Henry Hughes

51

Chris Ison on 10th December 2024

NEWCASTLE. Escape of Six Prisoners from Newcastle, and Capture of the Cutter Brothers. On Monday morning before break-of-day, six prisoners belonging to the gang at Nobby's Island, escaped from the General Hospital and seized the cutter Brothers, the property of Mr. Smith, from the Ballast Wharf, and escaped to sea, taking the crew with them. The wind blowing fresh from the N.W. enabled them to make considerably to the Eastward by daylight, at which time the vessel was so far off as to be scarcely visible. TUESDAY MORNING No tidings have as yet been heard of the men who escaped yesterday morning. (The Australian 24 Apr 1844 p. 3.) The undermentioned prisoners have absconded from the Convict Newcastle, in irons, seized the Cutter “Brothers,” lying in the Harbour at Newcastle on the 21st April, 1844. Edward [Edwards] James, Royal Admiral (2), 43, Worcester, brass founder … Elgar Henry, Waterloo (3), 31, Kent, seaman and farm labourer, … Hughes Henry, Exmouth, 27, London, errand boy, … Ringwood Samuel, Henry Porcher to V. D Land, and Moffatt to Sydney, 24, Norwich, groom … Wilson Buchanan, Marquis Huntley (3). 32, Glasgow, weaver and farm boy … Whitehead Robert, Lord Lynedoch (3), 27, Bath, plasterer and slater … (NSW Government Gazette 26 Apr 1844, (No. 40), p. 623) [They were tracked down and recaptured about two weeks later after they had raided Bundobah cattle station near Carrington. All six were sentenced to life at Norfolk Island. – Chris Ison]

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 6th August 2020

Australian Convict Transportation Registers - Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868 & New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Name: Henry Hughes Vessel: Exmouth Date of Arrival: 28 Jul 1831 No; 31 - 1399 117 Age; 14 Read & Write, Protestant. Single Native Place: London Calling; Errand Boy Offence; Picking Pockets Date of Trial: 10 Sep 1829. Middlesex Goal Delivery Sentence; 14 years Height; 4 ft. 5 3/4 inches Complexion: Ruddy, Fair, Freckled Hair: Brown Eyes; Grey Remarks; Norfolk Island - twice, 3 years added to his original sentence 14 May 1832 ----------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 06 August 2020), September 1829, trial of HENRY HUGHES (t18290910-165). HENRY HUGHES, Theft > pocketpicking, 10th September 1829. OLD COURT. FOURTH DAY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. First Middlesex Jury - before Mr. Sergeant Arabin. 1695. HENRY HUGHES was indicted for stealing, on the 10th of September , 1 pocket-book, value 2s, and two 5l. Bank notes, the monies of Sir George Farrant , from his person . SIR GEORGE FARRANT . I am a Magistrate of Middlesex . On Thursday, the 10th of September, a little after twelve o'clock, I was on the north side of Grosvenor-square , and felt a slight sudden touch at my pocket, hardly perceptible; I turned round, and saw the prisoner walking behind me, with his hand in his pocket, as if he was lame; I put my hand to my pocket, and missed my pocketbook, I immediately collared him, and said, "You have my pocket book;" he said, "Me, Sir; what, Sir, your pocketbook? I said, Yes; I put my hand into his breeches pocket, and took my pocket-book out of his hand, which was in his pocket, it contained two 5l. Bank notes - I took him to the office. I felt the slightest touch; if I had not seen him with his hand in his pocket, and walking as if lame, I should not have suspected him; it was done with great skill and adroitners - nothing could be done neater. Prisoner's Defence. There were three more boy s behind the gentleman; I saw them go on - the pocketbook laid on the ground; I picked it up - the gentleman asked if I had any thing; I said Nothing belonging to him - I had a right to pick up what laid on the ground. SIR GEORGE FARRANT . There were two boys further back, but he was the nearest. GUILTY . Aged 13. Transported for Fourteen Years . Born; 1816 Imprisoned; 1829 Transported; 10 September 1829 ----------------------------------- New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 Entrance and Description Book. Sydney. 1831-1847 Henry Hughes 1831. London. Catholic. Labourer. 7 Years Transportation. Norfolk Island. Year of Birth; 1818. Height: 4 ft 11 1/4 inches ---------------------------------- The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) View title info Thu 14 Feb 1833. Page 2 Supreme John Bowen and Henry Hughes were again put to the bar on an indictment charging them with burglariously entering the dwelling-house of William Barber, at Inverary, in the County of Argyle, on the 11th December, 1832, putting the inmates in bodily fear, and forcibly taking therefrom sundry articles, the property of William Barber; and James Killeen for receiving 1 shirt and 4 brass curtain rings, part and parcel of the property aforesaid, knowing them to have been so stolen. Mr. THERRY appeared as counsel for the prisoner, Killeen. It appeared from the evidence of William Jones, a sawyer, living at Mr. Barber's, that on the night laid in the indictment he was awoke by loud rapping at the door, which was answered by a witness of the name of Hickey; the person on the outside demanding admission, Hickey mistaking the voice as being that of MCAuliffe, a constable in the district, arose and opened the door; the witness was immediately told by the prisoner (Bowen) to arise, with which he complied, thinking be was a constable; prisoner then procured a light by means of a piece of stringy bark; the fire was not quite out; the prisoners were armed; they proceeded to ransack the house; witness still imagined them to be constables having a search warrant, until he saw the features of James Dick, whom he knew, (who was subsequently shot by the Mounted Police), when be discovered himself to be in the hands of bushrangers; they searched every part of the hut, and bundled up whatever they chose to avail themselves of; witness never saw the boy, Henry Hughes, during the transaction; witness asked one of them for his trousers, as he had no other, which he returned to him, and told him they had not taken his jacket, which was in the house; while witness went to look for the jacket they departed; during the time one of the robbers was employed in ransacking the house, the other stood over Jones and Hickey, with his cocked piece, outside the door, ready to fire in case of resistance being offered. This evidence was corroborated by the testimony of the witness Hickey. A corporal of the Mounted Police, to whom information had been given, proceeded in company with one of his men to the residence of the prisoner Killeen; and when at a short distance from his house, he came to the door, and throwing up his hands, exclaimed "Here are the Mounted Police!" The prisoner Bowen and James Dick immediately came out at the door and run up the hill near the house: when a short distance up, the prisoner (Bowen) turned round and discharged his piece at the mounted policeman, which shot off his hat; the corporal, in endeavouring to cut off their passage up the hill, had his horse so badly wounded by a ball from the piece carried by James Dick, as to render him incapable of proceeding; Bowen was, however, captured and lodged in security, as also Killeen, in searching whose house, a shirt, identified by the first witness, and four rings identified by Mrs. Barker, with sundry other suspicious looking property were found. It appeared from the evidence of William Cassidy, a servant in the employ of Killeen, that his master had long lent himself to the lawless pursuits of the many bushrangers that infest that quarter; and made a statement of his master's having been absent in their company during the whole of several nights, returning laden with property which he had no doubt was stolen; the witness Cassidy had pointed out to the police a large hole in the house capable of concealing six men, which was so ingeniously covered as to evade observation. The learned Counsel in his cross examination of the several witnesses, endeavoured to shake their testimony as to the identity of the property laid in the indictment. No part of the evidence affected the prisoner, Henry Hughes, who is not more than 14 years old, as being concerned in this transaction with the exception of his having given up to Mrs. Barker, at the suggestion of the police at Inverary, a silver ring, which she identified as being her property, and part of the articles specified in the indictment. The case for the prosecution being closed, the learned Judge recommended the jury to return a verdict of not guilty against the prisoner Hughes, who had been found guilty on a former indictment, which was sufficient to subject him to exemplary punishment. The jury retired, and after a deliberate consultation returned a verdict of Guilty, against John Bowen, and James Killeen, Henry Hughes, Not Guilty. His Honor delivered an affecting address to the prisoner Bowen, expatiating at some length on the enormity of his offence; aggravated in a high degree by his having encouraged a mere child to become a participator in his delinquences. This circumstance and a long career of crime rendered it imperative on him to endeavour to awake the prisoner to a sense of the awful situation in which he stood, exhorting him to shut out all hope of mercy on this side of the grave, and implore forgiveness from his offended maker. His Honor then, in a most solemn manner, passed on the prisoner the awful sentence of Death, to be carried into execution on such day as may be appointed by his Excellency. His Honor seemed much affected at the depravity of the juvenile delinquent, Hughes, who has proved himself to be a determined offender; having been several times charged with robberies since his transportation to this Colony. He was sentenced to be transported to a penal settlement for seven years. -------------------------------------------------