Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
William Long 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 241 (122). --0-- Edgar, W. (Bill). (2018). “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779 |
| 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
The Norwich Mercury (Saturday 17 March 1855, p4) got to the point: On Wednesday, before the city magistrates, two men named Richard Wright and William Long were charged with stealing lead, and attempting to stab Mr. George Jay, and a police-constable named Woods. The constable stated, that on Tuesday evening as he was on duty in King Street, he met the prisoners, and as they appeared to be carrying something under their clothes, he stopped them, and after a scuffle between him and Long, some lead fell from the man’s slop. Mr. Jay happened to pass by at the time, and he asked him to assist him in his struggle with the prisoner, who was a very powerful man. Mr. Jay immediately crossed over, and the prisoner, with a horrible expression, pulled out a knife, and swore he would kill his assailants. He then struck at Mr. Jay’s back, two coats being being cut quite through, but as they fitted loosely and the knife was broken short off, no further harm was done. He then made a second stab at one of Mr. Jay’s legs, cut quite through the trousers, and inflicted a slight skin wound. Wright took no part in the affray, and walked on by himself; but the officer noticed that he was also carrying something under his clothes, and some lead was afterwards found in his possession. In defence, Long said that he had been drinking, that he was peeling some chestnuts with his knife when he was attacked by the policeman, and that he had not intended to hurt any person. Inspector Amis stated that he [Long] was transported for ten years in 1846; and Mr. E. Willett asked him why he was now at large? He replied that he had received a free pardon, but being asked whether he had any document in his possession to establish the fact, he admitted that he had not. As no owner had been found for the lead, the case was remanded to Saturday. Wright, the other prisoner, has been twenty-eight times in custody." (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/)
FOOTNOTE: Newspaper reports of his trial: The Norfolk Chronicle's verbose coverage (Saturday 17 March 1855, p2) deserves partial reproduction: "Robbery of Lead — Determined Resistance-men, and residents of Beer-street, named Robert Wright and William Long, (the former of whom has been 28 times in the custody of the police for various offences, and the other a short but powerfully built fellow, who was transported for ten years in 1846, and for whose present appearance in this country he could give no account for other than a vague unsupported assertion of having a free pardon), were placed in the dock, charged on suspicion of having stolen a quantity of lead, and Long who resisted his apprehension and cut and wounded Mr. Jay solicitor and manufacturer, of this city..." --0--
DEATHS: The death of a William Long, aged 76, was registered in 1901 in WA, reg no 2050 (https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/).
OTHER: From the Toodyay Convicts database: Long, William (1828-1889)* #4731 1858-01-01 Nile CWA: Mar; 1 chd; stone cutter; semi lit Prot; felony 10 yrs; Toodyay, York; lab. BDWA: LONG, William, b. 1828. d. 5.11.1889/1901 (Toodyay) (expiree), arr. 1.1.1858 per Nile (https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/). --00--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: LONG, William; #4731, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1828 Marital Status: Married 1 child Occupation: Stone cutter [listed as a woolcomber and stone mason on other WA Convict records] Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: Norwich, Norfolk, England Crime: Felony Sentence Period: 10 years penal servitude Ticket of Leave Date: 12 Jun 1860 Conditional Pardon Date: 17 Oct 1864 Comments: Labourer (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
September, 1857: He was sent to board the Nile for transportation to WA, listed as #2/945; his behaviour was “good” at Chatham (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). —00—
6 June, 1857: William Long was admitted to Chatham prison in Kent; inmate #945. Chatham, Portland, Portsmouth 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) --0--
14 August, 1856: He was admitted to Millbank gaol in London, inmate #3274. He served 8 months 22 days in separate confinement. “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, Wakefield, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. In Millbank, he was listed as a wool comber, aged 29 [when convicted], married with one child, semi-literate and Church of England. Next of kin -- his wife (not named), living at Thorne Lane, Bert Street, Norwich. A notation on this record says he has "permission to write a letter 21.4.57". His behaviour in separate confinement is listed as "bad" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). --0--
JAILS: March, 1855: William Long was held at Norwich City (Norwich Castle County Gaol and House of Correction), in Norfolk, for 17 months, in association with other prisoners. --0--
TRIAL: 13 March, 1855: William Long and Richard Wright were committed for trial charged with "stealing lead and attempting to stab Mr George Jay and a police Constable named Woods" (Norwich Mercury, 17 March 1855, p4). --0-- 24 July, 1855: William Long was convicted at Norwich Assizes for stealing 16 pounds of lead, the property Mr John Youngs, brewer, and sentenced to 10 years' penal servitude. Local newspaper reports after his trial focussed on "the humane conduct" of George Jay "in assisting police-constable Robert Blaze Woods, at the imminent risk of his own life, in the apprehension of William Long, a returned transport, having in his possession a quantity of stolen lead, and who probably would have mortally wounded" either Woods or Jay (Norwich Mercury, 4 August, p4). William Long had a previous conviction for felony, in January 1846, for stealing a pocket handkerchief from the person, and was sentenced to 10 years' transportation (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). --00--