Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Bedford Chapman was transported on the Edwin Fox, departing 24th Aug 1858 and arriving 20th Nov 1858 with 284 passengers.
892 ton ship, built in Calcutta, India in 1853. Transported convicts, pensioner guard, soldiers and their families - from Plymouth, England to Western Australia - 1858. (Had been to Australia previously, in 1856, as a passenger ship.) (Later went on to service in the Crimean War.) Converted to be a passenger ship and carried immigrants to New Zealand. In 1880 converted, again, as a cool storage facility in Picton, New Zealand. Ship was in use until 1950 when abandoned. In 1965 she was bought by the 'Edwin Fox Society' and towed to Shakespeare Bay for restoration and then towed to Picton Harbour, New Zealand for display and is on the National Trust Registry, NZ. She is the second oldest surviving merchant ship.
Edwin FoxReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 303 (153) Rica Erickson 'Dictionary of Western Australians 1829-1914' Rica Erickson 'Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australia 4Vols' |
| 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 Bedford Chapman yet.
Photos
No photos have been added for Bedford Chapman.
Convict Notes
Bedford was a soldier in Nova Scotia. After arriving in WA he became known also as a bootmaker, ex soldier & expiree working for himself & achieved his Ticket of Leave in 1860 & Conditional Pardon in 1861. In 1863 he met & married Elizabeth (Ross) at Perth & produced 2children. Elizabeth (Ross) was born about 1833. She arrived in WA in 1863 on BURLINGTON. Their children were: Robert born in 1864. Bedford born in 1867. In 1867 & 1874 Bedford senior is recorded as an office bearer in the Order of Rechabites & from 1867to1872 he employed 3Ticket of Leave labourers at Toodyay & Perth. He moved in 1882 on the DOLPHIN (These references do not show his wife & children age18 & 15 going with him)
iain Frazier on 21st August, 2019 wrote: Bedford was born about 1834. He was a shoemaker single illiterate Protestant when convicted at court martial Nova Scotia for desertion & sentenced to 6 years. Bedford arrived at Fremantle Western Australia in 1858 on EDWIN FOX. He received his Ticket of Leave in 1860 and worked for self in Perth. He received his Conditional Pardon in 1861. In 1882 he moved to Melbourne.
Bedford married Elizabeth Ross on 31st July 1863. Elizabeth was described as having been born in the summer of 1823 and was apparently of Scottish descent. They had 2 children Robert and Bedford. Bothe children stayed in Western Australia, but the parents Bedford and Elizabeth returned to England and both died in Sleaford in England and were buried in the Sleaford Cemetery.