John Henry Hammond

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Dianne Jones on 18th April 2023

NOTE: The "Date of birth" field must include a day and month entry in order to function, but only the birth year of 1822 is known for John Hammond. That is, disregard the day and month provided here.

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From his FREMANTLE JAIL record: HAMMOND, John Henry; inmate #9755, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1822 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Sawyer Literacy: Illiterate Sentence Place: Hertford Crime: Felony Sentence Period: 8 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket Leave Date: 27 Jun 1870 Certificate of Freedom Date: 4 May 1874 Comments: Labourer, general servant, sawyer (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/) --00--

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IN WA: 1868: On arrival in WA, convict #9755 JOHN HENRY HAMMOND was listed as 44, a sawyer, single, illiterate, Protestant and sentenced to eight years for “felony and previous convictions”. Previous convictions, at Cambridge for sheep stealing (10 March, 1854) 6 years’ transportation; at the Old Bailey for horse stealing (7 April, 1862) 3 years penal servitude. Next of kin – father, William Hammond, Brent Pelham, Herts. His behaviour in Portland jail was listed as “good”. He received his Ticket of Leave on 27 February, 1872; and Certificate of Freedom on 4 May, 1874 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department Registers, General Register for Nos 9599-10128 (R16)). —0—

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TRANSPORTATION: 1867, 8 October: John Henry Hammond was sent to board the Hougoumont for transportation to WA: “The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up, by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore [anchorage] on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn [only two were on the Hougoumont – Thomas Berwick and Lionel Holdsworth, each sentenced to 20 years for fraud], and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank, for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land.” (Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Dec 1867, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271). --00--

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1867, 22 February: John Hammond was sent to Portland jail, Grove Road, Portland, Dorset (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for John Henry Hammond; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners, 1866-1869). 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) --0--

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JAILS: 1866, 27 April: John Henry Hammond was sent from Hertford and admitted to Pentonville jail; inmate #3679. Few details are given here but his two previous convictions and sentences are noted: 6 years transportation “about 20 years ago” and 3 years penal servitude April 1862, served “Portland or Chatham”. [Note: His court record only mentioned one previous felony conviction.] “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, 2018, p40). Pentonville, Millbank, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--

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NEWSPAPER REPORT OF TRIAL: From the “Hertford Mercury and Reformer” – Saturday, 7 April, 1866, p4: Stealing Turkeys at Meesden. John Henry Hammond, aged 43, sawyer, Brent Pelham, was charged with stealing two turkeys, the property of Charles Brand, at Meesden. Mr. Taylor prosecuted. Jemima Brand examined: I live at Meesden; husband keeps turkeys. On Friday, the 23rd of March, had six turkeys; I saw them safe on Friday night. On Saturday morning two were gone. They were two hen turkeys; they were brown, and I am sure those produced are the same. On the following Monday I saw them again at a little farm at Shipcroft-green. The prisoner took them there. We had suspected him; and he came to me and said he did not do it, but he knew who did. He said he knew where they were, and told me to go and own them. I went with him to the farm and found them. George Matthews examined: I live at Clavering. On Friday, March 23, between four and five in the afternoon, I saw the prisoner Hammond, who asked me to lend him bag to bring the fowls he had told me he was going to bring. I lent him a bag. The next morning, a little before six, he brought two turkeys (the two produced) in the bag. He said he could not catch the fowls as his sister had taken the ladder away. I bought the turkeys. I was to pay him 1 Is. 6d. for them, but I had not got the change then, and was to pay for them on Monday. The same day (Saturday) I heard that Mr. Brand had lost some turkeys. I saw Hammond again on Monday morning. I said to him, "Those were two stolen turkeys that you brought me." He said, "No, they were not." I said, "I hear that two are stolen from Mr. Brand, of Blackhall." He said, "They are not the two; for I brought them from my own place." The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Two previous convictions —for horse stealing and sheep stealing -- were proved against him. The Deputy-Chairman, in passing sentence, said the prisoner had been twice sentenced to heavy punishment, without the slightest good effect; and the sentence now was that he be sent to penal servitude for eight years. (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000352/18660407/030/0004) --00—

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TRIAL: 1866, 2 April: John Henry Hammond was convicted at Hertford Quarter Sessions and sentenced to eight years’ penal servitude for larceny, with a previous conviction for felony taken into account (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for John Henry Hammond; England; Herefordshire; 1866). --0--