| Name: | Edward Garrett |
| Aliases: | none |
| Gender: | m |
| Date of Birth: | 6th May, 1805 |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker |
| Date of Death: | 2nd November, 1886 |
| Age: | 81 years |
Life Span
Male median life span was 51 years*
* Median life span based on contributions
Sentence Severity
Sentenced to Life
| Crime: | Murder |
| Convicted at: | Somersetshire Assizes |
| Sentence term: | Life |
| Ship: | David Clarke |
| Departure date: | 3rd June, 1841 |
| Arrival date: | 4th October, 1841 |
| Place of arrival | Van Diemen's Land |
| Passenger manifest | Travelled with 306 other convicts |
| Primary source: | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/12, Page Number 327 (165) |
| 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 Project. |
Joan Dean on 29th February, 2012 wrote:
Edward Garrett (convict) married Janet McArthur alias McLaren (convict)in Tasmania 1846. Settled in Clarendon Vic. They produced 8 children, 7 born in Tasmania and 1 in Victoria. Edward Garrett b 1805 Norton St Phillip Somerset Uk, d 1886 in Napoleon Victoria Aust.
Wally Rickard on 25th October, 2013 wrote:
Edward Garrett was born in Norton St Phillip in Somerset, England on the 6th of May 1805 to Edward Rundell Garrett and his wife Mary Sarah Garrett (Paxton), the seventh of nine children. Edward became a shoe maker, married Sarah Wells on May 19, 1835 and had three children.
Life must have been unbelievably tough for Edward and his family. He was described later as affectionate and kind to his children and as a shoemaker, was peaceable, honest and industrious. Times were hard and he was both unable to raise money to continue his trade or meet the demands of his creditors. It was stated that the family was near starvation and his children were crying for bread. In a state of great distress he gave his children each a large dose of laudanum (a potion of opium used as a medicine) and then swallowed the last half of the bottle in the hope of ending his and their misery.
It came to pass that the two eldest children survived as did Edward but the youngest child, six month old Edwin did not so Edward was charged with murder. The jury quickly found him guilty but recommended him to mercy however the judge was not so inclined and passed the death sentence on August 8, 1840. A month later the sentence was commuted to transportation for life to the penal colony in Tasmania.
Joan Dean on 29th February, 2012 made the following changes:
date of birth 1805-00-00, date of death 1886-00-00, gender m
Wally Rickard on 25th October, 2013 made the following changes:
date of birth 6th May, 1805, date of death 2nd November, 1886, occupation
This record was discovered and printed on ConvictRecords.com.au
