Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
William Austin was transported on the Hougoumont, departing 10th Oct 1867 and arriving 9th Jan 1868 with 281 passengers.
875 ton ship was built at Moulmein in 1852. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/on-this-day-in-history-australias-last-convict-ship-docks.htm ---------------------------- Incorrect Image ....This is a four masted steel hulled Barque in the drawing , im surprised Australian Geo didn't do a bit more research on this .......The Hougoumont was a works ship on the Forth Bridge Project in 1885 ....the one potrayed as a drawing in Aust Geo is the later version of this ship.....the photograph i have attached is the correct and original convict vessel. --00-- 1867 "The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn, and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land." Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 19 Dec 1867, p4, English Shipping, available on Trove at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont.
HougoumontReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/19, Page Number 246. --0-- Edgar, W. (Bill) (2018), “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. |
| 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
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Photos
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Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE: James Kelly was also transported to WA on the Hougoumont. His bio is at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/kelly/james/66734.
From his Fremantle jail record: AUSTIN, William; inmate #9653, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1841 Marital Status: Married Occupation: Carter Literacy: Literate Sentence Date: 1866 Sentence Place: Clerkenwell Green Crime: Larceny Sentence Period: 10 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 23 Nov 1872 Certificate of Freedom Date: 7 Nov 1882 Comments: Bricklayer, general servant, labourer, teamster, self-employed, road worker, quarryman. To America, 17 Apr 1886 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
IN WA: 10 January, 1868: On arrival in WA, he had a career change, and was listed as a carter on his convict record (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9059-9598 cont., 9599-10128 (R15-R16)). --0--
8 October, 1867: He was sent to board the Hougoumont for transportation to WA and took with him a "good" character reference from Portland (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9059-9598 cont., 9599-10128 (R15-R16)). --00--
19 July, 1867: William Austin was sent to Portland prison. A notation says "same case [as James Kelly], to be sent to Portland D.O." (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Willm Austin; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867).
6 October, 1866: Both men were transferred to Millbank prison, Westminster, London. William Austin, alias George Austin -- inmate #2460 -- was listed as 25 years old when convicted, a sailor, married, able to read and write imperfectly; "indifferent" behaviour/character. Next of kin -- his wife, Mary Austin of 6 Jeffs Court, Hatton Street, Marylebone. He had visits from his mother, sister and aunt on 6 May and 8 July, 1867. In Millbank, he would have been kept in separate confinement. “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --00--
JAILS: August, 1866: Both men were admitted to Middlesex House of Correction at Cold Bath Fields, Mount Pleasant, Clerkenwell, London. They served 1 month 15 days in association with other prisoners. "Coldbath Fields Prison was named after a well nearby. It was an old prison, re-built in 1794, holding men, women and children. In 1850 it was changed to take men only and extended again. It was known as a tough prison, used for local London criminals on short sentences." (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/) --0--
NEWSPAPER report of their trial: "James Kelly, 27, and William Austin, 25, were indicted for stealing a silver salt cellar, pepper-box, and spoon, the property of Abraham Bensusan. Mr. Besley prosecuted; the prisoners were undefended. This was a daring robbery, and committed at two o'clock in the daytime on the 19th of July. The prosecutor lives at No. 229, Marylebone-road, and the front dining-room windows were open, where lunch had recently been taken. The parlour-maid went into the room for the purpose of clearing away the things, but had no sooner got into the room than she saw the prisoner Kelly making his way out of the window, and in doing so a silver spoon dropped from him. He, with difficulty, got out at the front gate, and he was joined by the other prisoner who, on being spoken to, said, 'It serves them right for leaving their jumpers (windows) open. They both escaped for the time, but were afterwards apprehended and charged with the robbery, two servants picking them out from amongst several other persons. The Jury found both the prisoners Guilty. It was proved by Howse, 94 D, that Kelly was tried at the Old Bailey, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for burglary, besides other convictions. Serjeant Gearing, 14 D, proved several convictions against Austin, and amongst others one for four years' penal servitude in this court on the 4th of January, 1861. That was for a plate robbery in Porchester-terrace, Paddington. Mr. Serjeant Dowling sentenced each of the prisoners to be kept in penal servitude for ten years." (Morning Herald (London), 22 August, p8 at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/) --0--
TRIAL: 20 August, 1866: Adjourned General Sessions, Clerkenwell -- Convicted and sentenced, along with James Kelly, to 10 years'penal servitude for larceny and receiving, after previous convictions for felony (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for William Austin; England; Middlesex; 1866). --0--