Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Michael Kerr was transported on the Calcutta, departing 19th Apr 1837 and arriving 5th Aug 1837 with 250 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 | Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. |
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Convict Notes
NSW Convict index. Michael Kerr, per Calcutta, 1837, Ticket of Leave, No 45/178. District, Bathurst; Michael Kerr, per Calcutta, 1837, Ticket of Leave, No 60/46. District- Scone; Tried, Goulburn, 1851. Michael Kerr, alias Thomas Laffin, per Calcutta, 1837, Certificate of Freedom, 3 Dec 1861, No 61/30. Remarks: CCF; convicted at Goulburn Circuit Court, 1851. ----------------------------------------- WATER POLICE COURT. TUESDAY. BEFORE the Water Police Magistrate, and Mr. W. S. Deloite. Thomas Laffin, alias Michael Kerr, was brought before the Court by Inspector Sanderson, charged with having escaped from custody whilst under a sentence of three years at Newcastle. Prisoner had been apprehended at Melbourne and transferred by constable O'Connor (of the Victoria Police) to the police authorities of this colony. John Long Horsey, a clerk in the Convict Department, identified prisoner as Michael Kerr, per ship Calcutta, 1837, convicted at the Criminal Court, Goulburn, on the 3rd February, 1851, and sentenced to three years on the roads. Whilst serving that sentence at Newcastle he absconded on the 13th November ; and in January, 1857, he was reported by the authorities at Melbourne to be serving seven years' penal sentence. Upon this information a warrant was issued to return the man to Sydney, when he obtained his release or was eligible for discharge. He served nine months and ten days of his original sentence before he absconded, and had at that time two years two months and twenty days to serve. Prisoner admitted the charge ; and the Bench ordered that he be returned to Government to serve for the period he had been absent. Sydney Morning Herald, 31 Aug 1859. ------------------------------ GOULBURN CIRCUIT COURT.-This court was opened on Monday, the 3rd instant, before the Chief Justice. Thomas Loffin was indicted for stealing three pistols, the property of - Sands, chief constable, at Moulamein. The prisoner, had been confined in the lockup at Moulamein, and made his escape therefrom, taking with him the chief constable's pistols ; he was subsequently apprehended with four loaded pistols in his possession, three being the stolen ones. Guilty; three years on the roads.- Maitland Mercury, 12 Feb 1851.
Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. Michael Kerr, alias Carr, Corr, age on arrival, 17, per Calcutta II, 1837. Tried at Down, 1837, 7 years for Picking pockets. DOB 1820, Native place, Down Co. Single, Catholic, Errand boy.