William Leo

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Maureen Withey on 5th April 2022

On arrival in Sydney, following the deaths of 7 prisoners during the journey and the large number of wounded men in the shooting on board, there was a Colonial Enquiry into the allegations of murder and cruelty towards the convicts, set up by Governor Macquarie. No charges were laid. Governor Macquarie wrote to Earl Bathurst: Yielding therefore to the weight of the first Law Authority in the Colony, I have now the honour to inform your Lordship that Three Soldiers of the 46th regt., who belonged to the detachment on board the Chapman, namely James Clements, John Hogan, and John Jordan, are now embarked on the ship Harriet as prisoners for trial on specific charges of murder, and Mr. Alexander Dewar, Surgeon in R.N. and Lieut. Busteed of the 69th regt., who commanded the Military Guard on board are also embarked under close Military Arrest to abide such charges as may be preferred against them; with these, are also embarked as witnesses ten soldiers and fourteen convicts. They were tried and found not guilty. “It was the opinion of the Bench, that the provocation in this case given by the convicts completely justified the rigorous measures taken to quell this insurrection. The jury immediately acquitted all the prisoners, and they were consequently discharged.” From a newspaper Report of the trial in London: The ship Chapman sailed from Cork with convicts for New South Wales, in March, 1817. Everything went on well till the ship arrived at St Jago,- when there was a slight quarrel between some of the convicts and the soldiers. At this time it seemed that a convict of the name of Collins (whether with a view to procure himself his liberty, or from what motive did not appear) had persuaded the officers and the doctor of the ship, that there existed among the convicts a conspiracy to rise upon the crew and take the ship. The officers, impressed with the truth of this story, on the night of the 17th of April, after the convicts had gone to bed, and had been fastened down by the chain-cable being placed upon the scuttles, - caused the crew to fire down the convicts, - which was done for two hours, according to some of the affidavits ; for only one, according to others. Three of the convicts were killed, and a great many wounded they lay groaning and crying out for the doctor all night, but nobody came to them till near nine o'clock the next morning. The doctor then told them that it was all their own faults, for they had conspired to rise on crew; this they all solemnly denied. They were afterwards brought up to the hatchway, and examined on their knees, as to this supposed conspiracy, particularly as to a saw and turnscrew which they were supposed to have secreted. They all denied the conspiracy, and on their births being searched, nothing was found but a few nails and a tile. After this, the convicts were treated with great harshness; several floggings took place, and one man had a bayonet run into him, because he cried out while some fetters were rivetted on his leg with red-hot rivets. The convicts were repeatedly threatened with death ; and on the night of the 22d of April, after they retired to bed, and been fastened down as before, a second firing on them took place from all parts of the ship, and lasted nearly two hours. Another was killed and several more wounded, no assistance afforded till the next morning. On the 24th of June, four or five of the convicts were chained into the jolly-boat, and one of them shot; another was put in the long-boat, where he died in four days. All the affidavits asserted that there had been no conspiracy whatever, nor any resistance; or the slightest appearance of resistance, either before the first firing, between that and the second firing, after that firing, or during any part of the voyage. The crew had been heard to speak of Collins as the saviour of the ship; and after the 17th of April, the convicts had been treated, on all occasions, with the most relentless severity. The affidavits of several soldiers on board the ship stated, that the firings did not continue above ten minutes or a quarter of an hour; according to some, not more than five or six minutes : that a belief had been generally entertained among the crew that the convicts intended to rise; and that before the firing commenced a disturbance was heard among the prisoners below, and an alarm given that they were breaking loose. On the other hand, the affidavit of one of the convicts stated that he had overheard Clements and Baxter, two of the crew, agree to give an alarm, in order that the firing might commence: The affadavit of the Captain stated, that the convicts, were 200 in number; that he was informed by his mate and crew that they were of a most riotous disposition; that on the nights of the firing, they had attempted to break the locks of their prison, and had been heard by him to say that it was a bad job, they had all been found out; but that though they failed then, they would try another time. He had received the most distinct information from from Collins, that there was a regularly organized conspiracy to take the ship. The firings took place without any order from the officers, there bring a great disturbance below, and the crew crying out that the prisoners that the prisoners were rising upon them. The firing had been stopped solely by the exertions of the officers; for the crew were exasperated to the last degree, having understood that they were all to be put death. His affidavit further stated, that he had that he had given no order whatever for the death of the convict who was shot in the jolly-boat. There were several other affidavits in corroboration of the captain's: they added, that there was such a panic among the crew that the firing had commenced while the captain was in his cabin, without his orders, and even contrary to them; that all the exertions of the officers had been unavailing to stop the firing in less than ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. British Luminary, 5 Dec 1818. -------------------------------------------------- For more information from the Journals of the Surgeon and from the Trial, follow link https://www.freesettlerorfelon.com/convict_ship_chapman_1817.htm

343

Maureen Withey on 5th April 2022

Colonial Secretary Index. LEO, William. Per "Chapman", 1817; farrier. 1817 Aug-Sep Tied to rope, thrown overboard from "Chapman" (Reel 6020; 9/2639 pp.91, 107, 112-3, 203, 227, 229, 243, 271, 314, 371, 452-3) 1817 Aug 26 Evidence given at Committee of Enquiry into conduct on board "Chapman" (Reel 6020; 9/2639 pp.108-40) 1817 Sep Punishment of on board "Chapman" (Reel 6020; 9/2639 pp.269-71, 298-9, 423-5, 451-2, 463, 467) 1817 Nov 24, Dec 10 To be sent to England as witness in charges of ill-treatment of convicts on "Chapman" (Reel 6046; 4/1738 p.115) https://content.archives.nsw.gov.au/delivery/StreamGate?dps_pid=FL3972452&dps_dvs=1649166198205~312 Convicts- to be sent to England as Witnesses. Patrick Smith John Fagan Terence Kiernan Francis Murphy James Talbot – Gone by mistake to Van Diemens Land. Peter Allan Michael Wood John Ryan Michael Collins Thomas Kelly – brother of the deceased Kelly. William Leo John Sullivan. Date on the document: Sydney, 24 Nov 1817.

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Maureen Withey on 3rd April 2022

Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. William Leo, age on arrival, 28, Chapman (1) 1817, Tried at Dublin City, 1816, 7 years. DOB, 1789, native place, Galway Co., Trade, Blacksmith horseshoer.