John Armour

218

Dianne Jones on 5th July 2021

WHAT BECAME OF JOHN ARMOUR? It's probable that John Armour died by drowning on 24 December 1845. Although called John Armourer, 59, and a labourer on the death record, the surnames and ages are so close as to make it more than a coincidence (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD35-1-2p88j2k). The following report of an inquest into John Armourer's death was published in the Hobart Observer, on 30 December, p2: "INQUEST. An inquest was held, on Saturday last, at North-west Bay, before Mr. Price, and a jury of the inhabitants, on view of the body of a man named John Armourer, who met his death under the following circumstances: - He was pulling a boat across the bay, and it is supposed that he dropped one of his paddles, in trying to recover which the boat, which was very crank, capsized. The unfortunate man's trowsers [sic] caught in some of the iron-work of the boat, and he was thus kept underneath, notwithstanding the struggles he had evidently made. The jury returned a verdict of 'Accidentally Drowned'." The Inquest record is at https://stors.tas.gov.au/SC195-1-17-1369.

218

Dianne Jones on 5th July 2021

1833: On arrival in VDL, John Armour was 42, and said he was married with three children. He said his wife, Elizabeth, was at Glasgow. [This suggests he did not know she had been convicted and sentenced to transportation - in December 1832 - well before he left England on the Isabella.] John said he had been transported for stealing 30lbs of lead, and that he had two previous convictions for "damaged goods - lead" for which he had been jailed for 30 days and 4 months respectively (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-2$init=CON31-1-2p100). 1833: Muster - John Armour, prisoner #595, was assigned to public works. 1835: Muster - assigned to Mr Shoebridge. 1838, 21 May: Granted a Ticket of Leave. 1840: John Armour received his Free Certificate No.678 (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-2$init=CON31-1-2p100). 1841: Muster - listed as free by servitude.

218

Dianne Jones on 5th July 2021

1832: Precognition against John Armour for the crime of theft, habit and repute at Craigton farm, Mearns, Renfrew. Accused: John Armour, Age: 41, labourer, Address: New Street, Calton, Glasgow. Victim: William Russell, Craigton farm, Mearns, Renfrew (see National Records of Scotland; Reference AD14/32/202). --0-- 1832, 17 October: Trial papers relating to John Armour for the crime of theft, habit and repute at Craigton farm, Mearns, Renfrew. Tried at High Court, Glasgow. Accused: John Armour, Verdict: Guilty, Verdict Comments: Guilty in terms of own confession, Sentence: Transportation - 7 years Previous convictions: theft. Note: Pannel cannot write (see National Records of Scotland; Reference JC26/1832/340). --00-- 1832, 4 December: John Armour, 41, convicted for theft, was received aboard the Cumberland prison hulk at Chatham. he was sent from there for transportation on 5 July 1833 (see UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849). MEANTIME: John's wife, Elizabeth (nee Kelly), was convicted in the High Court at Glasgow, on 29 December 1832, for theft by housebreaking - stealing clothes from William Craig, Campbell Street, Blythswoodhill, Glasgow. Elizabeth Armour was sentenced to transportation for 14 years. The couple had three children. One, a boy aged 12, made the voyage with Elizabeth (called Elizabeth Kelly alias Armour) to NSW on the Buffalo (1833). See her profile at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/kelly/elizabeth/33329.