John Spencer Buttress

174

Iris Dunne on 28th November 2017

Old Bailey - https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?div=t18210606-149 858. JOHN HENSHAW and JOHN BUTTRESS , were indicted for stealing, on the 16th of April , one jacket, value 7 s.; one pair of breeches, value 1 l.; one round frock, value 1 s.; two handkerchiefs, value 6 d., and one shirt, value 6 d. , the goods of John Maynard . JOHN MAYNARD . I am servant at the Bird-in-hand, Bromley, near Bow . On Sunday night, the 16th of April, about ten o'clock, I was shutting up the shutters - I had put these things in a bundle, and was going to take them home to Stratford - a young man called me into the parlour to drink with him; I left my bundle in the tap-room, nobody was there then - I came out in a quarter of an hour, and missed it - I ran out, and saw some men on the road, they saw me, and set off running across the fields, and got away - I found the prisoners at Hackney watch-house that night, with the property. ELIZA TAYLOR . I am servant at this house. On Sunday, the 15th of April, about ten o'clock at night, I saw Buttress in the tap-room; nobody else was there then - Maynard was in the tap-room; I had seen his bundle there - five or six others came in, who I cannot swear to; and in a quarter of an hour I missed his bundle, and told him - I was sure of Buttress, I had seen him on the Sunday before, at the skittle-ground, and then Henshaw was with him - I do not know whether he was in the tap-room or not. JAMES WILLIS . I am watchman of Hackney. About twelve o'clock on this night, I was asked if I had seen any one pass with a bundle, I said, No; they mentioned Buttress's name as one. I got another watchman, and we went to Buttress's house, at the bottom of Well-street; he was not at home - we went down the street, and there saw Henshaw standing by a post (it was between twelve and one), my mate collared him, and I saw Buttress run away, he was only a few yards from him - I followed, but he got off; and about half-past five o'clock, we found him at his brother-in-law's house, at the bottom of Pound-lane, concealed under two beds. Henshaw took us to a quickset hedge, about twenty yards from where he stood, and shewed us the bundle. THOMAS ATKINS . I am a watchman. I went with Willis and saw the prisoners at half-past twelve o'clock; Henshaw stood by a post, in Well-street; I took him, a person ran from him, whom Willis pursued. I do not know who it was; I went afterwards, and found Buttress concealed between a mattress and two beds. When I took Henshaw, he said, "It is the bundles you want, it is a pity they should be lost, I will shew you where they are." He did so. JOHN BAILEY . I live at Stratford; and am a basket-maker. I know the prisoners by sight, I saw them together about half-past nine o'clock, or near ten at night, at the Three Crowns, public-house, Mile-end. Buttress came in, and asked for his cousin, Henshaw met him in the road; I saw them go into the Bird-in-Hand, public-house, together, and came out in about ten minutes, and go towards Hackney - Henshaw then had a bundle. JOHN FOLKES . I live at Stratford, and take care of Mr. Howard's horses, he is a chemist - I was with Bailey, taking a walk; Buttress came into the Three Crowns, Henshaw joined him, we walked into the Bird-in-Hand, with them. I saw Henshaw take a bundle out of the tap-room, but did not know whether it was his. JOHN OLIVER . I live at Bromley, about a quarter of a mile from the Bird-in-Hand. I was drinking with Maynard, in the parlour, and went after the men. Before that I came out of the parlour, and saw seven or eight in the tap-room, the prisoners were two of them. (Property produced and sworn to.) HENSHAW'S Defence. I was in the field, and saw two young men throw this bundle into the hedge. BUTTRESS'S Defence. Five or six men rushed out of the house, and I went home quietly. HENSHAW - GUILTY . Aged 18. BUTTRESS - GUILTY . Aged 18. Transported for Seven Years . Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Common Sergeant.

7

Sandra May on 27th November 2017

My Great Great Grandfather, John Spencer Buttress, was living in London, and was only 19 years of age when he was convicted of stealing a bundle. A bundle was a collection of clothing! John Spencer Buttress was convicted to 7 years punishment on 6 June 1821 in Middlesex Gaol Delivery. John, along with a further 227 convicts, were transported on the SS Lord Hungerford which set sail for Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania, Australia) in July 1821. The ship arrived in Hobart, Tasmania on 26 December 1821. John most likely served the first 6 years in Hobart Gaol, and the last year of penal servitude was in the new Launceston Gaol. The original portion of the gaol, at first known as the Hobart Town Prisoner's Barracks, was built by convicts in 1821 and accommodated 640 men. We assume he was released from prison sometime in 1828. John Spencer Buttress married Mary Dollison on 15 October 1832 in Launceston, Tasmania. On 5 August 2014, I discovered online that my second Great Grandmother, Mary Dollison, was in fact a convict, too. She was born in Oxford, England in 1805, and at the age of 24 years, was charged in Oxford on 27 April 1829 for Robbery on the Person. Mary’s sentence was Death, but this was commuted to “Transportation for Life”. On 7 November 1829 she sailed from London on the SS Eliza, arriving in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) on 24 February 1830. The entire ship consisted of 113 female convicts. Mary was sent to the Factory for Women in George Town, Van Diemen’s Land. All convicts were transported to Van Diemen’s Land from the time of the initial establishment of the colony in 1803 until 1853. During that time, five female factories were established in Van Diemen’s Land – at Hobart Town, George Town, Cascades (South Hobart), Launceston and Ross. These factories housed only female convicts and were designed as places of labour and hire as well as places of punishment. They also provided a place for the pregnant and the ill. These establishments were referred to variously as factories, houses of correction and, rarely, penitentiaries. We still cannot find the link as to how or when she met John Spencer Buttress, my 2nd Great Grandfather. On 30 August 2014, I discovered through the Tasmanian online records that convicts in Tasmania were not permitted to marry either each other or free people without approval from the Convict Department authorities. On 8 September 1832 John and Mary had requested permission to marry. At this time, Mary was still a convict and her sentence was pardoned in 1840. John is noted as a free person. They married on 15 October 1832 in Launceston (this date was supplied from another Buttress Family Tree. This date is also confirmed on Ancestry.com). Mary Buttress died in Launceston in March 1865. John and Mary Buttress had four children, and one child was called, you guessed it, John Buttress, born in 1844. They didn't have much imagination when it came to naming the boys! This John was my Great Grandfather (1844 – 1881). Five months after Mary had died in March 1865, John Spencer Buttress married again. His second wife was Elizabeth Ann Curtis, born 1825. He died nine years later in 1874. I do not know anything about this woman, other than she was 40 years of age when she married John. Sandra May 27 Nov 2017