Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
James Gammell was transported on the Canton, departing 20th Sep 1839 and arriving 12th Jan 1840 with 241 passengers.
Canton (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/12, Page Number 97 (50) |
| 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 |
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Convict Notes
Gammell or Gemmell, James. Aged 23. Born Kilmarnock, Scotland, and lived in Upper Canada, becoming a Patriot Army lieutenant. A gardener. Received a ticket-of-leave in 1842 after helping capture five escapee convicts, then escaped himself on a whaler. Was a Salt Lake City Mormon where he had five wives and 22 children.
Liverpool, Monday.— This morning, in consequence of information having been received that the Captain Ross has arrived with prisoners from Quebec, a great number of persons were congregated on the St. George's Pier. The Captain Ross anchored in Bootle Bay, and a steamer was sent out to bring back the convicts, who arrived about four o'clock, and were immediately conveyed to the Liverpool Borough Jail. A desperate attempt was made to mutiny during the passage home, but it was happily frustrated by the determination of Captain Morton, who placed the whole of the prisoners in heavy irons. Names of the prisoners brought by the Captain Ross, which sailed from Quebec, 22nd ultimo. — Alexander McLeod, T. Malcolm, John Grant, J. McNulty, B. West, John Vernon, N. Mellory, Paul Bedford, J. Wagoner, S. Chandler, L. Watson, W. Reynolds, L. W. Miller, William Alves, Robert Walker, James Gammell, George Cooly, Jacob Benut, G. Van Camp, James Brown, Ira Anderson, Randal Wilson, —— F. Farnell, James Lynn, B. O'Hare, Joseph Langwys, Joseph Hamel, James Thompson, Agnes Provost, Isidore Paré, Charles McLeod, Thomas Oliver, John G. Parker, and Baptiste Cadien. Eleven of the prisoners are heavily ironed.— (Correspondent.) Globe, Dec. 18. Launceston Advertiser, 9 May 1839.
Great and Glorious Escape from British Tyranny! It is with great pleasure we have to announce the arrival in this city of the first of those poor follows, who, taken in Canada for rebellion, and transported to Van Diemen's Land, has been enabled to make his escape back to this country. The person we allude to came into our office yesterday, with his cheek flushed with health and delight, his eye beaming with pride and pleasure at once more reaching his native land, and his heart full of gratitude to God for his escape from British tyranny. His name is James Gammell. He is about twenty-eight years of age; was born in New York, brought up in Canada, and during the troubles there, was taken under Colonel James Monroe, at Short Hills, Upper Canada, in the summer of 1838. Monroe was hung; Gammell was sentenced to be hung on the 25th August, 1838, but was reprieved, sent to England with John S. Parker, and twenty-two others, and thence transported to Van Diemen's Land, for life, with about seventy more Americans. Gammell and eleven others were sent out from England, in the ship Canton, to Hobart Town, on the 22nd September, 1839, and reached there January 10, 1840. They were all sent one hundred miles into the interior, to work on the great road leading across the island from Hobart Town to Launceston. Here they worked in irons for two years. After that, Lord J. Russell sent out orders to mitigate their condition. They then received each a ticket-of-leave, and were allowed to work at their respective trades, on their own account, but still to be kept confined to the interior, and never allowed to go to any seaport in the island. Gamrnell, however, was allowed a pass by the magistrate to go to Hobart Town to get a model for a stump machine. And with that he stumped the British government; for by the assistance of some American sailors, then at Hobart Town, he made his escape on board an American whale-ship, and reached this city in fine health and spirits on Wednesday last, at high noon, being the first of the American prisoners who has escaped from Van Diemen's Land. His numerous hair-breadth escapes we will give at length hereafter. In the meantime the poor fellow wishes us to state that the following American prisoners have died there since he went out :-Peter Williams, of United States; Alexander McLeod, and Gerard Van Camp, of Canada; John Jas. McMiller, of Canada; Mr. Priest, Jefferson County, New York; and Mr. Curtis. The following have been sent to work in the coal-mines for two years, for trying to make their escape from the island :-Symes W. Miller, Chatauque; Joseph Stewart, New York; W. Reynolds, ditto; Horace Cooley, London, U. C.; Mr. Murray, do.; Jacob Paddock, Kingston. In these coal mines there are 1,000 men at work, Gammell says that he left seventy six prisoners still there of the patriot band, mostly all United States' citizens, and all in bondage, employed by released convicts in various trade.- New York paper. Launceston Examiner, 28 Jan 1843.
http://www.acsanz.org.au/archives/acs25-2-2007.pdf A Frontier Spirit: the Life of James Gemmell by Stuart D. Scott. Page 61 onwards.