William Brown

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Cross Cottage on 20th September 2018

The Standard, Thursday, July 17, 1862. SUMMER ASSIZES. HOME CIRCUIT. HERTFORD, JULY 16. (Before Mr. Baron BRAMWELL.) William Brown, 25, pleaded guilty to three charges of arson. It appeared that the prisoner on the same day, and within a very short period, had committed all the offences to which he had pleaded guilty. In the first place, he set fire to a barn in which there was a quantity of wheat; he then set fire to a stack of straw, and afterwards to a stack of hay, the whole of which were destroyed. Mr. Baron Bramwell, in passing sentence, said he was of opinion that no crime was more hateful or detestable than the crime of arson. In ordinary offences the person who committed them had some advantage, because he obtained possession of the money or property of another; but when property was destroyed wilfully by fire it was of no benefit to the person committing the act, but was an injury to mankind at large. It appeared by a report that had been made to him, that the prisoner had several times enlisted as a soldier and that he deserted, and then re-enlisted and obtained the bounty, and he appeared to be an incorrigibly bad fellow. On the present occasion he appeared to have committed the crime of arson three times in one day, and it also appeared that he stated when he was apprehended that he should have done more mischief of the same description if his lucifer matches had not gone out. It was necessary under these circumstances to pass a sentence that would prevent him from doing any more mischief for a long time to come, and he should therefore order him to be kept in penal servitude for 20 years. England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935: Register No.: 5730 First name(s): William Last name: Brown Age: 25 Birsh year: 1837 Married or Single: Single Read or Write: Imperfectly Occupation: Labourer Year: 1862 Date: 15 July 1862 Court: Hertford Crime: Arson Sentence: Penal Servitude Place: Millbank Prison When Received: 25 September 1862 From what Gaol: Hertford Gaoler's Report: Four convictions When Removed: 13 March 1863 Whither: Chatham Prison Source: Millbank Prison Registers: Male Prisoners. Volume 9

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D Wong on 20th September 2018

12/7/1862 Hertford Mercury and Reformer Hertfordshire, England: HEMEL HEMPSTEAD William Brown, alias Billy Bendigo, a tramp, was brought up, charged with setting fire to a barn, a straw stack, and a hay stack, at Flamstead and Gaddesdon, on the night of the 8th inst.__He was remanded to the Petty Sessions at Berkhamstead, on the 15th inst. William brown was 25 years old on arrival in WA - transported for 'arson of a Barn and stacks'. William was single, 5'7½" tall, ligt brown hair, hazel eyes, sallow complexion, middling stout, J W left arm, anchor right arm, nose prominent, literate. 29/3/1870: TOL Comments: General servant, brick maker, laborer, barley thresher. 16/9/1884: William Brown died at Dale River, shot by police in execution of their duty. Thomas Carbury and Andrew Miller had brutally murdered constable Hackett at Beverley, and made their escape - they were later tracked down by police and by this time they had been joined by William Brown - in an exchange of fire, William Brown was killed, Carbury escaped, Miller had been shot and died from his wounds shortly after.

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Cross Cottage on 20th September 2018

The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday, October 12, 1864: Champion Bay. (From another Correspondent.) One of the prisoners arrived from the Merchantman named W. Brown escaped the other day from the depot quarries. The police and a native assistant were almost immediately in pursuit, and and on his track and they discovered him some miles up the Chapman River (which by the way is not a river except in winter). He had endea- voured to cover his clothes with dust to destroy their identity, and had blackened his face thoroughly, and stated, when caught, that he fancied the natives would think him one of them- selves. What a vain delusion — what a slight error in judgment! I can hardly imagine any one having once been in our prisons at home, or in the association of the between decks of a con- vict-ship, could have existed, whose character was of so verdant and confiding a nature; yet so it is ; of him, however, I may add, should he ever find it necessary to take an alias, let him change his name from Brown to Green. It is very strange that men arriving in this colony will continually attempt to escape. With every possible means at command, and money to boot, it would be — nay, it has been I believe — found impossible to effect it; much more so with the reduced hair and the state livery of the College of Involuntary Immigrants of Fremantle.