Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
George Cuerdale 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 238. --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 |
Claims
"George was my 3x great grandfather"
Photos
No photos have been added for George Cuerdale.
Convict Notes
George was a cotton manufacturer, please add to the occupations
COURT CASE: From the Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth), Wed 31 Aug 1887, p6: "FREMANTLE POLICE COURT. Saturday, August 27. (Before Mr. R. Fairbairn, R.M.) George Davies v. Jane Curedale [eldest child of George and Mary Ann]. This was a charge of breaking down and damaging a gate, the property of complainant. Mr. Macklin appeared for the defendant and Mr. Harper for the complainant. Mr. Macklin said he understood an action was pending; and therefore the question raised would be unfair if gone into. Mr. Harper said Mr. Macklin was under a wrong impression with regard to the issue of the writ. Some further argument was gone into, when the Bench decided to go on with the charge. G. A. Davies deposed: I own the property known as Curedale's vineyard. I purchased the equity of redemption of the said property from Geo. Curedale on the 11th May and paid part of the cost. The deed was actually made out in June. I took men on to the property, and put them to work, but allowed the Curedale family to remain on the premises. Mr. Curedale died on 15th August. The gate leading to the vineyard I had closed to keep horses and cattle out. Mr. Curedale and family had other means of entrance the same as my self. At the time I closed the gate, I gave the Curedale family notice to go. They were simply tenants on sufferance. I went out on the 23rd August and found the gate had been broken. I complained to defendant and she told me she would continue to break it open, as fast as I closed it up. Jane Curedale and her mother said they would go as soon as they could get a house. By Mr. Macklin: The mortgage on the property was £940. I paid £100 for the equity of redemption. Henry Hammond: said he was employed by Mr. Davies. I know the property where the gate was situated. I did not see Jane Curedale pull down the gate. Mr. Harper argued that the offence had been clearly proved. Marian [Mary Ann] Curedale: said I am mother of the accused, I was not present when the fence was broken down, my daughter has always denied to me that she did it. Fined 1s., with cost of summons only." (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66080947) --00--
INQUEST: From the Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth), Wed 17 Aug 1887, p5: "CORONER'S INQUEST. --- Before Mr. R. Fairbairn, Coroner, and a Jury (Messrs. A. Davies, J. Back, and J. Allpike). An inquest was held at the Courthouse, Fremantle, yesterday to inquire into the cause of death of George Curedale, who died suddenly on Sunday afternoon. Amelia Curedale, a child of 9 years of age, said: I am the daughter of Geo. Curedale, who is dead. I was at home yesterday. I saw my father after dinner kiss my mother in the house. He then went out into the garden and I saw him go into the loft. I went into the loft, as soon as my father left the house, to play with other children. He got to the loft by a ladder. He did not say anything to me when he came up. My father was walking up and down the loft when I left. I returned to the loft again in about a half-an-hour. When I got up into the loft I saw my father lying in a corner on his back. He was lying quite stiff. I went up to him and shook him, but he did not speak. I then ran for my sister and told her my father was dead. My father bad been ill for a long time. He complained of pains at his chest. He said nothing to me yesterday. Dr. Hope deposed: I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, London; yesterday afternoon, between 4 and 5 o'clock, young Curedale came to my house and asked me to see his father; I went out to Curedale's house and was shown into the loft, where the deceased was lying. He was lying on his back, on some chaff. He was quite dead. His attitude was quite easy. He appeared to have died quietly. This morning I made a post-mortem examination and found no external marks of violence. On opening the chest I found an old disease of plura and heart disease. I examined the stomach. It was quite healthy and contained some partly-digested food. The other organs were healthy. The condition of the heart was quite sufficient to account for the pain he complained of and the cause of death. After a short consultation and a few remarks from the Coroner the foreman said the jury were of opinion that death was caused by disease of the heart, and a verdict to that effect was recorded." (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66079100) --00--
OTHER: George Curedale married Mary Ann Hardman, reg no.2009, in Perth on 17 July, 1863 (https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/). The couple had 20 children (12 girls, 8 boys) between 1863 and 1886. George died on 15 August, 1887; his death was registered at Fremantle, #495. Mary Ann died in 1909, aged 65 (https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/). --00--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: CUERDALE, George; inmate #4631, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Alias: CUREDALE Date of Birth: 1826 Date of Death: 16 Aug 1887 [15 August] Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Cotton manufacturer Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England Crime: Forgery Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 24 Sep 1859 [at Perth] Conditional Pardon Date: 23 Mar 1863 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
8 September, 1857: Sent from Portsmouth jail to board the Nile for transportation to WA; prisoner #29/4319. By this time he had served 1 year 1 month of his 14 year term. Behaviour on voyage "very good" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
24 July, 1857: Admitted to Portsmouth prison, Cumberland Street/ Gloucester Road, Portsmouth, County Hampshire. Portsmouth, Portland, 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) Listed as Geo Cuerdale, inmate #4319, 29 when convicted, single, cotton manufacturer; ability to read and write "superior"; Wesleyan Methodist. Next of kin -- father, James Cuerdale, 14 Park Street, Burnley (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951, Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1855-1858). --0--
16 September, 1856: Admitted to Wakefield prison (West Riding House of Correction at Wakefield, Love Lane, Wakefield); served 10 months 7 days in separate confinement; behaviour "very 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). Wakefield, Millbank, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
JAILS: 3 August, 1856: Admitted to Kirkdale County Gaol and House of Correction, North Dingle Lane Kirkdale, Liverpool -- served 1 month 9 days (prior to and following his conviction); behaviour "good". --0--
NEWSPAPER reporting of his trial: 17 August, 1856: From News of The World "UTTERING FORGED BILLS George Curedale, described as a 'cotton manufacturer', has been charged at Liverpool with having issued a forged bill of exchange. On the 26th March, the prisoner went to the office of Mr Henry Omrod, commission agent, George Street, Manchester, and presented a bill of exchange for £300, purporting to have been accepted by Mr Bamford, cotton manufacturer, of Burnley. The prisoner asked Mr Omrod to discount the bill, but that gentleman refused. The prisoner then asked that it should be placed to his credit (he being indebted to Mr Omrod) which was done. On the 17th of March, it appeared the prisoner had offered Mr. Omrod another bill for £476, purporting to be accepted by Mr Bamford, and on the 7th of the same month he had offered at the establishment of Messrs. Dilworth, of Manchester, a bill purporting to be accepted by Mr Henry Rawlinson, for £360. Mr Bamford said that neither of the bills bearing his name was accepted and signed by him, though he had accepted previous bills for the prisoner. Messrs. H and G Rawlinson, partners in the firm of that name deposed respectively that the bills bearing that name were not accepted by either of the firm. The prisoner, shortly after these transactions, escaped to the Continent, and was captured in Hamburg by a Manchester detective [PC] Buckley. Mr. Atkinson for the defence, rested only upon some legal points, and called witnesses to previous good character. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to fourteen years' transportation." (http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/w4631.htm) --0--