Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
John Crute was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | Tasmanian Archives - convicts. Trove: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper |
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Convict Notes
Tasmanian Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1P65 List of persons to be sent to the Derwent in His Majesty’s Brig Kangaroo by order of his Excellency the Governor, 16 Dec 1816. No 31. John Cruit, age 40, 5ft 8 ¾, Labourer, tried Gibraltar, 1802, Life. Per Calcutta, 1803 & Ocean. Native place, Ashburton, Devon. Formerly of 25 Regt of Foot, mark of gunshot wound on right thigh, scar on left cheek. C.E. 1230, 31 Jan 1820. Executed 18 Sept 1826.
Robert Knopwood’s Diary. The Rev. Robert Knopwood sailed from England, on the Calcutta in 1803, and landed in Port Phillip with the prisoners. He later became the first chaplain appointed in Van Diemen’s Land, and was also appointed a Magistrate. He kept a diary, from 1805 -1808, which can be downloaded by following the links: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13550/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13563/ Entry for Wednesday 1 October 1806. am Early this morn the following Prisoners deserted from Hobart Town Wm Jones, Jarret, Tombs and Crute. Monday 12 January 1807. am at 11, I went to the Court and sat upon some prisoners that had killd a Goat, found them Guilty and Sentenced North, Long, Vasey to receive 500 Lashes and Cruse and Briscoe 300 for absenting themselves from the Colony. Capt Johnson Lieut Breedon Mr Bowden & Mr Fosbrook came to the Court to hear the trial.
John Davis and John Cruit were found guilty of stealing twenty sheep from the flocks of Mr. David Lord at the Coal River ; and John Lawler of being accessary to the same. Davis lived about five miles from Mr. Lord's sheep farm, at the Coal River. On the 3d of October last, he, Cruit, and another, agreed to go to the flock, for the purpose of stealing some sheep. They proceeded to the place and drove off about sixty, with which they arrived at Davis' house about 7 or 8 in the morning. They then made a temporary stock-yard, into which eighteen or twenty were taken and killed in front of the hut. They made a hole to bury the blood, skins, &c. covering them over so as not to be observed, and they dressed the carcases and hung them up in the hut. Next day Lawler came and assisted to cut up the meat, and to salt it down. The sheep being missed, the overseer and two others went in search of them. They discovered the tracks, and particularly noticed the print of a foot as having some particular marks. -They followed them until dark, and, renewing the search the following day, were thus conducted to the temporary sheep yard and Davis' hut. Mr. Long, the constable, then joined them, and found various proofs of the robbery. Some time after, two tubs, one containing salted mutton, and the other fat, were discovered buried six inches under ground in Davis' bed room. Cruit's shoe corresponded exactly with the prints of the foot remarked in following the tracks which had led to the discovery. Davis cross-examined some of the witnesses with considerable acuteness. Hobart Town Gazette, 1 July 1826.
Tasmanian Convict Conduct Record. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-6$init=CON31-1-6p16 No 31. John Cruit, per Calcutta 1803, Ocean. Tried at Gibraltar 1802, Life. Jan 13 1807. P.W. Absenting himself from Public labor, 300 Lashes. Nov 16 1807. Assaulting & beating Ann Chapman with a stick, 100 Lashes. In margin: S.C. 20 June 1826. Quashed. 22 June 1826, Death. Executed 18 Sept 1826.
John CRUTE (or CRUIT) was convicted at Gibraltar in 1802 (details note on record). Life Sentence. John was a soldier in the 25th Regiment. Transported to NSW, Australia per the 'Calcutta' then transferred to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the 'Ocean' 1803. Aged 40 yrs; labourer/soldier. Native Place - Devon, England. 13 Jan 1807: Absent from Public Works. 300 lashes ordered by Rev'd Knopwood. 16 Nov 1807: Assault by beating an Ann Chapman, with a stick. 100 lashes, ordered by Rev'd Knopwood. 20 June 1826: Supreme Court, Hobart. Sheep stealing. Quashed. 22 June 1826: Supreme Court, Hobart. Sheep stealing from David Lord Esq. Coal River. Death sentence. 18 Sept 1826: Executed and buried, Hobart.