Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
William Dunne was transported on the Calcutta, departing 19th Apr 1837 and arriving 5th Aug 1837 with 329 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. |
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Convict Notes
William Dunne, for setting fire to a the property of Laurence Barrett, at Cappagh, in Feb. 1836. Laurence Barrett proved that he was awakened from his sleep by his mother-in-law, who said she was choking from smoke, then got up and went out, and then saw prisoner leap down from a ditch with a lighted turf in his hand —witness charged prisoner with intending to burn him and his family in the house— there was some trifling dispute between witness and prisoner ; ? belonged to prisoner's mother. Witnesses corroborated his testimony. Constable M'Sweenv said searched for prisoner three times before he was arrested, and that he then gave his name as Myers. For the Defence. John Costello, sworn: Remembers when Barrett’s house was burned; saw the coming straight out of the chimney; . thinks the fire must come from the inside; does not know what hour of the night it was. the house was entirely consumed; witness went to Dunn’s house and found him in bed, and seemed frightened when told him of the fire. other witnesses [woman) corroborated his testimony and alibi for the Borer ?. Guilty: sentence of death recorded. The judge said he would recommend him to transported for life, and strongly reprobated the getting up of groundless alibis. Prisoner: l am innocent, Lord. Tipperary Free Press, 22 March 1837.
Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. William Dunne, alias Dunn, age on arrival, 26, per Calcutta II, 1837. Tried at Tipperary, 1837, Life for Larceny. DOB, 1811, native place, Tipperary Co. Single. Catholic. Labourer.