Richard Childs

341

Maureen Withey on 16th October 2025

BEDFORD ASSIZES. The following  eight prisoners were capitally convicted, and received sentence of death, viz. … Richard Childs, for stealing a cow at Luton; … —They were all reprieved. Cambridge Chronicle, 22 March 1822.

46

Heather Stevens on 21st March 2018

Richard Childs was also known as Richard Britton/Britten Childs. He is probably the Richard Childs baptised 9 September 1798 Toddington, Bedfordshire, England, parents William Childs and Mary Brittain (they had married 8 November 1796 in Toddington). He was tried 14 March 1822 at Bedford Lent Assizes, convicted for stealing a cow, and received the sentence of death, commuted to life sentence. He was one of 160 convicts transported on the ship Eliza. During the voyage he was a victim of theft. The ship’s surgeon’s log has the following entry: “16 July 1822: This morning Joseph Bates was accused by Richard Childs of having stolen from him during the night six pounds of sugar and a quantity of pipe clay. Made search for said articles and found the sugar in Bate's bed and part of the pipe clay in his pockets. As this crime is likely to be such a cause of evil and disturbance during the voyage, therefore, punished the offender with one dozen and a half lashes and held him out as an example to others if found guilty of a similar offence.” [quote from https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_eliza_1822.htm] The Eliza arrived Sydney in November 1822. There were no deaths during the voyage, and the Sydney Gazette on 29th November reported that the convicts were in excellent health. The convict indent for the ship Eliza has the following information about Richard Childs: his native place is Toddington, age 22, 5ft 7.5in, light brown hair, grey eyes, and he is a “plough and milkman”. He was assigned to the Reverend Samuel Marsden, and he was still there in the 1828 census. In 1828 he received a Ticket of Leave: "plough & shears" for the district of Melville; altered for the district of Bathurst 8 Jan 1830 (‘Bathurst’ is the district bounded on the south by Prospect Hill and Melville districts, on the NW by South Creek to the bridge and on the NE by Windsor and Toongabbie roads). In 1836 he had a Conditional Pardon where he is described as a "plough and shear maker”. On 9 March 1839 Richard married a widow, Mary (also known as Mary Ann) Marsh nee Drew at Windsor. Mary had married Joseph Marsh at Rodborough Gloucestershire in 1832 and they had three sons Alvine b abt 1833, John b abt 1835, and Henry b abt 1837. In September 1837 they left Bristol on the ship 'Layton' and arrived at Sydney in January 1838. However during the voyage, of the 110 children on this ship, 68 of them died from an outbreak of measles, and Mary Ann and Joseph lost their 3 children on the voyage. Her husband Joseph obtained work as a gardener at Prospect, but died a month after arrival. Richard and Mary Ann had 7 children: • William Alvan 1839 Windsor • George John 1841 Wilberforce • Mary Ann 1843 Wilberforce • Thomas 1845 Wilberforce • Sarah Eliza 1848 Wilberforce • Elizabeth 1849-1849 Wilberforce • Eliza Childs 1851 Wilberforce Richard eventually settled as a farmer at Castlereagh. He died 2 Dec 1878 at his son George Child's residence, Rookwood and is buried at Rookwood. His wife Mary Ann Childs died 20 May 1900 at Rookwood and is buried at Rookwood. [death certificates]