John Macmillan

53

Robyn Everist on 23rd December 2025

TAHO description record showing age at transportation: 19 years https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CSO1-1-295/CSO1-1-295-7161-8

343

Maureen Withey on 19th July 2024

Supreme Criminal Court.— (Friday, Dec.. 7, 1827.) George Lacy, Samuel Measures, John Ward, John Maguire, John McMillan, William Jenkins, James Kirk, and James Reed, the nine misguided and unhappy men who were brought up from Macquarie Island last week, charged with the murder of a constable named George Rex,were this day put upon their trial. - It appeared that these men were prisoners in the small island or penitentiary contiguous to the larger one. On the night of the 17th Nov. they contrived a plan to escape. They seized upon the constable Cook and other six in number, who they thought would prevent them. Having bound and gagged them in the most cruel manner, they placed them in such situation among the rocks on the Islands, as to prevent them from communicating with each other; They then began with Rex,-whom three of them took and pushed into the water, where they held him till he was dead, while the other six were looking on. Having constructed a raft of the tables, beds, &c. which they could procure, they all embarked with the intention of making their escape to the main ; but when they had got into deep, water they found it sinking with them, and they returned again to shore. Only three then went on the raft, and succeeded in getting among the woods on the main, where, however, on the alarm being given, they were promptly pursued and apprehended; All these transactions were distinctly seen by those whom they had bound and placed in different situations on the island, and their case was clearly and satisfactorily Proved.--, This painful trial lasted the whole of Friday and Saturday, till a very late hour, and when the Jury returned their verdict of Guilty, His Honor the Chief Justice, almost overcome by the lamentable and unexampled spectacle of nine human beings convicted of so cold blooded a murder, passed the awful sentence of death upon them. The Australian, 4 Jan 1828. VAN DIEMAN'S LAND. Murders. Another most dreadful murder was perpetrated at Macquarie Harbour on the 17th of October last, the body of Constable Geo- Rex, nine men—namely, John Ward, Samuel Measures, William Jenkins, James Head, Thomas Williams, James Kirk, John M‘Mallen, John and George Lacy, holding him under water until was suffocated. The whole of the prisoners were brought to Hobart Town, tried, and convicted; and on the 17th of December they all underwent the dreadful penalty of the crime of murder. Mayo Constitution, 4 Sep 1828. Convict Conduct Record: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON31-1-29/CON31-1-29P137 No 399. John McMillan, per Morley, 1823. Tried 25 April 1822, 14 years. Transported for robbing and rioting. See record for details. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON31-1-34/CON31-1-34P366 No 419. James Reed. See record for details.

343

Maureen Withey on 17th October 2023

Richard CAMPBELL, weaver ; JOHN MACMILLAN, painter; JOHN CAMPBELL, shoemaker; JAMES BROWN, paCkMail ; ROBERT HALL, mariner; JAMES MUNRO, weaver ; and WILLIAM GREEN, tobacco spinner; accused of mobbing and rioting, by feloniously and tumultuously invading the house of George Provand, colour-maker West Clyde Street, Glasgow; on Sunday the 17th February last, and of demolishing and destroying the windows and furniture of said house, pleaded Not Guilty. , George Provand, jun. colour-maker.—On Sunday the 17th February last, during the forenoon service, a crowd had assembled in front of his father's house, in West Clyde Street, and in the afternoon some of them commenced the attack by pulling the bell, and throwing stones at the door. He went out and seized two of the most active, and took them into the house until he sent for the Police to have them carried to the office.  He had had heard some foolish reports, which he told the crowd were false, when they called out, Knock him down, and he escaped with considerable difficulty, the mob following him for the purpose of ill-using him. At this time he succeeded in shutting the door; but it was soon after so much abused by the people without, that when the police came he could not open it to them, and they had to come in by the window. Previous to the arrival of the Police officers he had presented a gun over the window at the rioters. The crowd took 20 minutes to collect; and when the Police officers arrived there might be about 1000 people assembled. After they arrived they took the two boys to the Police Office, in the presence of the mob, to shew them no harm had done them. A person of the name of Brown, and another man, remained in the house, endeavouring to prevent the multitude from getting in, who were actually engaged in throwing stones. Before he left the premises all the glass in the windows had been smashed, and repeated attempts had been made to force open the door; and a person, whom the Police officers said they knew, come in by one of the windows; when he saw him at first, he was holding by the frame of a window in the first flat, and beating it with 'his feet. The prisoner , Richard Campbell, is like the individual he then saw, but his dress is now much altered. When he left the house, the noise without was very great, and it was under the impression that if he had remained he would have fallen a victim to the rage of the mob. He made his escape by a back window, and returned along with the military  in about three quarters of an hour. Then everything was destroyed, the locks off the door, the glass ... ... The Jury, without retiring, found Green Not Guilty, and the other five prisoners Guilty. The Court sentenced them all to 14 years transportation, and; in addition to that punishment, Richard Campbell was ordered to be whipped by the hands of the common hangman through the streets of Glasgow, on the eighth day of May next. Glasgow Sentinel, 1 May 1822. -------------------------------------------------------------------- A Criminal Petition was made on behalf of one of his co-defendants, John Campbell, which sheds some light on the reasons for the rioting. National Archives, Criminal Petitions. HO 17/6/8 Prisoner name: John Campbell. Prisoner details: Former shoemaker of Stockwell Street, Glasgow, now employed by Mr Smith of Baller Street, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land. Court and date of trial: Glasgow Court of Justiciary. Crime: Mobbing and rioting at the house of George Provand (or George Provan), oil and colour-man, in Clyde Street, Glasgow in May 1822. Initial sentence: 14 years transportation. Annotated: Refused 29 May 1822. 'Now at Van Diemen's Land. Mr Peel must leave the [matter] of his remission entirely to the Governor of the Colony' 1826. Petitioner(s): John Campbell (the convict) supported by two letters of character (one from Duncan Thomson, a former employer). Anne Campbell (Anne Kean), the convict's mother, of Glasgow. Grounds for clemency: Although he acted violently, he did not steal from the property involved and joined with no band for the purpose of pilfering; previous good character; respectable parents; regret for his crime; there were reports circulating at the time of the riot that the victim murdered children for their blood for use in his paint manufacture, that he dissected children and used them for 'unnatural purposes'. Other papers: Letter from Henry Monteith [MP] transmitting the petition from Anne Kean and noting the 'infamous' character of the victim. Certificate from James Anderson, Depute Clerk of the Justiciary, stating that George Provand, the victim, was indicted to stand trial at Glasgow Circuit Court for sodomy and he having failed to appear was outlawed. Additional Information: The convict's mother's petition states that the convict was 'to be publicly whipped throughout the principle streets [of Glasgow]'. He was convicted with four others [unnamed]. Richard Campbell (convict's father, deceased) was a weaver in Glasgow and former soldier in the West Lowland [Fencible] Regiment of Infantry and 26th Regiment of Foot, then an out-pensioner from the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Anne Campbell (or Anne Kean), the convict's mother, was aged 'about 68 years' in June 1826 and states that her paternal grandfather was a tenant on the Moira Estate in Ireland. Date: 1822 May- 1826 Jun.

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 24th June 2021

Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records. John MacMillan. Ship; Morley 2. Trial; Glasgow - 25 April 1822 . Sentence; 14 years Noted against name [Source; CORE SERIES] EXECUTED; John McMillan - 17 December 1827- Hanged at Hobart for his role in the Rex murder