Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Thomas Bray was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 337 (168) Australia, Convict Index, 1788-1868 |
| 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
Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0062 Ship Calcutta 1804, Ocean to VDL. Thomas Bray, Tried London G.D. 10 Feb 1801, 7 years.
Old Bailey Online 248. THOMAS BRAY was indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Anthony Harrison , John Litley, his servant, and others, being therein, about the hour of four in the afternoon of the 18th of February , and burglariously stealing seventy-two yards of ribbon, value 9s. the property of the said Anthony. ANTHONY HARRISON sworn. - I live at No. 5, Panyer-alley, Newgate-street, and have a house and shop in Fenchurch-street ; John Litley, a servant of mine lives there, I do not sleep there myself. JOHN LITLEY sworn. - I am shopman to Mr. Harrison, in Fenchurch-street: On Wednesday last, between five and six o'clock, as near as I can tell, Sapwell came in to know if our shop-window had been cut; I then looked in the window, and missed the goods; upon which he immediately produced to me eight pieces of ribbon; I looked at them, some had the marks torn off, and others had part of the marks left, which I knew to be my marking; I looked at the window, which had been cut before, and mended by a glazier, the piece which had been put in was gone; I had seen the ribbon there at eight o'clock in the morning; the piece was put in with putty and sacks, about a fortnight before; the hole was not large enough for me to put my hand in, a boy's hand might go in; Mr. Sapwell has the ribbons, they are Mr. Harrison's property. THOMAS SAPWELL sworn. - I am an officer of the Ward of Bishopsgate: Last Wednesday, about four o'clock, I was sent for to Mr. Page's, in Bishopsgate-street, haberdasher, the prisoner was there; I took off his hat, and in his hat I found five rolls of ribbon, and one roll, which I believe dropped from behind him, but I did not see it drop, and two rolls were taken from him by Mr. Bevan; I asked him how he came by them. Q. Did you make him any promise of favour? - A. No; I said he had better tell the truth. (Produces the ribbons). GEORGE THOMAS BEVAN sworn. - When the prisoner was brought into our shop, he fell down upon the floor, and two rolls of ribbon rolled from him; I believe these to be the two. Q.(To Litley.) How many servants have you in the house? - A. A shopwoman, and a little schoolboy. Q. Can you venture to swear, that from eight o'clock in the morning, when you saw the ribbons, till Sapwell came in, there was not one minute of time when some one of you was not in the house? - A. I can; I am sure of it.(The two rolls that fell from the prisoner upon the floor, were deposed to by Litley). Prisoner's defence. It was not me that did the crime. GUILTY, aged 14. Of stealing the goods, but not guilty of breaking and entering the dwelling house . Transported for seven years . Tried by the London Jury, before Mr. Recorder.