Thomas Edwards

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Chris Ison on 2nd December 2024

POSTSCRIPT EXTRAORDINARY. Yesterday afternoon the whaler Sisters, Captain Robert Duke, arrived from New Zealand, having left the 28th of January last. … The brig Wellington, belonging to Mr. Joseph Underwood, which was carrying prisoners to Norfolk Island, with the notorious Anthony Best, and other criminals on board, when within two days sail of her destination, was piratically captured by the convicts—the captain, crew, and troops made prisoners—and Mr. Buchanan, the engineer, had his head laid open with a musket. As soon as the vessel was in their possession, the pirates made for New Zealand, where it providentially happened that the Sisters was lying at anchor off the Bay of Islands. We hear that an action commenced between the pirates and the whaler, which lasted for six hours, in which two of the former were killed. Captain Duke then went on board with a flag of truce, and declared if they did not surrender, he would bear down upon them, assisted with 200 or 300 natives, and put every man to death. This had the effect, and the pirates surrendered. Some of them, however, made their escape on shore, but by means of the extraordinary exertions of Captain Duke, assisted by the natives, the whole were soon retaken. The following is a list of the gang which have been brought back to Sydney, on the Sisters—the remainder being on board the Wellington, which was off the heads yesterday evening late, having Anthony Best on board:— John Walton, ex-captain of the pirates; Charles Clay Todhunter, James O'Neal, Henry Drummond, Charles Daley, William Leddington, William Ryan, William Holt, John Jennings, John Lynch, William Webb, Patrick Flannigan, Cornelius Callaghan, John Stewart, Thomas Quinn, Richard Johnson, Thomas Edwards, Edward McGuiness, John Swan, Richard Carter, Thomas Carvell, William Brown, Patrick Geary, James Bennet, John Smith, Thomas Bayley, Edward Colethurst, William Bateman, John McGuinness, Abraham Davis, William Walker, John Boyde. [32 convicts in this list] (Sydney Gazette 10 Feb 1827, p. 2.)

51

Chris Ison on 2nd December 2024

The following important extracts we copy from Sydney Gazettes to the 30th ultimo: " From Captain Carns, commander of the ship Neptune, we learn, that he left the ship Harriet, in which Mr. Alexander Riley left the Colony, at the Cape; from whom he has brought 15 male prisoners who had secreted themselves on board the Harriet. Five women were also concealed on board, who are not returned. The male prisoners who had effected their escape from hence in the Harriet, and returned by the Neptune from the Cape, were this day brought before a Bench of Magistrates, and Sentenced to receive one hundred lashes each, and worked in the gaol gang for 12 calendar months. The following is a list of the prisoners' names: Henry Chambers, John Druet, Benjamin Oliver, John Cochrane, Robert Plummer, John Skelton, Patrick Lowry, Nathaniel Ewer, Henry Moore, William Hollady, John Latham, James Quinn, Benjamin Little, Wm, Chapman, Thomas Edwards, and Moses Solomon, a boy. It appeared from a written statement transmitted from the Cape of Good Hope, that the delinquents had not made their appearance for a considerable time after the vessel's departure from hence, although it was known by some of the crew they were on board ; and, but for timely information being given to the commander, the consequences might have been very serious, as it was then represented to have been their intention to take the vessel, after the cargo had been received on board at the Cape, and carry her into South America ; in which design they would very probably have bean aided by seamen and other persons on board ; with which assistance they could scarcely have failed in accomplishing their purpose. The result of this discovery was, that the troops, in concert with the passengers were compelled constantly to keep the deck till they reached the Cape. (Hobart Town Gazette 20 Jun 1818, p. 2)