Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
Charles Carter 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 246. --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 |
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Convict Notes
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: CARTER, Charles; inmate #4757, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1811 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Brick burner Literacy: Illiterate [At odds with all jail records from UK and WA Convict Records, 1846-1930, Convict Department, Registers, Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)Convict -- all say reads and writes well] Sentence Place: Warwick, Warwick, England Crime: Larceny Sentence Period: 10 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 10 Jul 1858 Conditional Pardon Date: 8 May 1860 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
8 September, 1857: By this time, he had served 4 years 8 months 6 days of his 10 year term. He was sent to board the Nile for transportation to WA; prisoner #3/3940 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). Behaviour during the voyage “good” (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). --00--
24 March, 1857: He was re-admitted to Portsmouth prison, inmate #3940, sent there from the Metropolitan Police. His licence had been revoked. He had held his licence for just 3 months 9 days (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1880). --0--
25 March, 1857: From the Essex Standard, p4: At Sudbury Quarter Sessions [abt 19 March?], "a true bill was found by the grand jury against William Butcher, Isaac Sidney, Charles Constable, and Charles Carter (the bill against George Carter being ignored)... After a long examination, and the Jury retired to consult, when the prisoners, under the advice of their solicitor [Mr Shepherd], and with the permission of the Recorder, withdrew their plea of Not Guilty, and pleaded Guilty. As they had been in prison since the last session, they were bound over to keep the peace, and were then discharged." --0--
9 January, 1857: From the Essex Standard, p3: William Butcher, Isaac Sidney, Charles Carter, and Charles Constable, were indicted for assaulting and wounding Inspector Whitcome, in the execution of his duty. Owing to some impropriety in administering the oaths to the witnesses, the prisoners were acquitted, and were discharged with a caution from the Recorder. --0--
3 January, 1857: Discharged from Portsmouth having been granted a licence (Ticket of Leave) #6739. --0--
23 March, 1854: Admitted to Portsmouth in Hampshire; inmate #1817, 39 when tried, single, reads and writes well, brick maker, Protestant. Next of kin -- his brother Edward Carter, schoolmaster, "somewhere in Paris, France". Notation: "Of a good temper and disposition but with respect to his connections and former course of life is 'Bad'.". Behaviour "excellent" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1880). 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, 2018, p40) --0--
23 February, 1853: Admitted to Millbank at Westminster -- served 1 year 2 months 20 days; 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). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
JAILS: January, 1853: Held at Warwick County Gaol in Northgate Street and Wallditch (now Barrack Street) Warwick -- served 1 month 2 days; behaviour "good". On average, in 1853 up to 124 people were confined here each day (https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/warwick-county-gaol/). --0--
3 January, 1853: Charles Carter and John Johnson were found guilty at the Epiphany Sessions in Warwick of stealing two handkerchiefs belonging to William Heritage Snr, from his draper's store at Leamington, in November 1852. Charles Carter was sentenced to ten years' transportation and John Johnson to three months' imprisonment (Leamington Spa Courier, Saturday 8 January 1853, p1). Charles Carter had two previous convictions -- one for stealing a hat (October 1850) and a second for stealing a looking glass (April 1852), for a total of 6 months in a House of Correction with hard labour (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1880). --00--