Peter Aylward

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Maureen Withey on 26th July 2019

Hobart Town Gazette, 8 Oct 1825 Peter Aylward, 5ft. 5 ¾ in. light brown hair, hazel eyes, 31 years of age, a farmer's labourer, tried at Suffolk Jan. 17, 1820, sentence 7 years; arrived by the Juliana, born at Polstead in Suffolk, several scars on the back of the right hand, on his upper lip, and between his eye brows, absconded from the Public Works June 30, 1825.-£2 reward. Hobart Town Gazette, 12 Nov 1825 Peter Aylward and William Webb, two prisoners lately apprehended (see Runaway List), are part of a numerous gang who inhabit the inhospitable inlands in the Straits. They had been decoyed with several others, by the second officer of a prison ship, that arrived here about two years ago, to whom they subscribed all they could get, to the amount of £45, under the idea that he would make their fortunes, by fishing in the Straits. They robbed the Commissariat Stores of certain provisions-laid in a good stock - and got clear out with Major Honner's boat. However, being large, and square built, they were unable to get it over the isthmus called East Bay Neck, and were obliged to stand out to sea, where they encountered a severe gale. They threw several bags of flour overboard, in order to keep above water, and having, reached one of the Islands, their humane commander landed them, leaving each of them a knife and a club, saying, he would re-visit them in two or three days. He, however, did not find his way back for nearly two months, when they were almost starved, being left to catch seals,—men who never saw seals in their lives, and who actually at first ran away from them. These two men were so completely tired of their situation that they begged of Captain Hiller to bring them up, that they might surrender them selves. The rascals, however, absconded from the vessel as soon as she had anchored, until Mr. Kerbey, that very active constable recognised them rambling in the streets, and apprehended them. Captain Hiller pursued a party of six, in Major Honner's boat, until they landed on Cape Barren lsland, where they remain prisoners. On Saturday last, John Lomas, Richard Dutton, John Dacey, and George Haycraft, were capitally tried and found guilty of robbing a fellow prisoner in the old Penitentiary. The Chief Justice Pedder, in summing up, told the prisoners, that they could 'expect no mercy'. A prisoner, or new comer, who was lately put into, a room in the goal, amongst 60 or 70 other prisoners, was instantly seized, and, because he resisted while they were rifling him of the contents of his pockets, was nearly strangled. He was brought out by the turnkeys almost black in the face. Colonial Times 28 July 1826 Hobart Town Gazette 29 July 1826 James Dacey, Richard Sutton, John Lomas, and George Haycraft, for robbery on the 30th of June, from the person of Peter Aylward, and stealing from him two Dollars, a comb and a knife. All these men were in the Gaol gang. It is one of those too common cases of blanketing committed on one another by prisoners in confinement. Aylward was seized and beaten - a rug was put over his head about dusk-a general roar and noise were set up - and the property taken. Each prisoner produced one witness to prove an absence from the place of the riot- All Guilty. Prisoners admonished to prepare for death. The four prisoners who attacked Peter Aylward, were finally reprieved as this was the first case of "blanketting" to go before the Supreme Court, but the Governor warned that any future cases would not be shown any mercy.