John Collins

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Dianne Jones on 16th July 2022

IN VDL: 26 May, 1853: On arrival in VDL, John Collins was listed as convict #27877, a house painter and sawyer, 23 years old, single, Protestant, born at St Almes, Bermodsey, and able to read and write (http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/om8147). Family: Father, Samuel, at his native place. For further details of his life as a convict in VDL, see his Conduct record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p33 and his Indent record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-47$init=CON14-1-47_00144_L. --00-- FOOTNOTE: The other John Collins on the St Vincent was listed on arrival in VDL as convict #27881.

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Dianne Jones on 16th July 2022

On Gibraltar, John Collins, prisoner #1506, was held aboard the Europa hulk; listed as 20 years old, convicted at Newington and sentenced to 10 years for stealing from the person; first conviction [incorrect]; “character and connexions very bad”; born Kent, Church of England. Described as having dark brown hair, light grey eyes, fair complexion; single; a painter; able to read and write. Relatives/friends living at 62 Union Street, Borough (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for John Collins; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1810-1822 [mislabelled]). --0-- 3 February, 1853: He was sent aboard the St Vincent to be transported to VDL. --00--

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Dianne Jones on 16th July 2022

TO GIBRALTAR: 4 March, 1851: He was sent from England aboard the Cornwall to Gibraltar. Gibraltar and Bermuda were listed public works stations (and the second stage in the penal process). On Gibraltar, as “convicts worked together with free men on the dockyards, lines between them became blurred. Convicts, like seamen, were ‘easily recognised’ by ‘their swarthy, weather beaten complexions…[and] muscular well-knit frames’. The discipline on the penal settlement was also influenced by the naval department, who superintended part of the works. In the 1840s, for example, convicts were provided ‘a half gill of rum’ at 11am and 5pm, which they drank from a trough. This mirrored the daily allowance of diluted rum, known as grog, to Royal Naval seamen in the Victorian era. Convicts were also allowed to use part of their earnings, to buy goods, usually tobacco, which they were allowed to smoke in the evening in the barracks. Though official correspondence cited health reasons for grog allowance, it seems likely that the convict authorities feared insubordination if they were banned from drinking and smoking, which were provided to the sappers and dockyard workers whom they worked alongside… In 1854, the acting overseer stated that “half of the offences were committed when the men were excited by rum”. For more serious offences, convicts were flogged with a ‘cat o’nine tails’ whip against the ‘flogging mast’, and during an investigation Dr William Baly concluded that the whip which was used was an old naval cat, which was ‘much heavier than any now used in the government prison and hulks at home, or in the army.’” (Roscoe, Katy (2018), “Convicts and the Sea: the naval influence on Gibraltar Convict Establishment” at https://staffblogs.le.ac.uk/) --0--

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Dianne Jones on 16th July 2022

OCCUPATION: Housepainter. --0--

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Dianne Jones on 16th July 2022

TRIAL: 10 September, 1849: Convicted at Quarter Sessions, Newington, and sentenced to 10 years for pickpocketing -- stealing money (http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/om8147). --0-- NEWSPAPER report of the trial: "SURREY SESSIONS, Sept. 12. (Before J. W. Freshfield, Esq., and a Bench of Magistrates.) Highway Robbery.— John Collins, a well-known thief, who was a short time ago summarily convicted for stealing a handkerchief from the late Mr. Cottingham, magistrate at the Southwark Police-court, was indicted for stealing 7s. from the person of Catherine Steel, attended with violence... on 14 August..." Mrs Steel told the court that "a little after eleven o’clock, she was proceeding along Gravel-lane, to purchase meat for dinner. While at the end of Ewer-street she felt some person’s hand at her pocket... A Shopkeeper, residing in the neighbourhood of Gravel-lane, proved seeing the robbery committed and the assault. In defence the Prisoner denied being in the neighbourhood of Gravel-lane that day. The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty; when The Chairman asked whether anything was known of the prisoner. Barton, 272 M, informed the magistrate that he was a notorious thief, and had been several times convicted for similar robberies. Coombs, 94 L, said that the prisoner was sentenced to three months' hard labour at Brixton, for stealing a pocket-handkerchief from the late Mr. Cottingham. He had only been out three days when he committed the present robbery. The Court sentenced him to ten years' transportation."(London Evening Standard, 13 September, p4) --00--