Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
William Collins 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 244. --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: COLLINS, William; #4552, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1817 Marital Status: Married 3 children Occupation: Gardener Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Winchester, Hampshire, England Crime: Stealing money order Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 16 May 1859 Conditional Pardon Date: 18 Aug 1861 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
10 September, 1857: Sent from Portland to board the Nile for transportation to WA; listed as #45/6915, details as above but occupation is "a letter carrier and gardener" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
6 April, 1857: Admitted to Portland prison, Grove Road, Portland. Portland, Portsmouth, 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, p40) Inmate #6915; listed as 39 when convicted, married with 3 children, reads and writes well, letter carrier; next of kin -- his wife Charlotte, Hartley Rows (in Hartley Wintney?), Hants. State of health "good"; behaviour "good" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --0--
17 March, 1856: Admitted to Pentonville prison, Caledonian Road, London -- served 12 months 20 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". --0--
19 February, 1856: Admitted to Millbank prison, Westminster, London -- served 27 days in separate confinement; 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: 18 September, 1855: Winchester County Gaol and House of Correction, Romsey Road, at West Hill, Winchester, Hampshire -- served 5 months 1 day. --0--
TRIAL: 19 September, 1855: William COLLINS, letter carrier, convicted by Baron Parke at Winchester -- "stealing a post letter containing an order for money"; sentenced to 14 years' transportation (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Winchester Gaol; Calendar of Trials). --0-- NEWSPAPER REPORTS: From the The Times, December 21, 1855, p9: "Winter Assizes Western Circuit Winchester December 19th William Collins was indicted, for that he, being in the service of the post-office, had stolen a post letter containing a valuable security for money. Mr Poulden and Mr H.P. Cole were counsel for the prosecution, and Mr W.M. Cooke defended the prisoner. From the evidence it appeared that Thomas Phipp, having occasion to send 7s to the secretary of a club of ‘Odd Fellows’ at Oldham of which he was a member, obtained at Wokingham a post-office order for that sum on the Post Office at Oldham; he enclosed this order in a letter addressed to “William Girdler, High Street, Oldham”. This letter was left at the ‘White Hart’ at Eversley, which was a letter receiving house. The prisoner had been for some years a letter carrier in the employ of the post-office, and he took the letters from Eversley to Winchfield [6 miles to the south], and the prisoner, or his boy, took away the letter from the ‘White Hart’ on the day in question, but it never reached its destination. A gentleman was then sent down from the post-office to make inquiries and investigate the matter. He proceeded to the prisoners house. The prisoner was not at home, but [a] search was made in his house, and in an American clock which was on his mantelpiece, he found the Post-Office order. The prisoner was apprehended, and he said the order was brought to him by his little boy, and he could not tell to whom it belonged." (http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/w4552.htm) --0-- From the Globe, 20 December, 1855, p4: "ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. WINCHESTER, Dec. 19. William Collins was indicted, for that he, being the service of the Post Office, had stolen a post letter containing a valuable security for money. The stolen Post Office order was found in the prisoner's possession. The learned Baron having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to be transported..." (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/)
COMMITTAL: 18 September, 1855: Committed to stand trial by Guy, Lord Dorchester, of Odiham, on three charges: 1. stealing a post letter the property of Her Majesty's Post Master General, at Eversley, on 2 July 1855; 2. feloniously embezzling a post letter containing a Post Office order for the payment of 7 shillings, on 1 August, 1855; and 3. feloniously embezzling one other post letter containing a Post Office order for the payment of £1/5/-, at Bramshill (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Winchester Gaol; Calendar of Trials). --0--