Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
John Higgins was transported on the Daphne, departing 28th May 1819 and arriving 21st Sep 1819 with 181 passengers.
Daphne (generic)References
| Primary Source | Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. |
Claims
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Photos
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Convict Notes
Evidence of execution https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1089437 Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser, 28 April 1821, page 2
The Police Fund of Van Diemen’s Land, in Account Current with Edward Foord Bromley, Esq. Treasurer, for the Quarter ending Sept. 30th. 1820. Serjeant Hayward and Party of the 48th Regiment, for taking John Higgins, Michael Riley, and Thomas Atkinson, armed Absentees. 15. 0. 0. Hobart Town Gazette, 9 May 1821.
NOTE Accidentally added paragraphs which are not relevant to this man, above the account starting: Court of Criminal Jurisdiction. Tuesday. Please disregard these 2 paragraphs.
https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1P239 Tasmanian Record. List of 150 male convicts embarked on Ship Admiral Cockburn on 18th November 1819 for public service in VDL. Doc date 28 June 1820. John Higgins or Tucker, per Daphne, Tried City Dublin, Lent 1819, Life. --------------------------------------------------- https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-18P51 Tasmanian Conduct Report. 141. John Higgins or Tucker, per Daphne, Tried Lent 1819, Life. April 3 1820. Absent from watch house at night, 25 Lashes. May 26 1820. Stealing a whale boat & property namely sails, oars, & mast, & absent from Hobart Town. 200 lashes & be sent to Newcastle for the remainder of his original sentence. In margin: S.C. ? 30 1821, Death. -------------------------------------------------- note, lor the sum 11. with intent to defraud the Governor and'Com. ( any ol ihe England —To he transported /or 14 years. James Gardner, 20, charged with stealing from a dwelling house, divers articles, the property of Mary and Sarah Earl . —John Ashbee, 30. for counterfeiting on ream paper! the impression of a directed to be used by Act of Parliament. —to be Transported seven years; Kentish gazette, 13 Aug 1816. Early on Saturday morning last, were moved from Majesty’s gaol at Maidstone under a strong guard, and put board Retribution hulk, at Sheerness, for transportation, viz:— John Fountain, Davison Claringbold, John Burk, White, T. Haines, Moore; Francis Simmonds, John Crowhurst, James Gardner. John Ashbee, Wm. Chidwick, Wm. Dicks, John Brown, and T. Parker. Kentish Weekly Post, 20 Sep 1816. Thomas Parker, Thomas Haines, Wm. Dicks, Richard Davison Claringbole,John Brown, John fountain,Morley, Court of Criminal Jurisdiction. Tuesday. John Higgins, Michael Riley and John Hill, were indicted for forcibly entering the dwelling-house of Mr. Wm. Kimberly, at Bagdad, and stealing sundry articles, therein; on a second count for, in like manner, robbing the house of, and putting in fear, John Clark, at the Tea-tree Brush; and, on a third count, with a like offence in the dwelling-house of Ambrose Rideout, at Herdsmen's Cove. These houses had been entered on the same day. The prosecutors are settlers in the interior, and the prisoners, who took themselves to the woods, armed, had committed amongst various outrages and robberies, the specific offences charged in the information. Private Heywood, of the 148th Regiment, deposed, that he had been sent with a small party in quest of the bush-rangers; and shot at sun-rise on the morning of the 16th of July last, they came up with the gang, 4 in number, at Big Lagoon, near Jericho. As soon as they perceived them, the party desired them to lay down their arms; when the gang cried out—"Fire away, you b----rs," and then snapped their pieces at the troops, who thereupon reserved, but afterwards commenced firing, when Higgins was wounded in two places. They took Higgins and Riley, and another named Atkinson, who has since effected his escape out of prison into the woods. Hill made his escape at the time, but was shortly afterwards taken by some constables. Hugh de Butts, a private also of the 48th Regiment, corroborated the whole of the last witness's evidence, and displayed the coolness with which the conflict for a short time was sustained on both sides, though happily in the termination successfully for the troops. Some of the witnesses positively swore to the prisoners having been at their places in the middle of the night of the 12th of July, and having robbed them of whatever they choose to take away. At all the three houses, they threatened to blow out the brains of the persons there, if they did not quietly submit to their depredations. Thomas Seales, servant to one of the prosecutors, deposed, that he had every reason to think Higgins saved his life when they robbed his master, by his taking a gun from Atkinson, his accomplice, after he had presented it at him two or three times. Philip Pitt, a stock-owner residing at the Greenwater-holes, deposed, that about nine o'clock in the evening, several men came to his house ; and that Higgins, whom he well knew, was one of the number. This prisoner rushed into the house, leaving the others out side, and immediately said to the witness, "Don't be afraid." Mr. Pitt instantly rose up from his seat; and, taking an adze in his hand, advanced towards the prisoner, and endeavoured to take his piece from him ; when those outside cried out—"Fire;" and directly a gun was discharged. Mr. Pitt then made to a window (for, although there were three of his servant men prisoners in the house, not one of them even attempted to assist him), and gave an alarm ; the prisoners immediately decamped, without robbing the house.—The next morning, two slugs were found in the walls of the room, and one on the floor. Higgins in his defence, stated that he was compelled to fly to the bush in consequence of ill-treatment he received in the gaol-gang ; that he was only six days absent; and that it would be impossible for him to have committed the many robberies, that were now charged to him. Riley and Hill both persisted in a total denial of ever having committed any robberies, while they were in the woods ; and even denied having any arms with them, when they were taken by the troops, who, in fact, took three pieces, which were proved to belong to the respective prosecutors. His Honor the Judge Advocate having heard the prisoners, observed, that the Court were now called to decide upon one of those cases which was of the greatest consequence to this Colony, involving the very best interests of the settlers and inhabitants in general. It was unnecessary for him to go to any great length in this question, as the evidence seemed to be so particularly conclusive as to the facts. The only point was, as to one of the prisoners being sufficiently proved to have been of the party. The prisoners were charged with the crime of forcibly entering and stealing in dwelling-houses. Putting in fear the several inmates of itself, was a capital felony, while the proof of it against the prisoners rested upon a series of circumstances and proceedings, which His Honor then proceeded to point out, passing suitable comments as he went on, leaving it to the Court to say, under all the circumstances of the case, whether the simple negative of the prisoners was enough to subvert the credit of the circumstantial evidence given, against them.—His Honor here passed a very high eulogium on the conduct of Mr. Pitt, the settler, who had endeavoured to defend his property at the risk of his own life, while the conduct of his servants was no less liable to censure for their cowardly conduct, to say the least of it, in quietly submitting to the demands of a lawless banditti instead of seconding the efforts of their master.— Such servants were subject to no light suspicions. The servants in question would be looked to, and properly disposed of. His Honor trusted, indeed he was convinced, that if settlers in general would follow the conduct of Mr. Pitt, in boldly and determinately resisting the attempts of bush-rangers and protecting their own property, the mischievous combination, that had too long been tolerated would very soon be destroyed, and that hazard entirely removed, which, at present, was allowed so seriously to effect the public interests of the Settlement. The Court retired for a few minutes, and returned with a verdict of— Guilty against all the prisoners, who were then remanded for sentence. Hobart Town Gazette, 3 Feb 1821. --------------------------------------------------- Court of Criminal Jurisdiction. Saturday, Feb. 3.—This day the Court assembled at one o'clock; when the following prisoners that had been convicted and remanded for sentence, were placed at the bar, and the following sentences pronounced. Of Death on … John Higgins, John Hill, and Michael Riley, for several outrages and robberies while in the woods; … —in all twenty five. Sydney Gazette, 17 Mar 1821. -------------------------------------------------- EXECUTION.—This morning, about 10 o'clock, the under-named ten unhappy men underwent their awful sentence of the law upon a new platform erected about half a mile from the town, at the upper end of Macquarie-street, on the road to the Cascade : Joseph Potaskie ; Robert Hunter, Edward Brady, and James Flinn, for Mr. Thrupp's robbery ; John Oliver for cattle stealing ; John McGinnis, for sheep-stealing ; Thomas Kenny, John Higgins, John Hill, and Michael Riley, for several outrages and robberies in the woods, and firing on the King's troops. The whole of these unhappy men, from the time of receiving their sentence, seemed to have been perfectly resigned to their fate ; and every step which brought them nearer to death, appeared to give them additional comfort. From the time of leaving the county jail at nine o'clock, till the moment they were launched into eternity, they all invariably evinced the strongest sense of their situation, and, by their prayers and sincere repentance, endeavoured to seek pardon of their offended Maker. Of their crimes they spoke but little ; but generally acknowledged the justice of their sentences, and often turned their discourse to the surrounding spectators, hoping that their fate would be a warning, to others. They were attended with all possible zeal and humanity by the Rev. R. Knopwood and the Rev. P. Conolly. Hobart Town Gazette, 28 Apr 1821.
Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. John Higgins, alias Tucker, age on arrival, 30, Daphne, 1819. Tried 1819 at Kings Co, Life, DOB 1789, Native place, Westmeath. Trade, Navy marine. ---------------------------------------------------- Colonial Secretary Index. HIGGINS, John. Per "Daphne", 1819. 1822 Jan 5 Letter on behalf of the Bench of Magistrates, Parramatta, requesting information on (Reel 6008; 4/3504A p.234) 1822Â Jul 6 Re his alleged death (Reel 6009; 4/3506 p.29) ------------------------------------------------------ 6 July 1822. To Lieut. Gov. Sorell, VDL. Sir, For the purpose of relieving the anxiety of a female convict in this Colony, I do myself the honor to request the earliest information respecting one John Higgins, transport by the Daphne in 1819 and who is supposed to have died lately at the Derwent. Signed, F. Goulburn, Colonial Secretary.