| Name: | William Bilbrough |
| Aliases: | none |
| Gender: | m |
| Date of Birth: | 18th May, 1831 |
| Occupation: | Boatman |
| Date of Death: | 7th December, 1873 |
| Age: | 42 years |
Life Span
Male median life span was 56 years*
* Median life span based on contributions
Sentence Severity
Sentenced to 15 years
| Crime: | Larceny |
| Convicted at: | Yorkshire, Bradford Adjourned General Quarter Sessions |
| Sentence term: | 15 years |
| Ship: | Runnymede |
| Departure date: | 11th June, 1856 |
| Arrival date: | 7th September, 1856 |
| Place of arrival | Western Australia |
| Passenger manifest | Travelled with 246 other convicts |
| Primary source: | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 198 |
| 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 Project. |
Graham Wilks on 29th November, 2016 wrote:
Born Bradford YKS, son of Thomas (1800-1879) and Mary (1805-1875) BILBROUGH (nee SPINK). Husband of Rachel Ann (nee BOOTH) (1843-1907). Father of Thomas (1852-1856) and Annie Maria (1854-1936). Partner of Catherine WILKES (nee CONNORS) (abt 1836-1875). Father of Alfred (1872-1932).
Died Albany W Aust by Drowning.
D Wong on 8th December, 2019 wrote:
4/11/1854 Leeds Times Yorkshire, England:
A GANG OF BURGLARS CAUGHT.__For some weeks past a considerable number of depredations have been committed, frequently at midday, and in such a manner as to induce the belief that they were the work of a gang. In consequence of the complaints thus made by the suffering parties, Shuttleworth the detective went over to Halifax, and found that a great number of articles of clothing and a silver watch had been on the very days the robberies were committed, pledged with three different pawnbrokers of that town. From the information thus received, and a description of the parties who pledged them, a young man named William Ellis and his wife Ann Ellis, William Bilberry, and Joseph Morrell, were taken into custody, and on Tuesday brought before the borough magistrates.
When Ellis’s house was searched, thirteen keys and a picklock were found in an old hat….the report continued….the evidence against the prisoners being clear and complete, and no defence being offered, they were committed for trial.
7/12/1854 Bradford Observer Yorkshire, England:
BRADFORD MICHAELMAS INTERMEDIATE.SESSIONS
William Ellis, (24), William Bilbrough, (23), Joseph Morrell, (24), s. at Bradford, a suit of clothes, 3 gowns, a shawl, and other articles, the property of Thomas Marsden ; also s. at Bradford, a tobacco stopper, 2 buttons, a scarf, and other articles, the property of John Dixon.
William Ellis and Joseph Morrell were further charged with s. at Horton, a cape, a child’s dress, and other articles, the property of Thomas Shackleton.__Transported for 15 years.
William Ellis was also onboard.
No ship found for Joseph Morrell.
William Bilborough was 25 years old on arrival - married with 2 children.
Occupation: Fitter.
William was literate, 5’6” tall, dark brown hair, grey eyes, oval face, fair complexion, middling stout, scar right side of neck.
20/11/1858: TOL
21/11/1863: CP
13/12/1869: COF
1866: Was a whaling hand at Cheyne Beach.
1868: Employed at TOL labourer at Beverley.
1872: Son Alfred born, listed at Albany in 1876 as Wilkes (adopted).
(Catherine Wilkes (she married John Wilkes in 1861 registered at Perth) died aged 32 in 1875).
William’s occupation was waterboatman and he drowned in Albany Harbour on 7 December 1873. Ironically he could not swim and whilst attempting to retrieve an oar that had come loose as he was rowing across Albany Harbour he drowned. Copy of record from the Registrar General.
Buried at Albany Memorial Cemetery, WA.
Sources:
https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/history/convict-database/
http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/conwad18.htm
http://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/files/B.pdf
http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/Albany/AlbanyMem_h.htm
Graham Wilks on 29th November, 2016 made the following changes:
date of birth: 18th May, 1831 (prev. 0000), date of death: 7th December, 1873 (prev. 0000), gender: m, occupation, crime
This record was discovered and printed on ConvictRecords.com.au
