Thomas Butler

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 27th October 2024

Died; 27 October 1859. Noted in the Liverpool Asylum Register for the Infirm & Destitute Name; Thomas Butler. Age; 69 **. Ship; Indefatigable [15] Free by Servitude. R.C. Died ** As per Register

341

Maureen Withey on 6th October 2024

Convicts Application to Marry. Revd. Thomas Butler, per Indefatigable (2), age 50, T. of L. and Catherine Walsh, per Caroline (2), age 30; Free. Date of permission: 10 Mar 1842, at Wollongong.

341

Maureen Withey on 6th October 2024

1823. The humble Petition of Thomas Butler Respectfully sheweth that Petitioner is a labouring man under sentence of transportation during life and arrived in this Colony by the ship indefatigable 1815, Bowels master. On Petitioner;’s arrival in this Colony was taken off the stores by Mrs Reibey, Sydney, whom served for the space of 5 years, at the expiration of which, Petitioner left the service of Mrs Reiby and joined the Boats Crew in Sydney where remained for two years eighteen months of which Petitioner was appointed overseer over the boats crews under B. Williams, which situation petitioner fulfilled with the strictest diligence and attention. On the 11 day of last February, Petitioner was sent to this settlement for the remainder of sentence by Mr Wentworth, sitting magistrate at Sydney. It being the first crime or misdemeanor petitioner was ? Been called to account about since his arrival in this Colony. Petitioner therefore humbly throws himself on your Excellency’s humanity for the Indulgence of a Ticket of Leave or any indulgence your Excellency ‘s wisdom and benevolence thinks fit, and Petitioner will as in duty bound ever pray, ….

341

Maureen Withey on 22nd November 2019

Colonial Secretary's Index BUTLER, Thomas. Per "Indefatigable", 1815 1822 Feb 20 - On list of prisoners transported to Newcastle per "Elizabeth Henrietta" (Reel 6008; 4/3504A p.476) 1818 Jan 5 - Servant to Mary Reibey. Re permission for Butler to proceed to Port Dalrymple (Reel 6005; 4/3497 p.272) 1823 - Petition for mitigation of sentence (Fiche 3230; 4/1869 pp.17-17a)

341

Maureen Withey on 22nd November 2019

Thomas Butler's own statement is slightly at odds with the newspaper accounts of the robbery. Michael Dogherty, Andrew McKew, and Thomas Butler, three desperate characters, lately made their escape out of Aylesbury prison ; but their want of knowledge of the town and country caused them soon to be retaken, and properly secured again in the prison. They are charged with highway robbery, in stopping and robbing Mr. John Ridgway, of Shenley, Bucks, in the parish of Woolverton, of upwards of 10L. in of bank notes, &c. Mr. Ridgway was returning home of from market on horseback, when he was stopped and robbed by the prisoners, barbarously ill-treated, and left in a ditch for dead. A neighbour and friend of his, having followed him from market, his attention was drawn to the to the ditch by the groans of Mr. Ridgway, whom he found wounded and bruised in a most shocking manner, and the saddle of his horse pressed upon his face with an intent of smothering him. His friend got him out of the ditch, and rendered him every possible assistance, and having learnt from Mr. Ridgway a description of the robbers, he traced and pursued them in to Fenny Stratford, where, with proper assistance, he had them secured, and, on searching them, the property of which they had robbed Mr. Ridgway was found upon them. Morning Chronicle, 8 Mar 1814

59

greg petersen on 21st April 2019

The voluntary statement of Thomas Butler who saith I was born at Tulla in the county of Carlow Ireland. My father was a farmer, I left my Father’s house in 1812 I was then about twenty years of age I went to Dublin and enlisted for a soldier in the 25th light dragoons I remained in the Regiment for a year and a half and deserted from it in Maidstone in Kent two of my comrades deserted with me and on our road to Liverpool being without money we stopped a Mr John Ridgeway on the High Road near Stoney Stratford on an evening in September 1813 and robbed him of between nine and ten pounds in money, we took nothing else from his person we did not ill use him, I held his horse whilst the other men took the money from him which he gave up readily and then rode towards London, we proceeded along the Liverpool road to Daventry, we were in Regimentals when we committed the robbery, but had no arms we bought some coloured cloths at Lancaster/Towcester? and left our fatigue dresses there, the next morning we were taken in Daventry examined the same day by some Magistrates at Stoney Stratford and committed to Aylesbury Gaol and tried on the ninth of March 1814 before Sir Vicary Gibbs and cast for Death, I was transported to New South Wales in the Indefatigable and arrived in Sydney in April 1815 I was first assigned to Mrs Reiby and remained in her service nearly six years when I was returned to the service of the Crown I remained in the Government Boats about twelve months when I was sentenced to be sent to Port Macquarie for heaving a stolen watch in my possession belonging to p477 Mr Robert Cooper which I had bought when I was intoxicated and to receive a Corporal punishment of a hundred lashes, I was to have remained at Port Macquarie the reminder of my sentence but was taken out of the vessel at Newcastle by the then Commandent Colonel Morrisset who had my irons knocked off and kelp me as one of the crew of his Barge, I went there in February 1822 and remained there and so employed until the latter end of 1826 and was then assigned to Captain Levingstone of the Lord Liverpool Cutter who took me to Sydney and remained with him until the latter end of July 1827 I was employed by my master in assisting to fit out the cutter Currency Lass and in the month of July 1827 I concealed myself on board that vessel and arrived on board her at Launceston on the twelfth of August at the wharf the Captain did not knows I was on board or that I landed from her. I went over to Hobart Town where I engaged myself to a man named Bernard Fox a carrier and went with him to Mr John McLeods at Campbell Town, I was employed to protect the Goods on the road, I engaged with Mr McLeod and remained there ten months and was chiefly employed salting beef and taking it to the Commissariat Store in Launceston, after I left Mr McLeods I went to live with Mr Morrisy at Bagdad and hoid? with him as cook and waiter a month and then went to the Ship Inn in Hobart Town where I resided in the capacity of Waiter a fortnight and then came straight to Launceston and the next day I went on Board the Caroline cutter to enquire where she was bound to, Laughton White had a boat alongside and was p479 shipping potatoes on board I told him I was a shoemaker and was in debt and wanted to stop ion some secret place for a little while, he took me to Captain Paines farm on the right bank of the Tamar that night, the next morning he called me a little way from the House and asked me to tell him the truth whether I was a free man or a prisoner he said tell me the truth if you are a prisoner I will endeavour to protect you as well as if you are a free man, you can go to my other farm on the opposite side of the River where you can hide privately, I told him I was a prisoner and every thing that had happened to me since I left Sydney, I passed myself by the name of Dennis Redman in Van Diemen’s Land until I gave myself up to the Police in Launceston. I returned to Launceston for the purpose of getting out of the Colony. I have not committed any other offence in Ireland England or these colonies besides those I have stated nor in another other part of the world. /signed/ Thomas Butler BUTLER, Thomas. Per “Indefatigable”, 1815