Charles Burgess

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Maureen Withey on 1st May 2024

CENTENARIAN'S DEATH. SINGLETON. Thursday. An old and respected resident of Wollombi in the person of Charles Burgess died at his residence yesterday, aged 105 years. When deceased came to the State Government House was only a bark hut, and Maitland was no town at all. Deceased's sight was marvellous, and he could see and read a paper without spectacles up to the time of his death. He was the father of 20 children, and from him descended 65 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The Australian Star, 5 Feb 1903.

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Maureen Withey on 1st May 2024

The following convicts from last Wilts assizes have been removed from Fisherton gaol, and put on board board the York Hulk, at Gosport, viz. -—John Olding, sentenced to transportation for life; George Barnes, for 14 years; John Eyre, (the late Marlborough postmaster,) J. Hancock, T. Turner, C. Jennings Mark Keene, Charles Burgess, W. Gibbs, W. Jeffery, J. White, W. Darnells, R. Amor, W. Kettlety, and Geo. Newman, for 7 years each. Bath Chronicle 23 April 1829 --------------------------------------------------------------- Also HO_9_9-3 Hulk Records. York, Laurel and Hardy hulks at Gosport. Received from Fisherton, 13 April 1829: Chas Burgess, age 24, Stg potatoes, tried New Sarum, 7 March 1829, 7 years, To NSW 13 May 1829.

6

Barry Sylvester on 30th April 2024

Charles Burgess was my grt Grandfather , he was born on the 20th September 1804 and died on the 2 January 1903.. Name: Charles Burgess Gender: Male Baptism Date: 20 Oct 1804 Baptism Place: Edington, Wiltshire, England Father: William Burgess Mother: Hannah FHL Film Number: 1279393 Reference ID: Item 16. Charles arrived on board the "Norfolk" in 1829, his transportation records show his age to be 25 years of age. If Charles was born in 1796 as some people say he was, he would have been 33ys of age when he arrived in the Colony.... It would also mean that he fathered his last child [1885] when he was 90 years of age - highly unlikely for a man of that age, I would think.

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Maureen Withey on 15th April 2019

Wilts Lent Assizes Charles Burgess, James Bayley, James Fatt, Wm. Stokes, and Charles Kitt, were indicted for stealing four sacks of potatoes, from Mrs Tabitha White, in the parish of Eddington, on the night of the 4th Feb. The prisoners were five as fine looking young men, as it is possible to see placed together. John White, a farmer at Eddington, lives with his brothers along with his mother. In a field adjoining the house, they had a potato pit; it contained 19 sacks; on going to the pit on the morning of the 5th, he discovered that it had been broken into, and 4 sacks taken away. The potatoes were the property of his mother. James White is the brother of the last witness; they had lost some potatoes on the morning of the 5th. Suspicion falling on Burgess, he and his brother went to his house; the distance was about 100 yards from his mother’s; they found some sacks in an outhouse, and from the colour of the mould about them, as well as from the potatoes, when compared with those in the pit, they were certain that the potatoes were their property. There was another circumstance too, which tended to confirm this belief: the mice had made their way into the pit, and the potatoes in the bags, as well as those in the pit, had suffered from the little marauders. Burgess had formerly a pit of his own, in another field; but the soil of that field was totally different from that in which the potatoes were grown; when before the magistrates, he said that he could bring persons to prove that he brought the potatoes from his own field. [The prisoner Burgess here interrupted, and said so he could.] Witness then saw the prisoners at Tinhead; they were on the other side of the hedge; heard Burgess say, “We must all keep to one story, and swear to what we will do.” The prisoner Kitt said “How bad a thing it would be for anyone to swear false.” Burgess said. – “What bee’st thee afraid of a false oath?” on which they, as with one voice, said, “We’ll swear that that shall do; we’ll stick to them like bricks,” and then there was a general burst of laughter. He was present when the examinations were taken down; they contained no confession, but, an avowal of the potatoes being the property of Chas. Burgess. Elizabeth White confirmed the testimony of her brother, as far as regarded the appearance of the pit on the day after the robbery. It was covered on the 4th, but open on the morning of the 5th. Catherine Hurd deposed to all the parties being at her house at the Bear Inn, Eddington, on the evening of the 3rd. They did not all come in together; they sat together; they had four pints of beer; they staid till 9 o’clock, and they all went out together: - A man of the name of Francis had a rudge of land; He had been working there a fortnight before the 4th Feb.; he knew that the potatoes belonging to Burgess had been carried away before those belonging to White were stolen. When he looked at the pit all the potatoes were gone; the pit was quite empty. Richard Burgess worked for Burgess at Eddington on the 3rd of February. On that day he asked him to go and help him to steal some potatoes to help pay the fine he had to pay for poaching; he knew the prisoners well; was with them the whole of the day prior to the robbery. All their conversation was about stealing White’s potatoes; they said they were going to Tinhead, and if he would go he would pay for his own beer; they went to a house and had seven pints. – The plan for the robbery was laid there; and soon carried into effect. Fatts and the rest told him to say nothing; he never mentioned this till after they were confined; he was afraid to do so. The Jury, after a very perspicuous charge from the Judge, found Charles Burgess guilty, but acquitted the others. – In passing sentence, the Judge told him that his crime was highly aggravated by his attempting to engage his companions to add perjury to his other crime – 7 years transportation. Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 12 March 1829

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Janice Macpherson on 24th November 2012

The Norfolk (2) left Spithead 22/5/1829 and arrived in Sydney 27/8/1829, creating a record fast 97 day trip. Certificate of freedom granted 27/5/1836 and land was aquired at Cockfighter creek in 1852.

Charles Burgess was 25 when transported. He was married to Bithiah Boulter in 1828 and had 1 child, both of whom he had to leave behind. He married Mary Casey in 1837 and then Jane Brien in 1870. Charles died at Cockfighter's Creek, Wollombi, nsw on the 2/1/1903. From the Wiltshire Newspapers: 1825 Charles Burgess of Edington, sentenced to 6 months in the House of Correction for breaches of the game laws. 1834: TOL Dist/Merton. 27/5/1836: COF. 7/11/1846: Maitland Mercury - A horse supposed to have strayed or to have been stolen is now running at the Stock-yard Creek, Wollombi, where the owner can have him on application to the undersigned and paying the expenses. Signed Charled Burgess, Cockfighter's Creek, Wollombi. (Apparently the stealing cattle charge may have been because of the lack of fencing in the area at that time and also people walking off the properties in hard times and leaving the stock roaming free.) Deposition Registers: 4/8/1858 - Stealing Cattle, Trial at Maitland. 28/10/1862: Obtaining money by false pretences - Bathurst. 5/3/1867: Grenfell - Larceny - Tried Bathurst.