William Driscoll

3

John McElroy on 28th August 2024

Married Rebecca Robinson 7th Dec 1857. Renewed Bushranging in the Yass / Binalong district of NSW. His a gang rode the area in the early 1860's committing many robberies. Arrested in 1861 at Bowning using alias Robinson....sentenced 10 years. Almost escaped in transport when leaving Yass with other convicted members of his gang, they had cut through their leg irons b4 being discovered.

343

Maureen Withey on 9th June 2020

Driscoll and Wilson were then brought up for judgment. Driscoll addressed the Court for about three quarters of an hour in an illiterate but plain and forcible manner, narrating the principal events of his life, and showing what had driven him to his present condition. He said his parents died when he was young; that he was left destitute, without protection; almost without food; no home no trade. He fell into the company of others circumstanced much like himself, but older and hardened; from them he learnt dishonesty, and become a thief. Whilst yet a lad he was transported for some trivial offence; he complained of his treatment at the hulks, and at Point Puer, where he was first sent. He stated seven or eight instances in which at much personal risk he had saved the lives of fellow creatures; but all his endeavours to raise himself from his degradation were frustrated by being constantly told "he was a bad character." No meritorious act ever gained him a moment's consideration, and recklessness brought his mind to that state that he determined to abscond. He did so, in company with seven others, but upon crossing a river one of them was nearly drowned; he remained with him, but the others fled, and he was thus taken - in fact he gave himself up. He recounted numbers of instances when petty tyranny and injustice had been exercised against him, and described himself as having been perpetually goaded to commit offences. About three year's since he was transported for life for stealing a pound note from a fellow prisoner. He detailed the circumstances fully, and if his statements were true, he was innocently convicted. He declared that he was innocent, and called God to witness it, adding that it would do him no good to tell a lie about it now. He was sentenced to transportation by Mr. Justice Montagu, and sent, for life to Port Arthur. "Well," said the prisoner, "my hopes were at an end." Tears ran down his face as he gave expression to his feelings, and the Court yielded to a sympathetic influence. He said "all my hopes were at an end; I was bursting, I was mad, distracted, to think I, only a young young man had been innocently condemned to be a felon for life." He became...… and cared for nothing; he was determined to abscond, and did so; came up to this ... country and committed the robberies alleged to him. He threw himself on the mercy of the court and hoped his life would be spared. He is a young man, and he admitted a bad one but never used violence to any one, and only for a subsistence. He earnestly promised nothing should ever induce him to take .… again, for the life was a most miserable and .… for days he had been scarcely able to crawl and lived upon any vermin he could catch. His Honor Mr. Justice Monagu listened patiently to the prisoner's long narrative, and replied in one of' the most kind and tender, dignified and impressive addresses we ever had from his Honor. He spoke in terms of … prisoner's first false step, but yet, unfolding his police character, pointed out the numerous offences he had committed since his arrival in the country. Although the majority were mere breaches of disipline, His Honor remarked how, essential it was that discipline should be maintained at the stations. Setting in opposition to those crimes (some fifty or sixty), the meritorious acts of which the prisoner spoke, still there was no other complaint against the Government for not having extended to the prisoner the indulgence he appeared to think he was entitled to. His Honor eloquently and, we may use the word, affectionately counselled the prisoners as to their future conduct. He said to them to understand that he should recommend the Government to spare their lives, and that they would be sent to Norfolk Island. Many people in Court were much affected, and the prisoner Driscoll wept bitterly. The Judge told them of Cash, Cavenagh, and Jones ; the two latter were hanged but Cash he was happy to hear was leading an exemplary course of conduct, and he hoped had become, bad man as he was, a useful and reformed member of society. There was something courageous and manful in enduring punishment with resignation. That was not courage but the cowardice of villainy, which led men from one offence to another, step by step to the gallows where they ended their lives without sign of repentance. True courage was found in the head of the man who like Cash, exercised submission, resignation, and a resolution to amend. His Honor having ordered sentence of death to be recorded against the prisoners, and promising to recommend the Government to spare their lives, the prisoner Driscoll, who evidently felt deeply and fully appreciated the advice of the Judge, exclaimed in fervent thankfulness-" May God for ever bless you." The Session then closed. Launceston Examiner, 10 Apr 1847. -------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON32-1-1$init=CON32-1-1p310 1037. William Driscoll, per Norfolk, 14 years. Continuation. Covers offences and punishments from Oct 23 1837- Nov 4 1839. Tasmanian Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON32-1-1$init=CON32-1-1p32 1037. William Driscoll, per Norfolk, 14 years. Continuation, From Nov 14 1839 to 19 June 1845. -------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian Description Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON18-1-18$init=CON18-1-18p10 William Driscoll. 1037.Trade – plasterer’s lab. Height 4 ft 7 ¼, fresh comp. Lt brown hair, hazel eyes, etc. Native of St Giles. Note: For a more recent description, see Miscellaneous descriptions Book No 2, taken 28 July 1843. -------------------------------------------------- A Local newspaper reported reward of £50 was offered for William Driscoll and gave a description: William Driscoll, per Norfolk, tried at Middlesex, 17th June, 1833, 14 years ; again at Hobart Supreme Court, 24th October, 1843, life; and again at Launceston Supreme Court, 7th April, 1847, life, sawyer, 5 feet 2, complexion florid, hair brown, eyes blue, native place St. Giles's, London, two pigeons compasses rose shamrock thistle M'Connor fish wreath of laurels bust of a woman on right arm, a full rigged ship on left arm, ring second finger on left hand. The Courier, 15 May 1855. -------------------------------------------------- Another later Trial of William Driscoll is reported in The Cornwall Chronicle, 26 Jan 1856. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65719329?searchTerm="William Driscoll"&searchLimits=exactPhrase=William+Driscoll|||anyWords|||notWords|||requestHandler|||dateFrom|||dateTo|||sortby|||l-state=Tasmania Conditional Pardon to "Dido."-The gazette contains the notification of the grant of a conditional pardon to William Driscoll, per Norfolk, available everywhere save in the United Kingdom and the Island of Tasmania. The Courier, 17 Feb 1858. Dido.-The man William Driscoll, better known by the name of ' Dido' was fined 10s. at the Police Office to day, after a long career of quietness, for having been drunk in the public streets yesterday. The Courier, Hobart, 17 Mar 1858.

343

Maureen Withey on 8th June 2020

The following notice appeared in the Courier (Tasmania) on 20 June 1846: REWARD - CONDITIONAL PARDON! Police Department, 13th June, 1846. Whereas the Convicts William Driscoll, per " Norfolk,'' and John Wilson, per " Persian," whose personal descriptions are inserted below, absconded from Port Arthur on or about the 13th of December last, and are now illegally at large ; and there is great reason to suppose that these runaway Convicts have committed various felonies whilst so at large: this is therefore to give notice, that I am authorised by the Lieutenant-Governor to offer the reward of n recommendation to Her Majesty's mercy for a Conditional Pardon available in the Australian Colonies and New Zealand to any Convict who shall, by information or otherwise, be the means of apprehending the said felons or either of them. FRANCIS BURGESS, Chief Police Magistrate. ------------------------------------------------ From Port Arthur, on the 13th December last. 1037 William Driscoll, per " Norfolk," tried at Middlesex S., Peace, 17th June 1833. 14 years, and Supreme Court, Hobart. 24th October, 1833, life, top-sawyer, 5 feet 2. complexion florid, hair light brown, eyes blue, age 25, native place St. Giles', London, 2 pigeons compasses rose shamrock thistle M. Connor fish wreath of laurels W. D. bust of a woman on right arm, a full rigged ship on left arm, ring on second finger right hand. Reward, £2 or such lesser sum as may be determined upon by the convicting Magistrate. 1146 John Wilson, per " Persian," tried at Lancaster, 30th April, 14 years, and Supreme Court, Launceston, 6th January, 1840, death recorded, commuted to life, factory-boy, 5 feet 3½, complexion dark, hair dark brown, eyes grey, age 32, native place Layland, Lancashire, J. W. sun moon 7 stars mermaid on right arm, half moon cross anchor J. W, inside left arm, ring on middle finger left hand. Reward £2, or such lesser sum as may be determined upon by the convicting Magistrate. -------------------------------------------------- APPREHENSION OF " DIDO."-This bushranger, who with his companion Wilson, has committed numerous robberies in various parts of the country, and for a considerable time most successfully eluded the police, has at last been apprehended. Information reached town, that he was stopping at a hut in Prosser's Forest, about fifteen miles from Launceston, on the east side of the North Esk. Mr. District Constable Davis with constables Wills, Sullivan, Jones, and Carrigan, started on Wednesday evening for the spot, and arrived there about one o'clock in the morning. Every precaution was adopted in approaching the hut, which reached, the men were stationed at the door and window. As no signs were observed of any person being in or about the hut, it was for some time doubted whether the object of their pursuit had not again eluded them, but at last, the creaking of a bedstead gave token of life within, and Mr. Davis instantly burst open the door. Dido sprung from his bed, and fell on his knees in the centre of the hut. No Richard the third ever awoke from ominous dream with more apparent horror. He begged for mercy, was secured without resistance, and arrived in town on Thursday morning. Near him on the floor were found a double barrelled piece loaded, and also a loaded pistol. From his person were taken, a silver watch, which has been recognized as that stolen on the high road from Mr. Rees and a penknife; his clothes are also supposed to have belonged to Mr. Rees, or Mr. Stevenson. On Thursday, Dido was brought up before Mr. Tarleton ; he said he was transported in the name of William Driscoll, but his Christian name was Timothy; he was originally transported for fourteen years, but had received a colonial sentence for life. Mr. Tarleton made an observation about the folly of prisoners taking to the bush, to which Driscoll replied, he was as happy as the day was long, and could have lived all his life in the bush, and upon the luxuries of the country, if he had not been betrayed. Every man he said had his foolish five minutes, and his five had proved fatal to him. He ought not to have trusted any man, for he had seen enough of the world to know better. However, he said, " what is to be, will be; yesterday, at this time, I was a free man." The prisoner spoke firmly, but civilly, and hoped Mr. Tarleton would not consider he had been insolent. He was remanded to goal for a week to allow time for getting the witnesses in the clearest cases. The circumstances which led to his apprehension are stated to be these:-During his lawless career he had been harboured by a man in the bush, who suspecting that his guest had grown too intimate with his wife, became jealous, and resolved to avenge himself by delivering up the prisoner. For this purpose he several times sought for Burbidge, an old shipmate, being desirous that he should have the credit of the capture; in the meantime Mr. Davis having heard that the man possessed the secret of the prisoner's whereabout, succeeded in getting it out … ... it stung with bitter mortification; declaring that nothing but cruel treachery should ever have made him a prisoner again. Respecting Wilson he was communicative, but little dependence can be placed upon his story. He says, they quarrelled about Christmas, that Wilson shot at him, and took his arms from him ; that he was for three days without them, and Wilson then gave them up again, and they parted. He says, also, that Wilson has a nice plot of ground in cultivation, some sheep, plenty of flour, tea, sugar, &c., and is so cautious in his movements that he is not likely to be apprehended. When absent for any time from his rendezvous, he watches upon his return sometimes for a week, before he again takes up his abode there. The Government reward for the apprehension of Driscoll is £25,and a conditional pardon. Mr. Rees also offered a reward of £5 for the recovery of his watch. Driscoll states that lie has been about sixteen times in Launceston, disguised, since he absconded, and was drinking about town during the whole of Christmas-day. He complains of having been " hocussed" upon this occasion, and that he has never been well since. The double-barrelled piece found in his possession was stolen from Mr. Ball's shepherd. Launceston Examiner, 30 Jan 1847.

343

Maureen Withey on 8th June 2020

National Archives. Ref: HO 17/32/70 Prisoner name: William Driscoll. Prisoner age: 11. Court and date of trial: Middlesex Sessions June 1833. Crime: Stealing from person: two books - value 2d from Edward Lomax. Initial sentence: Death commuted to 14 years' transportation. Gaoler's report: Not known before. Annotated: Nil. Petitioner(s): Joseph Wigley, employer, of Soho Square. Grounds for clemency: The boy had no counsel; the petitioner arrived too late to help Driscoll's case; the boy lost both parents; he employed and trusted the boy; Lomax used to be his playmate; was accused of stealing previously but it turned out not to be the case. Other papers: Deposition of Edward Lomax, aged 12, Richard Moore and James Prudames, sworn before Thomas Halls. Letter from Benjamin Roberts enclosing deposition - and confirming the sentence was deserved; they were dealing with a 'Liliputian Highwayman'. Additional Information: Ordered to Euryalus. Date: 1833 July. -------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-10$init=CON31-1-10p179 1037. William Driscoll. Per Norfolk. Tried at Middlesex S.P. 17 June 1833, 14 years.