Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
William Ash was transported on the Palmerston, departing 8th Nov 1860 and arriving 11th Feb 1861 with 296 passengers.
978 ton ship was built at Moulmein, Burma in 1853. On the voyage from Portland, England to the Swan River Colony, Western Australia in 1860/61 the ship also carried passengers, pensioner guards, wives and children as well as soldiers and 296 convicts.
Palmerston (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 341 |
| 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 William Ash yet.
Photos
No photos have been added for William Ash.
Convict Notes
OTHER: From his Fremantle jail record: ASH, William; convict #5744, arrived 11 Feb 1861 per Palmerston Date of Birth: 1822 [sic] Marital Status: Married 2 children Occupation: Shoe maker Literacy: Literate Sentence Date: 1858 Sentence Place: Middlesex, England Crime: Shop breaking Sentence Period: 15 years Ticket Leave Date: 1 Sep 1864 Conditional Pardon Date: 29 Apr 1868 Comments: Self-employed. To Colombo, 30 Dec 1869 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00-- OFF TO COLOMBO: It’s possible he went per the Hildegarde which sailed on 4 January for Calcutta “with about 5,000 jarrah railway sleepers and horses” (Inquirer & Commercial News, 5 January, 1870, p2 at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66033803). Or, he may have left on 29 December per the Elizabeth Ann Oliver, for Shanghai, with a cargo of 603 tons of sandalwood (Perth Gazette, 7 January, 1870, p2 at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3755401). --00--
"LOITERING": 26 November, 1868: Sentenced in Perth to 1 month’s hard labour for “loitering for an unlawful purpose”. Released 26 December, 1868 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for Wm Ash; Convict Establishment, Miscellaneous; Local Prisoners Registers, 1868 - 1870 (V16a - V16c)). --00—
1 September, 1864: He received a Ticket of Leave. 29 April, 1868: He was granted a Conditional Pardon (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for William Ash; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 8127-8190, 5497-5894 (R3-R4)). --0--
IN WA: 11 February, 1861: On arrival in WA, William Ash was listed as convict #5744, 39 years old, a shoemaker, married with 2 children; 5’3¼” tall, grey hair, light blue eyes and a sallow complexion (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for William Ash; Convict Department; Estimates and Convict Lists (128/1 - 32)). --0--
10 November, 1860: The SS Palmerston, contract dated 22 October 1860, sailed from Portsmouth bound for WA with 296 convicts aboard (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5896305; AND http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/con-wa28.html). --0--
EMBARKATION FOR WA: 3 November, 1860: William Ash was discharged from Portland jail to be embarked for WA per the Palmerston. By this time he had served 1 year 8 months in jail. Charles Elton, also sentenced to 15 years’ penal servitude, was aboard the Palmerston too. --00--
JAILS: 11 May, 1858: William Ash was admitted to Millbank prison, London, from Cold Bath Fields (Clerkenwell) jail where he had been held since 5 April. Listed as inmate #7059, aged 36, a shoemaker, able to read and write imperfectly, married with two children, Protestant. His wife, Hannah Ash, was a prisoner in HM’s House of Correction, Westminster. At Clerkenwell, he served 1 month 6 days in separate confinement; behaviour “good”. At Millbank, he served 17 days in separate confinement; behaviour “good” (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Ash; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1882-1885 [mislabelled]). — 28 May, 1858: Admitted to Pentonville prison, from Millbank. Inmate #8056, 36, shoemaker, once transported for 10 years following a conviction at CCC on 20 August, 1849. Described as 5’3½” tall with a fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. Behaviour “good” and forwarded as a 1st Class prisoner, having spent 11 months 14 days in separate confinement (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Ash; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1856-1859). — 12 May, 1859: Admitted to Portland prison; inmate #8986. All details as per his previous jail records. Behaviour “exemplary” (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Ash; Portland Prison; Prison Records; 1860-1863). —0—
TRIAL: 5 April, 1858: Tried at Clerkenwell Quarter Sessions, Middlesex, William Ash was convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ transportation for shopbreaking after a previous conviction (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for William Ash; England; Middlesex; 1858). — NEWSPAPER report of the crime: From the Examiner, 3 April, 1858, p219: “Robbery of 1000 pounds worth of jewellery. – At the Clerkenwell office on Monday, William Ash, Hannah Ash (his wife), C. Elton, alias Moreton, alias the Corporal, a ticket-of-leave man, G. George, alias Williams, and J. Bosworth (brother to Mrs Ash), were charged with entering the shop of Mr. Steward, a jeweller, of High Street, Islington, and stealing jewellery and watches of the value of nearly 1000 pounds. The facts of the case were these:—On the night of the 24th February, the prisoners, Mrs Ash and Elton, were seen loitering near the prosecutor’s shop, which at eleven o’clock was quite safe, although no one lodged in it. The policeman on duty there, shortly afterwards was called away for the purpose of taking up a disorderly prostitute, and on his return found the prosecutor’s door open, and on the mat a black bag containing house-breaking instruments; the shop being nearly stripped of its valuable contents. Although every effort was made by the police, no traces could be found of the thieves, until a prostitute of the name of Jessy Norton, residing in the same house as Ash, came forward and deposed to certain conversations she had had with Mrs Ash about breaking into the prosecutor’s shop, at the same time admitting that she would not have ‘peached’ had the prisoners behaved in a ‘handsome’ manner towards her. When the police apprehended the prisoners they found some gold rings which the prosecutor said were of the same pattern as those he lost, and which he ‘believed’ were a portion of the stolen property. From further information the prisoner Bosworth was apprehended at Halifax, and upon him was found a brooch and ring, which Mr. Steward swore were his property, and were safe in his shop on the night of the robbery. It should be stated that both the witness Norton and her paramour bore very indifferent characters, and admitted after a great deal of pressing and false swearing, that they had been in prison for uttering counterfeit coin. Mr Steward admitted that the brooch, which was taken from Bosworth, and which had in it a portrait of the prisoner Ash, was not gold and was of the value of 2s 9d. The ring was also of little value. Mr Corrie said he should discharge the prisoner Williams, but the others he should commit to the assizes for trial. Although he had no doubt one of the Ashes would be discharged, still he thought it a fit case for a jury, and he could not help remarking that the evidence against Elton was very slight.” (https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Examiner) — Footnote: So much for Mr Corrie’s predictions. William Ash, Hannah Ash and Charles Elton, alias Austin Montrose, were all found guilty of shopbreaking after previous convictions. Hannah Ash was sentenced to 10 years’ penal servitude, having previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 18 months, in December 1853, for “feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Charles Howe and stealing three pieces of Coburg cloth”. Aged 28 at the time and listed as a widow, she was sent from Newgate prison to the House of Correction at Maidstone. She was described as 5’0" tall with a fair complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes; from Coventry (London, England, Newgate Calendar of Prisoners, 1785-1853 for Hannah Ash; Piece 60: 1853; and UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Hannah Ash; Newgate Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1862 [mislabelled]). Meanwhile, William Ash and Charles Elton received 15 years’ penal servitude. John Bosworth (Hannah's brother), convicted for receiving, was sentenced to 3 years’ penal servitude (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England; Middlesex; 1858). —00—
BACK TO ENGLAND: Some time after receiving his Conditional Pardon, William Ash left the VDL (the terms of the CP are not stated concerning his legal right to leave the island and/or return to England) and made his way back to England. He was certainly there by 24 February, 1858, and “operating” in Islington. —0—
BACKGROUND: William Ash was a second-time transportee. On 20 August, 1849, he had been tried at the Central Criminal Court, London – the Old Bailey – convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ transportation for stealing boots to the value of £100. In December 1852, he was sent aboard the St Vincent and arrived in VDL the following year. By August 1855 he had been granted a Conditional Pardon (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p11). For the prequel to William Ash’s journey to WA, see his bio on the St Vincent site at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/ash/william/3143. —00—