Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
William Hoskins 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 235 (119). --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. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779 |
| 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
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: HOSKINS, William; inmate #4622, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Alias: HAWKINS Date of Birth: 1834 Place of Death: Bridgetown Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Umbrella maker, sawyer Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: Gloucester, Gloucester, England Crime: Manslaughter Sentence Period: 15 years Ticket of Leave Date: 14 Dec 1859 Conditional Pardon Date: 5 Feb 1863 Certificate of Freedom Date: 2 Oct 1872 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --0--
September, 1857: He was sent to board the Nile for transportation to WA; prisoner #20/3984 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
16 May, 1857: Admitted to Portsmouth gaol; inmate #3984; behaviour "moderately good" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). Portsmouth, Portland, 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--
JAILS: 8 September, 1856: Admitted to Millbank gaol in London, from Gloucester County where he had served 3 months 11 days in association with other prisoners. Listed as inmate #3528, 23, single, able to read only, Dissenter; next of kin -- brother, Joseph Hoskins, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). At Millbank, he served 8 months 8 days in separate confinement. “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) By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced from 18 months to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Wakefield, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
TRIAL: 2 August, 1856: Convicted at Gloucester Assizes of manslaughter; sentenced to 15 years' transportation. --00--
INQUEST and COMMITTAL: From the 'News of The World', June 15, 1856, p3: "MURDER AT STROUD The town of Stroudwater has been the scene of a cruel murder. About 4 o’clock on Sunday morning, a labouring man named Hodges, and his son, were proceeding along the road leading from Stroud to the village of Nailsworth, when, about half a mile from the town, they discovered the body of a man, weltering in blood, by the roadside. It was identified as that of Joseph Hatherill, a mason, who resided at Avening, aged 54 years, and had a wife and five children. The man’s upper lip was cut open, and there was a stab in his groin, from which he had bled to death. It was evident he had met his death by foul means, and suspicion soon fell upon a man named William Hoskins, residing in the neighbourhood. Hoskins was taken into custody, about 8 o’clock on Sunday morning, and blood was then seen on his clothes. On Monday an inquest was held at the Greyhound Inn, Stroud, and simultaneously with this investigation Hoskins was brought before the magistrates. From the evidence adduced, it appeared that the accused had been drinking at various places on the Saturday night; that he was seen by a policeman to leave the town about a quarter past one o’clock in the morning, going in the direction of the murder, a man answering to the description of the deceased being just in front of him. He arrived at his lodgings about 2 o’clock and on getting up in the morning told two fellow-lodgers, he had had a row overnight with a man in the road, who struck him with a stick, that he had a mind to “croak” him, and he then knocked him into the hedge, and left him there. His clothes were bloody, and in his pocket was a knife with stains of blood upon it. Along the road there were marks of scuffling having taken place, and a stream of blood for a distance of 30 yards to where the body was found. Messrs Wethered and Gregory, surgeons, who made a post mortem, examination proved that the cause of death was haemorrhage, resulting from a wound in the left thigh, such as would be inflicted by a knife, and added that the man was healthy and appeared to have been sober. The prisoner made a statement before the magistrates and the coroner to the effect that he overtook the deceased on the road, that deceased wanted to know where he was going, and on his refusal to tell, struck him with a stick. The prisoner took the stick from him and broke it; they had a “tussle” and swore at each other; that he (prisoner) then drew his knife, and the deceased did the same; that they fought with knives, and that he left the man in the road. It should be mentioned that a broken stick was found near the scene of the murder. In the trousers-pocket of the murdered man was a clasp knife closed, 2s., a lemonade bottle containing about a noggin of gin. It did not appear possible that he could have used the knife; and prisoner had no marks of injury about him, except a black eye, which he admitted to have got before. The magistrates committed the prisoner for trial on a charge of wilful murder. The coroner’s jury, after a long consultation returned a verdict of “Manslaughter” against him. Both the enquiries occupied until evening, and attracted crowds outside the courts to catch a glimpse of the prisoner, who is about 27 years of age. He was removed to Gloucester Goal the same evening." (http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/w4622.htm) --00--