Jean Herman Maas

221

D Wong on 7th November 2019

The 'Celia' arrived in Sydney 14/10/1828.

221

D Wong on 7th November 2019

Jean Herman Maas was 20 years old on arrival. Native Place: Ceylon. Jean Herman was literate, single, 5'10¾" tall, coloured complexion, black hair and eyes. Occupation: Copying Clerk. Jean/John Herman Maas, was a Dutch-Sinhalese man. In 1824 he had been sentenced to seven years' transportation for forgery. When transported to Mauritius he was accompanied by a personal note from the chief secretary to the government in Colombo. The chief secretary had written that Maas was 'not of a class accustomed to hard manual labour'. He was then assigned as a personal assistant to the head of the department of roads and bridges, Mr. William Staveley, in Mauritius. Within a year of his arrival the police arrested Maas for trying to spend a forged coin - Maas was caught in the Camp Malabar, the Indian district in the east of Port Louis. The police searched him and discovered 47 forged centimes in his trouser pockets and waistcoat, and coining equipment. He was sentenced to 15 years' transportation. In Sydney, he was assigned to the Liverpool commissariat's office as a clerk. 1/9/1830: Jean Herman Maas and Thomas McGibbon were both hanged at Liverpool for forgery.

341

Maureen Withey on 6th November 2019

25 Oct 1828 Letter re sending Jean Herman Maas/ “Celia” from Mauritius, to Fort Wellington as interpreter & Notes. Mentions “Lucy Anne” [also spelt Lucy Ann] – “ J H Maas sent 25 Nov 1828” Letter re application from Mr A Hill for John Herman Maas. CAMPBELL TOWN ASSIZES, THURSDAY. AUGUST 12th.— The Chief Justice, having opened this Court, by commission of Oyer and Terminer, — a panel composed of 7 officers of the army was sworn, when John Herman Maas and Thomas McGibbon were arraigned, indicted for defrauding the King, by forging a provision ledger or cheque list of a detached party of the Road Gang, No, 38; also the signatare of Mr. Lambie, the Assistant Surveyor of Roads, to a paper purporting to be a receipt for provision furnished by Mr. Thomas Rose, Contractor, between 5th May and 24th June last. It appeared in evidence that M'Gibbon was clerk to Mr. Strachan, Superintendent of Convict Barracks, at Liverpool, where Maas who was employed in the office of Mr. Owen, Commissariat Clerk, in charge at that station, lived with M'Gibbon. Believing the forged receipt of 15th July, to be genuine, Mr. Owen acted upon it, and as it appeared clearly that none but Maas could have effected the forgery, but that M'Gibbon, who slept in the same room, was not certain to have been implicated in it ; Maas was found guilty, M'Gibbon not guilty. For the prisoners, were Messrs Therry and Rowe. The Court after this, adjourned to next day. Friday.— When the above prisoners were again placed at the bar, on another indictment for defrauding the King, by falsely obtaining a bill of exchange, for £137 18s., forging thereon the signature of Mr. Thomas Rose, and fraudulently putting away the said bill. It appeared that on 24th July last, 3 drafts on the D. C. G. In favour of Mr. Rose the contracter, one of £144, the second £137 10s. and the third £56 18s. 3d. were drawn by Mr. Owen, Commissariat Clerk. The first was given to Mr. Rose's son, Maas intimating to Mr. Owen, while he was writing out the next, that Mr. Rose wished to have the first draft, and to leave the other two for Mr. Wood, of the Ship Ian, who would send for them. The draft for £144 was accordingly given to Mr. Rose, Jun. who left town with it. Next evening, a letter signed James Wood reached Mr. Owen, conveying a request that two drafts left by Mr . Rose should be delivered for him, either to the waiter or to Maas. Considering the latter as the safer conveyance, the two drafts were given to Maas, with an injunction to bring back Wood's acknowledgment in writing. The sums described in these drafts corresponded with the abstract and ledger kept in the Com. Office, and it was not an unusual practice to have plain forms signed beforehand The order purporting so come from Mr. Wood, of the Ship Inn, was a forged one, for Mr. Wood swore, that McGibbon came to his house, and agreeably to his (McGibbon's request, Mr. Wood sent his waiter to convey a message to the Commisariat office, having no knowledge whatever of the drafts, and being without directions from Mr. Rose respecting them. After Maas had received the drafts, he never appeared again at the office. M'Gibbon and he absconded from Liverpool. On the 26th July, M'Gibbon walked into the shop of Mr. Pendray , tailor, in George-street; Sydney, and tendering a draft upon the D. C. General for £137 12s. said he wished to pay an account of £15, due by his friend Maas, and begged Mr. Pendray's clerk, Wellings, would carry the draft over to the Commissariat Pay Office, which he did ; the draft was cashed in British silver, which was exchanged in the Treasury Office for a cheque on the Bank of Australia ; with this M'Gibbon proceeded to the Bank, obtained notes for it, and paid Wellings £15, talking a receipt for the same, McGibbon endorsing the cheques with the name Thomas Hamilton. Maas and his confederate were that day apprehended Maas endeavoured to set up a defence, but in a very brief and incoherent way, and the learned judge having charged the commission with much clearness and precision, both prisoners were pronounced GUILTY. The third, indictment charged the same prisoners with fraudulently obtaining a bill for £ 51 16s. and forging thereon the endorsement of Thomas Rose, with intent to defraud Mr. Rose and William Sutherland. In this case, the evidence was equally clear, and both prisoners were found guilty ; after which, the Court adjourned to Saturday the 14th August ; when Maas and M'Gibbon, who throughout the whole of these proceedings had exhibited extraordinary levity and carelessness, again graced the bar, and the learned judge passed upon them sentence of death, when their conduct became perceptibly altered, and both were removed to the prison among a crowd of uncommiserating spectators. The Australian, 27 Aug 1830 EXECUTION. — On Wednesday last, Jean Henry Maas and James M'Gibbon underwent the sentence of the law, at Liverpool, for forgery on the Commissariat department. Maas was of a very respectable family at the Isle of France, from which place he was transported to this Colony for three years only, one half of which term had expired at the time when the offence was committed for which he suffered. Sydney Gazette, 4 Sep 1830 Jean Herman Mass was transported to NSW from Mauritius on board the Celia. On Tuesday last arrived, from the Mauritius, whence she sailed the 11th of August, the brig Celia, Captain Badger. Lading, sugar, &c. Passenger, Mr. Henry Melville. The Celia also brings two prisoners from the Mauritius under sentence of transportation for life. Sydney Gazette, 17 Oct 1828. “Jean Herman Maas, together with Pierre Dominique Hania, were found guilty of counterfeiting in September 1827 and sentenced to be worked in chains. The Governor of Mauritus remitted that portion of the sentence one year later, and at the colony’s expense, transported Hania and Massa on the Celia. Maas, “ a man of dark colour” was clever and well educated, and quickly gained a position as a clerk to the Commissariat Department, stationed at Liverpool. Together with a Belfast convict , Fitzgibbon, he undertook the administrative paperwork necessary for the road parties that operated in that area. They invented a road, and a list of 25 fictitious persons to work on it, thereby themselves accruing the payments necessary for the performance of the non-existent work. Tried at Campbell Town Assizes, Mas had the unfortunate distinction of being the last person hanged in New South Wales for forgery.” Source: The Australian People, edited by James Jupp. Jean Herman Maas was of Dutch-sinhalese origins, born in Ceylon.