Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
George Hill was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 244. --00--Edgar, W. (Bill). (2018). “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. |
| 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
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Convict Notes
From the "Convicts associated with Toodyay" database: Hill, George (1829- ) #4556 1858-01-01 Nile CWA: Unm; butcher; semi lit Prot; h/breaking burglary & theft 14 yrs; Swan, Toodyay, Perth (https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/). --0--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: HILL, George; inmate #4556, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1829 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Butcher Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Winchester, Hampshire, England Crime: House breaking, burglary & theft Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 24 Aug 1859, at Mt Eliza Conditional Pardon Date: 28 Apr 1862 Certificate of Freedom Date: 17 Mar 1870 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
10 September, 1857: Sent from Portland to board the Nile for transportation to WA; listed as #49/6920, details as above. Behaviour on voyage "very good" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
6 April, 1857: Admitted to PORTLAND prison, Grove Road, Portland. 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) Inmate #6920; details as above, however previous conviction sentence given as 14 years' transportation. State of health “good”; behaviour “good” (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --0--
25 May, 1856: Admitted to PENTONVILLE prison, Caledonian Road, London -- inmate #6749. George Hill was listed as 27 when convicted, 5'2" tall, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, sallow complexion, stout build; single; next of kin -- brother William Hill, address unknown; Church of England; semiliterate; labourer. Previous conviction in 1849, sentenced to 14 years (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for George Hill; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1854-1856). --0--
14 April, 1856: Admitted to MILLBANK -- served 1 month 11 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". “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, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
THIS OFFENCE: JAILS: 27 February, 1856: Held at WINCHESTER County Gaol and House of Correction, Romsey Road, Winchester (HANTS County jail) awaiting trial on housebreaking, burglary and theft charges and following his conviction -- served 1 month 19 days. This record details the five counts, including the names of his victims and property stolen: from John Bartlett Burt at Boldre (clothing, silver and money -- 9s6d, on 6 January); George Harvey at Boldre (watch, clothing, handkerchiefs on 10 January); Robert Harvey at Boldre (boots, stockings and other clothing on 18 January); George Aldridge at Beaulieu (bottles of gin, rum and brandy on 16 January); and John Bartlett Burt (money -- £8/10/11, date not given). Notations: "Once previously convicted of burglary, and sentenced to 10 years' transportation". "Pleaded guilty of burglary on two indictments, and of housebreaking on three indictments". Tried: 5 March (sessions commenced on 3 March) (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for George Hill; Winchester Gaol; Calendar of Trials). --0--
PREVIOUS FORM, ALIAS and TICKET OF LEAVE: PCOM 3/28/2828 Description: Licence number 2828: George Smith alias George Hill. Convicted of burglary and theft at the Royal Court of Jersey, Channel Islands, 23 April 1849. Then aged 20 years and by trade a shoe maker. Sentence: 14 years' Transportation. Licence [Ticket of Leave] granted: 9 April 1855, for early release from Stirling Castle hulk prison. Comments: Received from Bermuda ex Sir George Seymour. Date: 1855 April 9 Held by: The National Archives, Kew (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10168751). --00--
Newspaper reports said George Hill had committed a series of burglaries at Boldre, a village and civil parish in the New Forest district of Hampshire, and Beaulieu, another small village about 7 miles away, on the southeastern edge of the New Forest national park in Hampshire (see Hampshire Chronicle, 8 March, p10). --0--
TRIAL: 3 March, 1856: Convicted at the Assizes at Winchester Castle and sentenced to 14 years' transportation for "burglary and housebreaking - 5 convictions" (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, England; Hampshire; 1856). --0--