George Allington

4

Simon Brookes on 29th July 2021

Poaching Affray near Dumbleton—At Gloucester Assizes George Allington was charged with poaching on the night of the 26th December, on lands of the Earl Wemyss and March, in company with John Clarke, and with shooting at Edwin Pigeon, a gamekeeper, with intent to murder or disable him. Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Somerset prosecuted, and Mr. Cooke defended. The men, Clarke and Allington walked from their houses, at Fiddlington, to the preserves, a distance of ten miles, with the avowed object of poaching. They had got to work when the keepers heard them and four of them proceeded to a cover called While's Brake, where two of them, Pigeon and Lock, encountered the poachers and called upon them to surrender; they refused, and threatened to shoot the keepers if they did not withdraw. Pigeon seized Clarke, on which the prisoner drew back and deliberately shot him, shattering his arm most frightfully, and lodging some shot in his stomach, he then set upon him and beat him over the head with his gun, and kicked him when on the ground. Pigeon was obliged to have an arm amputated, and was assisted into the witness box on a chair in a very weak and disabled state. The surgeon deposed that, but for the shield which his arm afforded, he must have been killed on the spot. Clarke turned Queen's evidence, and gave important testimony against his companion. No evidence therefore was offered against him. The jury found Allington guilty of shooting with intent to murder and the judge ordered sentence of death to be recorded, intimating that in all probability his life would be spared. George was sentenced to transportation for life on 29 Mar 1856 at Assize Court, Gloucester. On 23 Sep 1857, he left Plymouth on the convict ship 'Nile' for the Swan River Colony, Western Australia, stopping at Bahia in Brazil on the way. His convict number was 4636. The Nile arrived at Fremantle, WA on 1 January 1858. In the ship's doctor's records he was described as being " 5' 5", with brown hair, hazel eyes, full visage, fresh complexion and of stout build". He also had a cut left knee. He received his ticket of leave 2nd January 1861 (aged 26 years) at Guildford and was granted a conditional pardon 21st May 1866 at Toodyay. He had served 10 years of the life sentence. George was a shepherd at Salt River outstation in his early days of freedom. Eventually, he moved to the Irish town area near Northam where he married Johanna Grady. He settled on the homestead known as 'Green Station' having 100 acres under 'tillage' lease, he lived there for 40 years. He died on 2 September 1914 at Northam WA.