Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
George Butler was transported on the Hashemy, departing 19th Jul 1850 and arriving 25th Oct 1850 with 103 passengers.
Built 1817 at Calcutta. Wood barque of 523 Tons.
Hashemy (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/16, Page Number 295 (149). --00-- England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England; Essex 1848. |
| 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 |
Claims
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Photos
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Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE: John Roberts, convicted with George Butler and also sentenced to 15 years' transportation, arrived in WA with him on the Hashemy. His bio is at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/roberts/john/17036. -- As noted above, George Butler returned to WA, again as a convict -- arriving in January, 1858 -- as punishment for "returning to England before the expiration of his sentence". How so? George Butler had received a CONDITIONAL Pardon in 1854, not an Absolute Pardon. The latter would have allowed his return to England, presuming he could afford to pay his own way. The former gave him freedom of the colony, not the freedom to return to the UK. "With good conduct, a convict serving a seven year term usually qualified for a Ticket of Leave after four or five years, whilst those serving 14 years could expect to serve between six to eight years. 'Lifers' could qualify for their Conditional Pardon after 10 or 12 years," according to the National Library of Australia (https://www.nla.gov.au/research-guides/convicts/tickets-of-leave). George Butler must have been very well behaved to get his Ticket of Leave in less than a year, and his Conditional Pardon only three years later. What made him risk a return to the UK? He was to pay dearly for that decision. At his trial in 1856, in Suffolk, he was handed a very harsh sentence of 20 years' transportation! His bio for the return journey per the Nile and life after is at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/butler/george/60829.
From the "Convicts associated with Toodyay" database: Butler, George (1830- ) [Note: His UK jail and court records point to year of birth as 1827/28. So does documentation for his return to WA per Nile in 1858.] Not sure if TOL #90, 1850-10-25 per Hashemy CWA: Unmarried; servant; literate, Protestant; burglary, previous conviction; 15 yrs; Toodyay (https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/). --00--
From his Fremantle jail record: BUTLER, George, inmate #90, arrived 25 Oct 1850 per Hashemy Date of Birth: 1 Jan 1830 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Servant Literacy: Literate Sentence Date: 1848 Sentence Place: Chelmsford, Essex, England Crime: Burglary Sentence Period: 15 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 10 Sep 1851 Conditional Pardon Date: 16 Sep 1854 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
10 September, 1851: Granted a Ticket of Leave (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for George Butler; Convict Department, Registers; General Register, 1850 - 1868 (R21b)). --0-- 16 September, 1854: Received a Conditional Pardon (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for George Butler; Convict Department, Registers; General Register, 1850 - 1868 (R21b)). --0--
IN WA: From the WA General Register for Convict Nos 1-299 (Western Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930, Convict Department, Registers; (R21A): #90: George Butler, 21 years old on 1 January, 1852, single, a servant, Church of England, educated at a private school, reads and writes; accounts of him "very good". Next of kin -- his brother [-in-law?], George Williams, shopkeeper, living at York Terrace, Westminster. The person referred to for "character" is Lord Jersey, Middleton-Stoney, Oxfordshire. He blames "bad company" as the alleged cause of his crime. Habits -- "usually attentive to his work, latterly a little given to drink". State of mind -- "hopeful, means to be steady and attentive". --0--
19 July, 1850: From Portland, he was sent to board the Hashemy for transportation to WA. --00--
9 August, 1849: Admitted to Portland prison, Grove Road, Portland in Dorset; inmate #765. Listed as 19, single, reads and writes, a footman, tried for burglary and sentenced to 15 years transportation (Records of the Prison Commission (as filmed by the AJCP), Home Office and Prison Commission: Prison Records, Series 1; Portland; County Dorset; Prisoners' Register; image 233 at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-812253371/view). Opened November 1848 as the first male convict public works prison, Portland received prisoners who had already undergone periods of separate confinement at Millbank, Pentonville and specially contracted local prisons. --0--
9 December, 1848: Admitted to Pentonville prison, Caledonian Road, London -- inmate #2068. Listed as 19, weighing 9 stone 7 lbs on admission; born Westminster, London, parents dead; single, no children; footman; previous conviction "1 year since" for stealing bread, time served at Springfield (Records of the Prison Commission (as filmed by the AJCP), Home Office and Prison Commission: Prison Records, Series 1; Pentonville; County Middlesex; Prisoners' Register; images 99-100 at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-813414887/view). Pentonville took male convicts "ideally aged 18-35 and with some promise, to serve a probationary period of 18 months before dispatch to the Australian penal colonies". Behaviour at Pentonville determined one's place in the colonies (the best received tickets of leave). In 1849, Pentonville's special status in the convict system was removed. Along with Millbank, it became "a place for all male convicts to serve their probationary term (now reduced to 9 months), after which they would be transported or sent to a public works prison" (https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/pentonville-prison-2/). --0--
1 April, 1848: Admitted to Millbank prison at Westminster, London -- inmate #14484. Listed as 20, single, reads and writes imperfectly, labourer; removed on 6 December to be sent to Pentonville (Records of the Prison Commission (as filmed by the AJCP), Home Office and Prison Commission: Prison Records, Series 1; Millbank. County Middlesex. Prisoners' Register; image 168 at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-812979616/view#). --0--
JAILS: March, 1848: Springfield County Gaol and House of Correction, Springfield Road (Springfield Parish), Chelmsford -- held here awaiting trial and for just over three weeks time following his conviction. --0--