Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
John Crawley was transported on the Bangalore, departing 11th Apr 1848 and arriving 14th Jul 1848 with 205 passengers.
Built 1843 at Jersey. Wood barque of 877 Tons.
Bangalore (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/15, Page Number 294. --0-- 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. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779. --0- Judge Advocate General's Office: general courts martial registers, abroad; 1829-50; at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1693573029/view |
| 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
NOTE: Year of Birth is taken from official records but day and month are not known. The latter dates have been entered as 01/01 because the site does not allow those fields to be left empty.
BURIAL 1874, 31 October: Buried at Cornelian Bay Cemetery, John Crawley, 57 years, Church of England, last known residence New Town, groom. Ceremony performed by Rev A Davenport; cause of death pneumonia. Manner of burial: Pauper grave, Section A, No.138 (Register of Burials at https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/AF35-1-1/AF35-1-1P23J2K, p22). --000--
DEATH 1874, 23 October: John Crawley died in Hobart General Hospital from pneumonia. Listed as 57 years old, a groom, born Northampton; death reported by C Seager, House Steward, General Hospital; death registered 2 November, 1874, #2319 (https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD35-1-8p267j2k). --0--
AS A “FREE” MAN 1862, 15 January: Hobart – convicted for larceny under £5, 12 months’ hard labour. 1865, 24 October: Supreme Court, Hobart, acquitted larceny under £5. 1867, 1 July: Supreme Court, Hobart, convicted for embezzlement, three years’ imprisonment (https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON33-1-90/CON33-1-90p29). --000--
BRANDED with a “D” Up to 1829, any soldier in the British military could be branded, but after that it was reserved for deserters who were “‘branded’ with a D on their left sides as a means of humiliating offenders” (Hilton, 2010, p140 at https://eprints.utas.edu.au/17678/2/Hilton_Thesis.pdf). Hilton doesn’t say how the branding happened and there are conflicting versions among writers. For example, some writers refer to barbaric fire brandings, while others describe painful tattooing using India ink. A post on the Irish Garrison Towns website (http://irishgarrisontowns.com/d-for-deserter/) says both practices were used – hot iron/fire branding being the preferred method until around the mid-19th century when it was replaced by tattooing: “A new device was created to mark the soldiers’ skin with ink, or even gunpowder… The large, blunt points [on the branding tool] hint at the pain it caused as a spring mechanism forced these points into the skin. Regimental doctors described the practice as ‘cupping’." Simon Barnard’s “Convict tattoos: Marked men and women of Australia” (p55) has several shots of one of these spring loaded, brass “branding instruments”, manufactured by John Weiss & Sons of The Strand, London. Barnard says they were used by medical officers to tattoo army deserters. The head of the “Weiss’ Invention” model holds 47 needle points arranged in the shape of a “D”, all clearly capable of puncturing human skin. So, too, the points of the brass instrument featured on the Science Museum of London’s website. Made by the major surgical instruments manufacturer of the 18th century, Savigny & Co of London, its adjustable points “still bear traces of ink” and were pushed through the skin by a spring-powered mechanism”. The Museum says branding was abolished in 1829, except for army deserters. The English Mutiny Act of 1858 provided that, in addition to other penalties, a court martial could order that a deserter be marked with the letter D on the left side, 2 inches (5.1 cm) under the armpit, with such letter to be more than 1 inch long. From 1829, the mark was tattooed on the body until the practice was abandoned altogether in 1879 (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co155799/branding-tool-for-marking-deserters-london-england-1810-1850-branding-tool). --00--
OTHER: Described as: 5’10”, sallow complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes; several scars on face; has been a soldier, branded D on left side. Several scars on left arm below elbow; scar on left thumb, scar on right wrist; 2nd and 3rd fingers right hand crippled. (https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON33-1-90/CON33-1-90p29). Only two offences on his record prior to receiving Certificate of Freedom, 19 December, 1853 (https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON33-1-90/CON33-1-90p29). --00--
VDL CONVICT RECORD 1848, 14 July: On arrival in VDL, John Crawley was listed as convict #20693, 31, coachman and groom, single, “can read a little”, Protestant (Church of England); native place near Northampton; court martial Corfu, 3 July, 1844, drunkenness and mutinous conduct; stated this offence “striking Sgt Wagner, Rifle Brigade 1st Battalion”; court martialled previously for desertion 120 days, absent 30 days. Six years and 8 months in Rifles. Ticket of Leave on arrival. Other: Family – brothers William and George, and sister Susan at native place. Earnings on Bermuda: “Don’t know what money I have.” (https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON14-1-39/CON14-1-39P14). “Many convicts arrived in Australia with goods and cash. These were held in trust by the colonial state while the convict served their sentence. From 1829 on, cash sums were entered into a Convict Savings Bank managed by the directors of the Derwent Bank. Some of the money that convicts brought to Australia was earned between conviction and embarkation. While awaiting transportation male convicts were warehoused in hulks. There they were set to work at tasks such as dredging and constructing jetties and breakwaters. The value of the labour they performed was carefully calculated. As a reward for diligent service every convict was entitled to keep one penny out of each shilling’s worth of work they completed for the government. At the end of every week the prisoners received one third of their accumulated savings while the remainder was left in hand until they were discharged. Such practices were maintained in the British overseas hulk establishments in Bermuda and Gibraltar.” (https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/VDL_Founders_and_Survivors_Convicts_1802-1853) --0--
From: The Courier, 19 July, p2: “THE ‘BANGALORE.’ — This convict ship, Harvey Morris, Esq., Surgeon-Superintendent, J. A. Martyn, master, arrived here on Friday last, bringing upwards of two hundred prisoners from Bermuda, who are to receive tickets-of-leave, not conditional pardons [some men did receive Conditional Pardons – see individual convicts’ details]. These men, it is stated, have been selected by the Governor of Bermuda not only for their good behaviour during their detention at that island, but also for their mechanical acquirements. Favourable reports are said to have been forwarded to the Convict Department respecting their behaviour during the voyage. Lieutenants D'Oyley and Hague, of the 11th regiment, also arrived in this vessel, having command of small detachments on the way to join their respective regiments in these colonies. The Bangalore experienced a rather rough but good passage. A soldier of the 11th regiment and one prisoner [James Fitzsimones] died on the voyage. THE EXILES or ticket-of-leave men just arrived from Bermuda are reported, upon very good authority, to have brought upwards of a thousand pounds' worth of cash amongst them [see the Governor of Bermuda’s despatches above], the amount received by them as wages earned in that island. They are waiting engagement on board the vessel; but, after to-day, can only be obtained from the New Town Depot. Orders to go on board can be procured on application to the Comptroller-General. There are 93 farm labourers and 8 domestic servants; amongst them, 2 grooms, six carpenters, and 7 miners.” --00--
REACTION TO THE ARRIVAL “LONDON AGENCY PAPERS... we cannot but notice the shameful conduct of the British Government, or rather our Governor, Earl Grey, in sending another bad cargo of exiles which has arrived by the Bangalore from Bermuda. When this abomination is to terminate it is difficult to say, but not, we firmly believe, until we receive our full rights from the British Government:— London, March 10, 1848.” (Colonial Times, 18 July, p3, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8763150) Note: According to Bateson (2004, p7), “exiles” specifically referred to “prisoners who had served a probationary period in England and had been pardoned on condition of deportation”. However, the men on the Bangalore had served the bulk of their sentences on Bermuda rather than in England. Most were sentenced to terms of 7 and 10 years. Others were serving 14 and 15 years. Only one man had a life sentence. Their records show they all held either Tickets of Leave or Conditional Pardons on their arrival during this period of the Probation System in VDL. --0--
VDL – ARRIVAL OF THE BANGALORE “July 14, 1848: — Arrived the barque Bangalore, [departed] from Bermuda 11th April last, with 202 male convicts [landed]. Passengers -- Dr. Morris, R.N., Surgeon Superintendent, Lieut. D'Oyley and Ensign Hague 11th Regt., 49 rank and file 11th, 96th, and 99th regiments, 4 women, and 4 children.” (Colonial Times, 18 July, p2, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8763146) --0--