Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Orlan Blodgit was transported on the Buffalo, departing 28th Sep 1839 and arriving 12th Feb 1840 with 90 passengers.
1833 - Voyage. Transported; 179 Female Convicts and 25 Children 1839 - Voyage. On 28th September 1839, the Ship Buffalo left Quebec, Canada, taking 144 prisoners to Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales, following the Patriot War in Canada in 1837-38. Some of the prisoners were French Canadians patriots and others were American patriots, captured after the Battle of the Windmill. The Ship went first to Van Diemens Land, arriving at Hobart on 11th February 1840, where most of the American prisoners were landed, and then went on to Sydney, arriving on 26th February 1840, where the 58 French speaking prisoners were landed. They were separated mainly because there was hostility between the Americans from Lower Canada and the Canadians from Upper Canada. The prisoners were in the main, literate, idealistic and honest men.
BuffaloReferences
| Primary Source | Tasmanian Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-3$init=CON31-1-3p315. Libraries Tasmania's Online collection CON27-1-8 Image 28 |
Claims
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Photos
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Convict Notes
Aged 23 years on arrival. Native Place; New York State.
Tasmanian Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-3$init=CON31-1-3p315 3103. Orlan Blodgit, Buffalo, 12 Feb 1840, Province of Upper Canada, 6 Dec 1838, Life. Transported for Piratical Invasion of Upper Canada. Single. T.L. 10.2.42. Free pardon 7 Oct 1845. -------------------------------------------------- On 10 February 1842, tickets of leave were issued to seventy of the Patriots on condition that they resided in the districts of Fingal, Campbell Town, Oatlands, Bothwell, Hamilton and Swanport.79Robert Marsh, James Fero, David House, Orlin Blodgett and Leonard Delano set out to find work in Bothwell. Difficult travelling conditions and illness result-ed in this group stopping at Brighton. Here they lived in a vacant estate house, guarding it for its absentee owner and carrying out menial labour tasks. Orlin Blodgett also made a stump puller. See “Story of Orlin Blodgett,” The Chronicles of the Ontario County Historical Society (March 2006), v.35, #1, 7. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/onhistory/1900-v1-n1-onhistory04950/1065618ar.pdf -------------------------------------------------- The following embraces a list of the names of Americans who were yet prisoners on Van Dieman’s Land, on the 29th of January, 1845. Jehiah H. Martin, James Peirce, Heran Loop, Michael Fraez, Solomon Reynolds, William Reynolds, Andrew More, Samuel Washburn, John Sprague, Chauncey Mathers, Calvin Mathers., Horace Cooley, George Cooley, James Waggoner, Norman Mallory, Chauncey Bugbee, James Inglish, A.H. Richardson, Simon Gutrich, John C. Williams, Joseph Stuart, Riley Whitney, Michael Murry, Joseph Lafort, Patrick White, Hugh Calhoun, John Bradley, John Berry, Henry Shew, Thomas Baker, Riley M. Stewart, Oslin Blodget, Elijah C. Woodman, Jacob Paddock, Lenus W. Miller, William Gates. Some of the above may have been released since the date above mentioned, but no official intelligence of the fact has, as yet, to our knowledge, been communicated either to the United States Government or to their families. Source: American Newspaper, The Daily Union, (Washington) Sept 20th 1845. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82003410/1845-09-20/ed-1/seq-2/ -------------------------------------------------- GOVERNMENT NOTICE. No. 189. Colonial Secretary's Office, 26th October, 1846. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant a Free Pardon to Orlin Blodgit, per Buffalo, for the crime of which he was convicted at a Court Martial held in Upper Canada in 1838, and sentenced to transportation for life. By His Excellency's Command, J. E. BICHENO. The Courier, 31 Oct 1846.