Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
David Gibson was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 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 | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 345 (172) |
| 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
"Husband's 4x great grandfather."
Photos
No photos have been added for David Gibson.
Convict Notes
Family connections for David (Gibson) are: GIBSON David (Gibson) was born on 26 4 1778 & became a farmer. He was tried for stealing gold watches etc at York Assizes Yorkshire on 6 3 1802, sentenced to Life, held on hulk COROMANDWL PERSEUS &/or LAUUREL at Portsmouth Harbour Hampshire & arrived at Port Phillip (now Victoria) as a convict on 4 10 1803 after a voyage of 7+months on HMS CALCUTTA with HMS SUPPLY (an expedition that settled in Tasmania); he would have camped at what is now Sorrento/Sullivans Bay. This expedition rejected Port Phillip for a settlement at this time & he was moved to Risdon Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) on 27 1 1804 (arriving on 15 2 1804) on OCEAN or HMS LADY NELSON or leaving on 24 3 1804 (arriving on 25 6 1804) on OCEAN. He was Free by Servitude by 1814 & was issued his Absolute Pardon before 1819. He married Elizabeth (Haywood/Nicholls her second marriage) on 16 1 1819 at St Johns CofE Launceston & lived at 'Pleasant Banks' Evandale. After his mother died in 1836 he bought Wellington St Launceston property from his father-in-law Joseph (Lowe) in 1840. He died on 15 4 1858 age79/82 at Snake Banks-much respected. [Some details taken from this Website] Elizabeth (Hayward/ood/Nicholls) was born on 2 3 1794or6 on Norfolk Island. She was recorded as child >2years on stores on Norfolk Island in February 1805. She had a first relationship about 1809 at age about16 with John (Piper his fourth relationship in a society where young girls were taken by men of the ruling establishment) soldier & produced 1child. In 1810 she was recorded by the same OIC Captain John (Piper) as free owner of 10 sheep 1cow. She had a name change on 18 10 1811 to (Haywood). She is recorded in 1812 living on 15acres plot on Norfolk Island. She left Norfolk Island as Elizabeth (Nicholls) with her son Norfolk (Piper/Nicholls) as part of the second evacuation on 18 2 1813 on MINSTREL to Port Dalrymple Tasmania arriving on 4 3 1813sic; she received cash for her abandoned dwelling. She lived with her family at 'Pleasant Banks' Evandale. She died on 28 1 1872 age77 mother of 11children & was buried at Evandale Presbyterian church burial ground. She married? secondly (2of3) George/Joseph (Lowe) on Norfolk Island & produced 3children. She was Free by Servitude by 1796. She may have had a third relationship with George (Collins). She was recorded as sentence expired on Norfolk Island in February 1805; she bought a house in this year. In 1810 she was recorded by OIC Captain (Piper) as settler landowner time expired. She moved, as Elizabeth (Lowe), to Port Dalrymple Tasmania as part of the second evacuation on 20 1 1813 on HMS LADY NELSON with children George (age11?) & Margaret (age17?), arriving on 1 3 1813; then to Norfolk Plains. In 1820 she was at Port Dalrymple with children George & Margaret. She was recorded with Joseph (Lowe) & 2children in 1820 at Port Dalrymple muster. She died on 29 10 1836 age62/65-the oldest living person from the First Fleet-at Launceston mother of 11children & was buried at Old Cypress St CofE cemetery Launceston-now the site of Broadland House School. David (Gibson) & Elizabeth (Haywood) produced 10children: initially boys 1.John (Gibson) was born in 1814. 2.David (Gibson) was born in 1817. 3.William (Gibson) was born on 21 1 1820 & baptised on 5 10 1820 at St Johns CofE Launceston. 4-10.??? (Gibson) References: Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony. Irene Schaffer & Thelma McKay 'Exiled Three Times Over! Profiles of Norfolk Islanders Exiled in Van Diemens Land 1807-1813' James Hugh Donohoe 'Norfolk Island 1788-1813-The People and Their Families' Reg Wright 'Forgotten Generation of Norfolk Island & Van Diemens Land'
Prison Hulk Register: --------------------- Name: David Gibson Age: 23 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1779 Date Received: 27 May 1802 Ship: Coromandel; Perseus; Laurel Place Moored: Portsmouth Date Convicted: 6 Mar 1802 Place Convicted: York Sentence: NSW Life
THE LATE DAVID GIBSON, SENIOR, ESQUIRE, OF SNAKE BANKS.— Our obituary this day gives the name, at the ripe age of 82, of the late Mr. David Gibson. Few men have been more generally and estimably known, particularly in the northern part of the island, than the deceased. At the gatherings of the Midland Association, and wherever fine stock and good farming were the prominent subject of interest, Mr. Gibson was sure to be met, and if not met, to be missed. In the immediate district in which he resided he was held in very just and general esteem; and was distinguished by a deportment which conciliated everyone, and by a judicious liberality in respect to every local object that had a claim upon him—the Church, the School, or the demands of Benevolence. Mr. Gibson leaves a numerous family in children and grand-children; and his case refutes the ancient saying, that no man could be happy in this life, for none knew what was in reserve for them. He might not indeed have known beforehand his lot; but his career closed with prosperity in his own instance, and with prosperity on the part of all belonging to him; and much more than that, the prospect of the estimation in which he was individually held being enjoyed, as the reward of the qualities by which he had gained it, by his descendants. The Courier, 16 Apr 1858.
Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0378 Per Calcutta, David Gibson, Tried York G.D., 6 Mar 1802. Life.
… David Gibson, for stealing eight gold watches, and divers other articles; ... Leeds Intelligencer, 15 March 1802.