William Colson

45

Margaret Weston on 21st November 2019

William Coulson born: 26th August, 1813 to David Coulson (Silversmith) and Elizabeth Wargent his occupation at age 17 was an Upholsterer’s Apprentice, he could read and write and his religion was Protestant. But on 25th August 1829: 1802. WILLIAM COLSON was indicted for stealing, on the 25th of August , 1 tin box, value 3d.; I sovereign, and 1 half-crown, the property of Joseph Dorrell , from his person . JOSEPH DORRELL . I am a waggoner . I had a tin box with one sovereign and one half-crown in it, in my left hand pocket, on the 25th of August; I was coming down Chiswell-street ; the prisoner said to me, "Joe, do you drive the Chesham waggon?" I said Yes - he asked if I was going down to it; I said Yes - he said he was going that way, and as we were going along I lost the box and money from my pocket; I did not see it taken, but the officer asked me if I had lost any thing - I said "Yes, a box;" I suppose the prisoner walked half a mile with me- I had it safe while he was with me: I had been to Mr. Chapple's, and paid him four sovereigns about a quarter of an hour before - the officer showed me the box; I said it was mine - the prisoner was close to me and another boy; the officer took them both. JOSEPH NEWSOM . I am an officer. I saw the prisoner and another boy, one on each side the prosecutor, leading him along - I saw the prisoner put his hand into his pocket several times; I followed them to Barbican - they separated from him; I went, and took them both - the prisoner dropped this box at my feet; there was some tobacco in it, but nothing else - the prosecutor was drunk- he said he had lost his box, and at the office he said there was a sovereign and a half-crown in it. (Box produced and sworn to.) Prisoner's Defence. The officer came and took me, and said I dropped the box, which I did not. GUILTY . Aged 16. Transported for Fourteen Years . Was this a set up, did he really do the crime, we will never know… William was sentenced to 14 years transportation on 10th September, 1829 at the London Court and he was held at Newgate Prison. After his sentence was given, on 9th October 1829 he was taken to the Hulk “Leviathan” moored on the Thames River at Portsmouth. He stayed on board the hulk until 29th March 1830 when he was taken with other prisoners and boarded the Lady Feversham 8th April, 1830 set sail for Sydney Australia. The Lady Feversham arrived in Port Jackson on 29 July 1830. and on his arrival he found that he was sent to work for Mr William Cox Jnr at “Hobartville” (Richmond/Windsor (Clarendon) NSW). On 1st February 1836 he was listed as absconding from W Cox of Windsor, he was listed in the census of 1837 working for William Cox. William was given a Ticket of Leave dated November 1838 till 8th April 1839 to remain in the district of Invermein by the Muswellbrook Bench. Then the Muswellbrook Bench gave approval on 21st December 1839 and he received a Ticket of Leave for him to travel and be employed in the service of Mr Butler for 12 months at his property in New England this was dated 11th January 1840. Then on 24th April 1840 he was given a Ticket of Leave to remain in New England under the employ of Captain Dumeresq. Then on 2nd July 1845 he attained his Certificate of Freedom while living in the Armidale area. In the 1860’s gold was discovered at Armidale, Rocky River, Puddledock and William joined the hundreds of hopefuls trying to find their fortune. On 29 th September 1866 William married Rebecca Markham/Dwyer/Davis who was sentenced for 7 years for stealing a piece of cloth and came out on board the Roslyn Castle in 1830. This was Rebecca’s third marriage but William’s first. He was never married in England as he was only 16 when he got sentenced for larceny. William was also listed as the informant and undertaker for Rebecca’s son-in-law Thomas Edward Jones, owner of the “Golddigger’s Arms Inn” right in the middle of the goldfield’s at Puddledock in 1868. As the gold dried up in the late 1860’s William became a Shepherd and his occupation is listed as this on his death certificate. He died of Bronchitis in Armidale Hospital on 18th March 1889 and is buried in Armidale Church of England Cemetery on 20th March 1889. After William died Rebecca was listed as “Destitute” and on 23rd March 1889 she was packed up and taken to the Newington Asylum at Silverwater where she stayed until her death on 1st June 1894 at the age of 80 and she was buried at Rookwood Cemetery.