John Dall

342

Maureen Withey on 8th April 2024

Digitised Indent of ship Atlantic John Dall, tried at Justice Hall, Old Bailey, 9 Sep 1789, seven years. -------------------------------------------------------------- Trial at the Old Bailey, 9 Sep 1789. 594. JOHN DALL was indicted for stealing, on the 21st of July last, a pannel saw, value 2 s. an oil stone, value 3 d. a smoothing plane, value 6 d. one drawing knife with two wooden handles, value 12 d. the property of John Bennett . JOHN BENNETT sworn. I lost the tools mentioned in the indictment, from my shop in Shoreditch ; in the morning the bolt of the window shutter was out; I received information of them from the watchman; the things were mine, and are here. JAMES COFFEE sworn. Between one and two, as I was going my round, the prisoner laid again a wall in Catherine-wheel-alley; he had a drawn knife in his hand; I saw some tools on him, and I asked him what tools he had? he said he had a drawing knife and a plane; and lodged at the Star in Wingford-street; he said he was there at eleven that night, and came out after another man; I told him to go home, as that knife was an unlawful weapon; he left a saw behind him, and went off; I suspected him, and took him into custody; he was very much in liquor; he went quiet and easy with me: it is about a mile from the prosecutor's shop, to the place where I took him; the tools are here. RICHARD LANDSMAN sworn. I was in the watch-house when the watchman brought the prisoner and the things; I have had them ever since. (Produced and deposed to, having the prosecutor's name on all but the plane.) PRISONER's DEFENCE. I had been to a club, and coming home, I went up this alley, and found the plane and the drawing knife; the saw I know nothing of. GUILTY . Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice WILSON.

20

Tony Dell on 17th September 2016

In Sydney, from 1791 to 12 May 1810, there were at least four different John Dells. The first, my 4th Great Grandfather, John Dell, a soldier in the NSW Corps, arrived in Sydney Cove in June 1790 on either the 'Surprize' or the 'Neptune'. The second John Dell arrived as a convict, transported under the name of Dall, on 20 August 1791 on the 'Atlantic'. Dall was tried at the Justice Hall, Old Bailey, Middlesex, convicted on 9 September 1789 and sentenced to 7 years transportation. A third John Dell (also a convict) is noted as arriving at Sydney Cove on 26 July 1799 on the 'Hillsborough'. , This John Dell was tried at Middlesex in September 1796. He appears on the NSW Convict and Settler Lists for six years from 1816 to 1821 inclusive as John Dell (1816,17, 20 and 21) and John Dill (1818 and19) and then cannot be definitely identified . A fourth John Dell was born in Sydney in 1802 to Elizabeth Robinson who, according to the 1806 Convict Muster, was living with a John Dell, probably the 1791 arrival on the 'Atlantic' for the reasons set out below. This fourth John Dell appears on the NSW General Muster 1822 noted as 'BC' (Born in the Colony) and as being a servant to E Loane, Sydney. He is noted again in the 1828 NSW Census as aged 26, 'BC', as being a stonecutter and living in Georges Lane, Phillips Street, Sydney. In the NSW General Muster of 1806, Sarah Green (a convict who arrived in Sydney in December 1801 on the 'Nile') is noted as living with Jn Dell, Sldr; and Elizabeth Robinson (a convict who arrived in Sydney 30 April 1796 on the 'Indispensible') is noted as living with Jn Dell. The only other John Dell documented in the 1806 General Muster is noted as having arrived on 'Atlantic', as self employed, his condition as FBCS (which I assume means 'free by completion of sentence/servitude'), and his occupation as sawyer. His trial proceedings in England do not give an occupation but the nature of his crime (stealing a panel saw and other woodworking tools) would tend to indicate that the John Dell in the 1806 Muster is in fact John Dall. He re-appears in the 1811 Muster as John Dall, also noted as having arrived on the 'Atlantic'. From then on does not appear in a way that can identify him, although it is likely (because he is not listed as either Dell or Dall on the 1816 Settler and Convict List) that he is the John Dell who died in Sydney on 2 March 1816 at the age of 49. From 1802 to 1807, Elizabeth Robinson had 3 children whose father was a John Dell; John William Dell (10 March 1802), Joseph R Dell (22 August 1804) and James Dell (28 July 1807). Elizabeth and James both died in 1807. I believe, because of the information in the 1806 muster, that the father was the second John Dell, sawyer. I acknowledge that timing wise it is possible that John Dell, soldier, or John Dell, convict ex 'Hillborough', could be the father but I believe the fact that John Dell, sawyer, is noted as living with Elizabeth Robinson in 1806 at the same time as John Dell, soldier, is noted as living with Sarah Green is persuasive. On 15 February 1812 (while John Dell was in England, just having been discharged from the army), in Sydney, a John Dell was appointed a constable , from which position he resigned on 12 March 1813. I have not been able to determine whether this John Dell is ex 'Atlantic' or ex 'Hillsborough', but age would rule out John Dell born 1802 in Sydney. The records show there was still a John Dell in New South Wales in 19 October 1831 when he received a land grant in the Parish of St Matthew, County of Cumberland, near Penrith, NSW and 29 May 1832 when a deed was despatched to him. From the available records it has not been possible to determine whether the John Dell receiving the grant was born in Sydney in 1802 or was ex 'Hillsborough' 1799.