Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
William Legg was transported on the Eleanor, departing 15th Feb 1831 and arriving 26th Jun 1831 with 136 passengers.
Eleanor - 1841 Journey. Port of Hobart Town. Arrivals. - April 21 -the brig Eleanor, 257 tons, Mossman, from the Isle of France on her way to Sydney, with sugar and dates, and several cabin passengers. She has landed 14 male and 1 female prisoners. The Courier, 23 April 1841.
Eleanor (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 89, Class and Piece Number HO11/8, Page Number 21 (13). Convict Annotated Printed Indentures 1831. |
| 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
On Monday the following 24 convicts, against whom sentence of death was recorded our late Special Assize, were removed from Fisherton gaol, and put board the York Hulk at Gosport. Maurice Pope, the Wiltshire pugilist, will seen, is amongst the number. John Jennings, George Shergold, of Wilton, H. Shergold, Thomas Whately, James Down, Isaac Cole, Wm. Francis, W. Lewis, Shadrach Blake, George Shergold, John Shergold, Joseph Watts, Geo. Durman, James Toomer, Maurice Pope, Gifford North, Wm. Cheater, Charles Davis, Laban Stone, Thomas Lawrence, John Pounds, John Ford, and Chas. Pizzie, to be transported for life. John Burrough, William Hibberd, Aaron Stone, Job Waldron, Robert Baker, Henry Toombs, John Reeves, John Orchard, Levy Brown, and Wm. Legg, to be transported for 14 years and John Remain for 7 years. Hampshire Advertiser, 12 Feb 1831.
William Legg was convicted at the Wiltshire Special Commission, which was set up during January 1831, to deal swiftly with those agricultural workers who were arrested after the “Swing Riots”. During November and early December 1830, large crowds of impoverished agricultural workers gathered at night to break threshing-machines, which they saw as taking away their already, very low paid work, reduced further because the land owners were reducing the wages of the men due to decreases in the value of the corn they were producing. They demanded token sums of one or two sovereigns of the landowners if they left the farms. London Courier, 10 Jan 1831 Wilts Special Commission Saturday, Jan 8. (Before Mr Justice Parke) W. Legg, aged 28; T. Legg, 21; and J. Legg, 18, were charged with breaking thrashing-machines, the property of R. Shewry, of Hannington. The Jury Acquitted William Legg, and found his two brothers guilty. The same three prisoners were then placed at the bar, charged with having robbed Elizabeth Montgomery of half a crown. The Jury found all the prisoners guilty – Sentence of death was recorded against them.
All convict transported from England on the Eleanor were convicted of Machine breaking except for the three convicts convicted at the Cape of Good Hope - Thomas Davis (Stealing from a drug house); George Smits (or Smets) of receiving stolen iron and Pierre Tuite (or Pierce Tait) of embezzlement). Later documentation (i.e. Ticket of Leave) may state the offence as robbery.