Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
George Foxton was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 248. --0-- Edgar, W. (Bill). (2018). “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779 |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
Claims
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Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE: Newspaper reports of his trial: 15 December, 1855: From the Yorkshire Gazette, pp5-7: "FRIDAY (Yesterday).— Before Mr. Justice Willes. CUTTING AND WOUNDING AT YORK. GEORGE FOXTON, 25, was charged with having, in Walmgate, in this city, cut and wounded Cranfield Baguley, police-officer, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm, on the 29th of August. Mr. Price prosecuted; Mr. Shepherd was for the defence. Verdict, Guilty.—To be transported for 14 years." 15 December, 1855: From the York Herald, p5: "Before Mr. Justice Willes. WOUNDING THE POLICE AT YORK. GEORGE FOXTON alias Thompson (25), was charged with having, on the 29th of August last, cut and wounded John Brown and Cranfield Baguley with intent to do them some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Price was for the prosecution, and Mr. Shepherd for the defence. The facts of this case will be found in our Monday's report of the trials ..."
FOOTNOTE: He was a moulder by trade. According to the Dictionary of Old Occupations (https://www.familyresearcher.co.uk/), the earliest use of the term was for a person who carved stone, a skilled occupation. The occupational term evolved to include casting iron. Is also was a pottery industry term for a Presser.
From the "Toodyay Convicts" database: Foxton, George (1828-1880), #4512, 1858-01-01 Nile CWA: Mar; fruit merchant; semi lit Prot; griev bodily harm 14 yrs; Guildford, Swan, Toodyay. BDWA: Foxton, George, b. 1828, d. 27.7.1880 (York Hospital), (expiree). Arr. 1.1.1858 per Nile. Employed 14 T/L men 1863-1872, 9 sawyers, a trencher, a shingle splitter & cook included, at sawpit located mainly at Wooroloo, Toodyay Rd, York Rd. (https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/). --00--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: FOXTON, George; #4512, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1828 [1825 according to court and jail records] Date of Death: 27 July 1880 Place of Death: York, hospital Marital Status: Married Occupation: Fruit merchant Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: York, Yorkshire, England Crime: Grievous bodily harm Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 4 Jul 1859 Conditional Pardon Date: 25 Jul 1862 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/) --00--
THE VOYAGE: George Foxton’s behaviour during the voyage was “very bad”, according to his WA Convict record. He was placed on bread and water for three days; flogged, receiving 24 lashes; and listed as "incorrigible" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). What prompted these punishments? Although a requirement, no journal/full report of the voyage from the ship’s Surgeon Superintendent has ever been located, according to Bill Edgar (2018) whose research fills in some blanks. Around two-thirds of the Nile’s 268 convicts could be considered “serious criminals” by virtue of the violence of their crimes, or their recidivism or both. A point that wasn’t lost on the ship’s crew or warders. Edgar (2018) says between the starting point of the Nile’s voyage at the head of the Thames at Sheerness and her arrival at Plymouth a week or so later to take on prisoners from Dartmoor, two warders “having seen the potential for trouble… decided to refuse duties they could clearly perceive as very dangerous”. They left the ship. Between the Nile’s departure from Plymouth, on 23 September, and her arrival just over 4 weeks later at Bahia (in Brazil), a “litany of frightening incidences took place aboard”. Fearing a mutiny, the captain had nine convicts placed in chains “where they were to stay for the remainder of the voyage”. There was no mutiny. Edgar writes, however: “It had been a near run thing. The prospect of a mutiny had been very real.” Despite the Nile’s arrival off WA late on the night of 31 December, 1857, the bulk of the prisoners were not disembarked for five days. Twelve men were unloaded on 2 January – three bound for hospital and nine who went in chains to Fremantle prison. The latter were the “failed mutineers”, listed as men of “bad character” by the ship’s Surgeon Superintendent in a letter to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (Edgar, pp24-25, 27). They were: George Foxton (alias Thompson), John Turnbull, James H Jones, John Cirans (Ceirans), Thomas Ward, Patrick McBride, Michael Henry, John Ferguson, and George Woodcock (the possessor of at least seven aliases by this time). --00--
10 September, 1857: He was sent from Portland to the Nile for transportation to WA, listed as #5/6731 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
3 February, 1857: He was returned to Portland jail in Grove Road. Portland, Portsmouth, Chatham and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration—transportation.” (Edgar, p40) George Foxton, alias Thompson, inmate #6731, 30 [his age when convicted], a moulder, religion "Church", married no children, reads and writes imperfectly; convicted for cutting and wounding; there is no detail of a previous conviction for larceny. Next of kin — his wife, Jessie Foxton of Church Lane, York. His health was "good" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Registers of Prisoners to 1875). --0--
2 January, 1856: He was admitted to the West Riding House of Correction (also called Wakefield House of Correction, Wakefield County Gaol, Wakefield Prison and HMP Wakefield), Love Lane, Wakefield, in Yorkshire. “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Wakefield, Millbank, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. In Wakefield, George Foxton served 13 months in separate confinement. His behaviour was recorded as “Very good” which begs the question why he served 13 months in separate confinement. --0--
11 December, 1855: Admitted to Portland, alias Thompson, inmate #6731. He was at Portland for less than a month, presumably awaiting an opening at a "Probation" or "Separate" jail. --0--
JAILS: 1855: Served 26 days in association with other prisoners at York Castle before his transfer to Portland jail in Dorset. --0--