Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Alexander Cowie was transported on the Theresa, departing 28th Mar 1845 and arriving 3rd Jul 1845 with 220 passengers.
Built 1834 at Calcutta. Wood barque of 497 Tons.
Theresa (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/14, Page Number 275 (139) |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
Claims
No one has claimed Alexander Cowie yet.
Photos
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Convict Notes
https://www.oldscottish.com/convict-records-3.html Alexander Cowie, Coppersmith, James Street, Edinburgh, Tried Edinburgh, 2 Dec 1844, 20 years transportation. Transported per Theresa, 28 March 1845, to Van Diemen’s Land.
Alexander's full name was Alexander Elliot Cowie.
The December 1844 Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary account of the trial of Alexander Cowie was also reported in the digitised Scotsman newspaper 4 December 1844 p 4 on 'High Court of Justiciary - The Leith Street Robbery'. Alexander Cowie and co-accused George Metcalfe pled guilty to the break-in. Metcalfe received 14 years transportation - but there is no trace on Convict Record, so he may have have deceased. However, co-accused Charles McKay and Peter Kelly who were convicted of reset of some stolen property were each sentenced to 7 years transportation. See also McGowan, John (2022) Policing the Metropolis of Scotland, 1833-1861 (Edinburgh City Archives) Volume 1, references at pp 1141-1142 for same account of the High Court trial.
High Court of Justiciary. Alec. Cowie. Charles M'Kay, Peter Kelly, George Metcalfe, and W. Irvine. were charged with the crime of theft by housebreaking, and with of theft, to so far as the said Alexander Cowie, Charles M'Kay, Peter Kelly, and George Metcalfe, did on the 5th May last, wickedly and feloniously break into the premises into the premises in Leith Street, Edinburgh. occupied by Peter Hay, watch maker and jeweller, by means of breaking the ceiling or roof of a flour store in the same street, occupied occupied by Mr Littlejohn, confectioner, and situated under the said promises, and by cutting or boring with a saw or with a brace and bits, a hole or opening through the floor of a back room forming part of the said premises and having thus gained access to the shop, they wickedly and feloniously took away thirty, or thereby, silver watches, four gold chains, several other gold chains, two brilliant diamond rings, thirty gold breast pins, thirty-five gold rings. twenty-four gold guard-rings, twenty-four wedding hoops, twenty-eight gold lockets, twelve silver snuff boxes, and other silver articles, besides a great variety of silver tea, table, and dessert spoons, silver thimbles, eye-glasses, medals, &c., &c., the property of the said Peter Hay ; the prisoner Irvine was charged with resetting several of the stolen articles, knowing the same to be stolen; the prisoners Cowie and Kelly were charged with the farther aggravations of being habit and repute thieves. All the prisoners pleaded guilty, Cowie and Metcalfe of the robbery, M'Kay and Kelly of reset, and Irvine of resetting one gold watch and ring. Lord Montcreiff animadverted at great length on the enormity of the crime which the prisoner. had confessed; and the other Judges concurring in the amount of punishment which his Lordship proposed, the prisoners were sentenced, Cowie to 20 years' transportation. Metcalfe to 14, M'Kay and Kelly to 17 years, and Irvine to 12 months imprisonment. Witness (Edinburgh) 4 Dec 1844. -------------------------------------------------- Reset of Theft. Scotch law. The receiving and keeping of stolen goods knowing them to be stolen, with a design of feloniously retaining them from the real owner.