Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Henry Birtwistle was transported on the Bangalore, departing 11th Apr 1848 and arriving 14th Jul 1848 with 205 passengers.
Built 1843 at Jersey. Wood barque of 877 Tons.
Bangalore (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/15, Page Number 283 (143). -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. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779. -0- Bateson, Charles (2004), “The convict ships 1787-1868”, Library of Australian History, Sydney, CD. |
| 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 |
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Convict Notes
TO BERMUDA 1844, 25 April: The Thames sailed from Portsmouth for Bermuda (The Sun, 26 April, p6, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002194/18440426/059/0006). --0--
NEWSPAPER REPORT OF CONVICT EMBARKATIONS 1844, 25 April: “One hundred and seventy convicts embarked on Tuesday [23 April] at Portsmouth on board the Thames convict ship, which was to have sailed yesterday for Bermuda, taking letters and dispatches for Sir Charles Adam, commander-in-chief on that station.” (Morning Herald, p6, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002408/18440425/040/0006) --0--
EMBARKATION FOR BERMUDA 1844, 23 April: He was sent from the York hulk to board the Thames for Bermuda (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1808-1814 [sic], at https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61810/images/61810_pcom2_136-00074). --00--
REFITTING THE THAMES 1844, 8 March: The Thames was at Chatham, according to the Morning Advertiser (p3), where her “fitting for a convict ship for Bermuda [is] drawing fast towards completion. She is ordered to be put out of dock on the 23d instant.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001427/18440309/018/0003) 1844, 6 April: “The Thames convict-ship, for Bermuda, was put out of dock at Chatham on Tuesday. She is all ataunt [shipshape, fully rigged], and will be ready to receive her freight of prisoners in a fortnight.” (Morning Herald, p7, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000183/18440406/002/0001) 1844, 13 April: “The Thames, convict-ship, for Bermuda, Assistant Master Attendant A. Karlev in charge, embarked the remainder of the convicts from the Fortitude hulk, at Chatham, yesterday, and is expected to sail to-day for Portsmouth, where she will tranship her convicts to the hulk at that port, and take 300 others from that establishment for service at Bermuda.” The Thames was at Spithead (a strait of the English Channel, off Portsmouth) on 21 April. (London Evening Standard, p4, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000183/18440413/031/0004) 1844, 22 April: “The Thames, convict-ship, Master Commander M. Bradshaw, arrived at Portsmouth, on Friday morning, from Chatham, with a number of convicts from Chatham, who, having but a short period of imprisonment to serve, will be landed to work out their time in the hulks at Portsmouth. She will take on board a number sentenced to a long term of imprisonment, and convey them to Bermuda, where the Thames (formerly a 42-gun frigate) will be permanently stationed as a convict-ship. Orders have been sent to Sir Charles Adam, the commander in chief in the West Indies, to break up the Antelope, the present convict-ship in Bermuda, on the arrival of the Thames.” (London Evening Standard, p3, https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000183/18440422/024/0003) --00--
1844, 27 February: Admitted to York hulk, Gosport – inmate #1420 Henry Birtwistle, 22, “Housebreaking and stealing therein – and former conviction”; Knutsford, 16 Oct 1843, 10 years; convicted before; born Northwich. Description: brown hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion, oval visage, stout build, 5’5” tall, large brown mark forehead, mole on chin, moles on left arm and left side of neck. Single; illiterate; Church of England; sawyer. Family: Father John Birtwistle, Northwich, Cheshire (https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61810/images/61810_pcom2_136-00074). --0--
1844, 27 February: Sent to board the Thames Frigate for Bermuda (https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61805/images/ho24_001_00086?pId=316633). However, the Thames was not ready to receive convicts at this time. The men and boys from Millbank went, instead, to the York hulk to await the completion of work on the Thames. --0--
“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. --0--
PRISONS & HULKS 1843: Held at Knutsford Gaol (https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61805/images/ho24_001_00065?pId=316633; image 65). --0-- 1843, 8 November: Admitted to Millbank Prison, London – inmate #637, 22, housebreaking; convicted Chester Co. Sessions, 16 October 1843; 10 years; single, illiterate, sawyer. “Lived three years in crime; once convicted of felony; once summarily. Connexions bad. Orderly.” (UK, Criminal Records, 1780-1871; Prison Registers and Statistical Returns; 1843-1844; HO24/1; at https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61805/images/ho24_001_00065?pId=316633; image 65) --0--
NEWSPAPER REPORT OF TRIAL 1843, 21 October: “The following are the results of the trials possessing any local interest up to the time of our last accounts... Henry Birtwistle, 22, feloniously breaking into and entering the cottage of Thomas Grimsditch, at ... stage and stealing therefrom a silver watch – 10 years’ transportation.” (Macclesfield Courier & Herald, p3, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001643/18431021/042/0003). --0--
TRIAL 1843, 16 October: Chester County Sessions – Henry Birtwistle, 22, illiterate, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ transportation for “housebreaking & before convicted of felony” (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Henry Birtwistle; England; Cheshire; 1843; at https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1590/images/31251_A006069-00123, image 39). --0--