Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
Francis Lacey 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 248 |
| 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
No one has claimed Francis Lacey yet.
Photos
No photos have been added for Francis Lacey.
Convict Notes
From the Daily News (Perth), 7 October 1886, p3: "Francis Lacey and Charles Hanson, two aged and apparently infirm inmates of the Mount Eliza Invalid Depot, were charged by the Inspector of Charitable Institutions, (Mr.W. Dale), with having behaved in a disorderly manner yesterday afternoon. From the evidence given, by Assistant-Orderly Gilbertson, it appeared that the two men left the Depot yesterday morning without leave, and returned between two and three o'clock in the afternoon considerably the worse for strong drink. The gate having been closed against them by Mr. Dale's orders, the men created a great disturbance by pouring out floods of the most blasphemous and profane language within the hearing of Gilbertson's wife and daughter. Subsequently Hanson tried to break open the gate with a large stone, and afterwards dashed a bottle of beer against it. At last he succeeded in effecting an entrance, when he assaulted the master (Mr. Dewis) in a savage manner, at the same time threatening to take Gilbertson's life, but at last; he was overpowered, conveyed to a cell, and the police sent for. The accused made no real defence, Hanson protesting that Gilbertson's evidence was wholly untrue, and stating that he 'robs the public all the day by sleeping on his bed instead of attending to his duty'. Lacey said he was very sorry for his misconduct, but asserted that the officers 'encourage men to go to the Depot of a night and knock the poor cripples about.' Mr. Dale, however, most emphatically denied the truth of the allegations made by the pair; and the Bench fined Hanson 1s. in addition to sentencing him to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, while they ordered Lacey to be kept in solitary confinement for three days upon bread and water diet." (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76213640)
OTHER: From the Daily News (Perth), 30 Apr 1885, p3: "...Francis Lacey, charged with vagrancy, was advised by the Police Magistrate to try to obtain admittance into the [Convict's] Invalid Depot..." (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76208032). --0--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: LACEY, Francis; inmate #4575, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1830 Date of Death: 10 Apr 1890 Place of Death: Perth Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Labourer Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: York, Yorkshire, England Crime: Firing stack of straw Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 21 Sep 1859 Conditional Pardon Date: 17 Jan 1863 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --0--
10 September, 1857: Sent from Portland to board the Nile for transportation to WA; listed as #68/6953 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). Behaviour on voyage “good (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). --00--
6 April, 1857: Admitted to Portland jail in Dorset -- inmate #6953. 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) Francis Lacey was listed as 26 when convicted, single, a labourer, able to read. Next of kin—his father, Harwood Lacey, of Ruskington [a large village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire] (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --0--
8 July, 1856: Admitted to Pentonville, Caledonian Road, London -- served 8 months 19 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". --0--
28 May, 1856: Admitted to Millbank, Westminster -- served 1 month 10 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--
JAILS: 23 February, 1856: Committed at Doncaster to stand trial; he was sent to York Castle prior to his trial and held there following his conviction, on 8 March, in association with other prisoners -- behaviour "very good". --0--
PREVIOUS CHARGE & ACQUITTAL: Francis Lacey had previously been charged with arson and acquitted at Lincolnshire, on 25 April, 1854. He was alleged to have "wilfully set fire to a stack of barley straw, the property of John Mowbray at Leasingham", on 14 April, 1854. A notation on the court document says he had been several times in prison for poaching. He was listed as 24 and a labourer (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Francis Lacey; Lincoln Gaol; Calendar of Trials; to 1863). --00--
NEWSPAPER REPORT OF HIS TRIAL: From the Leeds Intelligencer, Tuesday 18 March, 1856, p4: "Yorkshire Spring Assizes...FRANCIS LACEY, 26, pleaded guilty to firing stack of straw belonging Thomas Marshall, at Warmsworth, on the 23rd ult., and was sentenced to 14 years' transportation." --0--