Thomas Burden

On 10 Nov 1845 Thomas appeared in Quarter Sessions Court and was committed to trial by G W Wroughton having been charged "on the oaths of Richard Wild and others with having stolen one lamb, the property of the said Richard Wild at Wilcot". The record notes that Thomas was then aged 46, "reads imperfectly" and gives his occupation as a shepherd. He was tried at the Wiltshire Assizes on 6 Jan 1846 and found guilty. His sentence was that he "be transported for fifteen years and in the meantime to be confined in the County Goal". Thomas' goal report notes this was his second conviction, that he was married to his 4th wife Francis King and that he had 10 children, 3 being from that marriage. It also gives his religion as Protestant and notes he was able to read and write. Thomas was transported in the ship "Palmyra" that had sailed from Woolwich to Portsmouth on 8 Mar 1846. The ship then left Portsmouth for V.D.L. on 1 May 1846 with 300 convicts aboard, all of whom were male. Eight died during the voyage and the ship arrived at Hobart Town on 23 Aug 1846. Thomas' convict report describes him as being 48 when he arrived in VDL, 5 feet 8 inches in height with an oval head, brown & grey hair and brown eyebrows, a long visage, high and broad forehead, large nose and light blue eyes. He had a scar on his right cheek, a scar on the knuckle of his left hand forefinger and a scar on the forefinger of his right hand. It also records that he could read and write and records his "native place" as Devizes, Wiltshire. The surgeon's report notes that he was well behaved. He was placed in a convict gang and worked at Rocky Hills (03/09/1846), Prison Barracks (03/10/1848), and was then assigned to work for George Moore at Sorell (06/06/1849), John Watson at Sorell (13/12/1849)*, Thomas Crustterden at Prosser Plains (11/01/1851), James Raddcliffe at Spring Bay (12/08/1851) and John Tunbridge at Spring Bay Thomas was granted a Ticket of Leave on 12 Apr 1853 and received a Conditional Pardon on 3 Apr 1855. The Birth Deaths and Marriages office records Thomas' death in 1870 in the district of Sorell. Details are - Number 533 Date of Death - 8th of April Name - Thomas Burdon Sex - Male Age - 71 Occupation - Farmer Cause of Death - Dropsy The Informant was William Burdon who signed with a "X"; witnessed by R Fitzsimmons. William's residence was Bream Creek, the Registrar was R Fitzsimmons and the death was registered on the 9th of April.