Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Edward Collins was transported on the Thomas Arbuthnot, departing 6th Jan 1847 and arriving 4th May 1847 with 289 passengers.
Built 1841 at Aberdeen, Scotland. Wood ship of 621 Tons. Thomas Arbuthnot, 1847. “The Thomas Arbuthnot convict ship, Captain Thomson, sailed from Spithead this morning for Port Phillip, with a superior class of delinquents, officially called “exiles.” These are the first “exiles” sent to the above settlement, which the inhabitants of that respectable place are very wroth at, and have memorialised the Government on the subject. The most ingenious trades and professions are carried on, on board this ship; in fact, we believe, all trades in vogue have their representatives on board. The most ingenious affair, however, is a newspaper in manuscript, published every Saturday, having its foreign and domestic correspondence, advertisements, and, indeed, all the necessary accessories to an apparently well-conducted journal. The articles are well written and the arrangements well made. The name of this paper is the Citadel, and the conductors dub the captain of the ship ” the governor.” The Citadel having no opponents enjoys a large circulation. The editor is a man who has been of considerable note in the legitimate literary world; but all names and circumstances in connexion with their present position is strictly preserved secret with regard to these “exiles,” the greatest majority of whom are juvenile offenders from Millbank, Pentonville, and Parkhurst (Isle of Wight) prisons.”—Times, January 12. Published in the Launceston Examiner, 2 June 1847. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36252218?searchTerm=Thomas Arbuthnot There was a lot of public criticism of the arrival of these “Exiles” in New South Wales, and of their treatment, by being offered training, etc, to the detriment of honest but poor labourers.
Thomas Arbuthnot (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/15, Page Number 155 (79) |
| 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
Warwickshire Lent Assizes. Edward Collins was convicted of a similar offence, the prosecutor being Charles Smith, of Small-heath, near Birmingham, and sentenced to Transportation for Fifteen Years. Leamington Spa Courier, 4 April 1845. Edward Collins was charged with robbing Charles Smith, on the 8th of December, of 3 keys, at Birmingham. Charles Smith lives about a mile and half from Birmingham ; the 8th of December he was going home about 1 o’clock in the morning; was walking on the footpath; when he came opposite the China-fields he received a heavy blow; shouted Murder,” and jumped into the road ; upon that he received another blow, and became insensible; when he came to himself again he saw a policeman; had three keys in his pocket at the time he was struck; the keys were in his trowsers pocket; did not examine his pockets, nor know he had lost anything till the keys were brought to him ; had one large cut on the right side of his head. John Page is a police constable; on the 8th of December was on duty that night.; heard the cry of “Murder;” ran out in the road; heard some person groaning; saw prisoner and two others running away from Mr. Smith; they could see him; they ran towards Birmingham; he followed the prisoner; run him down before he could catch him ; asked him what he had been doing; prisoner said nothing Mr Smith, the prosecutor, was not sensible when he came; he took the prisoner to the station-house; he was running in the direction of the place where he found the keys ... Coventry Standard, 4 April 1845. --------------------------------------------------- Convict Exiles Index. Edward Collins, age 17, per Thomas Arbuthnot. Date of trial, 29/3/1845, at Warwick Assizes, sentence, 15 years, Charge, Assault and robbery. Remarks: The conduct of all these prisoners during their stay in Milbank Prison has been good; besides having learned to read and write well, they have made some progress in Arithmetic and all have been instructed in some useful trade.