Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Joseph Deffin was transported on the Albuera, departing 6th Sep 1858 and arriving 28th Oct 1858 with 11 passengers.
Albuera, launched at Moulmain (British Burma) in 1854, made three voyages to Adelaide up to 1874. Sailing from Calcutta, India, on 6 Sep, 1858, she arrived at Fremantle with 11 military convicts on 28 Oct. They were all convicted by Courts Martial (in India and Burma) and sentenced to transportation. Note: Albuera is not to be confused with other ships of the same name or those spelled Albeura.
Albuera (generic)References
| Primary Source | https://www.perthdps.com/convicts/con-wa24.html; Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 4679-5166 (R1) |
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Convict Notes
INQUEST – 17 February, 1885: Some newspaper reports say a post mortem showed Joseph Deffin – variously called Seven, Devan, and Samuel John Deffin – died from natural causes, while others cited exhaustion as the cause. “UNDER date Feb. 24, our Victoria Plains correspondent writes – ‘An inquest was held at New Norcia on the 17th inst., on the body of a man named Seven [Deffin], which was found near the Toodyay road a few miles from the Mission on Saturday. After hearing the evidence of several witnesses and the result of a post mortem examination by Dr. Mayhew, the jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.’” (The West Australian (Perth), Thu 26 Feb, 1885, p2 at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2995620) The same story appeared in the The West Australian (Perth) on Saturday, 28 Feb, p4, but the dead man’s name was reported as Devan (see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2995678). -- In identical reports in the Daily News (6 March), and the Inquirer and Commercial News (11 March), he was called Samuel John Deffin: “Last month a poor man Samuel John Deffin was found dead in Fletcher’s brook about seven miles south of New Norcia. A few days before his death he called at a settler’s place on the road from Newcastle to New Norcia, where he had some refreshment, after which he was advised by the good people of the house to halt for a day or two, he being then in a very weak state, but he preferred going on to the Mission. The Resident Magistrate and Dr. Mayhew held an inquest on the body, and the usual verdict, ‘Died from exhaustion’, was recorded.” (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76208553; https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71998189) --000--
DEATH: From the AUSTRALIAN DEATH INDEX, 1787-1985: Name Joseph Deffin Death Age 54 Birth Date abt 1831 Death Date Abt 1885 Death Place Western Australia Registration Date 1885 Registration Place Australia Registration Number 13059 (ancestry.com.au). --00--
. OTHER RECORDS – 2: Deffin, Joseph (1832-1885), #5050 , arrived 1858-10-28 Albuera. CWA: 1885 found dead in bush; unmarried; labourer soldier; illiterate; Roman Catholic; convicted Secunderabad [India] 1856; Court martial -- striking superior officer -- life; Perth, Champion Bay, Murray, Bunbury, Toodyay, Northam, York; labourer, shepherd. Ancestry: WA convict records: Put in Fremantle Prison, from Canning, Jan. 1885. No record of place of death on those records. Trove: No news of death or inquest. (https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/documents/234/convicts-associated-with-toodyay-as-at-30-sep-2020) --00--
OTHER RECORDS – 1: JOSEPH DEFFIN Birth He was born in 1832. Death He died on 14 February 1885 at Victoria Plains, Western Australia; found dead in the bush. Convicted Convicted of striking a superior officer (Court Martial) and sentenced to life on 16 September 1856 at Secunderabad, India. He had been convicted previously. Literacy Recorded as being illiterate as at 28 October 1858. Family Status Claimed that his marital status was unmarried as at 28 October 1858. Occupation Recorded as a soldier; labourer on 28 October 1858. Transported Transported to WA on the Albuera arriving at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 28 October 1858. He had been collected from Calcutta prison. Convict No. Assigned with Convict No. 5050 on 28 October 1858. Ticket of Leave His Ticket of Leave was granted on 17 April 1863 at Western Australia. Conditional Pardon His Conditional Pardon was granted on 29 June 1871 at Western Australia (https://www.waconvicts.fhwa.org.au/g0/p202.htm#i5050). --00--
FREEMANTLE JAIL RECORD: DEFFIN, Joseph; inmate #5050, arrived 28 Oct 1858 per Albeura [sic] Date of Birth: 1832 Date of Death: 14 Feb 1885 Place of Death: Found dead in bush Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Labourer, soldier Literacy: Illiterate Sentence Date: 1856 Sentence Place: Secunderabad Crime: Striking superior officer Sentence Period: Life Ticket of Leave Date: 17 Apr 1863 Conditional Pardon Date: 29 Jun 1871 Comments: Labourer, shepherd (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/) --00--
IN WA: 1858, 28 October: On arrival, Joseph Deffin, was listed as convict #5050, 26 years old, single, 5’8” tall, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, oval visage, swarthy complexion, and middling stout appearance. A labourer/soldier, he had been convicted at a General Court Martial, at Secunderabad, in India, and sentenced to transportation for life for “striking his superior officer” (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 4679-5166 (R1)). Note: Various records give his year of birth as 1832, presumably based on an assumption that he was 26 on arrival in WA. However, the “Convicts to Australia” site says the age quoted on these WA Convict Records “seems to refer to the age of the convict when the passenger list was created”. Thus, his year of birth could have been 1831. Joseph Deffin received his Conditional Pardon in Perth on 29 June, 1871. A notation on his Convict Record says: “In the event of Reg No 5050 Joseph Deffin becoming unable to earn his livelihood from heart disease he will be chargeable to Imperial Funds” (29.6.1871). --00--
THE VOYAGE TO WA: One of the few snippets of information found about the Albuera's voyage in 1858 comes from an article in the Melbourne Argus: "INDIA (From our Galle [Sri Lanka] correspondent. October 20, 1858): ... The very great mortality which has taken place in the shipment of horses from the different ports of Australia has created no little attention here. The Admiral Boxer, which arrived lately at Bombay from Sydney, landed only 76 out of 108 shipped. This makes the Australian horse too costly for cavalry purposes, and I am bound to say also, that the stamp of horses selected has not come up to what it might and should have been, in the opinion of the best judges, and those who have been in the colonies. The Government have despatched the ALBUERA [my emphasis] with convicts to Swan River, and to return with 120 horses from that colony. The experiment will be watched with much interest." (The Argus, 18 Nov 1858, p5 at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7304789) --00-- --00--
General court martial (GCM): This was army’s highest tribunal, dealing with commissioned officers and the most serious cases involving other ranks. It could only be convened by the Crown or its deputy (for example, the commander in chief, or governors general). At least 13 commissioned officers had to be present if ‘at home’ (serving in the British Isles, Ireland, non-British territories or small British possessions), or five if ‘overseas’ (the British colonies), together with a judge advocate. Decisions were confirmed by the person who issued the warrant (that is, the Crown or its direct deputy). (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/courts-martial-desertion-british-army-17th-20th-centuries/) --00--
COURT MARTIAL: 1856, 16 September: Joseph Deffin appeared before a General Court Martial at Secunderabad, India, and was sentenced to transportation for life for “striking his superior officer”. At some stage following his conviction, he was sent to Calcutta and held there in jail to await transportation (https://www.perthdps.com/convicts/con-wa24.html; Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 4679-5166 (R1). --00--
PREVIOUS CONVICTION: 1852, 22 September: Joseph Deffin (alias Donnelly), 22, was admitted to Kilmainham prison, Dublin; inmate #1336, deserter from the East India Corps Service; committed for trial 22 September; sentence – sent to his regiment; discharged 2 October, 1852 by the Secretary at War [sic]; Roman Catholic; single, illiterate; 5’8”, blue eyes, brown hair, fresh complexion; from Armagh town; soldier (Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924 for Joseph Deffin; Dublin; Kilmainham; 1850-1853). --00--