefs.

Elizabeth "Betty" Mitchell arrived in Australia with the Third Fleet as a convict aboard the "Mary Ann" in 1791. Elizabeth had one child to James Wilson (Sarah), before marrying Edward Field in 1805. Her crime was the "aiding and abetting in breaking into a dwelling in Studley, North Wiltshire, and the stealing of 5 cheeses and sundry other articles." Her sentence was 7 years via transportation to NSW.

Mary Stevens arrived in Australia as a convict aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in 1801. Her crime was the theft of 17 yards of printed cotton fabric, for which she was sentenced to 7 years via transportion to NSW.

Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on July 24, 2009 at 3:57am

The convicts in my family were two of my great-grandfather Henry Brown Gatlin's brothers, William D. Gatlin (born 10 December 1886 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee and died 23 September 1919 in Joliet, Will, Illinois) and John Reynold Gatlin (born 10 March 1889 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee and died 13 July 1945 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois).

On 7 July 1911 in Bloomington, Indiana, the two brothers got into a fight. George Alexander tried to stop the fight, and after one of the brothers hit him, he went into the house and got his revolver. Seven shots were fired. George Alexander's shots all missed, but he was shot and badly wounded. The brothers were drunk at the time. John claimed that he had fired all the shots and asked the mayor to release his brother. A police officer was also shot whole chasing the brothers, but they claimed that the revolver went off accidentally while the officer was beating them over the head with the butt of it. I am not sure what the final outcome of the trial was.

On 11 August 1912, William was arrested in Bloomington, Indiana for burglary. He had stolen large double-barreled guns, six revolvers, one large knife, 36 pairs of scissors, and about 100 cartridges. Shortly after he was arrested he confessed and handed the officers a $10 bill which he had stolen from the money drawer.

William died in Joliet Prison on 23 September 1919. He was sent there on 16 October 1917 from Chicago, Illinois and was serving a term of one to fourteen years for robbery. He was shot by a prison guard when he refused to obey orders. Three other prisoners took advantage of the disturbance and escaped. The newspaper article I found said that he had previously served terms in Chester, the Indiana Reformatory at Jefferson, and the Indiana state prison. I assume the two Indiana terms were for the arrests that I described. The term in Chester apparently preceded those because the 1910 U.S. census shows that he was a prisoner in Chester, Randolph, Illinois.

The 1912 newspaper article on William's arrest for burglary also said that John was serving time in naval prison for desertion from the navy.

John later apparently found out what it was like to be on the other side of criminal activity: on 3 October 1914 in Indiana he was assaulted and robbed of his automobile, $103, and a diamond stud.

Although he was never convicted of a crime, their grandfather William Dow Gatlin is worth mentioning too. In September 1874 he was arrested for the murder of Samuel Haslam, a boarder in his home. Samuel Haslam had received five or six blows about the head with an ax. William Dow Gatlin's son Clarence (my great-great-grandfather's brother) found him (still alive) and ran to get his mother. Apparently my great-great-great-grandmother Mary Nevins Gatlin had been planning to leave her husband, who she claimed had physically abused her. Samuel Haslam was going to help her leave him, and they may have been having an affair. William Dow Gatlin was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, but I am convinced that he was guilty.

Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on July 24, 2009 at 4:21am

I forgot to add, if anyone wants to know, that the ax murder took place in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. William Dow Gatlin was born 19 April 1827 in Davidson County, Tennessee and died 4 March 1911 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee.

Permalink Reply by Anita Payne on July 24, 2009 at 5:37am

Thanks Beth for sharing your story. Anyone else have a tale to tell?

Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on November 11, 2010 at 11:09pm

And it looks like the criminal tendencies of the Gatlin brothers didn't come only from their father's side (their paternal grandfather who was tried for the ax murder), but also from their mother's side! Their uncle Tom Cox (my great-great-grandmother's half-brother) shot and killed a police officer in Nashville, Tennessee in December 1903, and was going to be the first person executed in Tennessee in a long time, but he committed suicide shortly before he was to be executed. He had a long criminal history and had even killed someone before. And his sister Nellie (my great-great-grandmother's half-sister) was accused of inciting him to kill the police officer, who had arrested her for disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer after checking to see if her husband Owen McDonough's saloon had been open on a Sunday.

Permalink Reply by John Rosser on July 26, 2009 at 10:44pm

My 'convict' was my g.g.grandfather Milne DURWARD (1833-1902), son of William DURWARD and Margaret DAVIDSON of Aberdeen, Scotland. Milne was apparently convicted of a crime [at this stage details are unknown to me] in Aberdeen on 20 Apr 1847. He was then sent to Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight on 5 July 1847, after a brief stint at Millbank. He was sentenced to 'seven years transportation' and was among the 53 'Parkhurst Apprentices' aboard the merchant vessel 'Mary', which sailed to the Swan River colony (Western Australia) from 4 July to 24 Oct 1849. Milne was then indentured as a farm servant for 2 years to a Mr J. FAIRBURN/FAIRBOURN/FAIRBAIRNE. At some point after this, he received a pardon and then ended up on the Victorian goldfields where he met his future father- and brother-in-law. Milne married Mary Ann MARTIN on 7 Dec 1861 at St Mark's, Penwortham, South Australia.

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