William Dawney

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Dianne Jones on 6th December 2021

IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: DAWNEY, William; #4741, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1837 Date of Death: Aug 1880 Place of Death: Kojonup Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Sawyer Literacy: Illiterate Sentence Place: London, London, England Crime: Larceny Sentence Period: 6 years penal servitude Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 5 Nov 1859 Certificate of Freedom Date: 12 Nov 1863 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/).

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Dianne Jones on 6th December 2021

IN PRISON: 15 July, 1856: He was sent from Newgate -- where he had been kept in separate confinement for 1 month and 21 days -- to Millbank prison at Westminster in London. He was listed as #3008, 18, single, Protestant, a labourer and illiterate; convicted for housebreaking and larceny, with a previous conviction for a felony. His next of kin was Jane Moore, Pottery Lane, Brentford. He was visited in jail by his three sisters on 9 February, 1857. By the 1850s, Pentonville and Millbank were places for all male convicts to serve “their probationary term (now reduced to 9 months), after which they would be transported or sent to a public works prison. This function continued more or less (notable exceptions including the reception of military prisoners in the 1860s…) until the decision to remove it from the convict prison system in 1885” (https://www.prisonhistory.org). William Dawney spent a total of 10 months and 1 day in separate confinement at Millbank (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). --0-- 16 May, 1857: He was sent to Chatham, a public works prison for male convicts, east of London at St Mary’s Island in Kent. From Chatham he was sent aboard the Nile for transportation to WA (https://www.prisonhistory.org).

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Dianne Jones on 6th December 2021

TRIAL: 16 June, 1856 -- Old Bailey: #646. JAMES MOORE and WILLIAM DAWNEY, burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of James William Skirrow, at Ealing, and stealing therein 1 cloak, 1 concertina, and 2 buttons, value 17s. 6d., the property of James Kimber; and 3 pairs of boots and 1 coat, value 1l. 13s., the property of the said James William Skirrow. MR. COOPER conducted the Prosecution. JAMES WILLIAM SKIRROW. I live at Ealing, in the county of Middlesex. I went to bed on the night of 11th May, about 12 o'clock—I looked at the fastenings before I went to bed, and all was quite safe—next morning, in consequence of information I received, I went down stairs and found a little window on the first floor at the back of the house, the watercloset window, was open—I believe on the night before that window was not shut—it was a little window, but large enough for a man to get in at—a brewer's pulley had been placed up against the window—that is a sort of slide which brewers use to roll casks up into their carts; it forms a sort of ladder—the back door was also open—it had been shut the night before—I found in the kitchen a desk which was opened—it had been taken from the sitting room where it was the night before—a missionary box had also been conveyed there—it had been broken open, and it's contents abstracted I missed the cloak, the concertina, the coats, and some boots—this is one of the boots (produced)—it is mine—this is one of the coats (produced—it is also mine. WILLIAM EDWARD FIELDER. On 12th May I went to Mr. Skirrow's. I found Lydia Ackerman there—the house had been entered by a slide—I went to Turnham-green, and with assistance took the two prisoners into custody—they were in a cart, coming from London to Brentford, towards the prosecutor's house—I found two buttons on Dawney, and a pawnbrokers ticket and sixpence on Moore—I saw some footmarks near the prosecutor's house—some at the front and some at the back of the house—I took Moore's boots, compared them with the footmarks, and they corresponded exactly—I could not trace any marks near the pulley, because the ground was hard—I did not take the other man's boots, but there appeared to be footmarks of two different men. GEORGE MORRIS. I live in the New North-road. On this Monday morning, about half-past six o'clock, I was at the top of the New North-road, Brentford—I saw the two prisoners there—Dawney was walking in front, and Moore was following him in a cart—they were then going towards London, about half-past 6 o'clock—I could see that Moore was upon a bundle, but I could not swear what the colour or pattern of it was—it was about 200 or 300 yards from the prosecutor's house. LYDIA ACKERMAN. I reside at the Brewery Tap, in the Boston-road. On Monday morning I saw two men lying in a ditch, opposite Mr. Skirrow's house, between a quarter and half past 9 o'clock—I saw Moore get up—he was in a smock—he had got a coat, which he threw over his smock—afterwards the other got up, and they went away. Prisoner. Q. How did you know it was us? A. I knew them by their dress—I did not see their faces—I only saw two persons dressed at the prisoners are now. JAMES KIMBER. I am manager of the London and County Bank, the branch office. I was living at the house at the time—this cloak and concertina are both my property—I believe these two buttons are mine. HENRY HITCHINGS. I am assistant to James Amber, a pawnbroker. The 12th May somebody, whom I believe to be Dawney, pledged this coat and the concertina at my shop, in the name of John, Francis—I advanced 2s. on the coat, and 2s. 6d. on the concertina—these boots and shawl produced were pledged that morning with me, by Dawney, for 4s.—they were pawned in the same name, John Francis. Prisoner. Q. Was the man dressed in the same clothes then? A. Yes; he appeared to be cleaner than he is now. CHARLES BRIGGS. I am assistant to Alexander Chapman, pawnbroker, of Kensington. On Monday, 12th May, a man pledged with me a talma cloak and some boots, for which I gave him 2s.—it was not either of the prisoners who pledged them. JAMES KIMBER re-examined. I have identified the cloak, the boots, the concertina, and the coat. GUILTY of Stealing only. (The prisoners were further charged with having been before convicted) EDWARD FIELDER. I produce two certificates—(Read: "James Moore, Convicted, at Clerkenwell, May, 1854, of stealing two handkerchiefs; Confined twelve months."—"Clerkenwell Sessions, Nov., 1854; William Dawney, Convicted of stealing 28lbs. of coals; Confined eight months")—the prisoners are the two men. MOORE—GUILTY. Aged 17. DAWNEY— GUILTY. Aged 18. Six Years Penal Servitude. (There was another indictment against Moore.) (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) --00--

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Dianne Jones on 6th December 2021

IN PRISON: 24 May, 1856: William Dawney, 18, was admitted to Newgate prison in London, having been committed for trial by BI Armstrong at Brentford, on a charge of burglary in the house of James William Skirrow (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Newgate Prison; Registers of Prisoners, to 1862). --00--