David Grant

Level 34

Richard Ebdon on 27th September 2026

On March 5, 1838, an order was processed extending his original seven-year transportation sentence by an additional six months due to his ongoing colonial misconduct. Because sentence extensions could not be finalized by local magistrates alone, the paperwork was sent up the structural chain of command. On March 10, 1838, the file received the final stamp: "Lieutenant Governor's Decis'n."Crucially, this final March 10th entry was not a record of death, but the official confirmation of the Governor's legal decision to prolong his sentence. David Grant survived the grueling climate of the chain gangs. Because his sentence was successfully extended, his legal date of freedom was pushed from early 1839 into late 1839 or 1840. - Archive Repository: Libraries Tasmania Archives, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Collection: Inward Convict Conduct Records - Men Arriving on Transport Ships (Series CON31) Item Details: File Ref: CON31/1/16, Page 156. David Grant, Ship: England (Arrived 1832). [1] Libraries Tasmania - CON31-1-16

Level 34

Richard Ebdon on 27th September 2026

Baptised 25 May 1783 at Goxhill, Lincolnshire, England. Possibly born a few weeks before this.

Level 34

Richard Ebdon on 27th September 2026

Handwritten colonial penal ledger tracking the behaviour, offences, and punishments of convict David Grant (born ~1783, Hull) following his arrival in Van Diemen's Land aboard the ship 'England' in 1832. Record details multiple instances of misconduct, including a 25-lash sentence on 21 June 1834 for disorderly conduct against Mr. Kelsh, 6 months hard labour at Grass Tree Hill for potato possession (April 1835), and 6 months in a chain gang for forging a travel pass (January 1836). The file officially concludes with an entry tracking an extension of his transportation on 5 March 1838 - Archive Repository: Libraries Tasmania Archives, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.Collection: Inward Convict Conduct Records - Men Arriving on Transport Ships (Series CON31)Item Details: File Ref: CON31/1/16, Page 156. David Grant, Ship: England (Arrived 1832). He was baptised 25 May 1783, at Goxhill, Lincolnshire, England. A son of David Grant and his wife Honor (maiden surname Young). - England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Level 34

Richard Ebdon on 21st December 2016

Above quotes from Newspapers come from The British Newspaper Archive: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk; The British Library Board Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Level 34

Richard Ebdon on 17th December 2016

This is the baptism record of David Grant:http://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/58189070e93790ec8baf3e6f?search_id=5855235f791e3b13531394a9 Goxhill, where David was baptised, is a few miles east of Barton Upon - Humber, in Lincolnshire, England. David Grant was a Cousin of one of my 4x Great Grandfathers, Richard Dean (1783-1840). In 1816, according to the: "Hull Packet" (Newspaper) of the 23rd of June 1816, he was sentenced to four months hard labour, for: "assaulting George Arundel, a Constable, in the execution of his duties". In 1829, David was acquitted at court in Lincoln for breaking into the house of Alexander Dean (my 4x Gt Grandad's Brother): "and stealing a quantity of bacon, a table-cloth, a towel, and a cotton handkerchief" : ("Stamford Mercury" Friday the 7th of August, 1829). The above article, and other articles from this time about the story state that David was a: "Mariner, with only one arm". The description of David when he arrived in Tasmania, states that he was a: "Labourer". I am not sure if David lost his left arm above the elbow, at sea, or as a Mariner (Sailor) during a conflict at sea. The previous article from 1816, does not give any reference to David only having one arm. The "Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette" from the 29th of October 1830 stated that David was: "charged with stealing at Sutton, (near Hull) two hens, and one chicken, the property of William Boyd- pleaded Guilty- To be imprisoned six Months". According to the: "Hull Advertiser, and Exchange Gazette" from Friday the 23rd of September 1831: David was charged on the 22nd of September 1831, with stealing 160lbs in weight of rope from a ship called the "Aquatic". This ship was laying at Messrs. Miller's Patent Slip, in Hull. He was charged with stealing the rope alongside Charles Weatherill. A witness saw: "Grant, and a person dressed like Weatherill between three and four o'clock on Tuesday morning (20th of September 1831), on the foreshore of the river, near the slip. The other person was handing a piece of rope to Grant". They had apparently stolen an axe from a James Hudson, to cut up the rope. James went to look for his axe, along with Jasper Robinson. They found two bags marked: "WR". These bags were full of rope, laying near the bank, where they had also seen some loose rope. Hudson and Robinson then took this rope to Miller and Co's Yard. The article then states that: "Grant Subsequently came to the place where the rope had been found". The next paragraph from the above article, in the same Newspaper states that: " David Grant was further charged with stealing on Sunday morning last (the 18th of September 1831) a linen shirt, the property of Wm.Morris, of Grimsby Lane (in Hull)..... Mr. Lee, the High Constable, having Grant in custody on the preceding charge, and hearing of this robbery, was led to examine his linen, and found the shirt now identified upon his person." So it appears that David Grant was sentenced to 7 years transportation for these two offences, combined with the fact that he also had previous offences to these. David was not sentenced until October of 1831: He was charged with the above two offences on the 22nd of September of that year. I tried to read David's "Conduct Record" for his time in Tasmania as a Convict. It is quite hard to read, but I can just about make out things like: "falsely accusing" and: "Having a quantity of Potatoes in his possession". The man that David was accused of stealing rope with, actually ended up being acquitted. It read: "No Bill" on the Kingston upon Hull Court sheet. So in the end, this Charles was charged, but not sentenced, presumably because they found the rope only in Grant's possession. The papers have his name down as: "Charles Weatherhill". But the Court paper had his name down as: "Weatherill". A Charles Weatherill, was sentenced at Kingston Upon Hull, in around 1834, and was transported. There is a very good chance that these were both the same person. Charles was only a: "young man, but an old offender" according to the Newspaper report from 1831. I do not know what became of David Grant. There was another David Grant, who in 1837, was transported on a ship called: "Neptune". It would be nice to know if possible when and where David Grant, born 1783, died, and what became of him.

Level 221

D Wong on 17th December 2016

David Grant was listed as 49 years old on arrival in BDL - he was transported for "stealing a length of rope from a ship". David was 5'5 1/4" tall, fresh complexion, brown to grey hair, light grey eyes, lost left arm above elbow, heart darts NP DG inside right arm, single. 1833 Muster: Public Works 1835 Muster: Invalid