John Amer

221

D Wong on 9th May 2020

No ship found for Thomas Philpot. John Amer was listed as 36 years old on arrival. Native Place: Middlesex. Occupation: Husbandry man and gardener. John was 5'7" tall, fair pale complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes. This sounds like John Amer - there was only a female convict named Aymer - and he does not appear on the NSW Gov. Convict Records site. 16/12/1820 Sydney Gazette: FATAL EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING.—On Monday last, the 11th instant, between the hours of 4 and 5 in the afternoon, whilst some labourers were employed in a hay-field on the farm of John Oxley, Esq. at Kirkham, it commenced raining, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning and loud peals of thunder. The men took shelter in a house recently occupied by Patrick Hart, late overseer to Mr. Oxley : such of them as had been employed mowing, left their scythes standing outside the door. In a few minutes an electric meteor, in the form of a pillar of fire, was seen to cross the yard, and apparently attracted by the scythes, left at the door, entered the house, and struck John Aymer, gardener to Mr. Oxley, who instantly expired. Two other men in the house were also struck, one in the shoulder, and the other in the face, but without sustaining any serious injury. The electric fluid then forced its way throughout the roof of the house, tearing off the shingles in its progress. A man, named William Bates, was grinding at the mill in the house, the shock forced him against the mill, by which he was much cut in the head and face.

116

Tony Beale on 9th May 2020

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 for John Aymer Index to Letters Received 1788-1854 Inquest on body of John Aymer 12/12/1820 2/8286 pp 403-6 (possibly) See original 117. JOHN PHILPOT and JOHN AMER , were indicted for stealing, on the 23d of November , 100 lbs. of lead, value 10 s., the goods of His Majesty , and fixed in a fence belonging to him . Counsel for the Prosecution, MR. ALLEY. SECOND COUNT, stating it to be fixed to a building. GEORGE SLADE . I am a labourer to the Trust at Hampton Court Palace . A pump was stolen from the mews on Sunday, the 28th of November, in the morning, which belonged to the King. I saw it again on Tuesday. The prisoners were then in custody, with a cart; John Philpot 's name was on the cart - it was his. JOHN MARTIN . I am a plumber, and employed at the works at Hampton Court. I compared the pump with the part remaining - it matched exactly. I took the remaining piece from the ground, and matched it in the cart. It was fixed against the fence. GEORGE MASTERS. I was employed to watch the place where the pump was concealed, which was behind a hay-rick in a meadow, about three hundred yards from where it was stolen. On Tuesday, about a quarter before five o'clock in the morning, I saw the prisoners and two other persons come in a cart; one get out of the cart, went to the place, returned to the cart, and then drove on. I followed and stopped it in less than five minutes. I found the prisoners in the cart with this pump and five other pumps - it weighed 100 lbs. I secured them. PHILPOT - GUILTY . Aged 33. AMER - GUILTY . Aged 34. Transported for Seven Years . First Middlesex Jury, before J. Vaillant, Esq.