James Burns

James Burns, one of 290 convicts transported on the Exmouth, 03 March 1831

Name, Aliases & Gender

Name:	James Burns
Aliases:	none
Gender:	m

Birth, Occupation & Death

Date of Birth:	1817
Occupation:	-
Date of Death:	28th April, 1847
Age:	30 years

Life Span

Male median life span was 57 years*

* Median life span based on contributions

Conviction & Transportation

Sentence Severity

Sentenced to Life

Crime:	House breaking
Convicted at:	Lancaster Assizes
Sentence term:	Life
Ship:	Exmouth
Departure date:	3rd March, 1831
Arrival date:	28th July, 1831
Place of arrival	New South Wales
Passenger manifest	Travelled with 289 other convicts

References

Primary source:	Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 89, Class and Piece Number HO11/8, Page Number 26
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 Project.

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Community Contributions

Penny-Lyn Beale on 12th December, 2020 wrote:

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
No; 63
Name; James Burns
Ship and arrival year; Exmouth 1831
Reads, Protestant. Age; 14 years.
Native County; Liverpool
Trade; Block maker
Age; 14
Lancaster / 29 Aug 1829. Life
Offence; House Robbery
Height; 4 ft. 7 3/4
Complexion; Pale freckled
Hair; Dark Brown
Eyes; Hazel Assigned Carters Barrack’s
Additional Remarks; Died at Maitland 28 April 1847. Vide 47/5225

Maureen Withey on 15th February, 2021 wrote:

National Archives.
HO 17/54/31829 Sept 24; 1840 May 4

Prisoner name: James Byrne or James Burns.

Prisoner age: 11.

Court and date of trial: Lancaster Summer Assizes 1829.

Crime: Burglary at the house of William Thompson, draper, of Ranelagh Street, Liverpool.

Initial sentence: Death, commuted to transportation for life.

Gaoler’s report: Mischevious disposition.

Annotated: Nil; this case has been frequently considered and Mr Ewart has received an unfavourable answer upon a similar application a few days since.

Petitioner(s): Ten freemen of the Borough of Liverpool; William Thompson (prosecutor) with three officers of St Peter’s Church, Liverpool; Patrick Byrne (father) and six lodge masons of Dundalk, Ireland; 20 other applications by Patrick Byrne (father); three applications by Mary Byrne (mother).

Grounds for clemency: His youth (11 years); parents are respectable, his father having been in the military for many years; seduced or compelled into the crime by older boys; three generations of the family have served in the military.

Other papers: Seven covering letters and characters.

Additional Information: Held on board Euryalus Hulk, Chatham. The convict was transported to Sydney, New South Wales, on board the Exmouth 1 April 1831. The convict was tried and convicted with Thomas Rice, [an older boy]. Notes state the prisoner’s father served in the Fencibles, is 66 years of age, and James is his youngest child.

Convict Changes History

Penny-Lyn Beale on 12th December, 2020 made the following changes:

date of birth: 1817 (prev. 0000), date of death: 28th April, 1847 (prev. 0000), gender: m, crime