MISSING FRIENDS & DESERTERS Trove Tuesday 24th Nov 2020

Can you imagine how hard it would have been for families unable to contact a loved one? We have so many ways to communicate with each other. no matter what country, state, town they are in or have been...not so for those in the 19th century. It could take months to get a letter from one side of the world to another. People could disappear at will, start a new life, under a new name or simply not have the means or the inclination to contact family or friends...leaving heartache and eternal wondering for those who were left wondering whether to hope or grieve...

The following are just a small selection of some of the many notices  published in newspapers and journals of the time. They can be helpful in discovering possible relationships, maybe clues as to where a person came from, where they were thought to have been heading. 

Some of these are military deserters ... with full descriptions... some deserted their families, or their employers... Some came from other countries...and were never heard of again by their loved ones. What brings people to want to restart their lives...

You may find more by looking at the newspapers of the day, the births, deaths, marriages of the various states and also looking for details of those named as looking for the missing person.

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 25 Feb 1880 National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25164222

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 25 Feb 1880  National Library of Australia. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251642230

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 14 July 1880. National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251642646

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 10 November 1880    National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251642965

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 24 November 1880. National Library of Australia  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251642996

Names listed above are Edward Getley, Sam Train, William Hamilton, Andre Harte, Thomas W. Hindley, Walter Grant.

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 29 Dec 1880.    National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251643077

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 14 September 1902, page 4  National Library of Australia   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57218226

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 8 June 1902, page 3  National Library of Australia   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57216838

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 14 September 1902, page 4  National Library of Australia    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57218226

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 17 May 1903, page 7    National Library of Australia     http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57222477

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 1 May 1904, page 7    National Library of Australia    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57192065

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 30 December 1906, page 3.  National Library of Australia     http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57233002

Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 10 August 1907, page 31 National Library of Australia    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163166572

Names above are Fairburn, Marshall, Mawer, Meahry, Norrish, O'Connor, Perrin, Shae, Toombs, Turek, Whalatt.

Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 17 July 1909, page 51 National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164685018

Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 14 January 1911, page 39     National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164715317

TICKETS OF LEAVE... Trove Tuesday 17th Nov 2020

TICKET OF LEAVE

A Ticket of Leave allowed convicts to work for themselves provided that they remained in a specified area, reported regularly to local authorities and attended divine worship every Sunday, if possible. They could not leave the colony.

The following notices list those awarded the much sought after Ticket of Leave, as well as some Cancellation notices and a few other items regarding selected convicts, in no particular order, other than date.

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 23 May 1832 (No.12). National Library of Australia

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230388424

The following is an extract from a letter written by Mary Wallace, in the form of a letter from her convict ancestor, Mary Dove, mentioned in the above clipping. To read the whole letter please go to

Female Convicts Research Centre Inc.

directly

https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/convicts/MaryDove.pdf

Many thanks to Margaret Wallace for her innovative way of telling the story...

Mary Dove 1811 – 1865
A LETTER TO MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER

By Margaret Walsh

My dearest Margaret

This letter is written to you by my son, Samuel, who can read and write, whereas I never learned to do so. Samuel urged me to tell my story, so that future generations know from whence they came.

I was born in Galway, Ireland on 1 August 1811, and was a nursemaid/needlewoman.

You would probably think me to be quite a brave young girl when I tell you what happened next. I went over to London to try to make a living, as life in Ireland had no future for me. I also had a child, and on 27 February 1833 I left my child with a friend, Bridget Key, and told her I was going to sell some fruit, but I never went back. I never saw my firstborn again. If I’d known what was about to happen, I would never have gone. On 28 February, I met up with Mary Lee, who was a stranger. I asked her for lodgings, and she said I could stop with her, which I did for four nights.

The next day, a cold winter’s day on 1 March 1833, Mary Lee met up with a journeyman silk-weaver, John Carlier. Mary asked him if he would give her anything to drink, so they went to a house on Bunhill Row and had some gin. Mary asked him to come to our house, which adjoined Chequer Alley. I was at home in bed when they arrived. Mary leaned over John Carlier and took something from his pockets, and before he realised what had happened, Mary had rushed downstairs talking in Irish. She’d taken a quarter of an ounce of pigtail tobacco, four sovereigns and some silver.

I ran downstairs too. The next day he found us in the public-house, where Mary was drinking a pint of gin. Carlier searched her and found the money in her stocking.

We were both charged with theft pocket-picking. At our trial at the Old Bailey (Middlesex London) there were four other witnesses, apart from Carlier, who all said we had sovereigns. James Turner, who kept a general sale shop on Whitecross Street, said he saw us with other girls and we were all intoxicated. I had gone into his shop and bought a bonnet. I told him Mary Lee had brought a man home, and I got 25s.6d out of it. I also gave him some of the tobacco.

I tried to tell the judge that it had nothing to do with me. I said I’d found the tobacco, and the bonnet and shawl, and when I gave them back to the lady who owned them, she gave me the money. The judge didn’t believe me, and I was sentenced to be transported for fourteen years. I was only twenty one. I had a freckled complexion, with very dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

On 4 July 1833, I set sail for Hobart Town, Tasmania, on the “William Bryan”, and arrived on 23 October 1833. The journey was a living nightmare. There were 129 other convicts on the ship, but I survived, unlike others who died during the journey. The ship’s surgeon reported that on arrival my “state of health good”. I was one of the lucky ones.

The women and children were taken to the Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart. A colder place in winter would be harder to find. Mt Wellington seemed to be snow-capped all year round. Even in summer it would cast a foreboding shadow over the factory. As we only wore gowns, petticoats, jackets and aprons made from course materials, with a straw bonnet, we were chilled to the bone and working twelve hour days.
Meals were mainly bread, gruel and soup, made from meat thickened with vegetables and peas or barley. One of my jobs was washing for the administration, the orphan schools or the gaols. We were a rowdy lot, often drunk and always in trouble.

By November 1834 I was heavily pregnant, since I went out to work for Mr Haywood. I can’t tell you who the baby’s father was – that would just upset you so. “Being advanced in pregnancy and unfit for service, was returned to the female house of correction”, whereupon I had a

little boy, William Ryan. He died aged three months on 22 June 1835. My heart was broken. Now there were two children I would never see again.  .... continued...

https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/convicts/MaryDove.pdf

Wikipedia

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 9 October 1833  National Library of Australia  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230390854

CANCELLED 

with reasons why..

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 14 January 1835 (No.150) National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230654587

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 27 April 1836 (No.219),  National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230672202

Convict Hulk

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 19 October 1836 (No.244)  National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230673380

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 26 October 1836 (No.245)  National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230673430

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 21 December 1836   National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230673769

NSW Government Gazette Wed Sep 27 1837 (Issue No. 295)

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 29 November 1837     National Library of Australia    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230671102

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 21 March 1838 (No.325)  National Library of Australia    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230386000

Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), Friday 25 January 1839, page 1

Tickets of Leave.

Jonathan Bolton, Southworth; James Croome, Persian; James Castle, Clyde; John Cadman, do; John Drew, do; Samuel Hawker, Persian; William Haddon, do; Charles Holloway, Augusta Jessie; Wm. Levett, do; Thomas Podmore, Katherine S. Forbes; William Shaw, Persian; Peter Stewart, Elizabeth; Thomas Smith, John; James Smith, Augusta Jessie; John Timmings, York; John Cantwell, Earl St. Vincent; Donald McCormack, Katherine S. Forbes; Duncan McCaig, Circassian; Wm. Dorton, Clyde; John Darke, do; Robert Goldspick, Arab; Thomas Howard, Ann   and Union; William Hitchcock, Lord Wm. Bentinck; Frederick Jenkins, Royal George; Jonas Jeffs, Clyde; George Kingston, John; John Loone, do; Joseph Moore, do; Richard Ore, Clyde; William Pain, York; Charles Pilling, William Metcalf; John Reid, Lady Harewood; James Shannons, York; John Webb, Persian; William Woolston, Clyde; John West, do; Edward Wheeler, do; William White, Lotus; James Williams, Moffatt ; Mary Ann Grayson, Edward; Eliza Hollins, do; Christiana Ferguson, Mellish; William Brain, York; Edward Britton, Augusta Jessie; Henry Fullick, do; William Harwood, Clyde; John Irelam, Earl St. Vincent; Charles Cook, Augusta Jessie; William Nicholls, do; William Pilot, Persian; Joseph Pettes, York; John Simpkins, Royal George; John Wagg, Augusta Jessie; George Stanley, Gilmore; Mary Ann Jones, Edward; Benjamin Whymark, Royal George; Thomas Price, Arab; Charles Cushway, John; James Cribb, Augusta Jessie; William Furnace, John; William Hawes, Clyde; William Ibberson, Augusta Jessie; Charles Carpenter, York; John Young, Persian; Susan Adams, Edward; James Sandford, John; Daniel Smith, Katherine S. Forbes; John Staniforth, Augusta Jessie; Thomas Taylor, Circassian.

NSW Government Gazette

Wed 6 Mar 1839 Issue 396 Tickets of Leave Cancelled

COL_HPB2003_0023_0

https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/taxonomy/term/18636#object-107696

The Certificate above, for what looks to be Thomas Beaton, mentions the ship, the Moffatt..

This is just one item I found re the Moffatt.. from 

The National Archives UK

Home Discovery ADM 101/55/2/1 Start new search Print Discovery help Bookmark You are in

The National Archives' catalogue
ADM - Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies

Division within ADM - Records of Medical and Prisoner of War Departments
ADM 101 - Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Medical Journals

Subseries within ADM 101 - Convict Ships etc.

ADM 101/55/2 - Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's convict ship Moffat for 30 April to 5 September [1836] by John Smith, Surgeon, during which time the...

This record (browse from here by hierarchy or by reference)

Catalogue description

 Folio 1: Sick book of the Convict Ship Moffatt 1836. John Smith Surgeon.
 Folio 2: Inside...

       

Reference: Description:

ADM 101/55/2/1

Folio 1: Sick book of the Convict Ship Moffatt 1836. John Smith Surgeon.
Folio 2: Inside cover of sick book, breakdown of numbers on board. Prisoners, 399, of which 161 were on the sick list and 3 died. Soldiers, 30, of which 4 were on the sick list. Crew, 57, 12 on the sick list. Women and Children, 12, of which 3 were on the sick list. Total on board 498, total on sick list 180.
Folios 2-6: Sick list on board the Convict Ship Moffat during her passage from England to New South Wales from 19 April to 2 September 1836. Ages are not recorded but there are remarks against some of the entries and each entry is numbered:
1: Jonathan McGuire, Soldier; disease or hurt, wounded thumb, by an iron spike into the ball of the thumb. Put on sick list, 19 April 1836. Discharged, 23 April 1836. 

2: Jonathan Sally, Soldier; disease or hurt, gonorrhoea, slight suppuration in the groin no mercury or injections used. Put on sick list, 21 April 1836. Discharged, 14 May 1836. 

3: Jonathan Basketful, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1839. Discharged, 5 May 1836. Note alongside cases 3 - 10 regarding the prisoners being washed before leaving the hulks and their flannel shirts and belts being taken away from them which checks 'cuticular circulation', affecting the bowels and lungs. 

4: Thomas Hicks, Convict; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 8 May 1836. 

5: William Rinch, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 4 May 1836. 

6: Thomas Hughs, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 8 May 1836. 

7: James Robinson Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 8 May 1836. 

8: William Hodges, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 3 May 1836. 

9: R Gordon, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 2 May 1836. 

10: James North, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 1 May 1836. 

11: William Lardner, Convict; disease or hurt, contused finger, nail came away. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 4 May 1836. 

12: George Williams, Convict; disease or hurt, ulcer on instep. Put on sick list, 25 April 1836. Discharged, 2 May 1836. 

13: Owen Sullivan, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 27 April 1836. Discharged, 3 May 1836. Note alongside: 'At Spithead; cold N. Ea[sterly]' 

14: Henry Page, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 27 April 1836. Discharged, 3 May 1836. 

15: Zavier, 'a black', Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 28 April 1836. Discharged, 4 May 1836. 

16: William Morley, Convict; disease or hurt, scrofulous ulcers, behind [trochan maj] on right hip, healed and open repeatedly during voyage. Put on sick list, 28 April 1836. Discharged, 10 June 1836. 

17: William Todd, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 28 April 1836. Discharged, 6 May 1836. 

18: Joseph Goodridge, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 29 April 1836. Discharged, 9 May 1836. Note alongside cases 17 and 18: 'Both these bled, oily smell, wf Tart Emet' 

19: Jonathan Hollington, Convict; disease or hurt, pneumonia, 'V S bis [Sudor] etc etc'. Put on sick list, 30 April 1836. Discharged, 12 May 1836. 

20: Jonathan Matthews, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 1 May 1836. Discharged, 7 May 1836. 

21: Timothy Taylor, Convict; disease or hurt, inflammation on fore arm, suppurated, opened by lancet. Put on sick list, 3 May 1836. Discharged, 14 May 1836. 

22: Robert Alexander, Convict; disease or hurt, apoplexia [atrob], detailed in journal. Put on sick list, 5 May 1836. Discharged, 18 May 1836. 

23: William Reid, 'black', Convict; disease or hurt, consumption, detailed in journal. Put on sick list, 7 May 1836. Died, 20 May 1836. 

24: Henry Healy, Convict; disease or hurt, erysipelas (only), detailed in journal. Put on sick list, 7 May 1836. Discharged, 30 May 1836. 

25: William Corby, Convict; disease or hurt, headache. Put on sick list, 12 May 1836. Discharged, 16 May 1836. 

26: Richard Powell, 'black', Convict; disease or hurt, consumption, detailed in journal. Put on sick list, 12 May 1836. Died 16 June 1836. 

27: Francis Smyth, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 12 May 1836. Discharged, 18 May 1836. 

28: James Morley, Convict; disease or hurt, ague, emetic, laxative and quinine. Put on sick list, 12 May 1836. Discharged, 22 May 1836. 

29: [Jonathan] Kew, Convict; disease or hurt, opthalmia [tars], ‘scrof. Often returned [citrine..]. Put on sick list, 13 May 1836. Discharged, 20 May 1836. 

30: Henry Reid, Convict; disease or hurt, venereal blotches, 'gentle salivation and caustic to sores'. Put on sick list, 13 May 1836. Discharged, 10 June 1836. 

31: George Bullpit, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 13 May 1836. Discharged, 20 May 1836. 

32: Charles Mayo, Convict; disease or hurt, opthalmia. Put on sick list, 13 May 1836. Discharged, 18 May 1836. 

33: George West, Convict; disease or hurt, scald (foot), by cocoa. Put on sick list, 13 May 18367. Discharged, 28 May 1836. 

34: T G Dickson, Convict; disease or hurt, ulcer (leg). Put on sick list, 14 May 1836. Discharged, 27 May 1836. 

35: James Kenny, Convict; disease or hurt, scald (on chest), 'severe, by cocoa'. Put on sick list, 15 May 1836. Discharged, 31 May 1836. 

36: Henry Sherman, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 16 May 1836. Discharged, 20 May 1836. 

37: Jonathan Griffin, Convict; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 17 May 1836. Discharged, 21 May 1836. 

38: [Rod.] Makins, Convict; disease or hurt, opthalmia conju. Put on sick list, 19 May 1836. Discharged, 30 May 1836. 

39: Frank (black), Convict; disease or hurt, simple fever. Put on sick list, 19 May 1836. Discharged, 27 May 1836. 

40: William Buchanan (black), Convict; disease or hurt, cynanche tonsil. Put on sick list, 20 May 1836. Discharged, 29 May 1836.

* Note that digital records are available free of charge from the National Archives, UK, for the foreseeable future.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse

Jen Willett's page has even more information on the Moffatt.

A small excerpt...

The Moffatt was built at Bengal in 1807.[1] She was made of teak and fastened with iron and although old, leaked little water except through the ports in bad weather.

The convicts of the Moffatt were tried in counties in England and Scotland. Many were tried at the Old Bailey and also at Norfolk, Suffolk, Somerset, Cambridge, Sussex, Norfolk, Lancaster, Cornwall, Oxford, Huntingdon, Surrey, Wiltshire, Southampton, Stafford, Westmoreland, Nottingham, Cumberland, Leicester, York, Gloucester, Essex, Portsmouth, Worcester, Durham, Devon, Derby, Glasgow, Stirling, Edinburgh, Inverness, Ayr and Jedburgh. There were also those who were convicted in Jamaica, Grenada, Barbadoes, Quebec and Halifax. [3]

It can be very helpful to look beyond the obvious, you never know what you will find. All these items can help to get a better idea as to what your ancestor's life was like. 

* All images out of copyright..