Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
George Butler was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 245 (124). --00--Edgar, W. (Bill). (2018). “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. |
| 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
No one has claimed George Butler yet.
Photos
No photos have been added for George Butler.
Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE: Newspaper reporting of his trial: From the Suffolk Chronicle, Saturday 29 March, 1856, p3: "George Butler, 25, pleaded guilty to the charge of having returned from transportation before the expiration of his term. In extenuation of his offence he put a paper, stating that he obtained a ticket-of-leave and compounded for the remainder of his sentence by payment of a sum of money. The Judge said his former sentence was 15 years. He was still a young man and would have an opportunity [through] good conduct of shortening the sentence the Court was about to pass, which was that he be transported for the term of 20 years." (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/)
From his Fremantle jail record: BUTLER, George; inmate #4612, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Alias: John Date of Birth: 1828 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Sail maker Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England Crime: Returning from transportation Sentence Period: 20 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 3 Mar 1859 Conditional Pardon Date: 17 Oct 1866 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --0--
IN WA: November, 1858: Ten months after his arrival in WA, George Butler's 20 year sentence was halved. His sentence was "Commuted to 10 years by warrant received from the C Gen 18 Nov 1858" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). --00--
8 September, 1857: Sent from Portsmouth, #10/3764, to board the Nile for transportation to WA. Behaviour on the voyage “good” (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
11 March, 1857: Portsmouth prison, Cumberland Street/ Gloucester Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire -- inmate #3764. Portsmouth, Portland, Chatham and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration—transportation.” (Edgar, p40) Listed as 29 years old [when tried], single, no children; Church of England; reads and writes. Next Alexander Butler, grocer, York Street, Westminster. Committed on 23 November, 1855, at Beccles, Suffolk. This record says he spent 7 months 15 days in separate confinement at Ipswich, and 8 months 2 days at Millbank; behaviour at both was "good". By this time, George Butler had served 1 year 5 months 16 days of his 20 year sentence in jail (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners, 1855-1858). --0--
9 July, 1856: Millbank -- inmate #2954; served 7 months 15 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". Next of kin -- Alexander Butler [a nephew?], grocer, York Street, Westminster (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). --0--
24 March, 1856: Ipswich County Gaol -- served 3 months 15 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Wakefield, Millbank, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. —0—
TRIAL: 24 March, 1856: Convicted at Bury St Edmunds and sentenced to 20 years' transportation for "returning to England from transportation before the expiration of his term" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). NOTE: See his bio from his first "stay" in WA and arrival there in 1850 per Hashemy at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/butler/george/17035. --0--