Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
Walter Balfour was transported on the Barossa, departing 31st Jul 1839 and arriving 8th Dec 1839 with 336 passengers.
Barossa (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/12, Page Number 87 (45) |
| 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
"Walter is my 4x great-grandfather"
Photos
No photos have been added for Walter Balfour.
Convict Notes
Walter Balfour was born on 20 November 1819 at Kilmadock, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland to parents James Balfour and Margaret McIntosh. At this stage not much is known about Walter’s life before his transportation, other than he had a sister named Margaret that worked at the local mill and his father James passed away in 1835 when Walter was 15 years old. On the 23 April 1839, Walter appeared in the Perth Spring Session of the Circuit Court of Justiciary in front of Lord Moncreiff and Lord Cockburn on the bench. Walter was convicted of highway robbery and prison breaking at the age of 19. He was also imprisoned and served 3 months during 1837 for an unknown offence (it was while serving this sentence he escaped prison). The details of his trial indicate that Walter was tried of aggravated highway robbery and prison breaking. The case of highway robbery occurred on the road near Blairdrummond, Perthshire where Walter attacked and assaulted John Stewart by throwing him on the ground in a violent manner and holding him down until he took from his person his coat, his shoes, his umbrella, and other articles from his pocket. Walter pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 14 years transportation. This was a lucky sentence as the judges reminded the court that a few years prior, this conviction would have resulted in the death penalty. Walter was one of 336 convicts transported to NSW onboard the ship Barossa which left on 31 July 1839 and arrived in Sydney on 8 December 1839. Walter’s mother Margaret passed away in 1839, the exact date is unknown so she may have passed away before his trial or after his transportation. Convict Indents report that at the time of Walter’s arrival in Australia he was a ploughman and labourer back in Scotland, single, Protestant, illiterate, 5’3.75 tall, brown and pock pitted complexion, light brown hair, hazel grey eyes, eyebrows partially meeting, two scars on back of little finger of left hand. There is yet to be any documentation referring to Walter’s penal servitude found that could suggest an assignment to free settlers or any other private citizen. Therefore it is assumed that he either spent most of his sentence in prison or working for the government road gangs after being processed through Hyde Park Barracks. It is also possible that was assigned to the Australian Agricultural Company and was put to work in their coal mines around Newcastle. On March 1 1842 he was sentenced to 14 days solitary confinement in Newcastle Gaol for refusing to work. On 16 July 1844 he was again admitted to Newcastle Gaol on a charge of disorderly conduct, sentenced to 7 days in the cells and returned to service. Walter obtained a Ticket of Leave on June 16 1847. No Certificate of Freedom for Walter has been found as of yet. Walter would often go by the alias James McIntosh, James being his father’s name and McIntosh being his mother’s maiden name. On August 11 1851 Walter married Cornish immigrant Mary Ann Nicholls at Newcastle and had 9 children: Margaret Ann 16/5/1852-28/3/1931 James 13/10/1854-12/7/1915 Mary Jane 30/11/1856-21/7/1933 Eleanor Elena 8/7/1859-1945 Elizabeth 10/11/1861-29/3/1937 Matilda 1864-1938 Amelia 2/11/1865-2/5/1869 Sophia 1868-23/12/1871 Unnamed baby 23/3/1874-2/5/1874 Walter had a property near Bathurst, called Dunkild or Dunkheld. Towards the end of Walter’s life, he was again in trouble, but for seemingly no crime at all. On December 11 1895, Walter was admitted to prison again for the offence of vagrancy (a condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging or scavenging.) On the December 19 his charges were remanded on condition he be put into an asylum on order of the judge. It was here in the Parramatta Lunatic Asylum Walter passed away 8 September 1900 at the age of 80 from senile decay. He was given a pauper’s burial and is buried at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, in an unmarked grave, Plot: Presbyterian 6D_Zone A/#/6314. Interesting side note, Walter’s 2x great-grandfather, Dugald MackIntosh, was a Jacobite clansman born in Croy and Dalcross, Inverness, Scotland, who fought and died at the battle of Culloden.
Walter Balfour a labourer from Doune was tried of aggravated highway robbery and prison breaking. The case of highway robbery occurred on the road near Blairdrummond where Walter attacked and assaulted John Stewart by throwing him on the ground in a violent manner and holding him down until he took from his person his coat, his umbrella, and other articles from his pocket.
National Records of Scotland Title Precognition against Walter Balfour for the crime of robbery and prison-breaking Dates 1839 Accused Walter Balfour, labourer, Address: Doune, Kilmadock, Perthshire. Verdict: Guilty, Verdict Comments: Guilty in terms of own confession, Sentence: Transportation - 14 years. Walter Balfour was listed as 20 years old on arrival. Naive Place: Perthshire. Walter was illiterate, protestant, single, 5'3¾" tall, brown and pockpitted complexion, light brown hair, hazel grey eyes, eyebrows partially meeting, two scars on back of little finger of left hand. 1/3/1842: Admitted to Newcastle gaol on a charge of refusing to work. Sentenced to 14 days in the cells 16/7/1844: Admitted to Newcastle on a charge of disorderly conduct. Sentenced to 7 days in the cells and return to service 16/6/1847: TOL Newcastle. 11/8/1851: Married Mary Ann Nicholls (16/2/1832-8/2/1907 Newcastle, NSW). Children: Margaret Ann 16/5/1852-28/3/1931 James 13/10/1854-12/7/1915 Mary Jane 30/11/1856-21/7/1933 Eleanor Elena 8/7/1859-1945 Elizabeth 10/11/1861-29/3/1937 Matilda 1864-1938 Amelia 2/11/1865-2/5/1869 Sophia 1868-23/12/1871 23/3/1874-2/5/1874 Walter had a property near Bathurst, called Dunkild or Dunkheld. 8/9/1900: Walter died at Parramatta, Sydney, and was buries at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney.
Charged with Highway Robbery for beating a man by the side of the road and taking his jacket and shoes. He was also charged with Jail Break.