Thomas Cooley

Thomas Cooley, one of 248 convicts transported on the Runnymede, 11 June 1856

Name, Aliases & Gender

Name:	Thomas Cooley
Aliases:	none
Gender:	-

Birth, Occupation & Death

Date of Birth:	-
Occupation:	-
Date of Death:	-
Age:	-

Life Span

Median life span was 58 years*

* Median life span based on contributions

Conviction & Transportation

Sentence Severity

Sentenced to 7 years

Crime:	-
Convicted at:	Central Criminal Court
Sentence term:	7 years
Ship:	Runnymede
Departure date:	11th June, 1856
Arrival date:	7th September, 1856
Place of arrival	Western Australia
Passenger manifest	Travelled with 246 other convicts

References

Primary source:	Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 182
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 Project.

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Community Contributions

Anonymous on 30th May, 2011 wrote:

After completing his sentence, Thomas boarded the Rangatira which sailed from Fremantle on 5th December 1864, arriving in Glenelg South Australia on 10 December. Thomas married Ann Sell in 1867 at the St Paul’s Chapel in Gawler SA, they had nine children, four dying in infancy. He died in 1904 and is buried at the West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide.

Lois Cooley on 15th August, 2012 wrote:

Thomas Cooley was convicted at the Central Criminal Court in 1852 of housebreaking - stealing 1 plane and other tools valued at 3 shillings and onepence. He received a prison sentence of seven years and transportation, arriving in Western Australia on 11th September 1856.

In March 1850, he had a previous conviction of housebreaking - stealing 2 handkerchiefs, 1 box and 1 spoon, valued at 7 shillings, for which he served 18 months. On both occasions he was apprehended in Wandsworth, London.

In November 1856, two months after his arrival in Western Australia, Thomas Cooley was sent to the Lynton Convict Hiring Depot near Port Gregory. His Ticket of Leave was due on 29th May, 1857, but on this same day he was sentenced to a further 12 months with hard labour and irons and sent back to Fremantle. The charge was - Disobedience of Orders and Acts of Gross Insubordination.

On 14th May 1858, Thomas Cooley was issued with his Ticket of Leave. In April, 1859 he received a Conditional Pardon. He remained in Western Australia for another five years before sailing to South Australia on 5th December, 1864.

He married Ann Sell on 7th February, 1867 at St. Paul’s Chapel, Gawler River, South Australia.

His occupations in South Australia included farm management at Tumby Bay, hawker and greengrocer. In later years he worked voluntarily as a cook for Our Boys Institute. He died at home 2nd September 1904 at Gibson Street, Bowden, South Australia. A small obituary was inserted in The Advertiser newspaper on 3rd September, 1904.

Reference: Cooley Family Newsletters 1982-1984 compiled by Lois Cooley - (Battye Library, Western Australia)