Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Joseph Hedford 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 337 (168) Australia, Convict Index, 1788-1868 |
| 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
Hulk Records at Portsmouth- Captivity Hulk. HO-9-8_3 page 4. Joseph Hedford, age 21, Felony, tried at Londond, 16 Sep 1801, BS. 7 years. Sent on board the Calcutta 9 April 1803.
Tasmanian Records https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0444 Per Calcutta, Joseph Hedford, London J.D. 16 Sep 1801, 7 years. --------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 15 February 2023), September 1801, trial of JOSEPH HEDFORD (t18010916-22). JOSEPH HEDFORD, Theft > grand larceny, 16th September 1801. 649. JOSEPH HEDFORD was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 20th of August , a pocket-book, value 1s. 6d. a Bank-note, value 5l. and eleven other Bank-notes, value 11l. the property of Richard Hadril . RICHARD HADRILL sworn. - I live at Canterbury, retired from business: On Thursday, the 20th of August, about two o'clock I was looking at a print-shop at the end of Cock-court, opposite the Old-Bailey , a number of Lascars were passing; I felt a brush at my left-hand pocket; I turned round, missed my pocket-book, and saw the prisoner with my pocket-book in his right hand; I said that was my pocket-book, I told him I would swear it was my pocket-book; there were above thirty, in all, about me; they were four or five deep before him; the prisoner said, he had it not; I said, if you have it not, you have smuggled it away among some of your companions; upon that, a man who is a constable of that same ward came up, and said, what is the matter here; said I, this man has picked my pocket, and I will swear it; he then took him by the left shoulder, and said then, come along with me; he led him along till he got to Giltspur-street Compter, and the person who keeps that prison was going to examine him; I said, it was hardly worth while, for he had shifted it; he was searched, but nothing found upon him. Q. What was the colour of your pocket-book?- A. Red. Q. What size was it? - A.One of Johnson's pocket-books. Q. Did this pocket-book contain any thing? - A. Yes; there were some memorandums, and there were eleven one-pound Bank of England notes, and a five-pound Bank of England note. Q. Have you ever seen any of those notes since?- A. No, not a bit of them, nor ever shall. Q. Did you stop him immediately when you saw the book in his hand? - A.Immediately. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. You saw the person that took the pocket-book put it in his pocket, did not you? - A. No, I did not. Q. There was a pretty large croud collected? - A. There were thirty or forty, in my opinion. Q. I believe, four or five deep? - A. Yes. Q. You do not know the number of the notes?- A. No. Q. And your pocket-book was a common pocket-book? - A. Yes; there is a thing which I forgot to tell the Judge - my pocket-book was tied round with a black cotton string, and I saw that. Q.Now, I understand you to say this, that your pocket-book was a common pocket-book, tied round with a black cotton string? - A. Yes. Q.Did it ever happen to you in Kent to see a pocket-book tied round with a black cotton string?- A. Never, nor yet in London. Q. There was nothing upon the outside of the pocket-book? - A. There was my name upon the outside. Q. And that you saw when it was in the man's hand? - A. I do not think that I did. Q. Upon your oath, did you or not observe your name upon it at the time it was in the man's hand? - A. I cannot say that I did. Q. The only opportunity you had of seeing the pocket-book in the man's hand, was a very short time? - A. Yes, about fifteen seconds, or not so long. Q. Will you take upon yourself to say, upon the casual view you had, surrounded by the number of people that you were, though you did not see the name upon it, that that was the same pocket-book?- A. I will, according to the best of my opinion, swear it. Q. Will you swear it? - A. I will not. Court. Q. What is your belief about it? - A. My positive belief is, that it was my pocket-book. WILLIAM ROGERS sworn. - I am a plaisterer; I know nothing of the robbery; I saw Mr. Hadrill put eleven Bank-notes of one pound each into his pocket-book, and a five-pound note before he left my house in Gutter-lane, on the 20th of August. Q. What was the colour of his pocket-book? - A. A red one, tied with a black string; he did not leave my house till after dinner; he was going to the west-end of the town. ALEXANDER MILLER sworn. - I am a constable; I saw a croud of people upon Ludgate-hill; I enquired what was the matter; I observed the prosecutor had hold of the prisoner by the hand; he told me his pocket was picked, and he would give charge of the man; the prisoner then denied it, and said, I have not got your pocket-book, you must be a very bad man to say so; I then laid hold of him by the left side of his collar, and took him to Giltspur-street Compter; there we searched him, but found nothing upon him; he said he was ready to go any where. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. He denied knowing any thing about it, but said, he was ready to go any where to be searched? - A. Yes. Q. In point of fact, he was as ready as any person you ever took in custody to go with you? - A. Yes. Prisoner's defence. I am a tallow-chandler; but since my brother left off business, I sell pens about the streets; I had been of an errand into Watling-street, in comming back, I stopped at the printshop, I had not stopped there more than a minute, when this gentleman said I had picked his pocket; he said, I had put his pocket-book in my pocket; I told him I was innocent of it, and was willing to go to any shop with him; they took me to the Compter; I was very willing to be searched. The prisoner called one witness, who gave him a good character. GUILTY , aged 21. Transported for seven years . London Jury, before Mr. Recorder.