Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
John Bodle was transported on the Maria Somes, departing 22nd Apr 1844 and arriving 30th Jul 1844 with 264 passengers.
Maria Somes (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/14, Page Number 55 (29) Name Year1871 Place Tasmania, Australia Description AU6103-1871 Tasmania Reports of Crime 1871 |
| 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
No one has claimed John Bodle yet.
Photos
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Convict Notes
Information is requested respecting John Bodle, alias James Smyth, per Maria Somes, who is supposed to have left this colony for Melbourne in 1852. Communicate with Hobart police. Tasmania Police Gazette, 6th Oct 1871, p160.
Very interesting book written by Sandra Hempel "The Inheritor's Powder" pub by W&N tells the story of John Bodle. According to Sandra, John admitted to poisoning his grandfather after he'd been tried & aquited as he was safe under the double jeopardy law, could not be tried twice. She couldn't find details after he arrived in VDL, so presumed he changed his alias, couldn't find his date of death
Entered as James Smyth in VDL , real name James Bodle , a real piece of work , was originally charged at Maidstone with murdering his Grandfather with arsenic several years prior ,blamed his father for it , then his brother , he was finally acquitted ,due to a lack of evidence and his determination in throwing the jury doubts ,he was then charged with Extortion (no extortion sentences above) of a Lords butler of money , if the butler didn't comply he would have the butler accused of an unnatural crime, butler put him in first. Irony has it that he secured work as a butler in Tasmania . John was last known to have secured his Masters pass and boarded a ship in 1852 in Tas and disappeared into Melbourne. In 1871 the Chief District Constable in Hobart requested knowledge of his whereabouts .